The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity

Father James Flanagan founded the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) in 1958 in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Father Flanagan’s basic concept was that Catholic people of all vocations–priests, religious (both men and women) and lay people–could minister together for the benefit of the whole Church.  Working in union with Father Flanagan were Father John McHugh and several lay persons. 

The SOLT vision is to bring all people into union with the Most Holy Trinity through discipleship of Jesus and Mary.  This discipleship is the charism or spiritual gift that God gives to members of SOLT.  To live out the charism, teams of priests, sisters and lay people minister in Marian-Trinitarian relationships in areas of deepest apostolic need.   The Eucharist, prayer, apostolic teaching and solidarity of spirit unite them.  

The first women associated with the Society were Anna Kiernan and Ann Mansfield.  For their religious formation, Father Flanagan made arrangements for them to be directed in the living out of religious life by the Daughters of Wisdom in Litchfield, Connecticut.  With the Daughters of Wisdom, they experienced religious life, and after an appropriate period of time, they entered the novitiate. 

At that time, they received the religious names of Sister Mary of the Incarnation (Anna Kiernan) and Sister Mary of the Redemption (Ann Mansfield).  On the completion of their novitiate training, they made profession of vows and then began to minister in cooperation with the SOLT. 

The first families to enter SOLT were lay people in New Mexico.  There they served in various ministries and leadership positions as members of the Society.  Lay people who are part of the Society include married couples with their children and a number of single laity, both men and women.  They participate in many of the ongoing apostolates of SOLT. 

In 1962, Archbishop Edwin Vincent Byrne of Santa Fe formally permitted priests and seminarians to join the Society and become incardinated into the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.  Another group associated with the Society are Missionaries of Mercy – men and women who pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God and who offer to God their sufferings and other earthly burdens on behalf of SOLT.  

The teachings of Vatican II and subsequent writings of the Holy Fathers added and continue to add greater clarity and direction to the Society’s development.  Members are taught to be attentive to all Church teaching and to be concerned to fulfill Divine Wisdom and directions communicated through her. 

Early apostolates of the Society included many different aspects of spiritual growth, especially through the efforts of migration teams who tried to help migrant farm workers and their families in many areas of the United States from Wisconsin to Texas.  This continues to be an important apostolate of the Society. As a need is perceived, the Society continues to spread to many different locations such as Guatemala, Mexico, Ethiopa, Ghana, Thailand, the Philippines, the United States and beyond.  

When Archbishop Byrne died, the work of the Society did not prosper as it had been doing, so it was decided to seek another diocese where the Society could mature and grow until it received canonical approval.  The Society members left New Mexico and were welcomed into the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph where it was re-established as a Pious Union by Bishop Charles Herman Helmsing.  There it grew and prospered, developing ecclesial teams in communications, medical and hospital ministries, criminal justice, educational research and teaching and social work. 

In 1967, the Society began to spread beyond the United States.  Members opened a medical mission in Belize which developed further through services of medical clinics in surrounding villages.  In 1970, Bishop Helmsing ordained the first permanent deacon of the Society, Deacon Paul McArdle.  Subsequent ordination of other men for the permanent diaconate has continued over the years.  In 1972, Father Vincent Albano and Father James Doherty were the first two men ordained to the priesthood for the Society. 

The Society came to the Diocese of Corpus Christi to work with the  diocesan ministry to the Hispanic and migrant peoples.  At the present time, SOLT continues to live out its original vision, endeavoring to bring many different groups of people in many different areas of the world to minister together for the benefit of the whole Church.