The Company of Mission Priests (CMP) is a "dispersed community" of male priests of the Anglican Communion, who want to consecrate themselves wholly to the church's mission, free from the attachments of marriage and family. CMP was founded in 1940 by the initiative of the superiors of the Anglican religious orders of the Community of the Resurrection, the Society of the Sacred Mission and the Society of St John the Evangelist.
CMP follows a Vincentian rule of life. It is not officially classified as an Anglican religious order by the church, but as an "acknowledged community". Members give simple promises, (cf. simple vow) which are renewed annually. The whole community meets in General Chapter once a year, and the Regional Chapters more frequently.
CMP is known for its work in Guyana and Madagascar and for its work in staffing "needy" parishes in England with two, three or more priests, who live together in a clergy house. CMP was one of the founding members of Vincentian Millennium partnership in AD 2000.
The warden from 2005 till 2012 was Father Timothy Pike CMP, who has now been succeeded by Fr Beresford Skelton CMP and the episcopal visitor is the Right Reverend Lindsay Urwin OGS, formerly the Bishop of Horsham, and now the Administrator of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Famous quotes containing the words company of, company, mission and/or priests:
“The company of women of fashion will improve your manners, though not your understanding; and that complaisance and politeness, which are so useful in men’s company, can only be acquired in women’s.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
“A man is never completely alone in this world. At the worst, he has the company of a boy, a youth, and by and by a grown man—the one he used to be.”
—Cesare Pavese (1908–1950)
“When you’re dealing with monkeys, you’ve got to expect some wrenches.”
—Alvah Bessie, Ranald MacDougall, and Lester Cole. Raoul Walsh. Captain Nelson, Objective Burma, giving a subaltern a mission (1945)
“Wee image of my bonnie Betty,
I fatherly will kiss and daut thee,
As dear an’ near my heart I set thee
Wi’ as guid will,
As a’ the priests had seen me get thee
That’s out o’ hell.”
—Robert Burns (1759–1796)