Pastor’s Column

NORTH AMERICAN FSSP CONVOCATION

I am giving advance notice that we will have a reduced Mass schedule the first week of January, as three of the priests (Fr. McWhirter, Fr. Schwab, and myself) will be attending a convocation of the North American Province in Denton, Nebraska, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary. When we get nearer the dates in question I will release the formal schedule, but it is likely that we will go down to noon Mass and perhaps a couple of evening Masses from Tuesday, January 2 to Friday, January 5. Fr. Evaristus has elected to stay behind during the convocation and has graciously offered to keep the parish running in our absence.

The convocation is a preparatory meeting for the election of representatives to the General Chapter of the FSSP, which will meet again in the summer of 2024 (it meets every six years). The chapter is the highest legislative body of the FSSP; it has the duty of amending our legislative texts, including our constitutions and directories, and electing our superior general as well as his general council. It gives to the superior general a mandate and a vision; it is the responsibility of the superior then to implement the vision of the chapter during his six-year tenure. As the largest regional body of FSSP priests, we will probably send nine or ten representatives to the chapter.

Chapters are always important moments for the health of any religious institution. But this upcoming chapter is almost certainly going to address the question of Holy Week and other elements of the liturgical books which properly belong to the patrimony of the faithful. I am certain the conversation will be vigorous. As these questions pertain not just to our parish, and not just to the FSSP as a whole, but also to the Church at large, I ask particularly that all parishioners begin praying for the chapter on a regular and even a daily basis. It is my belief that this will constitute an important moment in history.

OUR LADY OF GOOD SUCCESS

“Unhappy, the children of those times! Seldom will they receive the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. As for the sacrament of Penance, they will confess only while attending Catholic schools, which the devil will do his utmost to destroy by means of persons in authority. The same will occur with Holy Communion. Oh, how it hurts me to tell you that there will be many and enormous public and hidden sacrileges! In those times, the sacrament of Extreme Unction will be largely ignored. Many will die without receiving it, being thereby deprived of innumerable graces, consolation, and strength in the great leap from time to eternity. The sacrament of Matrimony, which symbolizes the union of Christ with the Church, will be thoroughly attacked and profaned. Masonry, then reigning, will implement iniquitous laws aimed at extinguishing this sacrament. They will make it easy for all to live in sin, thus multiplying the birth of illegitimate children without the Church’s blessing. The holy sacrament of Holy Orders will be ridiculed, oppressed, and despised, for in this both the Church and God Himself are oppressed and reviled, since He is represented by His priests.

“The devil will work to persecute the ministers of the Lord in every way, working with baneful cunning to destroy the spirit of their vocation and corrupting many. Those who will thus scandalize the Christian flock will bring upon all priests the hatred of bad Christians and the enemies of the One, Holy, Roman Catholic, and Apostolic Church. This apparent triumph of Satan will cause enormous suffering to the good pastors of the Church.”