Pontifical Mass on April 28th at Basilica in D.C.

On Saturday, April 28th, 2018, at 1 p.m., His Excellency the Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample, Archbishop of Portland, Oregon, will celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The Mass is being celebrated in honor of the 10th anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, the 2007 Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XVI, which encouraged the wider celebration of the ancient form of the Mass, proclaiming that it is “to be considered an extraordinary expression of the same lex orandi of the Church and duly honoured for its venerable and ancient usage.” (SP Art. 1)

Four priests from the Fraternity will assist at the Mass: Fr. Gregory Pendergraft, pastor of St. Stephen of Hungary Parish in Allentown, as deacon; Fr. Zachary Akers, the FSSP’s Director of Development, as 1st Master of Ceremonies; Fr. Gregory Eichman, Chaplain of Mater Dei Latin Mass Community in Harrisburg, as 2nd Master of Ceremonies; and Fr. Josef Bisig, Rector of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, as one of the two Deacons at the Throne. The Basilica choir will sing the Missa Salve Regina by Victoria as well as several Renaissance motets, and the Propers will be sung by the schola of the nearby parish of St. Mary Mother of God, which has for many years offered the Traditional Latin Mass every Sunday.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch the Mass on EWTN, which will be broadcasting it live and worldwide.

You can view and download the flyer for the event here.

Reflections on the Triduum: Easter

The final installment in our “Reflections on the Triduum” series, today’s post looks back on the Easter Vigil and Easter Day Masses at FSSP apostolates around the world.

FSSP Seattle

Washington

North American Martyrs Parish

Easter Vigil
Photos by Michael Curtis

 

FSSP Chesapeake

Virginia

St. Benedict Parish

Easter Sunday

 

FSSP Dallas

Texas

Mater Dei Parish

Easter Vigil

 

FSSP Calgary

Alberta, Canada

Latin Mass Community at St. Anthony Parish

Easter Vigil

 

FSSP Fresno

California

Holy Cross Chaplaincy
All photos by Paul Flores

Easter Vigil

 

Easter Sunday

 

FSSP Vancouver

British Columbia, Canada

Holy Family Parish

Easter Sunday

 

FSSP Allentown

Pennsylvania

St. Stephen of Hungary Parish

Easter Vigil
Photos by Michael Stuckey

 

FSSP Mexico

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Nuestra Señora del Pilar

Easter Vigil

 

FSSP Minneapolis

Minnesota

All Saints Church

Easter Vigil
Photos by Tracy Dunne

 

FSSP Scranton

Pennsylvania

St. Michael Parish

Easter Vigil

 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary

Denton, Nebraska

Easter Sunday

 

FSSP Warrington

England

St. Mary’s Shrine

Easter Vigil
Photos by John Aron

 

Priesterseminar Sankt Petrus

Wigratzbad, Germany

Easter Vigil

 

 

FSSP Lyon

France

Collégiale Saint-Just

Easter Sunday

Our Superior General, Fr. John Berg, joined FSSP Lyon for Easter Sunday Mass and a mysterious tradition that involves holy water, incense and cracking giant chocolate eggs (Editor’s Note: We would like to see this tradition makes its way to America as soon as possible).

Pontifical Mass to Mark 100th Anniversary of St. Lawrence Chapel

On Tuesday, April 24th, 2018, His Excellency Bishop Ronald W. Gainer, Bishop of Harrisburg, will celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass at St. Lawrence Chapel, home of Mater Dei, our apostolate in the Pennsylvania capital. The Mass honors the 100th anniversary of the dedication of St. Lawrence, a beautiful neo-Gothic edifice that stands near St. Patrick’s Cathedral on State Street.

The community of St. Lawrence has even older beginnings, its roots stretching all the way back to German immigrant communities of pre-Revolutionary Pennsylvania. The community became a parish in 1859, and the current chapel was dedicated in the spring of 1918. You can read more here in the booklet released for the 125th anniversary of St. Lawrence Parish in 1984.

Mass will begin at 7pm, and will include music by Mater Dei’s Schola and Mixed Choir in collaboration with the music staff of St. Patrick’s. Additionally, Mater Dei is hosting a “100th Anniversary Opening Celebration” the preceding Sunday, April 22nd, with a High Mass at 10am followed by a bratwurst and burger lunch, an organ recital and sung Vespers with organ.

If you are in the area, join with Mater Dei in celebrating the centennial of the beautiful chapel that they call home.

Enroll in Mother’s Day Mass

Join your intentions to the Mass offered at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary on Mother’s Day, May 13th, 2018. Those whom you enroll will be remembered in this Mass and in the daily prayer of the priests and seminarians of the Fraternity, and you will receive a beautiful card to give to those you enroll.

Enroll for Mother’s Day 2018

Reflections on the Triduum: Good Friday

The sacred ceremonies of Good Friday, as they were celebrated at FSSP apostolates in the North American District and around the world.

FSSP Denver

Colorado

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish

 

FSSP Baltimore

Maryland

National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Liguori
Photos by Amy Proctor

 

FSSP South Bend

Indiana

St. Stanislaus Parish

 

FSSP Fresno

California

Holy Cross Chaplaincy
Photos by Paul Flores

 

FSSP Seattle

Washington

North American Martyrs Parish
Photos by Michael Curtis

 

FSSP Chesapeake

Virginia

St. Benedict Parish

 

FSSP Minneapolis

Minnesota

All Saints Church
Photos by Tracy Dunne

 

FSSP Calgary

Alberta, Canada

Latin Mass Community at St. Anthony Parish

 

FSSP Dallas

Texas

Mater Dei Parish

 

FSSP Scranton

Pennsylvania

St. Michael Parish

 

FSSP Mexico

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Nuestra Señora del Pilar

 

FSSP Warrington

England

St. Mary’s Shrine
Photos by John Aron

 

Priesterseminar Sankt Petrus

Wigratzbad, Germany

 

FSSP Lyon

France

Collégiale Saint-Just

New FSSP Apostolate Announced in Philadelphia

A new Fraternity apostolate has been announced by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Conshohocken, PA, will begin as an apostolate on August 1, 2018.

We are most grateful to His Excellency, the Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, and look forward to this opportunity to serve the faithful of Philadelphia.

Read the full announcement here!

You can see more photos of the beautiful church of St. Mary below. Photos courtesy of the Philadelphia Church Project.

Reflections on the Triduum: Holy Thursday

Throughout the FSSP community in this country and around the world, it was a Holy Week of celestial beauty. During these blessed days of Easter, we invite you to revisit all three days of the Triduum through the posts we will be publishing on each one, and to experience the splendor of these sacred ceremonies as they were celebrated at our apostolates in North America and overseas.

FSSP Scranton

Pennsylvania

St. Michael Parish

 

FSSP Fresno

California

Holy Cross Chaplaincy at St. Anthony Church

 

FSSP Dallas

Texas

Mater Dei Parish

 

FSSP Minneapolis

Minnesota

All Saints Church
Photos by Tracy Dunne

 

FSSP South Bend

Indiana

St. Stanislaus Parish

 

FSSP Chesapeake

Virginia

St. Benedict Parish

 

FSSP Seattle

Washington

North American Martyrs Parish
Photos by Michael Curtis

 

FSSP Mexico

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Nuestra Señora del Pilar

 

FSSP Warrington

England

St. Mary’s Shrine
Photos by John Aron

 

Priesterseminar Sankt Petrus

Wigratzbad, Germany

Our European seminary traveled to Vaduz, Lichtenstein, to participate in the Chrism Mass celebrated by Archbishop Wolfgang Haas at the cathedral of Vaduz. Later, an evening Mass was celebrated back at the seminary, with the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the altar of repose.

Christus Resurrexit, Alleluia!

Christ is risen, alleluia! Today is the glorious crown of the liturgical year, the triumphant day on which Christ arose from the tomb, victorious over sin, having achieved our redemption through His own life-giving Death. Today’s Gospel reading, taken from the Gospel of St. Mark, tells of the devout women who came to the tomb to anoint the Body of Jesus early on the first day of the week, only to be met by the angel in white who proclaims to them the Resurrection of the Lord.

The Mass for today and every day of the Octave includes the beautiful Paschal Sequence, which recounts the story of Christ’s Resurrection and proclaims his everlasting victory.

Mors et vita duéllo conflixére mirándo: dux vitæ mórtuus, regnat vivus.

Death and life have contended in that conflict stupendous: the Prince of Life, Who died, deathless reigneth.

Below are pictures from Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses at our apostolates from past years. We wish you and your families a most joyful and blessed Easter season!

Holy Saturday

Today is a day of silent mourning, on which we watch sorrowfully with Our Lady at the sepulcher of Our Lord, awaiting faithfully as she did the fulfillment of the promise of the Resurrection.

But when night comes, the Easter Vigil approaches, and the first Mass of the Resurrection. The liturgy of this day is one of the most beautiful events of the year, and includes the blessing of the New Fire and of the Paschal Candle, ceremonies which take place outside the church. The candlelit procession into the church is followed by the Exsultet, that is, the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection sung by the deacon at the altar, and a series of Lessons from the Old Testament recounting God’s magnificent plan of salvation.

The blessing of baptismal water and the renewal of baptismal promises follow after, and at last, during the Gloria, the bells, silent since Holy Thursday, are rung again, and the church is filled with the joy of the risen Christ.
 
Exsúltet jam angélica turba cœlorum: exsúltent divína mystéria; et pro tanti Regis victória, tuba ínsonet salutáris.

Let the angelic choirs of heaven now rejoice; let the divine mysteries rejoice; and let the trumpet of salvation sound forth the victory of so great a King.

– First words of the Exsultet

Our thanks to Mr. Michael Curtis for the photos, including the featured cover photo, from FSSP Seattle.

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, that most sacred day on which Our Lord offered Himself as a sacrifice for the redemption of mankind. There is no Mass today. The somber liturgy comprises lessons from the Old Testament and the reading of the Passion account from the Gospel of St. John, followed by the Great Intercessions and the Adoration of the Cross, the latter including the beautiful and soul-rending Improperia, that is, the Reproaches. The liturgy concludes with the Communion of the priest and the people.

Afterwards all is silent. The Savior has given His life for us and is laid in the tomb, and as a people we wait solemnly for the Easter Vigil, the first celebration of His glorious Resurrection.

Quid ultra débui fácere tibi, et non feci? Ego quidem plantávi te víneam meam speciosíssimam: et tu facta es mihi nimis amára: acéto namque sitim meam potásti: et láncea perforásti latus Salvatóri tuo.

What more ought I to have done for thee, that I have not done? I planted thee, indeed, My most beautiful vineyard: and thou hast become exceeding bitter to Me: for in My thirst thou gavest Me vinegar to drink: and with a lance thou hast pierced the side of thy Savior.

– the third Reproach, taken from the 5th chapter of Isaiah