Archbishop Hebda: Priest Father Philip Conklin affiliates with SSPX

Archbishop Bernard Hebda informed parishioners of St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater that Father Philip Conklin has affiliated with the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). The archbishop stated in a letter shared by pastor Father Michael Creagan on Sept. 30 that he will begin a canonical process to clarify Conklin's status after the priest confirmed he does not intend to end his affiliation with the group.

Father Conklin, who was ordained in 2024, served as parochial vicar in Stillwater from July 2024 until March 2026 before taking a six month leave of absence to discern his vocation. Archbishop Hebda has instructed Conklin not to perform any public priestly ministry.

The Vatican declared the SSPX in schism with the Catholic Church this past July after the group's leadership rejected a plea from Pope Leo XIV and consecrated four bishops in Switzerland without a papal mandate. That action resulted in the immediate excommunication of the consecrating bishop, the co-consecrator, and the four new bishops.