The Apostolic Society of The Most Holy Trinity community pictured with the order’s founder, Fr Shane Sullivan The Apostolic Society of The Most Holy Trinity, a new religious community, has been established in Co. Galway, with a mission to support parishes and help the Church in Ireland. The community received the initial approval on November 7, 2021.
“Our charism is three-fold: to make God known and loved, to help men and women live the life of grace, and to seek out the lost,” explained Fr Shane Sullivan, the community’s founder. He emphasised the need to serve people in parishes, “Every religious community is formed to serve an authentic need in the Church. Serving people in parishes is a most pressing need that we face in the Church in Ireland today.”
The community’s approach is relational, aiming for a long-term engagement with parishioners. “We get to know people well and work with them over a longer period of time. We understand ourselves to be called by God and sent to those in our care as missionaries, friends, and spiritual mothers and fathers,” Fr Shane said.
Formation within the community includes one year of candidacy, a two-year novitiate, and eventually, temporary and final vows. Focused on personal growth, cultural knowledge, and theological study. “Our distinctive spirit and way have four pillars: the Most Holy Trinity, Knock, and the Ignatian and Carmelite spiritualities,” Fr Shane noted.
Currently, two women are in their second year of the novitiate, and several others are considering joining.
On July 15 they launched their website, ‘mostholytrinity.ie’. The community is excited to share their mission and engage with a wider audience. Fluent in English and Irish, the community serves the local Gaeltacht, in the heart of rural Galway. “We are at the service of the people of the parishes, extending sincere friendship and dedicating our lives to them as spiritual mothers and fathers,” Fr Shane emphasised.