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NEW DOM GRÉA HOUSE

(HOUSE OF FORMATION)

BUILDING PROJECT

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PRESENTATION

 

 

Overview —————————————————————————

 

    

     We, the priests, brothers and men in formation of the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception, come together in prayer five times a day in our love of the Sacred Liturgy. With the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is the principal and central act of the Sacred Liturgy, and the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours), particularly at Lauds (Morning Prayer) and sung Vespers (Evening Prayer), we sanctify each morning and each evening with our prayer. We invite the faithful to take an active part in the sublime mysteries of the altar as well as their participation in the Divine Office. It is here that we draw, as from an unquenchable source, our fervor, our fidelity, our joy and the strength needed for our life in common and our pastoral activity.

     This life and love of the Sacred Liturgy in the parish setting is attracting more vocations to our community in Santa Paula and we are now faced with a new crisis: where are we going to house all our members as well as the new vocations that desire to enter into formation? These vocations come because they desire to offer themselves in God’s service to be well prepared in their religious formation and education that they may be able to bring the joys of their prayers and sacrifices to the people placed under our care.

 

 

 

History of the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception in California —————————————————————————
 

 

     In 1865 our founder, Dom Adrien Gréa, saw in the community life a powerful remedy for the challenges facing the clergy. Today, maintaining this tradition, we, the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception, are religious priests and brothers dedicated to the pastoral ministry in the parishes where we serve. Through our life we see that the religious life and the priestly life perfect and reinforce one another. Our love of the Sacred Liturgy, as well as our filial devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, is the foundation of our spirituality.

     In 1968 Fr. John Taggart, C.R.I.C. arrived in Pasadena, California, where he served at the Our Lady Chapel in downtown Los Angeles and Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission (St. Andrews Parish) in Pasadena. In 1977 the first novitiate began and in 1991 we received our first parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Silver Lake (Los Angeles). We soon realized the need for a serene location more suitable for religious formation.

 
     In 2000 we relocated to Santa Paula, California and serve at the two Catholic parishes of  St. Sebastian and Our Lady of Guadalupe. With this relocation our goal has been to establish our House of Formation (called the Dom Gréa House after our founder) that we may receive and properly train the men interested in our life and prayer. In August of 2000 we purchased a house in Santa Paula which has enabled us establish our house of formation and begin to receive vocations. This house has been a blessing in so many ways, but now we are faced with the increasing lack of space for the new vocations that are steadily coming.

 

 

 

Current Situation ——————————————————————

 

 

     We now have two seminarians,  one postulant, and one aspirant in formation as well as others who are seriously interested in entering our formation program. Our present location is a residential house, which we have been able to adapt for our needs, but due to its design and location it is not possible to expand. Today, due to the growth of our community, we are housing two men per bedroom and our chapel has limited space to comfortably seat the men in our community as well as the faithful who join us for our liturgies and prayers. We must also consider how we are going to house the men who, after formation, will be here in Santa Paula assisting us in our ministry.

 
      This means that now we must find a new location here in Santa Paula so that we can build a new house and chapel which will enable us to continue to properly prepare the men who desire our way of life so that we may serve the parishes under our care.
 

 

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