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Religious men are pictured in an undated photo praying. The Companions of the Cross is a religious community founded in 1985 by Father Bob Bedard. The community is a group of priests and seminarians who minister in parishes and schools across Canada and the United States with their charism of evangelization and charismatic worship.
OSV News photo/courtesy Congregation of the Cross photo
January 23, 2026
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With growth and fullness on the back of full parishes, rising vocations and a newly expanded mission in Quebec, the Ottawa-based Companions of the Cross enter the 2026 General Assembly not only to elect the order’s newest General Superior, but to discern how God continues its call to keep the Church explosively alive.
Beginning on Jan. 26, members of the Companions will gather at the St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat Center in Detroit for the order’s first General Assembly in six years. With the current executive council and general superior, Fr. Roger Vandenakker, approaching the end of their six-year terms, elections for a new superior and governing body for the community will conclude the assembly on Jan. 30.
The order, which celebrated 40 years since its founding in 2025, will also use the assembly to discuss matters pertinent to the community. Fr. Alex Colautti, director of vocations and admissions for the Companions, said the gathering marks a privileged moment for all brothers to reflect on how the Lord has worked across lives and communities since its last meeting.
“This is a time to get into the mind and heart of our founder Fr. Bob Bedard and to be collectively renewed in the call to be Companions and in the charism that the Lord has given through him,” he said.
Beyond elections, the assembly will review and vote on proposed amendments to the community’s constitutions and rules, suggestions for changes to protocols and communal life and general discussions on which areas God is calling the community toward, as well as any key issues from the last six years.
The assembly also comes at a time of growth for the Companions. With an already established presence in Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax, Saint John, N.B., Houston and Detroit, the order expanded into Montréal last year. Numbers are on the rise as well, with upwards of 12 priests ordained in the last six years, growing the community to close to 50 Companion priests total.
Between Jan. 26 and 30, voting will take place, with old-school paper ballots counted aloud in front of the brothers in attendance, with balloting continuing until a candidate achieves a two-thirds majority. Voting members eligible for general superior will need a minimum of five years as a permanent member, or three years for the executive council. Seminarians, while encouraged to attend, cannot vote as permanent members.
Colautti shared that, while on the cusp of an exciting new direction, the Companions remain thankful for the graces and accomplishments Vandenakker and his council have provided since 2020.
“ Our life together as brothers has really flourished over the last number of years, and there's been a real focus on our fraternal relationships continuing to grow in healthy ways as brothers. We really believe that the effectiveness of our ministry flows from the quality of life that we share together, and so they are flourishing as well. Our churches are fully packed, and those are some of the fruits of the leadership over the last six years,” he said.
On Jan. 21, the Companions launched a Rosary Novena for the intentions of the General Assembly and the election, an initiative rooted in daily prayer Colautti attests as essential to the time the order currently faces.
“ It is such a gift to know that we are supported by the prayers of the people of God, and there's no fruitfulness in ministry apart from the power of prayer. We want to elect the leadership set in a direction that is truly discerned from the Holy Spirit, and so this would be a waste of time if it were strictly a human process that wasn't guided, led and supported by prayer,” he said.
Looking ahead, Colautti shared his hopes and prayers for the Companions as the order enters its newest season, reignited by its continued role as a passionate missionary Church for the Catholic faith.
“It feels like (Catholicism at large) is on the edge of something big, and I feel like the Companions have a part to play in the renewal of the Church. We are beginning to step into a new season of innovation and response to things that the Holy Spirit is doing in the life of the Church and in our community, and so I'm excited to see Fr. Bedard’s vision of coming explosively through the power of the Holy Spirit,” he said.
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