Monsignor John Fritz Incardinated with the FSSP

Monsignor John Fritz, pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish, the Fraternity’s apostolate in South Bend, Indiana, completed his incardination with the FSSP at the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary on October 18, 2017. Originally a priest of the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois, Monsignor has been a member of the Fraternity on a per annum basis since 2012 and pastor of the South Bend apostolate since it became a parish in 2015. We had the privilege of talking to Monsignor recently, and he told us more about how he was first drawn to the traditional Latin Mass of the Church, and the path that led him to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.

Monsignor first thought about becoming a priest when he was just 13 years old, and acted on that original inclination when he was finishing college, being ordained for the Diocese of Rockford in 2000. Although not familiar with the traditional Latin Mass growing up, it was during his time in seminary in the 1990s, while he was in liturgical studies, that he began to learn about the old Mass and to be disposed towards the traditional liturgy of the Church.

It was not long after his ordination, Monsignor explained, that he decided that he wanted to celebrate the traditional Mass. In addition, he also wished to have a traditional priesthood and to have confreres who held the old Mass in common and viewed their priesthood in the same way. He first requested of the Diocese entrance into the FSSP in 2004 and was granted permission in 2012, the incardination subject to yearly renewal until the ceremony this October.

It has been a long desire of his to be in the Fraternity, Monsignor added.  Indeed, Monsignor’s formal incardination with the Fraternity on October 18, 2017 was an event no less than 13 years in the making. The presence of Monsignor Fritz has been an immense blessing to us over the past several years, and we rejoice in his future as a member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.

Congratulations, Monsignor!

Editor’s Note: “Monsignor” is a title for those who have received certain honors from the Pope. One of these honors is “Chaplain of His Holiness”, which is the honor that Monsignor Fritz holds. In addition, incardination, from the Latin incardinare, meaning “to hang on a hinge,” is the canonical process by which a priest is bound to the jurisdiction of a bishop, abbot, Order, Congregation or Society. In Monsignor Fritz’s case, he excardinated from the Diocese of Rockford and incardinated with the Fraternity.