Fr John, Fr Thomas, Fr John Thomas, Fr Dominic

Province Saint Ann – United States of America

The Chapter took place from 3 to 7 August 2026.
The new Provincial Council is the following:

6 August 2026

Provincial Chapter 27 Now a Great Memory

Every four years, our Province of Saint Ann (USA) of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (SSS) celebrates a “chapter”, an official meeting of all the members who belong to the Province to evaluate the goals made at the last chapter, prayers together, hear reports about the state of the province, the financial status, vocation report, the ministries that serve the province (i.e., Center for Eucharistic Evangelizing, Emmanuel, fundraising, etc.) and then plan for the future by electing new leadership.

The meeting opens with an address (a written letter this time) from the General Superior, Father Philip Benzy Romician, SSS. Because the General Council sent a representative, the Very Reverend Father Francisco Junior Marques SSS, who lives in Brazil, attended this meeting. Also, at conferences, such as the Province of Saint Ann's participation in the “Americas Conference,” Fathers Gustavo Ceballos SSS and Juan David Zapata SSS attended from Colombia.

The goals for this meeting and the next four years include some of the following: 

• strengthening our community life, especially with time together for meetings and dinners;
• internationally growing with improved Convention of Transfers (COT) between the religious and their provinces;
• more opportunities for prayer in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament;
• expanding our vocation apostolate;
• reviewing the use of our allowances in cash or credit cards;
• waiting until the complete implementation of the Second Edition of the Liturgy of Hours, on the first Sunday of Advent December 3, 2028;
• and the most important – redeveloping the structures of the province in the great service of the SSS around the world with talks to combine ministries with other countries or regions.

We were blessed with one day of the chapter devoted to the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament, led by our Center for Eucharistic Evangelizing Director, Mona Grigsby-Suarez ABS (Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament in Northeast Ohio), and USA Province Aggregation Council Chair, Greg Dufour ABS (Maine and Houston representative).

We heard about all the good works and improvements in past years, and about the revised initial formation program, and the Life in the Eucharist Congress next August 6 – 8, 2027, at Saint Paschal Baylon, as a chance for international religious, new ABS, or those in formation for the ABS to attend. A committee will lead this from the ABS, and all are welcome, so SAVE THE DATE!

We enjoyed great prayer and music led by Julie Tragon, an organized secretariat led by Susan Work and Paula Beatrez, and a Congregation of Saint Joseph Sister Rosemary Brennan, facilitated by Brother Gary LaVerdiere SSS and Thomas Wiese SSS, who moderated the event over the five days and made sure that we had wonderful meals and snacks and stayed on task! Thank you for your prayers! Great memories, with great hopes for the future, as we live out the theme of the chapter for the next four years: Abound in Hope!

SSS Grapevine
August 10, 2026