To the Church, to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), and to the newly-ordained Fathers M. McCarthy and C. Pelster.
(Image: priestly ordination at the Seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, yesterday; source: Fr. Brown)
23 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The future of our Church, holy priests dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass. May these young men continue to grow and spread the Mass of All Times. Deo Gratias
Maybe some readers will be pleased to learn that the French bishop of Fréjus-Toulon, Mgr Rey, ordained a deacon according the ancient rite in his own cathedral! and two days before Univerae Ecclesiae... May more bishops follow his example.
Deo gratias! I pray for all priests but I do hope for the continued health and good vocations for the f.s.s.p. I am looking forward to their mass next weekend at the Basilica Shrine.
Jack- I would disagree with this point. "Besides, calling the Extraordinary Form such is to say that the Eastern Rites--all much older--are meaningless and transitory, and at best just barely tolerated"
I have been fortunate enough to have attended a Maronite rite mass and Byzantine rite and I hope to do so again. The eastern rites are so rich in liturgy and practices. I have a friend who is Byzantine Catholic and her Lenten fast (not to mention the Advent fast) put my humble Latin rite efforts to shame.
Remember, our Holy Father came up the the term Exraordinary Form which, in my opinion, was probably one of the ways he was trying to make clear to all (ie those who thought the TLM was outlawed by Vatican II) that the TLM was not a museum piece.
I have done enough research to know some very hurtful things were done and said to those who never lost their love for the Tridentine mass. The fact that it was not always in existence in the form it had in the early 60's does not dim the fact that the TLM was the mass of the ages for the Latin rite Catholic church, imho.
We desperately need a trad priest for Kankakee! We have the community - over 100 people showed up for the first Sunday TLM in 42 years, on May 8; we have an accommodating pastor (never mind his "liturgical coordinator");we have a beautiful church.
God bless these priests. Lord, please send us one of them!!
Jack, you're assertions don't pass the smell test to me. You didn't even address the first and most obvious rebuttal - to say that the 1962 version or the whatever version of the TLM is not the mass of all ages (at least back to the time of the Apostles) is to say the boy and the man he became are not the same person. They are indeed, and so it is with the TLM.
As for antiquity, as you know, tradition speaks louder than written records because so little of the latter survives. And tradition says Our Lord showed the Apostles the essence of the mass at the Last Supper and they each built their own mass around it, but Rome's version (Saint Peter's) became dominant with the growth of Rome's leadership. Even if they incorporated some elements of other Apostolic masses, we still have the essence of Saint Peter's mass in the antiquity. I cannot see any other conclusion without attributing a reckless cut and paste mentality on things essential, holy, and passed on by the Apostles (hmmm, what a novel idea!) to the generations immediately following Saint Peter. Unthinkable. Why, that would take a Maso... never mind, I digress. Any way, I have yet to read anything that precludes that line of development. It all comes down to organic growth around the Roman mass, which seems a given to me.
And I do believe Saint Peter's mass came before any of yours.
You know very well that no one intends to insult the Eastern liturgies when they speak of the TLM as the "Mass of All Times". It is an expression of love and affection for the Classical Roman Rite, and like many such expressions its seeming exclusivity is not meant to deny the merits or beauties of anything else.
Jack, I never said anything bad about the Eastern Rites, they are stunning and most sublime, I just happen to be a Latin Rite Catholic that's all I meant in my post. All rites are equal.
For God to show His mighty power, He permit a great trail on the Most Beautiful Holy Sacrifice (TLM), when His enemies thought they had complete victory over Him, 40 years later out of the ashes of the ruin Church, God mighty hand rises up the TLM, today the rebuilding are very visible, brick by brick, one priest at a time, one parish at a time, one Holy Mass at a time it is coming back, no explaination needed, to those libertine, the writting is on the wall, your priests, bishops and Cardinals that support liberalism, causes this destruction, they are all getting old and soon, they will all be gone, like all heretic, they all grown old and dies, but God has the time, see how young those priests look, they are the future of True Catholic Church, I prayed daily that many more young man like them will come and join them in the rebuilding of the once militant Church.
So glad to see they now have their ordinations in their beautiful, traditional church. It was always so disconcerting when they would have their ordinations held in modern-style ugly churches.
I love the F.S.S.P. but I pray that Fr. Berg will now end a period of entrechment and return, temporarily, to a period of expansion. I have remarked on this subject before and wish to repeat it here. I agree with the F.S.S.P. in choosing to alternate between periods of expansion and entrenchment. Expansion is needed at times so that the faithful who are attached to the ancient Latin tradition may be adequately served. While diocesan priests can and should help in this holy work, the F.S.S.P. and other traditionalist socieites are obviously needed in this as well.
Entrenchment means putting down roots in certain dioceses or places so that the F.S.S.P. can create small communities of priests in sure foundation. Traditionalist priests need the fellowship of one another for their own spiritual and psychological needs and development. It is not good to isolate one traditionalist F.S.S.P. priest in one place for too long. During periods of entrenchment, the Fraternity tries to acquire houses and schools and priories for two or three priests, even more. This enables it to serve a populous archdiocese, for example, and there can eventually be missions to other places in that see and/or to neighbouring sees. It makes sense and it keeps our men in good spirit.
But, like it or not, expansion is necessary from time to time. After 2007, the F.S.S.P. concentrated more on training diocesan priests. This has had very limited effect. Most diocesans learn the ancient Mass only to return to their dioceses and discover that offering it will bring upon them much persecution and suffering. So many diocesans return to the N.O. and wait for a better day.
There has not been much expansion of the F.S.S.P. lately in Canada, the U.S.A., France, England, Spain, Italy (only in Rome and Venice), Latin America (only in Colombia and Mexico), Africa or Asia. The more recent policy of entrenchment of Fr. Berg has been necessary. I don't argue with it in the least. He is a good man and has taken the right policy. But I would suggest that a time for more expansion has come. Since 2008, with the exception of Germany and N.Z., Latin Mass expansion by all means has ground to a halt. Do something, Fr. Berg!
Our wise P.K.T.P is right again. The FSSP should expand aggressively on the coat tails of SP and its UE Instruction. Strike while the iron is hot. The Bishops have not shown the least interest in TLM, so dedicated priests must be missionaries.
Our Indult Mass in Saint John Bonaventure Mission in California is in grave danger even now that cardinal Mahoney was retired. Our pastor priest was ostracized far away by the departing Cardinal.
I believe (and I have this from a first hand source) that right now the problem is not of having invitations from bishps to serve their TLM communities but of availability of priests, the “demand” is growing faster than the traditional priestly societies (in this case the FSSP) can supply with priest all the locations where the mass is requested by the faithful. I also agree with father Berg that at least 2 priests are needed in each apostolate as they need to form their own “familiy” so they can support each other as many times they are shunned by the rest(most) of the NO clergy and obviously they will not help to fill when the need arises.
What they need at their seminary is a demographic analysis course so that they can place their apostolates where the Catholics are and not in the middle of the metropolis where there is no life or faith.
The must unsung persecution for the Traditional Catholic family is Sunday travel time and no parking at the other end of it.
What is the stat for the number of FSSP seminarians that came from Traditional, large Catholic families that live in sub-urban and rural settings who drove their sons into Mass every other day for years? How many of these seminarians become Priests only to serve in inner city Parishes (with no parking lots).
Perhaps I am completely mistaken, but it seems to me that the feeder school for the FSSP is the Traditional Catholic family. Consequently, it might be nice if the FSSP could keep that pocket of Catholicism in mind when they agree to, or seek out, Personal Parishes and apostolate locations.
Compare this picture to scenes of giant puppet Masses, altar girls, dancing nuns, kissing and holding hands, drums, guitars etc. This is the Holy Roman Catholic Church as it should and will be again.
I can understand PKTP's frustration, but he lacks a sense of the whole, which it is a priviledge of the Superior General to have of his own order, of which he's been a member for some 15 years. I was in the FSSP seminary for the last few years, so I heard Fr. Berg speak often of this decision - to bulk up each Parish, since such is in the Constitutions. I appreciate his commitment to what was approved by the WHOLE FSSP, at one time.
23 comments:
The future of our Church, holy priests dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass. May these young men continue to grow and spread the Mass of All Times. Deo Gratias
Maybe some readers will be pleased to learn that the French bishop of Fréjus-Toulon, Mgr Rey, ordained a deacon according the ancient rite in his own cathedral! and two days before Univerae Ecclesiae...
May more bishops follow his example.
http://www.perepiscopus.org/diocses/une-ordination-traditionnelle-dans-la-cathedrale-de-toulon
https://picasaweb.google.com/cathedraletoulon/Ordination110511#
Father Cano in the back!!!!! The one thing I miss about living in Lincoln - The FSSP's. God Bless them - do you have any more pics?
Fratres laici in Fraternitate non inveniuntur...
God Bless these men ! Deacon, now Father Pelster has been at our parish for a few months. What a blessing ! Deo Gratias.
Deo gratias! I pray for all priests but I do hope for the continued health and good vocations for the f.s.s.p. I am looking forward to their mass next weekend at the Basilica Shrine.
Jack- I would disagree with this point.
"Besides, calling the Extraordinary Form such is to say that the Eastern Rites--all much older--are meaningless and transitory, and at best just barely tolerated"
I have been fortunate enough to have attended a Maronite rite mass and Byzantine rite and I hope to do so again. The eastern rites are so rich in liturgy and practices. I have a friend who is Byzantine Catholic and her Lenten fast (not to mention the Advent fast) put my humble Latin rite efforts to shame.
Remember, our Holy Father came up the the term Exraordinary Form which, in my opinion, was probably one of the ways he was trying to make clear to all (ie those who thought the TLM was outlawed by Vatican II) that the TLM was not a museum piece.
I have done enough research to know some very hurtful things were done and said to those who never lost their love for the Tridentine mass. The fact that it was not always in existence in the form it had in the early 60's does not dim the fact that the TLM was the mass of the ages for the Latin rite Catholic church, imho.
We desperately need a trad priest for Kankakee! We have the community - over 100 people showed up for the first Sunday TLM in 42 years, on May 8; we have an accommodating pastor (never mind his "liturgical coordinator");we have a beautiful church.
God bless these priests. Lord, please send us one of them!!
Jack, you're assertions don't pass the smell test to me. You didn't even address the first and most obvious rebuttal - to say that the 1962 version or the whatever version of the TLM is not the mass of all ages (at least back to the time of the Apostles) is to say the boy and the man he became are not the same person. They are indeed, and so it is with the TLM.
As for antiquity, as you know, tradition speaks louder than written records because so little of the latter survives. And tradition says Our Lord showed the Apostles the essence of the mass at the Last Supper and they each built their own mass around it, but Rome's version (Saint Peter's) became dominant with the growth of Rome's leadership. Even if they incorporated some elements of other Apostolic masses, we still have the essence of Saint Peter's mass in the antiquity. I cannot see any other conclusion without attributing a reckless cut and paste mentality on things essential, holy, and passed on by the Apostles (hmmm, what a novel idea!) to the generations immediately following Saint Peter. Unthinkable. Why, that would take a Maso... never mind, I digress. Any way, I have yet to read anything that precludes that line of development. It all comes down to organic growth around the Roman mass, which seems a given to me.
And I do believe Saint Peter's mass came before any of yours.
Smart Aleck Jack:
You know very well that no one intends to insult the Eastern liturgies when they speak of the TLM as the "Mass of All Times". It is an expression of love and affection for the Classical Roman Rite, and like many such expressions its seeming exclusivity is not meant to deny the merits or beauties of anything else.
Jack, I never said anything bad about the Eastern Rites, they are stunning and most sublime, I just happen to be a Latin Rite Catholic that's all I meant in my post. All rites are equal.
For God to show His mighty power, He permit a great trail on the Most Beautiful Holy Sacrifice (TLM), when His enemies thought they had complete victory over Him, 40 years later out of the ashes of the ruin Church, God mighty hand rises up the TLM, today the rebuilding are very visible, brick by brick, one priest at a time, one parish at a time, one Holy Mass at a time it is coming back, no explaination needed, to those libertine, the writting is on the wall, your priests, bishops and Cardinals that support liberalism, causes this destruction, they are all getting old and soon, they will all be gone, like all heretic, they all grown old and dies, but God has the time, see how young those priests look, they are the future of True Catholic Church, I prayed daily that many more young man like them will come and join them in the rebuilding of the once militant Church.
So glad to see they now have their ordinations in their beautiful, traditional church. It was always so disconcerting when they would have their ordinations held in modern-style ugly churches.
Just a quick one. what we refer to as Eastern Rites' most of them are actually younger if not all of them younger than the Roman Rite.
A brief note: The FSSP also ordained Fr. Damon Sypher in Australia on May 5.
I love the F.S.S.P. but I pray that Fr. Berg will now end a period of entrechment and return, temporarily, to a period of expansion. I have remarked on this subject before and wish to repeat it here. I agree with the F.S.S.P. in choosing to alternate between periods of expansion and entrenchment. Expansion is needed at times so that the faithful who are attached to the ancient Latin tradition may be adequately served. While diocesan priests can and should help in this holy work, the F.S.S.P. and other traditionalist socieites are obviously needed in this as well.
Entrenchment means putting down roots in certain dioceses or places so that the F.S.S.P. can create small communities of priests in sure foundation. Traditionalist priests need the fellowship of one another for their own spiritual and psychological needs and development. It is not good to isolate one traditionalist F.S.S.P. priest in one place for too long. During periods of entrenchment, the Fraternity tries to acquire houses and schools and priories for two or three priests, even more. This enables it to serve a populous archdiocese, for example, and there can eventually be missions to other places in that see and/or to neighbouring sees. It makes sense and it keeps our men in good spirit.
But, like it or not, expansion is necessary from time to time. After 2007, the F.S.S.P. concentrated more on training diocesan priests. This has had very limited effect. Most diocesans learn the ancient Mass only to return to their dioceses and discover that offering it will bring upon them much persecution and suffering. So many diocesans return to the N.O. and wait for a better day.
There has not been much expansion of the F.S.S.P. lately in Canada, the U.S.A., France, England, Spain, Italy (only in Rome and Venice), Latin America (only in Colombia and Mexico), Africa or Asia. The more recent policy of entrenchment of Fr. Berg has been necessary. I don't argue with it in the least. He is a good man and has taken the right policy. But I would suggest that a time for more expansion has come. Since 2008, with the exception of Germany and N.Z., Latin Mass expansion by all means has ground to a halt. Do something, Fr. Berg!
P.K.T.P.
Our wise P.K.T.P is right again. The FSSP should expand aggressively on the coat tails of SP and its UE Instruction. Strike while the iron is hot. The Bishops have not shown the least interest in TLM, so dedicated priests must be missionaries.
Our Indult Mass in Saint John Bonaventure Mission in California is in grave danger even now that cardinal Mahoney was retired. Our pastor priest was ostracized far away by the departing Cardinal.
Is FSSP's restriction of only going where a bishop asks for them a serious inhibitor to their expansion?
I believe (and I have this from a first hand source) that right now the problem is not of having invitations from bishps to serve their TLM communities but of availability of priests, the “demand” is growing faster than the traditional priestly societies (in this case the FSSP) can supply with priest all the locations where the mass is requested by the faithful. I also agree with father Berg that at least 2 priests are needed in each apostolate as they need to form their own “familiy” so they can support each other as many times they are shunned by the rest(most) of the NO clergy and obviously they will not help to fill when the need arises.
I too love the F.S.S.P.
What they need at their seminary is a demographic analysis course so that they can place their apostolates where the Catholics are and not in the middle of the metropolis where there is no life or faith.
The must unsung persecution for the Traditional Catholic family is Sunday travel time and no parking at the other end of it.
What is the stat for the number of FSSP seminarians that came from Traditional, large Catholic families that live in sub-urban and rural settings who drove their sons into Mass every other day for years? How many of these seminarians become Priests only to serve in inner city Parishes (with no parking lots).
Perhaps I am completely mistaken, but it seems to me that the feeder school for the FSSP is the Traditional Catholic family. Consequently, it might be nice if the FSSP could keep that pocket of Catholicism in mind when they agree to, or seek out, Personal Parishes and apostolate locations.
Joe B. asks:
Is FSSP's restriction of only going where a bishop asks for them a serious inhibitor to their expansion?
No, Joe B., they have far more opportunities than they have resources with which to meet them.
P.K.T.P.
Compare this picture to scenes of giant puppet Masses, altar girls, dancing nuns, kissing and holding hands, drums, guitars etc. This is the Holy Roman Catholic Church as it should and will be again.
I can understand PKTP's frustration, but he lacks a sense of the whole, which it is a priviledge of the Superior General to have of his own order, of which he's been a member for some 15 years. I was in the FSSP seminary for the last few years, so I heard Fr. Berg speak often of this decision - to bulk up each Parish, since such is in the Constitutions. I appreciate his commitment to what was approved by the WHOLE FSSP, at one time.
May the Good Lord be always with you, and may Our Blessed Mother always keep you close and faithful to the true teaching of the Catholic Church.
Remember that we need holy and faithful priests.
Please remember that we, those of us who are faithful to the true Church need you.
God Bless!
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