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

Fr. Graham Latimer was born in Royal Oak, Michigan. A convert to the Faith from Judaism, he still remembers the first time he went to Mass with his father at age seven: the early morning, the smell of candles, marble, and a hint of incense, matching the readings in his children’s Bible, breakfast, and praying the Rosary for unborn babies. He valued the time he spent with his father, but God had bigger plans. His older sister also started tagging along, and two years later, the time arrived for an important decision. Fr. Latimer received his Baptism and First Communion alongside his sisters on June 24th, 1995.

Fr. Latimer started serving Mass not long after, and credits this as the beginning of his vocational journey. He also spent several formative years living in Tennessee. He moved to Oklahoma in 2003, and after discovering the Latin Mass, there was no turning back. He is grateful for the support of all the priests who guided, encouraged, and helped him along the way. He distinctly remembers the words of wisdom of two priests: “you can run, but you can’t hide,” and “you’ll never know unless you go.” After completing his bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, OK in December of 2010, he began his application to Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary and entered in the fall of the following year. During his seminary career he traveled to Idaho, Florida, Mexico, Europe, and Canada. He regards his experiences as indispensable to his formation.

Fr. Latimer also owes a debt of gratitude to his family, friends, and benefactors who have greatly helped him along the way. He is also thankful for the example of his parents, Martin and Ellen Latimer, whose own journey and support have proven a constant inspiration. Most of all, he is astounded by God’s Providence, because without His aid nothing is possible, and with it He accomplishes greater things than anyone may imagine.

It is not easy to see a family member or a friend fall away from the true Faith. Many of you pray daily for the return of your loved ones, and some of you have been praying for many years. The National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Liguori, our apostolate in Baltimore, would like to include your fallen away friends and relatives in the special devotions planned at the Shrine during the nine days beginning on the feast of St. Alphonsus on August 2nd. The devotions include a novena of Masses from August 2nd through August 10th and a procession on the 5th, when the Shrine celebrates the External Solemnity of St. Alphonsus. St. Alphonsus is the patron of penitents and confessors, so the Shrine invites you to enroll your friends and relatives in the novena and procession and to pray for their return to the Church.

All donations for the enrollments go to support the Shrine. To enroll, click here and follow the “Donate” link. There will be a space in the subsequent page for you to list your intentions.

If everything’s bigger in Texas, the FSSP apostolates there are living up to expectations. The Lone Star State boasts the most apostolates of any state (5), beating out both California and Pennsylvania by a nose, and it can claim the oldest and largest apostolate in North America (FSSP Dallas).

And that’s just the beginning of the story. Enter FSSP Houston, which has some serious expansion plans of its own. Begun in 2011 and formally erected as a personal parish on August 15th, 2013, Regina Caeli Parish moved from temporary quarters to donated land on October 29th, 2016, the day that His Eminence Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, blessed the newly built St. Athanasius Chapel Hall. The move kicked off an era of new growth for the parish, and it now finds itself in rather dire need of more classroom and meeting spaces as it struggles to accommodate all its activities in the limited square footage available in the Hall.

But Fr. Charles Van Vliet, pastor of Regina Caeli, has a plan. After all, he’s done this before, having overseen the construction of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska, which was built from the ground up and completed in 2010. The future Blessed Solanus Casey Gatehouse is the solution he has in mind. Named for a 20th century Capuchin who reached great heights of holiness performing the humble work of a porter and sacristan in Yonkers and Detroit, the gatehouse will include a rectory, parish offices, classroom and meeting spaces, an inner courtyard for homeschool activities and a new chapel dedicated to St. Joseph.

The parish’s capital campaign, entitled “Introibit Rex Gloriæ”, a passage from Psalm 24 that translates to “The King of Glory shall enter in”, will fund the project in phases, with different parts of the gatehouse being constructed as the necessary money is raised. To learn more about Regina Caeli’s exciting plans and to find out how you can help, watch the video below and visit their giving page here.

The Superior General has nominated the following with the approval of his General Council:

– Fr. Benoît Paul-Joseph as District Superior of France for three years;
– Fr. Bernhard Gerstle as Superior of the Germanophone District for three years;
– Fr. Michael Stinson as Superior of the North American District for three years.

On behalf of all of the members of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, the Superior General and his Council would like to express their great thanks to Fr. Saguto for his work as District Superior of North America since 2015. They would also like to thank Fr. Paul-Joseph and Fr. Gerstle for accepting to continue in their duties and assure them of their prayers.

There’s nothing quite like an Italian feast day, particularly when it includes one of the most magnificent liturgical events of the year. We showed you some of the celebrations that took place around the North American District for the great feast of Corpus Christi, and recently an album of photos came in from our apostolate in Rome, Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, where Fr. John Berg, FSSP Superior General at the time, celebrated Mass and led a glorious procession. The photos are astounding, and we promise we did not steal a single one from a travel magazine. They were all taken by Don Elvir Tabaković of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, whom we thank for sharing them with us. The sight of the Blessed Sacrament enthroned and borne through the streets of the Eternal City, accompanied by a great assembly of clergy and faithful, provides an apt illustration of St. Augustine’s own words, who described Beauty Himself as “ever ancient, ever new.”

On the evening of Monday, June 25th, the Most Reverend José Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, dedicated the church of St. Vitus, the new home of the Fraternity’s apostolate in L.A. The apostolate has been flourishing since its founding in 2014, but up until Monday was without a permanent home. Mass had been celebrated at several different churches in the area, primarily at St. Victor’s in West Hollywood.

Assisting the Bishop at the dedication were St. Vitus’ pastor and assistant pastor, Fr. James Fryar and Fr. Federico Masutti. Also attending was North American District Superior Fr. Gerard Saguto, who, following the dedication, celebrated the first Mass in the new church. He was assisted by Fr. Masutti and Fr. Anthony Dorsa, assistant pastor of FSSP San Diego, with His Excellency preaching the sermon. The church was full to overflowing with faithful who had come to participate in the event, and a joyful reception finished the day’s activities. The next evening, the parish was privileged to pray Pontifical Vespers with His Excellency Bishop Joseph Brennan. Due to the size of the Archdiocese, L.A. has several auxiliary bishops assigned to different regions, with Bishop Brennan caring for the San Fernando region where St. Vitus is located.

The priests and community of St. Vitus put many hours of renovation work into the church to prepare it for the ceremony, and in the coming months they will continue their labors in order to bring it to its completed form. We are very much looking forward to seeing St. Vitus in its full splendor soon!

Our thanks to Jim Sheehan for his photographs of the event and to another parishioner for contributing to this article.

We relay to you an update on the General Chapter currently underway at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska.

The General Chapter of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) today elected in a plenary session the Assistants and Counselors of the General Superior as follows:

Assistants: Fr. Daniel Geddes, Fr. Arnaud Evrat and Fr. Stefan Reiner
Counselors: Fr. Paul Giard and Fr. William Lawrence