(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Fall 2024 Issue #113)
In this issue, five of the 30 Regions are highlighted.
La Verna Region
La Verna Region consists of most of Wisconsin and the upper portion of Michigan and includes 18 established fraternities. At the time of regionalization, the members voted and chose the name because of the connection to St. Francis, especially to his receiving the stigmata.
The region includes fraternities in areas ranging from urban to rural and is located by the two largest lakes of the five Great Lakes: Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
Our Lady of the Angels Region
Southern Westchester, Staten Island, and the borough of Manhattan, which are all in New York, as well as Central and Northern New Jersey, are all part of Our Lady of the Angels Region. Although it is one of the smallest regions by area, it is one of the largest in membership with 670 candidates and professed members.
When it was time to determine the name for the region, fraternities were invited to suggest names, and through a selection process, Our Lady of the Angels was chosen.
Tau Cross Region
This is another region that is geographically small but includes 21 established fraternities. It covers the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island in New York. As one of the last regions to be established, its name was assigned to it.
Tau Cross Region includes the Archdioceses of New York, the Diocese of Brooklyn, and the Diocese of Rockville Centre. It is currently active in implementing the processes of Fraternal Accompaniment and cell creation to sustain the shrinking fraternities.
Our Lady of Guadalupe – Empress of the Americas Region
The region covers all of New Mexico and part of Texas and includes 14 fraternities. When it was established, the council met in El Paso and chose its name. Since it shares borders with three states and Mexico, it is a diverse and bilingual region.
Santa Maria de las Montanas Region (Saint Mary of the Mountains Region)
Unlike the two previously mentioned New York regions, the Santa Maria de las Montanas Region covers five states: Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, and part of Nebraska! It includes 12 established fraternities and two emerging groups.
In 1993, World Youth Day was celebrated in Denver, Colorado, and is considered to have been a spiritual revolution. Since St. Pope John Paul II’s visit, the Augustine Institute, FOCUS Ministry, and two seminaries were all established in the state. The region was established on October 20, 1994.
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