CMRI Clergy

For an overview of current CMRI, go here

For ex-CMRI priests, go here

This section is an overview of the clergy & properties that are running the CMRI today. Although they claim 1967 as their founding, the current CMRI was really founded in 1989 once Denis Chicoine was removed. This page review the group after both Schuckardt and Chicoine were pushed out of the group, and Mark Pivarunas reformed the group by moving the headquarters to Nebraska, and changing many of the group practices.

Leadership

The following priests are the core leaders of the group:

  • Bishop Mark Pivarunas, based in Omaha, Nebraska. He became the leader in 1989 and was consecrated in 1991 by Moses Carmona.
  • Fr. Casimir Puskorius, based in Spokane, Washington. He leads the group at the main Mt. St. Michael building and has been with the group since the Schuckardt days.
  • Fr. Dominic Radecki, based in Santa Clarita, CA. His mother Emily brought he and his twin to Schuckardt, and they both became priests. Their father Hank (from Ohio) sued the group after Emily took them to join Schuckardt.
  • Fr. Francisco Radecki, based in Wayne, Michigan. Twin brother of Fr. Dominic Radecki.
  • Fr. Benedict (Kevin) Hughes, based in Rathdrum, Idaho. His family joined Schuckardt in the 1970s, and he leads the City of Mary group. He's one of two current CMRI priests ordained by Schuckardt prior to 1984.

While there are some other priests in leadership roles, these five seem to be the core senior leaders.

Mindset of the Leadership

Something they all have in common is that they are punctual, organized, and well-studied. Their main focus is to grow the CMRI, and to avoid media attention by looking boring and like normal American Catholics from the outside. Bishop Pivarunas comes across as a relaxed and calm leader who sticks to the same talking points. Behind the scenes I think he's always calculating how best to grow the group. He abandoned the combative and conspiratorial side of Schuckardt for the most part, although the group still (at least officially) believes the Vatican was taken over by Freemasons.

Fr. Benedict comes across as an organized priest from a military family, or at least he seems to take the mindset of a marine in his approach to being a priest. He's always on time and everything is by the book, and his style is very exact & precise. His approach seems to be following sacraments and racolta prayers like clockwork, with little room for inspiration or improvisation. Precision in 1950s conservative methods seems to be his focus.

The Radecki brothers write books against Vatican II, and both seem like very awkward men. When you listen to them speak, they're extremely soft spoken and almost seem nervous, although this may just be how they are. Their personalities must've been highly shaped by their mother Emily & Schuckardt.