The opening Mass at St. Mary Church, our new apostolate in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, will take place on Sunday, September 9th, 2018, at 11:00 am. The Mass will be a Solemn High Mass celebrated by the newly-appointed pastor of St. Mary, Fr. Carl Gismondi, FSSP. If you are in the Philadelphia area, we encourage you to visit this beautiful church and attend its first Mass as a quasi-parish entrusted to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.

Sunday, September 9th, 2018
11:00 am
St. Mary Parish
140 W. Hector St. 
Conshohocken, PA 19428

You can read the full press release, which includes the Mass schedule going forward, from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia here. You can also join the Facebook event for the Mass here.

Fr. Andrew Rapoport was ordained to the priesthood on May 26th, 2018 in Omaha, NE and celebrated his first Mass at Immaculate Conception Church in Omaha.

Father was born in San Jose, California and grew up on the coast near San Luis Obispo.

He studied Automotive Technology at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. During college he became involved with the Newman Center at the nearby university, Cal Poly. Around the same time he discovered the promises of Our Lady of Fatima and soon eagerly began saying the rosary daily and attending Mass during the week. He became good friends with many young adults at the Newman Center.

He started to become interested in reading books that pertained to the Catholic Faith. Shortly after, he went on a retreat that emphasized listening to God during prayer. He began to spend time in prayer before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. He changed his prayers from petitions to simply trying to listen to God and he started to meditate on Christ’s Passion before the crucifix. Fr. Rapoport had no idea where God would direct his life but he knew that whatever God had planned would be far better than anything he could ever have imagined.

As he continued spending time in prayer with Our Lord, he began to feel a distinct call within his heart. One evening during the summer of 2010, while he was kneeling in prayer before the tabernacle, he remembers that he felt a sudden urge to do more than pray; he felt a longing to celebrate the Holy Mass. Before this he had never considered discerning the priesthood but he thought that if God wanted to use him in that way that he would be open to it.

Fr. Rapoport was not immediately enthusiastic about hearing this call from God, but about two weeks later a good friend said something that made him know that God wanted him to take action. During dinner his friend said, “You are probably not going to like what I’m about to say.” At that point Fr. Rapoport knew exactly what he would say. He continued, “I think you would make a good priest.” This left Father in shock for a second because he had not mentioned anything to his friend about the feeling that had been growing in his heart. Fr. Rapoport then proceeded to describe what had happened during the previous weeks and he knew at that moment what God wanted him to do. After that night, he still had no clear idea of where God wanted to take his life but he experienced peace in his heart.

Fr. Rapoport began to discern a religious vocation. Around the same time, he was introduced to the Latin Mass by his good friend. After attending a sung Mass at the California Mission of San Juan Bautista, Fr. Rapoport was struck by the beauty of the Traditional Mass and he knew that if he was to become a priest, this was the Mass that he would like to celebrate. In 2011, he entered Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska and his seven years of seminary flew by faster than he could have imagined.

Fr. Rapoport is very grateful for the support of his family, friends, benefactors and everyone who encouraged him during his priestly formation. Please pray for him and he assures you of his prayers as well.

Fr. Rapoport is currently serving his first appointment at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Cœur d’Alene, Idaho.

St. Anne Parish, our apostolate in San Diego, California, celebrated their annual Fiesta in honor of St. Anne on Sunday, July 22nd, 2018. The Fiesta is held every year near the July 26th feast day of their patroness and includes that most famous of all FSSP San Diego events – the Running of the Saints.

A tradition with origins in the town of Gubbio, Italy, the Running is a spectacular event. The inhabitants of Gubbio honor St. Ubaldo as the patron of their city, and each May they hold La Festa dei Ceri on the eve of his feast day. Teams of men representing St. Ubaldo, St. George and St. Anthony, wearing yellow, blue and black, respectively, race through the streets of the town bearing statues of their saints on tall wooden structures. The tradition was imported to the United States via immigrants to Jessup, Pennsylvania (incidentally, only a stone’s throw from FSSP Headquarters in Scranton), where a similar run is now held every Memorial Day weekend. Fr. Gismondi brought the tradition to St. Anne’s, and it is now a fixture at the Southern California parish and the only Running in existence in San Diego. The parish’s version of the race involves two teams, one representing St. Anne and the other St. Michael, wearing blue and red, respectively. The teams run through the streets of San Diego, each bearing a mighty pillar crowned with a statue of their saint. Mysteriously, the team of St. Anne always wins…just like that of St. Ubaldo in Jessup and Gubbio.

The day began with Solemn High Mass at 9am, with the Fiesta commencing afterwards and the Running of the Saints taking place at 3pm. Other highlights of the grand occasion included traditional Mexican music and dancing, a delightful array of food offerings and ice cream, water gun fights, games that included “Dart the Devil” and an excellent group of young musicians who played Celtic music and were joined on fiddle by Deacon John Killackey, FSSP.

If you are in the area next summer, we highly recommend joining St. Anne’s for the joyful festivities in honor of their great patroness – and if you are a fellow with a mind for a challenge, join a side and run with the saints!

Our thanks to Ms. Claire Zeunges and the Cruz family for the photos used in this article.

The following is a list of the remaining changes to the priest assignments. All assignments begin August 15th unless otherwise noted.

Superior of Apostolate

Fr. Robert Dow, FSSP, Rector
St. Irénée-de-Lyon Church, Montréal, QC

Fr. Garrick Huang, FSSP, Rector
St-Zéphirin-de-Stadacona, Québec City, QC

Fr. Gerard Saguto, FSSP, Pastor
All Saints Parish, Minneapolis, MN

Assistant Priests

Fr. John Kodet, FSSP, Assistant Pastor
Regina Caeli Parish, Houston, TX

Fr. Laurent Demets, FSSP, Assistant
St-Zéphirin-de-Stadacona, Québec City, QC

Fr. Robert Fromageot, FSSP, Assistant Pastor
Holy Family Parish, Vancouver, BC

Other

Fr. Joshua Houck, FSSP, to provide temporary assistance at
Immaculate Conception Parish, El Paso, TX
(August 15th through October 15th)

Fr. Carlos Casavantes, FSSP, to provide temporary assistance at
Holy Cross Chaplaincy, Fresno, CA
(July 29th through October 1st)

At the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, we give thanks to God for the extraordinary growth with which He has blessed us. We have 112 priests working in more than 50 apostolates, with new apostolates begun in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Providence over the past year. In 2018, the largest class was ordained since 1994, 11 new priests in all, and our seminary continues to flourish with an abundance of vocations.

But we can’t do it without you. The education provided at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary costs $30,000 per seminarian per year, and most seminarians and their families can only afford to cover a small portion of this. With 82 seminarians in formation and a plethora of applications for the coming year, we stand in great need of your assistance in order to continue the formation of these future priests of God.

We therefore ask for your help. Please click here to support our

Annual Appeal.

Please consider making a donation to the education of our seminarians. You can make a one-time donation or sign up for recurring pledges, and you can support at whatever level you are able. Even the smallest contribution is of great assistance to us, and we are immensely grateful for your support. Above all, we ask for your continued prayer for the priests, seminarians and apostolates of the Fraternity.

Click the image below to learn more about the Annual Appeal and to read a letter from our former District Superior, Fr. Gerard Saguto. Thank you, and may God reward you for your generosity!

St. Francis de Sales in Georgetown, Kentucky, the second-oldest Catholic church in the state and the primary home of Regina Pacis Chaplaincy, our Lexington apostolate, has reached the end of its long restoration. Several months ago (see post here) we told you about the ongoing renovations taking place at the nearly 200-year-old building, and you may have followed the exciting developments as they were documented in detail on the Chaplaincy’s Facebook page. Now, many months later, we present to you the church of St. Francis de Sales, its renovations complete, its structural integrity secure, its newly-restored splendor a clear testament to the countless hours of planning and work that were dedicated to the project.

The beautiful high altar was not, in fact, slated to be restored, but a generous volunteer who grew up attending the church donated his time to bring it back to its former glory. At the time these pictures of the restored church were taken, the pews were awaiting a new coat of paint, and that was the final job involved in bringing this restoration about.

We can only imagine what a joy it must be for those involved in this tremendous project to see their great labors bear such fruit. May God reward all who dedicated their time and resources to restoring the strength and splendor of this beautiful house of God!

Many of you may have heard about the act of vandalism that took place at St. Mary Church, our new apostolate in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, a number of weeks ago. Flowerpots and candles at Our Lady’s statue outside the church were broken, and the stained glass of one of the doors was smashed. It appears as though the perpetrator was possibly attempting to break into the church, but thankfully they did not.

In response to the act, the St. Mary Polish-American Society, in conjunction with the Latin Mass community in the area, held a prayer service at the church the afternoon of Sunday, July 22nd. Led by Fr. Scott Allen, FSSP, the chaplain for the Carmelite monastery in Philadelphia, over a hundred souls gathered to pray the Rosary, a litany to Our Lady and the regularly-scheduled novena to Our Lady of Częstochowa in the presence of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Afterwards, those in attendance gathered in St. Mary’s Hall for a social, which provided an opportunity for both longtime attendees of the church and members of the Latin Mass community to get to know one another in anticipation of their future as a Fraternity apostolate. The local ABC news station covered the event, and both it and NBC Philadelphia ran segments on the vandalism incident.

The Polish-American Society is a group of St. Mary’s attendees who have care of the church, which has remained open for occasional Masses and events after the merging of St. Mary’s parish with another parish several years ago. They have been very supportive of the Fraternity’s impending administration of St. Mary and we are grateful for their devoted care of the church and their positive response to our arrival. At the prayer service, Fr. Allen announced that Fr. Carl Gismondi, most recently the pastor of FSSP San Diego, will be assigned as pastor of St. Mary beginning in August.

Along Buttermarket Street in Warrington, England, a quaint little building stands alongside the beautiful Shrine of St. Mary, the FSSP’s apostolate in the heart of the burgeoning city halfway between Liverpool and Manchester. The building is constructed of red brick and possesses an elegant, old-fashioned demeanor that speaks of its Georgian origins. Not far away, set behind the Shrine and forming a sharp angle with the Georgian building, another building stands, larger and much newer, though the architecture matches that of its vintage confrere. The Shrine and the two buildings form a nicely coordinated, somewhat triangular compound; indeed, you would think the buildings belonged to St. Mary’s. And once, they did.

Thirty years ago, the Benedictine Abbey of Ampleforth owned, in addition to the Shrine, both the smaller building and the larger building’s predecessor. The smaller building was the former Priory, and the larger one the former St. Mary’s school. In 1989, the Abbey sold the buildings to an owner who has had possession of them ever since. This owner completely refurbished the Priory building, rebuilt the school building and let them out as offices. The school building is slated to be turned into residential flats in the fall, with the Priory building to follow if the plan is successful.

But before that happens, St. Mary’s has a golden chance to get them back again.

The owner is generously giving St. Mary’s the exclusive right to buy the buildings, and has given them until mid-October to gather the funds.

Fr. Armand de Malleray, rector of St. Mary’s, told us more about what the Shrine has planned for these buildings. Since they are outfitted as offices, they can be used immediately as such and as spaces for classes and other activities. Parts of them could be turned into residential quarters for clergy and guests. The Shrine hopes to turn the ground floor of the larger building into a conference hall seating 100, with movable partitions so it can be divided into multiple areas for smaller groups, such as children’s classes.

And here’s where it really gets exciting. St. Mary’s has a vision that goes far beyond office space and extra rooms for activities. The Shrine wishes to create a hub of Catholic activity in Warrington, with the church as the living heart of a village centered around Holy Mass and the Sacraments (see Fr. de Malleray’s article “The Village Option”, in the Winter 2017 edition of Dowry magazine). The goal is to build a Nazareth in Lancashire, a place where families live, gather and flourish, nourished by daily Mass, Confessions, catechism and the full-blooded life of a thriving parish. To this end, the plans for the new buildings include a school/educational center, a Catholic bookstore and publishing company, a pro-life counseling center and a vestments sewing shop. At a time when the decline of the Faith in England makes it tempting to settle for survival, St. Mary’s Shrine is not settling for any such thing. As they state on the webpage for the Priory Campaign:

The Priory Campaign is about being creative, daring and proactive to implant a multifaceted Catholic hub, here in the North West of England. The Priory Campaign is about bringing together the skills and talents of many, to inspire, to enthuse, to empower. 

“The FSSP in the UK is tiny compared with North America,” Fr. de Malleray explains. “This project is very ambitious and relies on the good will and skills of whoever will volunteer. But if Our Lady wants it, it will happen! Already we had an American couple email us about relocating here…Even while remaining in North America, benefactors can make a huge difference helping us implant a Catholic stronghold in post-Christian England.”

The Shrine is looking for pledges rather than actual donations at this point. They are at the £300,000 mark, one fifth of the goal, but they still have a long way to go. If you wish to pledge, please contact Fr. de Malleray at malleray@fssp.org.

Additionally, the Campaign has been blessed with the encouragement of the Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon, Archbishop of Liverpool, the Viscountess Ashbrook of Arley Hall and others. Read their words of support below, and visit the Campaign’s webpage here to read the remarks of other supporters and to learn more about the Campaign.

As the local Ordinary, I have ordained four priests at St. Mary’s Church over the past three years, and I have twice conferred the sacrament of Confirmation. I eagerly support the Priory Campaign which will secure for St. Mary’s Shrine the space needed for their increasing pastoral activities.

– His Grace the Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon, Archbishop of Liverpool

Renowned for its sacred music and architecture, St. Mary’s Church in Warrington is a place of beauty and contemplation for all, in the centre of a busy Cheshire town. I believe that such cultural oases are much needed in our day and age…I happily recommend St. Mary’s Church Priory Campaign to provide extended facilities for worshippers and visitors alike, and hopefully an added benefit for the town.

– Viscountess Ashbrook of Arley Hall

The priests of the Fraternity are particularly devoted to Our Lady, whom the Church honors as the Mother of God, the Mother of all mankind and the Mother of priests. On August 15th, we celebrate the glorious feast of her Assumption, body and soul, into Heaven, where she reigns as Queen beside her Son.

Each year on this great feast, our District Superior offers Mass for the intentions of all those enrolled in the Mass. You can enroll your friends and family members by following the link below. You can also download this year’s holy card, which includes a novena prayer that you can say during the nine days preceding the feast.

Assumption 2018 Novena Holy Card

Enroll for the Feast of the Assumption 2018

The following is a partial list of the priest assignments for 2018. More assignments will be forthcoming. All assignments begin on August 15th unless otherwise noted.

Pastors

Fr. Peter Bauknecht, FSSP, Pastor
Mater Dei Parish, Dallas, TX

Fr. John Berg, FSSP, Pastor
St. Mary Parish, Providence, RI

Fr. Massimo Botta, FSSP, Chaplain
Vital Grandin Chaplaincy, Edmonton, AB
(effective July 1st)

Fr. Joshua Curtis, FSSP, Pastor
St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish, Sacramento, CA

Fr. Joseph DeGuzman, Pastor
St. Francis de Sales Parish, Mableton, GA
(effective August 1st)

Fr. Carl Gismondi, FSSP, Pastor
St. Mary Parish, Conshohocken, PA

Fr. Thomas Longua, FSSP, Pastor
St. Joseph Parish, Tacoma, WA

Fr. John Lyons, FSSP, Pastor
St. Anne Parish, San Diego, CA

Assistant Priests

Fr. Martin Adams, FSSP, Assistant Chaplain
St. John Vianney Chapel, Maple Hill, KS
(effective August 1st)

Fr. Stephen Braun, FSSP, Assistant Pastor
St. John the Baptist Parish, Cabot, AR
(effective August 1st)

Fr. Michael Cunningham, FSSP, Assistant Pastor
St. Alphonsus Parish, Baltimore, MD
(effective August 1st)

Fr. Christopher Fitzpatrick, Assistant Pastor
Immaculate Conception Parish, Omaha, NE
(effective August 1st)

Fr. Graham Latimer, FSSP, Assistant Pastor
St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish, Sacramento, CA

Fr. Aaron Liebert, FSSP, Assistant Pastor
St. Stanislaus Parish, Nashua, NH
(effective August 1st)

Fr. Daniel Mould, FSSP, Assistant Pastor
St. Stanislaus Parish, South Bend, IN
(effective August 1st)

Fr. Andrew Rapoport, FSSP, Assistant Pastor
St. Joan of Arc Parish, Coeur d’Alene, ID
(effective August 1st)

Fr. James Smith, FSSP, Assistant Pastor
St. Francis de Sales Parish, Mableton, GA