Sword of the Spirit at Franciscan University

The Sword Of
The Spirit
At
Franciscan
University of
Steubenville
This collection of articles and documents is meant to illuminate the
influence that the Sword of the Spirit (SOS) -a collection of
Charismatic Covenant Communities- had on Student Life, Theology
and the future direction of Franciscan University of Steubenville.
Page 1: “Community Devised Plan To Recruit Participants” is an article from the Wheeling
Inelligencer that describes some of the relationship between FUS and the SOS Covenant
Community. It only skims the surface however. The FUS spokesman tries to downplay the
relationship between the tarnished Covenant Community and the University. In a last resort, he
states that, “…the entire theology faculty has taken an Oath of Allegiance to the pope and church.
They would be the first to speak up if something contrary to the teaching of the Church were being
taught on campus.” This included at least three theologians who were at the time fully committed
members of the Covenant Community and full time tenured professors at FUS… but who had not
known that SOS teachings were at variance to the Church’s, as their Bishop Albert Ottenweller
would say on page 6 of this post.
Page 2: This is the memo that Andy Zibrotsky refers to in the article of page one. It describes the
careful way that FUS approached certain men who it felt held promise as possible SOS members. It
is a careful debunking of the myth that “love and brotherhood” united these communities. Strategic
relationships based on recruiting agendas and the growth of the community –a conditionally based
“love of Christ”- is a more accurate definition of “love” in SOS Covenant Communities.
Page 3: In 1977, FUS President Fr Michael Scanlan TOR brought the little Covenant Community
under his control into the forerunner of the Sword of the Spirit, The Word of God Covenant
Community in Ann Arbor MI. Scanlan would use the growing Covenant Community in Steubenville
to support Franciscan University by adding those who came to be a part of a Covenant Community
to the employment roster at FUS. This practice is detailed in Scanlan’s 1986 autobiography, “Let
The Fire Fall.” Page 3 is a reproduction of the that page in Scanlan’s autobiography that describes
the role of the Covenant Community in the life of Franciscan University. The page printed next to it
is from the revised 1997 edition of the same book. Fr Scanlan has redacted his story to eliminate
any mention of the Covenant Community’s crucial role in the “Renewal” of Franciscan University.

Pages 4 & 5: These pages are called “Schematics” and were created by the SOS Covenant
Communities in the mid to late 1980s to show members how the SOS Covenant Community was
“renewing” Franciscan University. In 1991, The Bishop of Steubenville (the late Albert Ottenweller)
would awaken to the fact that Fr Scanlan has brought into his diocese the Sword of the Spirit -a
group he would later find guilty of spiritual, emotional and mental abuse of Catholics in his Diocese.
His first action in the matter was to make the SOS Covenant Community (connected to the Diocese
canonically via its Christ the King Fellowship Parish) terminate any and all connections to the
Sword of the Spirit (SOS). The Covenant Community complied, and Ottenweller withheld the term
“cult” to describe them because of their compliance. He then stated that participation in the
community had a deep impact on the members, saying: “There needs to be therefore a program of
re-education to return members to a sense of Church important for all those who call themselves
Catholic.”
1


1
http://www.scribd.com/doc/55661455/Bishop-Ottenweller-s-Correspondence-with-Servants-of-Christ-the-King-
1991-92 page 12
Page 6: This was Andy Zibrotsky’s first article about the SOS-FUS connection. Bishop Ottenweller
believed that the possibility of SOS influence at FUS was present, and offered to investigate if
anyone from the University appealed to him. The fact of the matter was however that this article
was buried in a Saturday edition of a paper from a town 40 miles away during the month of August
(1991). Very few students at Francisan University were even aware that there was an
investigation, as it had not come to light until May of 1991. By that time many students had or were
leaving campus.
The investigation finished in June and the results were published on June 21, 1991 in the Catholic
newspaper, “The Steubenville Register.”
2
How could students have even known they had the option
of appealing to their Bishop? University officials certainly never sent out a notice of the Student’s
rights to such an appeal. They were doing anything they could to distance themselves from the
Covenant Community.
3


The fact is that all 5 Coordinators
4
of the SOS Covenant Community would –at one time or another-
be employed by Franciscan University. Attorney (and SOS Coordinator) Keith Fournier would be
hired by President (and SOS Head Coordinator) Fr Michael Scanlan to run Student Life at the
University. In 1997, Kathleen Van Schaijik would write about how Student Life had suffered at the
hand of Fournier and the Covenant Community concepts he was charged to implement.
5

Page 7 and 8: These pages come from the “Confidential Policies of The Servants of Christ the King”
(a Branch of the Sword of the Spirit.) This was the local SOS Covenant Community’s handbook for
their “Coordinators,” or the men who sat at the top of the pastoral leadership in SOS Communities.
It was a secret document and was not to be disclosed to the general members. And it never was. I
came into possession of this document only after the late Bishop Ottenweller’s death in September,
2012.
These two pages are excised from the larger document
6
because they describe how the “Basic
Christian Formation” program offered at Franciscan University was a parallel course to the
Covenant Community’s “Foundations 1” course. In order to become a fully committed member of
the SOS Covenant Community, candidates had to take certain courses from community teachings
referred to as “Foundations I and II”. This document states that students who have taken the Basic
Christian Formation” program taught at FUS are exempt from taking the SOS Covenant
Community’s teachings because they were –essentially- the very same thing.

There is a good chance that this course is probably still taught at FUS today.
John Flaherty, 3
rd
Revision: January 14, 2013 Grand Island, NE [email protected]

2
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19099693/Ottenweller-Finds-Allegations-Valid-Steubenville-Register-06211991
3
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19098510/RodgersMelnick-2-Charismatic-Sect-Dominated-Lives-ExMembers-Say
4
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19591839/Sword-of-the-Spirit-Coordinators-Scanlan-Kneier-Fournier-Tickerhoof-
Sengenberger
5
http://www.scribd.com/doc/103839744/Strife-at-Steubenville-Cracks-In-The-House-Scanlan-Built-NCR-Feb-2000
page 4
6
http://www.scribd.com/doc/109101709/Confidential-Policies-of-the-Servants-of-Christ-the-King-June-1990
MEMO
DATE: Spring, 1989
TO: Household Advisors
FROM: John Sengenberger
RE: Practical Insights on building strategic
relationships with students
1) " Identify the students in your household who you sense might
oave a call to community life and are of strong character. Set
out to build a personal relationship with them.
2) Invite students to share in family life in the community.
Marr ied advlsozs should aLso invite community single men emd
women t.o dinner" at these: times. Single! advisors should ask 'the
families th"ey'itHate to if they would be able to invite a student
as a guest for dinner (the Lord's Day Celebration).
3) Invite~ ~nd escort students to community event~; especially
single men's nights, singles' prayer meetings, guest gatheriri~s,
and social events. Informal social activities with families or
singles in the community are also good to consider.
4) Spend time with students ~ campus; join them for ~ocial 'or
athletic events like basketball, festivals of praise, or any
other open events that would ~llow relationship building time.
5) Arrange a specific tjm~
about the community. Be open
prayerfully consider a level
(Affiliate or Initial). A drink
a walk on campus can all be good
~~ talk with students specifically
about your intentions to have them
of commitment to the community
in the pub, a pizza at pizza hut,
places to do this.
~ - . j ~ : .
6) Ask forth~ir'feedback and continue to follow-up with them on
the ir leve,1~"of"1 nterest wi th community.
,~
166 / Let the Fire Fall
growing in Christian character, relating to other .1
people, and other practical topics.
The campus ministers also pay attention to "the life"
fire of the Holy Spirit. About ninety percent of our r,
students are baptized in the Spirit by the end of any
school year. That's an astonishing statistic, one that humhl
me before the faithfulness of God. Young men and worn
the college are attracted to this experience by the witness of II
lives of the people they see around them. Peer pressure wor
jn the opposite direction than in most schools-tow!!-r,'
~ertIi!n aw!y frQ!!ll!i.!!1 toward a stronger) III
weaker, Christian commitment, toward maturity in Christ 111111
away from the foolishness of the world.
Most of the £eopie who work in camp~s ministry : 11111
stua~.~t lifeare IE.em~erso!!he ~e~!1}! ofg1!.~ist tl!fIGng,
group of tfiree hundred Christians in the Steubenville ar,
woo have made a covenant commitment to liVetIie'i'rCfirisrillll
lives together and tota~e res£onsiOiTltyfor each other. Th
.community consists of- oth married and single lay people I
plus some nuns and priests like myself. The members of th
community meet weekly in men's and women's groups nn
mutual support, sharing, and prayer, just as the majority of
Steubenville students do in their dorm households. We also
worship together every week and support a number of local
and regional outreaches. I meet weekly with Tom Kneier and
Keith Fournier, university alumni who oversee the community
along,.. with myself and other, newer coordinators.
\ The community contributes invaluable service to the uni-
versity. Membersofthe community moderate everyhousehold
on campus; their responsibilities include giving direction,
teaching, counseling, and acting as general overseers. ~The
community also provides the recruitment pool for entrance
level administrators, provides the staff for the conference
office, and is a great asset in recruiting faculty who want to.be
associated with a Christian community.
~
lW ll
IP'
I" {
eJ
ctl
°
l
\
~~S
.\1~
190 Let the Fire Fall
staff from one half-time person to five full-time people plus
additional part-time staff and interns, and then we integrated
them with student life. These men and women provide in-
struction in the basics of the Christian life, as well as in
practical details of Christian living. Students learn about
prayer, Scripture study, overcoming personal problems. They
also learn about dating{g~Fing in Christian character, re-
lating to other sin eop e, and other practical topics.
The cam ministers and staff of the student life office
were also arged with the development of "life"-the dy-
nami ,transforming power of the Holy Spirit that reshapes
t lives of the followers of J esus Christ. The "life of the
Spirit" is essentially an adult conversion. In the early days
of the refounding of the college, most people in the college
community experienced this through the process of being
baptized in the Holy Spirit, usually within the framework
of a set of teachings and prayers called the Life in the Spirit
Seminars. These seminars are still offered to students and
others in the university community. Charismatic praise is a
prominent feature of campus life, especially during monthly
Festivals of Praise which fill Christ the King Chapel to over-
flowing on Saturday nights.
Over the years, students have come to this adult conver-
sion in other ways not explicitly associated with the
charismatic gifts. These include consecration to the Immacu-
late Heart of Mary, consecration to the Sacred Heart, and
formation through the Secular Franciscans. Retreats focus-
ing on these spiritual traditions are offered frequently. They
are paths to the same end: surrender to the Lordship of Christ,
conversion of the heart and mind, and an expectation that
we can live all of life in the power of the Spirit.
Two of the university's commencement speakers, Car-
dinals Bernard Law of Boston and J ohn O'Connor of New
" .
I
SERVANTS
OF CHRIST
THE KING
COMMUNITY
8/28/88
_ \
""'

LOCAL
OUTREACHES
FELLOWSHIP
OUTREACHES
THE SWORD OF
THE SPIRIT
OUTREACHES
FRANCISCAN
UNIVERSITY .___
OUTREACHES I
I. Ohio Valley Chri s tian Ass oci a lion (OVCA)
- ecumenical evangelistic programs
II. Couples for Christ
- Catholic married couples outreach
III. Assistance in Motherhood (A.l.M.)
- ecumenical pregnancy help center
- Speakers Bureau: (Education)
"Life Issues": AIDS, Right to Life, etc
I. . St. Vincent de Paul Society
- works of mercy outreach
II. Service & Action
- Support Parish for Decency Network
-

I. New Covenant
- editorial board and office
II. F.I.R.E.
-------------4 - headquarters and personnel
A. Fraternity of Priests
- headquarters and personnel
B. F.I.R.E. Growth Weekends
- personnel
I. Evangelization Center
A. Conferences, Seminars, Institutes
B. Youth Apostolate and Alliances
C. Parish Evangelization Training
D. Publishing and Pilgrimages
E. Television and Radio
F. Human Life Center
II. Student Life
A. Households
- Advisors and resources
B. Student Programs
- speakers and resources
C. International students
- resources
III. Decency Network
- Ecumenical anti-pornography movement
Ottenweller Says 'Servants
MaYJ-taveI,nfluenced Scho·ol-----
, URDAY AUGUST 3, ,1991
, 'By ANDY ZIBRITOSKY has a recourse to come to us," he' church," he said. i "
. . The InteUigencer Staff said. "There are people who are f CLASSIFIED' 19-21
, Members of the Servants of Christ. Ottenweller said, though, he has involved in the community and work ' ," ,
Ute King at the Franciscan Univer- no problem with members or Ser- at the, umversity. The community is i COM.ICS 17.18 .'.
sity of Steubenville: could have varus of Christ the Kina working at large enough to have its own parish ; .
possibly influenced the direction of the Franciscan University of Sieu- in Steubenville, so it's not unreason- ; S~ORT.~,-1-&...1J1,-,".. ;
the school over the years, Bishop benville. They are two distinct able some people would work at the i ~A priest will be appointed to serve
Al~rt C?ttenweller said. . entities and ev.~iyone has the right to university," he said. I as a liaison between the grc:>upand
I think that community members freedom of choice . Fox noted there are employees W; the diocese ~o give the bishop a
have by their positions at the Several community members have who have taken an oath of loyalty to \ greater overview of the community.
university ha~ s01'!leinfluence possi- 'w<?rked at the unjversity~ The Rev. the pope and they would be the first : Oucnwcllcr noted they had a ,pasLor .'
bly on the direction of the univer- Michael Scanlan' who currently to speak up loudly if something was . : in that fellowship, but, he did n?t :
sity, but it wasn't part of our ~serves aspresldentof the school had not 'entirely within the teachings or .' - function the same. way as others did
(pastoral) visitation," he said.. worked as a Coo(OiwlIbr in the the church.; in an ordinarypansh. ,
Ottenweller made the remarks at a com.mlin~ty· in the past, but not on At the press conference, Otten-: Ottenweller noted the diocese has
Fnday press conference on the the interim council currently helping weller said' the pastoral visitation; invited psychologist Dr. M~~aret
change~ being made in the Servants to res,tructure the Servants-of Christ had nothing to do with the univer- : ' Singer to address any past difficul-
of Christ the King community and the King. '. , sity, but was for the charismatic ' 'ties former members experienced
fellowship as a result of a canonical ,University officials have main- community. . \ regarding family problems, f~hngs
visitauon. tamed the school and the charismatic ,"The problem with the comrnu- i of being misled.a change of lifestyle-
"We don't even want to talk community are not affiliated and' OIly "."as that they were getting their) and other areas." '
about (possible) connections; that's continue to do so. Spokesman Tim teach mgs from the, Sword of the ~ "We tried to bringin v,anous.people
up to the university and community Fox .said ,the school is in good~pirit ... They were receiving teach- j for givi~~ counseling m these kind
to solve ... This is outside of' what s~dmg Wltll the ch~rch. ' m~s that were not in accordance ; of cases,': he Said, , '
. w~· are talking about today,". he We have a national reputation with that of the Catholic church" he ~ OttenweJler said community
said. .', for fiqelily to"the,Wpe, as wen we said.. '. : members have started the proces,s of
"I Will say that the university has are' falthf~lto the .local bishop who Ottenweller said the problems' trying to meet the recomm,endatlons
broad perimeters within the church has descnbed the, university asa were not uncovered until recently for resiructunng f~om the diocese.
of its teachings, investigations and' Jewel on the hill. He has said we are beacause the diocese assumed every- "The community IS now, 10 the
all that. Any student who would feel 10 good standing with the local' thing was going along fine in the process of orgamzl~,g ~oJ'!lmlttees to •.
they would be led in the wrong way church and we are a gift to thpl communitv examine' the begll~nmgs of the;
. . . community, its teachings, the pattern ,.
: of its gatherings" its outreach, the i
' pastoral care of Its members, youth ,
; programs and men and women;;
, groups," he said. , ;
"From every evidence w~. have, i
\ they have been cooperative 10 every •
i way. They have been very respect- '
i ful,'t.he,said.. ':
. ',Ottenweller also noted the leader- "
:ship also has had 16' three-hour ';
i. meetings within the last ,six weeks.
; Covenant communiues are not'
i evil, but are good to have around, ~ei.
.said. "We just want ,the fellowship ,
; to be something that s going to be )
(positive in the community. members :,
ilives and help them meet the goal of ;
}spiritual growth~,as well a~ support- :
(ing one another, he explained .
.,
I
-
••• • . -
------.ncr~~:~L/ AFFI LI ATECO r i M ITMENT
Fa'3E- 5
one cannot extend his Initial commitment bevond this
DC.) n t .
I
!J
...
Members In the Initial Commitment will receive limited
Dastoral care rather than full Dastoral care.
AFFILIATE COMMITMENT
I. Objective: (04/23/87)
The Aff:1 late Commitment Pro~ram IS Intended to allow under-
graduate students attendIng the Franciscan University of Steuben-
ville the oDDortunlty to actively carticlDate i n a 1 :mited
caDaclt~ in the lIfe of the Serva~ts of Christ the Klng.
II. Level of Commitment:
A. AffIlIates wi ll !:>ec omm itte d to r e sc l ar- attendance at all
community gatherln9s.
of the community and
thIS IS not reqUIred.
They mBY also attend the social actIvities
the 9uest sinsles DraVer meetings although
8. AffIliates 101111 be aSSigned to participate
district of their household adVIsor (assumIng
adviser IS In the community).
In the
the Ir h ou s eh o 1d
C. AffIliates W i ll be asked to f·:,llow the teacb in=s of the
ChristIan Formation Program at the Franciscan University of
SteubenvIlle including its teachin9 on datIng and courtshio.
~hlch IS founded uDon the same prlnCIDles as the communIty's
D. Affiliates wi ll net be Invited to atten d the Initial an d
undprwa~ commitment courses- sInce they WIll be rec e iv in s
oar a l le l
pro'3ram.
Instruction on campus throush the Christian Formation
ThE- Ln r tr a tr cn s.
Pr0ce~a IS a secarate ~is(ernment process.
not ~e .nv;ted to make & Gommunit~
L..lee'end.
G. Fr e n ci s c a o U n r ver st tv ()t Ste'Jbe~· .. ~111r : atf:l1~tes L J l l 1 b e
Jntr0~u(ed at 6 9E-nera1 satherlng once each semester (October Brd
These are ordlnarll~ the two times that Gne can maLe
*
AFFILIATE COMMITMENT/TRANSFER STATUS
Page 6
1. Afflllat-=-s mav oc c a s icn a l l v (ie. once a month) attend
the Fellowship Liturgy of Servants of Christ the King although
their primary attendance should be at the University LIturgies.
III.Conditions for Approval:
A. S't u de n te are to be in "'3ood s tan d ina" wIth the Franc is c an
UnIversity and active members of an approved camous household.
This is to Insure that thev are:
1. Able to take on thIS addlt:onBl commitment in light
of their camous commItments (Ie. academic, SWOP, I.
2. ReceIvIng adequate support and care for theIr lIves
through the household structure.
b. Students must have attended the Franciscan UnIverSity of
Steubenville for at least one year in order to be approved for
the AffilIate Commitment. ThIS IS to insure adequate time for
adjustment to camDUS lIfe and integration of the Initial
ChristIan formation teachIngs at the FranCiscan UnIverSIty.
C. FInal approval of all candidates must be received from
the coordinators.
D. The Affll late Commitment Program will be overseen by the
Pastoral Administrator or e coordinator who will intervje~ all
candidates and make recommendatIons to the coordinators.
Length of Affiliate Commitment:
A. Affiliate Commitment status wjll automatically be
concluded when an indiVIdual is no longer officially a student at
the FranCiscan University, normally upon graduation.
B. Affiliates may also continue In active o art t c ic a tion in
the community over the summer months i f they are taking courses
on campus or have a Job on cameys or are lIving on camous.
C. A student's affi11ste commItment status can also be
ended at any time uean tke r~auest of the st~dent or of the
TRANSFER STATUS
I. ~embers of The Sword of the S~lr;t w~o transfer from other
Communltles In Th~ Sword of the SOlr It to Servants of ChrIst the