Our History
Founded in Faith
The Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary were founded in 1949 by Fr. Leonard Feeney, SJ, and Catherine Goddard Clarke, OSB Oblate — two souls whose consuming passion was to proclaim the fullness of the Catholic Faith without compromise or apology.
At the heart of our community is a simple conviction: either the Catholic Faith is for all, or it is for none. Truth does not yield to sentiment; God's mercy is not indifferent to what one believes.
Just because we attend the traditional pre-1964 liturgies does not mean we neglect our spiritual studies. The ancient rites form us; our doctrinal life fills us. Piety without doctrine is incomplete, as is doctrine without the grace of the sacraments.
Sincerity alone is not sufficient for salvation. We must believe all that God has revealed — through Scripture, Tradition, and the infallible teaching of the Church — and we must act accordingly. Our houses exist to help souls do exactly that.
Fr. Leonard Feeney, SJ
Co-Founder · 1897–1978
Catherine Goddard Clarke
Co-Founder, OSB Oblate