(Garrison, NY, August 11, 2015)—- The V. Rev. Brian F. Terry, SA, Minister General of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, was elected President-Elect of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) at their annual assembly held from August 5–8, 2015, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The leaders of the CMSM represent more than 17,000 Catholic religious brothers and priests in the United States. He will serve as President-Elect for one year and following that, will serve two years as the President of the Conference.
The purpose of the CMSM is to be a support to major superiors and a resource for them in their role of leadership within their respective institutes, to promote dialogue and collaboration with the Conference of Bishops, the individual Bishops, and other major groups in the Church and in society and to provide a corporate influence in the Church and in society through its national and regional structures, within the proper scope of the Conference.
Fr. Brian Terry was elected to serve as Minister General of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement in June of 2014. He had been Novice Director in Assisi for the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement since 2005. A native of Washington, DC, he received his habit in 1989. Fr. Terry was ordained to the priesthood in 1997. He had earned his B.A. in Psychology and Theater from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and began his theological studies at Pontificia Università Gregoriana. At the Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo, he completed his license and doctorate in Sacramental Theology with an interdisciplinary study on the psychology and theology of dialogue in the Rite of Penance. In addition to his present work with friars information, he is an invited professor of Ecumenism at the Angelicum, Rome. He began his ministerial life as a Youth Minister at St. Luke’s Parish, McLean, Virginia, before entering the Order. His family attends Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling, Virginia, a parish of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. He celebrated his 25 year Jubilee as a Franciscan Friar of the Atonement on June 27, 2015.
Please visit cmsm.org for more information about the Conference.
The Franciscan Friars of the Atonement are a Roman Catholic order of brothers and priests founded in 1898 by Fr. Paul Wattson, SA at Graymoor in Garrison. Since that time, the Friars have worked for reconciliation and healing through “at-one-ment” — the unity of men and women with God and with one another — so that the prayer of Jesus “that they all may be one” might be fulfilled. Through their mission and ministries they serve people of every race, religion, and walk of life. Their social ministries help the poor, the needy, and the homeless; people living with HIV; frail and elderly in hospitals and hospices; those in prison; and people seeking recovery from alcoholism and chemical addictions. Their ecumenical work makes them leaders of the international movement to heal the divisions within Christianity and among all faiths. Through their prayers and pastoral ministries, they bring spiritual renewal, unity, harmony, and reconciliation throughout the world and carry the Gospel message to three continents. For more information about the friars, visit atonementfriars.org
The Franciscan Friars of the Atonement are a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers and priests founded in 1898 by Father Paul Wattson. Their worldwide ministries include Christian unity; interfaith dialogue among Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists; serving the homeless and those suffering from alcoholism, drug addictions, and HIV/AIDS; preaching the gospel in parishes around the world, and offering respite and hope to those in need of spiritual renewal.
COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS PO Box 301 • Route 9, Garrison NY 10524-0301 • 845-424-3671, ext. 3421 • fax 845-424-2160 www.atonementfriars.org • communications@atonementfriars.org