In the fall of 1985, Brother Michael met with Father Urban Wagner, O.F.M. Conv., who was then Vice-Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis as well as Vicar for Religious. He shared the Brother’s vision and the way of life which we were living. He expressed to Father Urban our desire to become an official entity within the Catholic Church. Father Urban stated that he was very impressed with the way of life that the Brothers were living. He suggested that we make a request of Archbishop John R. Roach to become canonically approved with the stipulation that this association would be a new religious community in formation in the Catholic Church. This stipulation provided a way for the Brotherhood to advance canonically as far as the Holy Spirit desired to take it; in other words, it allowed for the three canonical steps to be taken which the Church requires in order for a new religious community to become a full-fledged Religious Institute. The Brothers then set out with Father Urban to pursue this canonical approval. In 1986, the Brotherhood was given canonical status as a Private Association of the Faithful, and on the Solemnity of the Mother of God, January 1, 1994, the Brotherhood was raised by Archbishop Roach to a Public Association of the Faithful.