The Missionary Society of St. James the Apostle, founded by Cardinal Richard Cushing in 1958, is an international organization of diocesan missionary priests who volunteer a minimum of five years of their priestly lives to service in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. They were established by Cushing in response to the call by

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

for members of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in economically favored nations to assist their fellow Catholics in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

. Based in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, they are not a religious order, but an organization which facilitates a temporary period of service (usually five years) by Roman Catholic

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

. After this period, most members return to their home

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

, though some remain committed to serve in the work of the Society. While on mission, they make themselves available for work in remote, rural

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

es or in urban ones, where the limited resources of the local Church make serving the local inhabitants difficult. The Society acts under the protection of Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap., the current archbishop of Boston. In 2008 Fr. David Costello from Limerick in Ireland, was elected Superior of the Society in Peru,Limerick Priest Elected Superior of Peru Region of St James Society
www.catholicbishops.ie is a director of the society.

References

External links

The Missionary Society of St. James the Apostle website
Catholic Church in Central America Catholic missions Catholic Church in South America {{RC-society-stub