Servants of the Holy Family— a preview of the SSPX's future?

The Servants of the Holy Family, an SSPX offshoot group, have been the subject of recent developments from the Vatican after their founder was consecrated a bishop in early 2024 without a pontifical mandate, incurring excommunication. Noting the almost identical parallels between them and the SSPX, I thought it might be worth examining their history, their current status, what they might indicate regarding how the Church intends to deal with the SSPX when they also consecrate new bishops (as they have already indicated will happen).

A brief history of the group is as follows. Their founder, Anthony Ward, joined the SSPX seminary in 1971 and was ordained a priest by Marcel Lefebvre in 1973. Citing Lefebvre's "disastrous" policies and his poor selections of candidates for the priesthood, Fr. Ward left the SSPX in 1977 and established his own community in Colorado Springs, calling it the Servants of the Holy Family. For the next several decades, there were various discussions between them, the diocese, and Rome, which ultimately did not yield any satisfactory resolutions and caused Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs to issue a notice in 2013 stating the group was not in good standing with the Church.

The SHF has continued to operate independently, gaining a small number of priests over the years. As noted, in March of 2024, Fr. Ward invited a bishop to consecrate him a bishop, no doubt because of his age (77) and the perceived need to continue their leadership. As a result, the bishop of Colorado Springs, Bp. James Golka, issued a public notice in April 2024 stating that Fr. Ward had incurred automatic excommunication for this act, that the group was to be considered a schismatic organization, and that the faithful must avoid them. In November 2025, the SHF released a notice saying that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has directed Bp. Golka to initiate the process of laicization for Ward. The SHF has indicated that they will ignore any and all penalties, censures, or corrections, and will simply continue to operate as they have been for decades.

Now, let's examine the similarities between the Servants of the Holy Family and the SSPX:

• Both hold the "Recognize & Resist" position that the Pope and bishops are lawful authorities, but are corrupted and must be resisted in order to carry on Tradition

• Both began an independent and unlawful ministry without the approval of the diocesan bishop(s)

• Both ordained priests without following the necessary procedures, by bishops who were not their lawful superiors

In attempts to reconcile them,

• both were granted faculties for Confession in gestures of goodwill for the sake of the faithful

• both engaged in discussions with the lawful authorities for years to try to regularize their ministry

• and both ultimately rejected any offer of reconciliation, holding to their beliefs that their ministry is necessary to provide the faithful with "authentic" Catholic doctrine.

(The SHF also had their faculties for confession revoked after their persistent contumacy.)

As Bishop Golka noted in 2024:

Nothing has occurred in the last decade that would change Bishop Sheridan's analysis and conclusion [from 2013]. In fact, it has come to my attention that the "Servants of the Holy Family" persist in a state of obstinate ill will (cfr. c. 1326, §1, 1°), as demonstrated by their total disregard of the directives given in the Declaration, and particularly the fact that on or about March 19, 2024, Anthony D. Ward purported to be ordained to the episcopacy without the required pontifical mandate (cfr. c. 1013) nor the required number of consecratory Bishops (can. 1014).

Therefore, expecting no further developments toward a better relationship between the Servants and the Diocesan and Universal Church...in an effort to resolve this schismatic attitude, and to avoid confusion, error, and scandal among the faithful...I declare that...the Servants are not in good standing with the Diocesan or the Universal Catholic Church; and therefore, due to their refusal to submit to the Supreme Pontiff or to be in full communion with the Church, they are to be considered a schismatic group according to canon 751.

Similarly, nothing has occurred since 1988 that would make the Vatican change its analysis or conclusions about the SSPX. They have also "persisted in a state of obstinate ill will", taking any and all concessions granted to them while refusing to change their stance or their actions. They continue to enter dioceses where they have not been invited; they continue to minister even where the local bishop has denounced them and denied them faculties; they continue to spread their rhetoric against the Church and the hierarchy. Should we expect any "further developments toward a better relationship" after 50 years, especially after their last round of discussions toward reconciliation with Rome ended with them refusing to cooperate, and with their statements that their work is just as necessary today as it was in decades prior?

The SSPX has not consecrated more bishops yet, but plans to in the near future. Might this situation look like what has occurred with the Servants of the Holy Family?

• Illicit consecrations without the approval of any authority

• Subsequent declaration of excommunication and schism

• Laicization of the offending parties

Both groups hold the same beliefs and operate in the same way. One is about to follow the trajectory of the other. Will the result be the same for both?