History of the Community
December 2002
The Spiritual Exercises
God uses Aron Little’s annual Spiritual Exercises to reveal ideals for religious life.
December 2003
The Blessed Sacrament
God unites Thomas Yager and Matt Fenter at the Adoration Chapel of St. Theresa Church in Houston with desires to found a new religious community.
February 10, 2004
The Founding
At Franciscan University, God brings Matt Fenter and Thomas Yager to raise the possibility of a new community with Aron. Before the Blessed Sacrament in Trinity Hall, the men offer themselves to the Lord and pray the hymn from Philippians 2. In the context of praise and prayer, Matt feels inspired: “The Lord is calling us out to leave our boats and nets behind, and to come follow Him.” Aron, Matt and Thomas commit to the Lord and to one another to found the community in communal prayer and penance.
February 14, 2004
The Vision
Desires for prayer, apostolate, renewal and commitment to the Church are refined and articulated in the Vision of the Community (see “Vision” on Home Page).
February 17, 2004
The Bishop
God provides Matt Fenter an opportunity to present the new Vision to Bishop Daniel Conlon of Steubenville, Ohio. The bishop receives the vision, encourages Matt, and asks the group for a request to become an Association of the Christian Faithful.
February 18, 2004
The Friars
Matt, Aron, and Thomas initiate conversations with Franciscan University President Fr. Terence Henry, Vice President Fr. Dave Pivonka, and Chancellor Fr. Mike Scanlan, to submit their desires to the leadership of the University.
February 25, 2004
Ash Wednesday
Matt, Aron and Thomas submit a written request to become an Association of the Christian Faithful to Bishop Daniel Conlon. Communal prayer and penance intensify as Lent begins.
March 2004
The Name of the Community
God’s word in Philippians continues to inspire the men to follow Christ, who “took the form of a slave.”
Philippians 1:1 begins: “Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.”
In Latin, Servi Christi Iesu, becomes the name of their community, translated, Servants of Christ Jesus.
April 2004
A Resignation
Responding to the call of God to be more available for the community, Aron submits his resignation to Residence Life.
May 5, 2004
The First Vow
With the permission of his spiritual director, Matt makes a one year vow of chastity to God in Kolbe-Clare Chapel at Franciscan University.
June 2004
New Uniform and New Ministries
Matt begins a Life Teen internship in Florida.
Thomas, Aron and Matt adopt a communal uniform.
Aron is hired full-time as Director of Evangelization and Orientation at Franciscan University. Besides Orientation, he also assumes responsibility for Born of the Spirit, Festivals of Praise, Student Evangelization Networking Teams, Wednesday Night Praise and Worship, and Sonlife.
July 2004
The Spiritual Exercises – Thomas Yager
While Matt studies Spanish overseas, Aron directs Thomas through his 30-day Spiritual Exercises, during which the Lord reveals and confirms in Thomas a call to pursue family life. Thomas discontinues pursuit of religious life.
December 2004
Our Father’s House
The Gualandri family makes generous provision to sell their former home, which they called “Our Father’s House,” to the community. The community retains the name, “Our Father’s House,” as it becomes a place of praise, retreat, prayer, feasts, and community.
March 2005
Sonlife Evangelization
Aron directs the Sonlife Mission Trip, in which college students evangelize college students during Spring Break on the beaches of Florida.
May 20 – June 19, 2005
The Spiritual Exercises – Matt Fenter
Four men, including Matt, make the 30-day Spiritual Exercises with Aron as their director. The Lord confirms Matt’s call to the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.
June 21 – July 19, 2005
The Holy Land
God inspires the community to follow in the footsteps of Jesus to deepen their faith and to serve Christians overseas, as St. Francis and St. Ignatius did. Aron and Matt are accompanied by University students Joe Doman, Brian Kelsch, and Michael Hussle. The men pray and praise in the lands of Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus. The men also serve Palestinian Christians at an orphanage in Bethlehem, a youth summer camp in Jifna, and a young adult group in Bir Zeit.
August 2005
World Youth Day
Matt accompanies St. Anthony of Padua Church, Houston, to World Youth Day in Cologne.
September – October 2005
The Vows
Fr. Dan Pattee, TOR, provides the community with a series of conferences on vow formation in preparation for First Profession.
October 29, 2005
Mass of First Profession
Fr. Dan Pattee, TOR, celebrates the Mass of First Profession in Christ the King Chapel. Fr. Joe Lehmann, TOR, concelebrates. Matt and Aron offer their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience before the Blessed Sacrament, whereupon they assume the names given to one another: Br. Paul Kostka and Br. John Ignatius, respectively. They also receive their new habits, the work of Sr. Mary Rose Bratlien, TOR.
December 2005
The Community Grows
At the end of the semester, Andy Morrow begins Candidacy with the Servants of Christ Jesus.
March 2006
Spiritual Direction Training
Br. John trains Br. Paul Kostka and Dr. Joanne Storm in giving the Spiritual Exercises to undergraduate students during Spring Break.
April 3, 2006
Archbishop Charles Chaput
Looking forward to priestly formation, the community contacted Archbishop Charles Chaput about visiting him and his seminary in Denver, and accepted an invitation to come at the end of April.
April 28 – May 1, 2006
Denver
Students and Faculty at St. John Vianney Seminary radiate Christ and the New Evangelization to the community. Br. Paul, Br. John and Andy elect to pursue studies in Denver. The Archbishop recommends advancing the community’s arrival from fall 2007 to summer 2006.
May 2006
The Transition
On May 2, Fr. Dan Pattee confirmed the call of Archbishop Chaput to ongoing formation in Denver.
On May 3, Br. John Ignatius submitted his resignation to Student Life.
On May 4, Dr. Joanne Storm discussed purchasing Our Father’s House from the community.
On May 19, Br. John concluded seven years of employment at Franciscan University.
May 21 – June 20, 2006
The Spiritual Exercises – A New Home
Br. John directs Andy Morrow, Jarod Rehmann, Adam Faizi and Bart Kennedy through the 30-day Spiritual Exercises in Ohio.
Meanwhile in Denver, Br. Paul finds temporary accommodation for the community with Fr. Michael O’Loughlin.
June 2006
Steubenville Conferences
Br. Paul serves as Young Apostle Captain for High School Youth Conferences.
June 24, 2006
The Move
The Servants move to Denver, Colorado.
June 28 – August 6, 2006
Mission Trip – Africa
Andy Morrow and Marty Link make a one month mission trip to the Sudan to evangelize and serve the poor.
June 28 – July 25, 2006
Poverty Pilgrimage – California
The Constitutions of St. Ignatius provide for a formation experience: “to spend another month making a pilgrimage without money and even in begging form door to door, at appropriate times, for the love of God our Lord, in order to grow accustomed to discomfort in food and lodging.”
Br. Paul and Br. John, accompanied by David Rydberg and Jamie Cleaton, make their pilgrimage from San Francisco to San Diego along the California Mission Trail, praising, evangelizing, and depending entirely on Divine Providence.
Fall 2006
Brother Paul serves as Director of Campus Ministry and Senior Religion Teacher at Bishop Machebeuf High School.
Brother John begins studies at St. John Vianney Seminary.
During his semester in Austria, Andy discerns to leave the Servants of Christ Jesus.
September 13, 2006
Our Father’s House – Denver
The community moves into a new home one block from St. John Vianney Seminary.
Spring 2007
Brother John directs Spiritual Exercises retreats in Pennsylvania, Denver, and Virginia Dale, CO.
Brother John also provides a Born of the Spirit Retreat for high school students in Florida.
June 2007 – New Evangelization Ministries
Brother Paul serves as a Young Apostle Captain for Steubenville Conferences.
Brother John serves at a Catholic Heart Work Camp and a Covecrest Lifteen Camp.
July 2007 – Hospital Experience
The Servants learn hospital chaplaincy with the Carmelite Sisters at Santa Teresita Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Fall 2007
Brother Paul continues teaching and campus ministry at Bishop Machebeuf High School, and develops a Men’s Mentoring Program at Bishop Machebeuf High School.
Brother Paul creates and provides Parish Junior High Retreats within the Archdiocese of Denver.
Brother John, while studying at St. John Vianney Seminary, provides high school, college, and parish retreats in Texas, New Hamphsire, and Arkansas.
Neil Doherty contacts the Servants about admission into their community.
Spring 2008
Brother John directs:
- Florida State Men’s Retreat
- St. Martin’s Life Teen Born of the Spirit Retreat, Jensen Beach, FL
- St. Anastasia Faculty Retreat, Fort Pierce, FL
- St. Stephen’s Life Teen Core Team Retreat, Tampa, FL
- Covecrest Internship Formation, Tiger, GA
- St. Cecilia Confirmation Retreat, Beaverton, OR
Brother Paul directs:
- St. Mary’s 8th Grade Retreat, Littleton, CO
- St. Vincent’s Confirmation Retreat, Denver, CO
- St. Pius X 8th Grade Retreat, Estes Park CO
Brother Paul visits Richard Vaughan, a household brother and missionary in Honduras.
Neil Doherty completes the application process for the Servants of Christ Jesus.
Summer 2008 – FOCUS
Brother John provides instruction and spiritual direction at Staff Training for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). Br. John also serves with the Missionaries of Charity during a FOCUS mission trip to Costa Rica.
Brother Paul attends FOCUS training. When he returns to Denver, he finds a new home for the Servants in the former rectory of the Church of the Risen Christ in Denver.
Neil works as a summer intern at Covecrest Life Teen Camp in Tiger, Georgia.
September 6, 2008 – Renewal of Vows
Their pastor, Father Ken Leone, celebrates a Mass of Renewal of Profession during which the community makes its Oath of Fidelity to the Roman Catholic Church. Brothers Paul and John renew their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience for three more years. Neil is admitted to the community.
Fall 2008
Brother Paul adds football chaplaincy to his responsibilities at Bishop Machebeuf High School.
Brothers John and Paul begin discipleship with cadets at the United States Air Force Academy.
FRATERNUS, a boy’s formation program in Florida, invites the community to direct its first retreat.
After one semester of formation, Neil departs the community in December.
Spring 2009
Richard Vaughan begins the application process with the community.
Brother John completes his thesis and studies at St. John Vianney Seminary, summa cum laude. He also expands his ministry in Denver to include Theology on Tap, Spirit & Truth, a Parish Mission, a Catholic Faculty Retreat, FOCUS Leadership Development at the University of Denver, and the Archdiocesan Youth Minister’s Retreat.
Brother Paul completes his last semester at Bishop Machebeuf High School and begins applying for admission to seminary.
June 2009
Brother John completes a parish internship at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Boulder, Colorado.
Brother Paul serves FRATERNUS summer ranch experience.
Richard makes his “Poverty Pilgrimage” along the mission trail of Baja California, Mexico.
July 2009
Brother John trains FRATERNUS missionaries.
Brother Paul and Richard work as summer interns at Covecrest Life Teen Camp in Georgia.
August 2009
Richard Vaughan is admitted to novitiate as “Brother James Claver.”
The three brothers complete a cross-country pilgrimage from Georgia to Denver.
Brother John directs a Core Team retreat for St. Monica’s Church, Atlanta.
Brother James begins teaching at Bishop Machebeuf High School.
Brother Paul begins studies at St. John Vianney Seminary.
