Omaha, Neb., Oct 15, 2010 / 16:35 pm
Just two weeks after their leader resigned, the group Intercessors of the Lamb ceased to exist as a Catholic entity. Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha formally suppressed the group Oct. 15, announcing that a lack of cooperation in instituting “necessary reforms” left him no choice.
“It was my hope from the beginning that the Intercessors and the archdiocese would move together on this path to the next step,” Lucas said. “Unfortunately, the canonical visitation revealed a number of alarming issues. For reasons that they have refused to share with me, the board of directors does not want to work with the Church to implement the necessary reforms.”
Consequently, the archbishop explained, it was necessary to suppress the community of hermits, who will no longer be regarded as “in consecrated life or assimilated to it in the Church.”
He specified that “no liturgical or sacramental celebrations are to occur on any property owned by the Intercessors of the Lamb, Inc., within the Archdiocese of Omaha,” that former members are released from any vows, and that they are “to set aside the habit and refrain from using the titles 'Mother,' 'Brother,' or 'Sister'.”