Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity

The charism (gift) which the Society brings to the Church is to be: While in the seminary, Father Flanagan realized that organizations where people work as a team, recognizing and accepting individual talents, are the ones which are most successful.

In 1957, five years after his ordination to the priesthood, Flanagan approached Cardinal James Richard Cushing, then Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston, with his idea.

Soon after, Edwin Byrne, the Archbishop of Santa Fe, invited Flanagan to his diocese where he met the future co-founder of SOLT, Father John McHugh.

After several meetings, those who feel called to be either a priest or religious brother in the Society spend an aspirancy year in either Belize or Belcourt, North Dakota.

Until 2011, this year was conducted in southern Colorado; now the novices spend the time at the Society's house in Corpus Christi, Texas.

[3] Thus, the novices are given the opportunity for longer periods of prayer and spiritual reading as well as silence in order to reflect on the vocation God is offering and nature of their response.

At the end the year the novices receive the religious habit (robes) of the Society and take the simple vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Beginning with the 2011-12 academic year, all students were sent to Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan, which provides both philosophy and theology courses.

Those called to be lay brothers begin what the Society terms an "intellectual year" during which time is spent studying such things as the Bible, Church history, and Catholic doctrine.

[10]Those who feel called to this ministry undergo a period of prayerful reflection, discussion, and formation under the guidance of one of the Society's priests and, preferably, with others of the same disposition.

In 2011 controversy arose concerning John Corapi, one of the Society's priests, a man well known for his lively preaching, frequent appearances on EWTN, and writing several books.

Corapi was accused of breaking his promise of celibacy with more than one woman and of violating his vow of poverty by amassing significant wealth.

[14] On 5 July 2011, the Society released another statement in which it said that all canonical norms had been followed and that Corapi did have sexual relations and years of cohabitation (in California and Montana) with a woman known to him, when the relationship began, as a prostitute.