From August 3 to September 11, 2025, Superior General Father Philip Benzy Romician SSS conducted a canonical visitation of the Province of Saint Ann and the USA communities of the Province of Our Lady of the Assumption (Philippines). Father General arrived from Sri Lanka and his canonical visitation of this province, as stated in the last SSS International. He continued his journey of meeting each SSS brother and spending time with them as he flew non-stop from this beloved island country to the province of the USA for its 125th anniversary.

Father General began his visitation by giving a retreat time to the USA province’s Assembly – this first part of their 27^th Chapter. This assembly theme was “Abound in Hope,” and will also be used for the Provincial Chapter. The theme and theme song originate from the International Jubilee Year of Hope. During his address to the assembly, Father General stressed the final message of the 36^th General Chapter (November 2023) and the implementation of the “cenacle” in the Province of Saint Ann, including the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the USA.

As part of the business session, Father General also participated in the mandated process for continuing education on maintaining a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults. This is part of the USA province’s reaccreditation process by Praesidium, a national USA organization that ensures procedures are in place for ministry and service within institutes.

While at the province center in the Diocese of Cleveland, Highland Heights, Ohio, the province celebrated its 125^th Anniversary with a special Mass and homily presided over by Bishop Edward C. Malesic of the Diocese of Cleveland. He shared his joy and gratitude for the SSS’s service in the United States, but especially in the Diocese of Cleveland, since the SSS arrived in the diocese in 1931. Over 300 attended this anniversary event.

After visiting the local members and three communities of Northeast Ohio (in the great “Buckeye state”), Father Benzy traveled with Scott Gongos (Director of the province’s Institutional Advancement), Mona Grigsby-Suarez (Director of the Center for Eucharistic Evangelizing- CEE), and Father John Thomas Lane, SSS (Provincial) to the other places of the province, driving or flying, where we are or have a rich history with our Aggregation members. Here’s the summary list of the cities and places where Fathers Benzy and Lane traveled (many times with Mona and one time with Scott):

• August 13 – 14: Visit our seminary (the pope’s seminary) and its new president, Catholic Theological Union (CTU), Chicago, Illinois, and the former parish Notre Dame de Chicago, obtaining our old Paschal candle stand
• August 15: Saint Mary Church, Menasha, Wisconsin, 125th Anniversary Celebration.
• August 16 – 18: Corpus Christi, Houston, Texas, Sunday Aggregation Gathering, parish leadership meeting.
• August 19 – 21: Saint Joseph, San Antonio, Texas, meeting with the archdiocese officials, and evening Mass & Potluck with the Aggregation ; we also drove to Laredo, Texas, to visit the leadership of the Nocturnal Adoration Society (NAS) and meet with the former spiritual director of the NAS, Bishop James Tamayo. (The NAS has returned under the spiritual leadership of our provincial.)
• August 22 – 24: Saint Vincent de Paul, Holiday, Tampa, Florida, retreat/gatherings of Aggregation and Parish Leaders.
• August 25 – 26: Albuquerque, New Mexico Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament Mass and gathering.
• August 27 – 29: Saint Jean Baptiste (SJB), New York, New York, with Aggregation members from SJB and Norwalk, Connecticut; visit to our cemetery to pay respects to the 125 years of history through the lives of our faithful men buried near SJB.
• August 31 – September 10: Assumption Province Visitation to the states of Colorado and Hawai’i’.
• September 11: Mass and banquet dinner with the Aggregation of the Diocese of Orlando, Florida.

With each setting, Father Benzy spoke about the history of the Aggregation, its mission, and the challenges of the Project of Life. He challenged the Aggregation in each place, requesting their commitment to prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. He focused on how we live a Eucharistic Life as an SSS and Aggregation member: prepare for the Eucharist, celebrate it well, and move forward to live the Eucharist. He emphasized the “three Eucharists” that are integral to our charism and described in the Rule of Life.

All were grateful for the time, energy, joy, and reflections that Father Benzy shared during this historic journey across the country, with most of the 600 members of the Eymard Family of the Province of Saint Ann. After these days, Father Benzy departed for Rome with great joy in his heart, recognizing that the Province of Saint Ann takes the cenacle and the Eymardian charism seriously to live a Eucharistic life dedicated to worship, service, and deep spirituality.

submitted by Freida Jo Williams
Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Albuquerque, USA
on behalf of the province and provincial