Ohio bishop suppresses traditional nuns after Vatican rejection
The Children of Mary will be officially suppressed in October after Vatican officials ruled against their recognition as an ‘institute of diocesan right,’ citing ‘formation issues.’
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Tue Aug 25, 2026 - 6:46 am EDT
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(LifeSiteNews) — Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, announced earlier this month that a traditional community of nuns based in the diocese for the last 24 years will be suppressed.
In an August 10 letter, Fernandes announced that the Children of Mary, a semi-contemplative and semi-apostolic religious community founded in 2002 that adheres to traditional practices as part of its charism, would be officially suppressed in October this year. The decision comes after the Vatican denied the community’s request to be established as an “institute of diocesan right” over unspecified “formation issues.”
While lauding the community’s “apostolic works” in the diocese and beyond, especially their efforts to foster devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary, the bishop emphasized that an official from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, led by Sister Simona Brambilla, recently informed him that the community would not be approved as an institute of diocesan right “now or in the future.”
Fernandes added that, since the community would never receive this approval, he felt this suppression was the “only option” for its members to discern their vocations with another institute.
“As a relatively new community, the Children of Mary have attempted to reform and refine their Constitutions; to clarify their specific charism; to achieve clarity with respect to ownership of assets; and to provide formation for the members of the community,” the bishop wrote in the letter.
“Desiring to become an institute of diocesan right and acting in good faith, the Sisters provided the necessary documentation to the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life to begin the process. Despite the best efforts of the Sisters, these reforms proved difficult,” he added. “Additionally, over the past few years, certain formation issues and even abuses associated with the evangelical counsels and the right of separation of the internal and external forum, that is the forum of one’s personal conscience and the forum of the observable, external actions, have been brought to my attention.”
Fernandes continued:
After sincere attempts at addressing these issues and keeping the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome informed, I was informed by an official at the Dicastery that even with the attempted reforms, because of the formational issues in communal life from its inception and the persistence of these issues, the Children of Mary would not now or in the future be approved for erection as an institute of diocesan right, which would have offered members greater stability and assurance of perpetual spiritual and physical care.
Knowing this would not be possible and recognizing that some of the women in the Children of Mary may have an authentic vocation as a consecrated religious in an order recognized by the Church, I determined that suppression was the only option so that the members could discern their vocations in a new association or institute or in the world.
READ: Savannah diocese denies involvement in suppression of traditional Carmelite nuns
In a letter of their own, also dated August 10, the Children of Mary expressed their sadness at the decision, their gratitude to Fernandes, and their acceptance of God’s will.
“We have recently been informed that the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has made the decision that our community will not be considered for approval as an institute of diocesan right, now or in the future,” the community wrote.
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“There were unintended formational issues that surfaced as a result of our being a relatively new community,” the letter continued. “Our dear Bishop has taken care to share these concerns of the Dicastery with us. As a result of that new information and after much prayer, discernment, and consultation, Bishop Fernandes has made the difficult decision to suppress the Children of Mary as a public association of the faithful. Although this decision is a sorrowful one to accept, we receive it in a spirit of faith, humility, and filial obedience to the Church we love.”
The Children of Mary continued:
This decision means that the Children of Mary will come to an end as a community, in October 2026. While that reality brings deep sadness to all of us, we remain confident that God does not abandon the work He begins. We have witnessed His grace in countless lives through this apostolate, and we trust that the seeds He has planted will continue to bear fruit according to His perfect plan. The friendships formed, the lives touched, and the love of Christ shared through the Children of Mary will endure in ways known fully only to God. As we each continue to discern the path the Lord now sets before us, we do so with confidence that He is faithful and that His providence never fails.
Earlier this year, during a homily to mark some of the sisters’ profession of vows, Fernandes made brief comments about the ancient practice of installing communion rails for reception of the Eucharist.
“(J)esus revealed himself as the good shepherd and the gate. Again, He is the way to the Father. We see this communion rail,” the bishop said at the time. “In many old churches, there were communion rail gates. Why? Because in the ancient world, only those who were ritually pure could enter into the gate to offer sacrifice to God and to pray on behalf of the people to God.”
“But now since Jesus is the gate, we have access to God and to the Father’s house. He is our high priest who also is Himself the victim who gives His life to us,” he added.
Fernandes has supported and celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass and encouraged traditional liturgical practices in his diocese.
READ: Ohio bishop: Latin Mass is a ‘beautiful part of the Church’s tradition’
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- Catholic
- Children of Mary
- Church
- Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
- Diocese Of Columbus
- Earl K. Fernandes
- Ohio
- Simona Brambilla
- Tradition
- Vatican
