Former Members

Membership Decline Overview

Statistical data indicates that the majority of individuals who joined the TLRC or CMRI have subsequently left the organization. Membership appears to have declined from an estimated peak of 5,000 in the early 1980s to approximately 2,000 by the end of that decade.

While departures occurred throughout the organization's history, the highest rate of departures likely occurred during the 1984-1989 period. Exact membership figures are difficult to verify, and organizational records on this topic are not publicly available.

Notable Departures by Period

Major Group Departures

• 2007: A group of 15 nuns left the CMRI and joined the Diocese of Spokane. (Additional information) and (their current organization).
• 1985: Approximately 35 families (roughly 100 individuals, representing 14% of the entire Mt. St. Michael community) departed with Bishop Musey following disagreements with the remaining CMRI leadership.
• Post-1984: Approximately half of the religious order members left following the June 1984 organizational split.

Early Period Departures (1970s)

• Klotz Family: Experienced organizational shunning in the early 1970s. Sr. Mary Francisca (Klotz) died suddenly on January 28, 2010, in Florida at age 61. Her mother Dorothy Klotz attributed her death to overwork within the organization.
• Case Family: Also experienced shunning in the early 1970s under circumstances similar to the Klotz family.
• Kerfoot Family: Mike Kerfoot, his wife, and another family left during the 1970s. Mike was the brother of Fr. Louis Kerfoot, who also subsequently left the CMRI. Their parents remained in the group and are buried at Mt. St. Michael.
• Tamplin Family: John Tamplin and his daughter left only months after joining in 1975. Tamplin subsequently filed unsuccessful lawsuits against the organization and maintained a visible protest presence near CMRI facilities.

Individual Notable Departures

• Sherri Ann Schettler (Urann), formerly Sister Mary Redempta: Joined around 1975 as a nun and left the CMRI around 2000. Her brother Patrick also left the group and later married. Schettler subsequently wrote a book about her experiences.
• Bernie Radecki and Francie Urban Radecki: Returned to mainstream Catholic practice around 2005.
• Cheryl and Jeff Pichette and daughter Alyssa Marie Pichette: Left the group around 2007 and joined mainstream Catholic parishes.
• George Wagner & Jacinta Wagner (Strain-Urban): Returned to mainstream Catholic practice.
• Sister Solange: Left the Mt. St. Michael convent due to alleged abuse experienced in the Villa Maria boarding school around 1979.

Patterns and Circumstances

Media Attention and Departures

Several individuals who left the organization provided testimony to media outlets, including Libby Sala, Bill Seale, and John Doering, who were quoted in newspaper articles during periods of controversy.

Family Dynamics

Documentation shows that departures often involved complex family situations. In some cases, entire families left together, while in others, family members made different choices about continued participation, sometimes resulting in ongoing family divisions.

Transition to Mainstream Catholicism

Many former members who have publicly discussed their departures have indicated that they returned to mainstream Catholic practice rather than joining other traditionalist organizations. This pattern suggests that their concerns were specifically related to the CMRI/TLRC rather than traditional Catholic practices generally.

Shunning and Social Consequences

Former members have reported that the organization practiced shunning of those who left, particularly individuals who were critical of organizational practices or leadership. This policy affected family relationships when some members remained while others departed.

The practice of treating former members as "apostates" or "tools of Satan" created significant social and familial barriers for those who chose to leave, potentially making departure more difficult and traumatic.

Documentation and Verification

Information about former members comes from various sources:

• Published memoirs and books by former members
• Newspaper interviews and articles
• Court records and legal depositions
• Obituaries and death records
• Current member testimonies and organizational records

While some details may be difficult to verify independently, the overall pattern of significant membership decline and departure is supported by multiple sources and observable changes in organizational size over time.

Contemporary Status

The current membership of the CMRI is estimated to be significantly smaller than its peak in the early 1980s. The organization continues to attract new members, but the rate of new membership appears to be lower than historical departure rates.

The organization's approach to former members and its handling of departure-related family separations remains a subject of ongoing concern among critics and families affected by these policies.