You Suggest: Fundraiser in support of SSPX seminarians

From a reader:

St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary of The SSPX is planning a pilgrimage to Lourdes to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the SSPX.

As a fundraiser, they are having a “giveaway” wherein people’s tickets are entered in a drawing to win a 2020 Jaguar XE.

The proceeds go to help the various seminarians, both of the USA and of the seminary in Argentina to make the trip. These seminarians must pay for their own tuition or find their own benefactors because the dioceses they reside in do not provide for them. It will be nearly impossible for the South American Seminarians in particular to make this pilgrimage due to local financial difficulty. As a result the United States Seminarians have taken it upon themselves to raise the money needed for themselves and for their financially strained brothers in Argentina.

Tickets can be obtained for a donation BY CLICKING HERE.

VIDEO: Ordination day at SSPX seminary in Virginia

Congratulations to the five new priests of the Society of St. Pius X! May God help you save many souls.

You Suggest, video: 24 Men take the Cassock at SSPX's St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Virginia

From our friends in the new photography department of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Dillwyn, Virginia:

Video: SSPX seminary journey from Winona to Virgina

SSPX Exclusive - Bp. Fellay speaks to Rorate on Rome negotiations as world's largest traditional seminary is blessed in Virginia

A Conversation with Bishop Fellay

By Father Kevin M. Cusick*

Rorate correspondent for the

opening of the SSPX Seminary

in Virginia

The faithful gather from far and wide

Dozens of cars from many states and Canada lined the gravel drive that connects the blacktop country road in the small town of Dillwyn, Virginia, with the new seminary of the Society of Saint Pius X on a knoll in the heart of the property. I found an unclaimed spot along a side trail and began to walk myself, joining the faithful young and old on their way to the holy Mass at the head of the day’s events planned to inaugurate the new US headquarters for the mission of forming the priests of the apostolate.

Update: Video on new traditional seminary in the U.S.

Learn more and donate by clicking here. 

We all need traditional priests -- here's how to help

Below, please find an open letter from the mother of an Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest seminarian. The seminarians always need financial and spiritual help -- but with the fire at the Shrine this year, it's even more critical.

Even if you can't attend in person, I urge you to consider donating anyway. We all need priests! Good, traditional priests. 

And, so you know we aren't just asking you to help, this contributor supports an ICR priest on a weekly basis. Being anonymous, this obviously isn't to brag -- it's to show you we aren't asking you, our readers, to do anything we're not already doing. 

Please read this whole letter and consider calling the Shrine. Adopt a seminarian and help give God and Holy Mother Church another solid priest to save souls. 

Click Here to Donate Now

Dear Shrine family and friends,

It is now two months since we were given the sorrowful news that a fire devastated our beautiful church known to all as the Shrine of Christ the King here in Chicago. As you know there have been many challenges and we have been asked to make many sacrifices along the way, but with the thorns come the roses, both of which inspire in us a spirit of gratitude. 

You Suggest: new SSPX U.S. seminary update and request

A reader passed this along:

While other seminaries are for the most part being shut down or consolidated, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X in the United States has a different kind of problem on its hands. They have outgrown their past two seminary buildings.

Update on new SSPX seminary: "A Building that Speaks of God"

We have followed with great interest the building of a new seminary in rural Virginia for the Priestly Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) and were asked to update our readers on its progress. Whatever you may think of the Society's position in the Church, one cannot but marvel at this structure -- especially while most seminaries are struggling to stay open if not already closed.

Video below:

Rorate Mass at the FSSP European Seminary

Wigratzbad, Bavaria, Saturday, December 12, 2014

Ordinations in the upcoming days and weeks: Ecclesia Dei institutes

Ordination and First Mass of Saint John of Matha
(Vincenzo Carducci, Museo del Prado)

For the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. 

The events in Arizona were tragic, extremely sad and distressing - but not despairing, because the Lord does not abandon his faithful people, ever. As Fr. Walker taught, it is our duty to recognize our lifetime as the time for our visitation and, during that time, "make use of the means that God has provided for us to show our repentance, our submission, and our trust in Him." (Sermon) [Temporary link: Fr. Kenneth Walker's Funeral Fund - Update: total amount raised]

As reported here on May 31, seven priests were ordained for the FSSP on that day in Nebraska. Two other ordination ceremonies remain for the Fraternity:

In Virginia: the Rev. Deacons Zachary Akers and Daniel Heenan, who will be Ordained tomorrow (Saturday, June 14, 2014, 9:00 AM), by the Most Reverend James Conley, Bishop of Lincoln, in Leesburg, Virginia (St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, 101 Oakcrest Manor Dr. NE, Leesburg, VA 20176). We have checked for confirmation, and the ceremony will take place as foreseen.

In Chartres: It is a highly historical event: since the advent of the new Pontificale Romanum, in 1968, there has not been a traditional ordination ceremony in that highly emblematic French cathedral, Our Lady of Chartres. On June 28, at 9:30 PM, Bishop Marc Aillet, of Bayonne, will ordain the Rev. Deacons Jean de Massia, Thibault Paris, and Olivier de Nedde (Orléans).

For the Institute of the Good Shepherd.

In Bordeaux: Archbishop Giuseppe Sciacca will be in the Church of Saint-Eloi on Friday, June 27, at 9:30 AM, for the ordination of three deacons to the Holy Priesthood: the Rev. Deacons Gregory Lutz-Wiest, Karol Zaleski, and Mateusz Markiewicz.

For the Institute of Christ the King.

In Tuscany: Cardinal Burke will confer the ordinations of European seminarians in the Institute's seminary in Gricigliano on July 3. A total of 4 deacons will be ordained on that day.

In Missouri: The priestly ordinations of American seminarians for the Institute will take place in America this year: Cardinal Burke will once again be present, now at the St. Francis de Sales Oratory, in Saint Louis, MO, on August 5, and will ordain to the Holy Priesthood the Rev. Deacons Benjamin Coggeshall, Joel Estrada, Andrew Todd, and Francis Altiere.

The power of the cassock at all times: "My brother, pass me the ball!"

Agence France Presse's photographer Fabrice Coffrini wanted some special football/soccer images now that the quadrennial world tournament of the sport is at hand. He found them in Écône (Riddes, Valais, Switzerland), at the International Seminary of Saint Pius X.

RIDDES (Switzerland), June 3, 2014 [AFP] - The Society of Saint Pius X is a traditionalist Catholic society founded by Abp. Marcel Lefebvre. They are known above all for their ultra-conservative positions and their disagreements with the Vatican. They are less known for their football talents.

Every Sunday, the priests and future priests of the Society seminary in Écône, Switzerland, rest at the end of an intense week of studies and prayer. Some go hiking, others play basketball, still others play football. They always practice their sporting activities in cassock because, for traditionalists, a priest must keep his distinctive habit in all life circumstances in order to show that, "he lives in the world without being of the world"... But cleats are tolerated.

It has been several years that I wanted to photograph them. As the football World Cup approaches, it was the ideal moment. After having easily obtained the agreement of the seminary, I went to the Valais to watch the Sunday match at Riddes, the neighboring village to Écône.

The field is located below an overpass. Many drivers who pass by honk at the sight of the unusual display of these priests in cassocks running after a ball. But, other than them, there is no public. There is also no referee (other than God, naturally).

The match is very physical, the players tackle and collide as in any other football match. The only difference, other than the outfit, is the language. No name-calling, no cursing, no altercation other than at offsides or fouls. The players use the vous [formal 2nd person] and remain very polite amongst themselves: "My brother, pass me [passez-moi] the ball!"

At halftime, I would like to take a posed picture of all seminarians while raising their arms enthusiastically, as a regular team. But they refused. Even on a soccer field, the cassock compels a demeanor...

[Image above by Fabrice Coffrini for AFP hosted at original website. The complete set of images available at the original post, available in French here.]

Event: Bishop Athanasius Schneider to confer ordinations on LiveMass.net

The good folks at LiveMass.net have sent us a sneak peek at a promotional video they will start running soon announcing the ordination of seven FSSP candidates to the priesthood to be conferred by His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider.

Please check out the video below, plan to watch the ordinations live on LiveMass.net and pray for these seven fine young soldiers of Christ that they may remain always attached to Our Lord, Our Lady, the Church and Tradition.

This is the Mass

Ottobeuren Abbey

February 22, 2014

The seminarians of the European seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), in Wigratzbad, Bavaria, visited one of the most glorious abbatial churches in the world, in Ottobeuren (click image for larger view), for the feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Several images of the visit are available here, courtesy of the seminary blog. Ottobeuren Abbey, which is celebrating the 1250th anniversary of its foundation this year, unfortunately does not host regular celebrations of the Traditional Mass it was built to house.

But the Traditional Roman Rite is not a privilege of beautiful churches, it is a common heritage of all of us everywhere, all Catholics in the Latin Church. This is our Mass, thanks be to God. As a sign of this, we also recommend the pages of recent photographs of the permanent mission of the Institute of Christ the King (ICRSS) in Mouilla, Gabon, currently staffed by Canon Fragelli, and his enthusiastic parishioners as well as the local Ordinary. The sound is that of the parishioners of Notre-Dame de Lourdes, in Libreville, whose vicar is Canon Bergerot. 

Great new blog: Wigratzbad seminary

The European seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), the Seminary of Saint Peter in Wigratzbad, in the Bavarian Swabia, has a new page in French, a blog on the daily activities of the formation house.

We heartily recommend visiting it for frequent updates, and we also recommend it to those thinking about a vocation in this great Fraternity.

In France, the lowest number of Seminarians since the Revolution

Not Vatican II, we mean the French Revolution. Besides the collapse in "ordinary" seminarians, the number of Traditional seminarians in France is not increasing anymore.

From Paix Liturgique:

The French Episcopal Conference has just released the results of an "Inquiry on the situation of candidates to the presbyterial ministry on November 15, 2011". It was carried on by the [Conference's] Commission for Ordained Ministries and Lay Faithful in Ecclesial Mission.

...

Last year, the decline in the number of candidates to the priesthood had been of 3% (732 on November 15, 2010, compared to 756 on November 15, 2009). Once again, the Commission for Ordained Ministries notes a similar decline of 3% (710 on November 15, 2011).

Let us recall, in order to evaluate the data throughout a longer period, that the number of French seminarians was of 4,536 in 1966, at the end of the Council. of 1,297 in 1975, during the explosive years of the liturgical reform; of 1,203 in 1996,during the John Paul II years; of 784 in 2005, after the election of Benedict XVI; and now of 710. A collapse of almost 85% may also be observed since Vatican II, which nothing - or almost! - seems capable of stopping...at least, as long as a spirit not favorable to priestly renewal is dominant in parishes.

...

It may thus be ascertained ... that the number of 710, as globally indicative of the vocations that are effectively destined to the dioceses, is the lowest level ever registered since the Revolution.

...

[On traditional vocations:]

The results of our inquiry based on our criteria are the following:

- The SSPX has 49 French seminarians (48 in Écône, 1 in Winona), which is exactly the same number of last year, these Frenchmen representing a constant proportion, in the past several years, of one third of the candidates to the priesthood of the entire SSPX (150), (this seems related to the fact that the apostolate of the Society of Saint Pius X has been very stable in France for the past ten years, and thus that the number of related faithful is not on the increase currently);

- the "official" French Traditionalists number 91 seminarians, instead of 95 in the last year, a number that is practically stable. (Also there this stability is explained by the fact that the number of parishes or celebrations entrusted to priests of Ecclesia Dei communities increases only very, very slowly, making their priestly apostolate difficult);

...

OUR REMARKS ON THESE RESULTS:

- as a result that the numbers of "ordinary" seminatians collapses and that those of the "extraordinary" ones remain stable, the proportion continues to increasingly grow in favor of the "extraordinary" ones (a little over 16% [of the total] compared to a little less than 84%);

- however, in absolute numbers, there is stability, after constant growth in the preceding years (the French candidates for the priesthood for the Tridentine rite were 120 in 2005, 130 in 2007, 136 in 2008, 140 in 2009, 144 in 2010, 140 in 2011) - which is proportional to the very slow growth in the number of "extraordinary" celebrations;

- ... over 15% of this country´s seminarians are "generated" by at most 5% of all practicing Catholics - those who have access to the Traditional liturgy every Sunday. ... Let us repeat it: over 15% of this country's seminarians are "engendered" by less than 5% of practicing Catholics. This exceptional vocational breeding ground (which is exceptional not in itself, but relatively to a situation of collapse) could be considerably more relevant if a number of conditions were present. There is no space to examine them here, but they may be summarized thus: the "supply" of Traditional celebrations must correspond to the "demand" for it. Because if there are no more than 5% of practicing [Catholics] live their faith according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, at least one third of the faithful wish they were able to have the traditional liturgy in their parishes, the results of our surveys regularly indicate.

Today, the Holy See made available some numbers included in the new Annuario Pontificio, including the following:

The number of students of philosophy and theology in diocesan or religious seminaries has increased constantly in the course of the past five years. As a whole, it has increased 4%, from 114,439 in 2005 to 118,990 in 2010. In decline in Europe (-10.4%) and in America (-1,1% [including North and South America]), the major seminarians increase in Africa (+14.2%), in Asia (+13.0%), and in Oceania (+12.3%).