…because there were way too many great pictures not to do another post!

Did you catch Vatican Radio’s interview with Fr. Akers about the recently released Requiem album? Requiem features our priests, directed by Fr. Akers, chanting the ancient Gregorian repertoire for the Mass and Burial of the Dead and it made waves this summer by hitting the very top of the Billboard classical music charts.

Hear the full interview at Vatican Radio here!

To order Requiem, please visit Amazon, iTunes or Barnes & Noble.

For discounted bulk orders, please email studio@DeMontfortMusic.com.

On July 19, 2017, missionary boots hit the ground in Mexico. The boots belonged to those participating in the FSSP’s St. Francis Xavier mission trip, which runs through August 1 in Tonalá, near the FSSP’s apostolate in Guadalajara. To learn more about the trip and for firsthand reports on the work the missionaries are doing, we turned to Fr. Daniel Heenan, director of the Mexican apostolate.

The mission in Tonalá, Fr. Heenan explains, serves as the conclusion to the St. Junipero Serra Spanish program for seminarians. In addition to the seminarians, those participating in the mission work include parishioners from the Fraternity’s parish in Guadalajara, several Americans and people from other parts of Mexico. The group has been invited to serve at a parish in a poor neighborhood, an area afflicted not only by poverty but also the presence of gangs.

They divide up into 10 groups, about 45 people in total, and divide the town into sections, with each group assigned to a particular section. They then go door to door visiting the residents, inviting them to catechetical activities in the afternoon for children and adults and Mass in the evening. In their conversations sometimes the missionaries have the opportunity to encourage people back to Confession after a long time away from this Sacrament. And the fruit of their efforts is apparent: about 200 people were present at Mass on Wednesday night. Most are not familiar with the traditional Mass, and though there are some who remember the FSSP group from other visits, they do not receive the traditional Mass regularly and as Fr. Heenan says, “we’ve seen a great response.”

“Additionally, for the seminarians, it’s a great conclusion to their eight weeks of Spanish classes,” Fr. Heenan continues. “So, guys who arrived not knowing anything of Spanish, or very little, are now giving classes to groups of children and talking to people in their houses. They’ve all made tremendous progress. To me it’s a really great testimony of the effectiveness of the program and we hope to keep growing it.”

As you are reading this post, young people from across the North American District are giving their time and talents serving the poor of Piura, Peru, with priests of the FSSP. The trip is one of the Fraternity’s St. Francis Xavier mission trips, which occur every year and give youth, families and individuals of all ages the opportunity to assist their brethren who live in poverty, to enrich their own spiritual lives through daily Mass and prayer, and to fully live out Christ’s command to love and serve.

The Peru trip is focused specifically on young people ages 16-21, for whom this trip is an opportunity, at such a formative stage in their young lives, to encounter Christ in His poor. Our volunteers arrived on July 21 and will return on August 2, and we have been privileged to receive updates and pictures documenting their experiences so far.

Learn more about the St. Francis Xavier mission trips, donate to support the trips and apply to volunteer at the St. Francis Xavier website here.

Learn more about the Fraternity’s missionary efforts at the Mission Tradition website here.

The final list of new priest assignments for 2017-18 has been announced. The list below is alphabetical by apostolate name and includes all apostolates, regardless of whether a change has occured.

Allentown, Pennsylvania – Fr. Gregory Pendergraft, Fr. Joseph Favole-Mihm
Atlanta, Georgia – Fr. Carlos Casavantes, Fr. Joseph DeGuzman
Baltimore, Maryland – Fr. Joel Kiefer
Brookville, Indiana – Fr. Howard Remski, Fr. Brian Austin
Chesapeake, Virginia – Fr. Neal Nichols, Fr. Anthony Forte
Calgary, Alberta, Canada – Fr. John Shannon, Fr. Krzysztof Sanetra
Cœur d’Alene, Idaho – Fr. Dennis Gordon, Fr. Daniel Nolan, Fr. Michael Flick
Colorado Springs, Colorado – Fr. James Gordon, Fr. Joseph Portzer
Dallas, Texas – Fr. Thomas Longua, Fr. Brian McDonnell, Fr. Timothy O’Brien, Fr. James Buckley
Dayton, Ohio – Fr. George Gabet
Denver (Littleton), Colorado – Fr. James Jackson, Fr. Caleb Kick
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – Fr. Philip Creuer
El Paso, Texas – Fr. Kevin O’Neill, Fr. Edward Brodsky
Fort Myers & Naples, Florida – Fr. Jonathan Romanoski, Fr. Joshua Passo
Fort Wayne, Indiana – Fr. Mark Wojdelski
Fort Worth, Texas– Fr. Karl Pikus, Fr. Peter Byrne
Fresno, California – Fr. Jose Zepeda
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – Fr. Gregory Eichman, Fr. David Franco
Houston, Texas – Fr. Charles Van Vliet, Fr. Joshua Houck
Kansas City, Kansas – Fr. John Fongemie, Fr. Justin Nolan, Fr. Jonathan Heinricy
Lexington, Kentucky – Fr. John Fischer
Lincoln, Nebraska – Fr. Matthew McCarthy
Little Rock, Arkansas – Fr. Jared McCambridge
Los Angeles, California – Fr. James Fryar, Fr. Federico Masutti
Maple Hill, Kansas – Fr. Eric Flood, Fr. John Kodet, Fr. Robert Fromageot
Minneapolis, Minnesota – Fr. Peter Bauknecht, Alex Fr. Stewart
Montréal, QC, Canada – Fr. Garrick Huang, Fr. Robert Dow
Nashua, New Hampshire – Fr. John Brancich, Fr. James Smith
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Fr. Christopher Pelster, Fr. Simon Zurita
Omaha, Nebraska – Fr. John Rickert, Fr. Massimo Botta
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada – Fr. Erik Deprey, Fr. Jacques Breton
Pequannock, New Jersey – Fr. Matthew McNeely, Fr. Karl Marsolle, Fr. Robert Boyd
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Carmel) – Fr. William Allen
Phoenix, Arizona – Fr. Michael Passo, Fr. Michael Malain
Post Falls, Idaho (Carmel) – Fr. Joseph Terra
Québec, QC, Canada – Fr. Laurent Demets
Quincy, Illinois – Fr. Arnaud Devillers
Rapid City, South Dakota – Fr. Christopher Hathaway
Richmond, Virginia – Fr. Robert Novokowsky, Fr. Terrence Gordon
Rockdale, Illinois – Fr. Michael Magiera, Fr. Joseph Hearty
Sacramento, California – Fr. John Lyons, Fr. Joshua Curtis, Fr. Dominic Savoie
San Diego, California – Fr. Carl Gismondi, Fr. Christopher Mahowald, Fr. Anthony Dorsa
Sarasota, Florida – Fr. Stéphane Dupre, Fr. Gregory Bartholomew
Scranton, Pennsylvania – Fr. Simon Harkins
Seattle, Washington – Fr. Joseph Heffernan, Fr. Adrian Debow
South Bend, Indiana – Msgr. John Fritz
Tacoma, Washington – Fr. Michael Stinson, Fr. Caleb Insco
Thorold, Ontario, Canada – Fr. Kenneth Webb
Tulsa, Oklahoma – Fr. William Define, Fr. Earl Eggleston
Tyler, Texas – Fr. Joseph Valentine
Vancouver, BC, Canada – Fr. Daniel Geddes, Fr. Alexandre Marchand, Fr. Joseph Orlowski
Vienna, Ohio – Fr. Denis Bouchard, Fr. Philip Wolfe

In the summer of 2016, Fr. Matthew Vierno, at that time a deacon at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska, participated in the newly-established St. Junipero Serra Institute at the FSSP apostolate in Guadalajara, Mexico. Now, after his recent ordination in May, Fr. Vierno is headed to Mexico once again, this time as parochial vicar. We checked in with Fr. Vierno, who spoke about the road to his priestly vocation, his time at the St. Junipero Serra Institute and his thoughts as he looks forward to his new assignment.

by Fr. Matthew Vierno, F.S.S.P.

My name is Father Matthew Vierno, a recently ordained priest in the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. I was recently appointed the parochial vicar of our Fraternity’s parish in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Ten years ago I would not have guessed that I would be a priest at all, nor did I ever imagine that I would ever live in a Spanish speaking country. I did realize my vocation as a teenager, and committed myself to pursue it without hesitation. Nevertheless, until three years ago I had no knowledge of the Spanish language. My background is not Hispanic, and the languages I studied in school were limited to Latin and French. In my fifth year of seminary, however, I determined to learn Spanish on my own, convinced that it is the most important second language for any priest working in the United States.

After studying as much as possible, I was granted permission to do apostolic work in Guadalajara during the summer of 2015. My Spanish advanced quickly that summer, and I returned in the winter to continue.  For the Holy Week of 2016 I was sent to Mexico City and finally began preaching in Spanish.

Although I was able to comfortably speak Spanish after my few trips to Mexico, there was still much to be desired in my mastery of grammar. The proper use of the subjunctive, the conditional tenses, and many other fine points were still lacking. Although my self-study and immersion were extremely helpful and put me at a decent conversational level, I needed skilled mentors if I wanted to improve. For this reason I applied for admission to the Fray Junipero Serra Spanish Institute which was just opened in the summer of 2016. This Institute gives seminarians and priests not only the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and culture, but also the help of professional tutors. There are 3 levels of classes depending on the proficiency of the student. The Institute also provides the students with lectures on Hispanic culture, with many opportunities to put it all into practice with activities ranging from trips to a coffee shop to door-to-door missionary work.

I am very grateful to all those who work tirelessly to make this Spanish Institute a success every year, and am especially thankful for the hard work the teachers have done and continue to do for me. I look forward to my priestly mission across the border, and am ready to put my Spanish into use.

To learn more about the Mexico apostolate or to make a donation to their work, visit their website at www.fsspmexico.com and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

On Friday, May 26, seven men from Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary were ordained to the holy priesthood by His Excellency Archbishop Terrence Pendergrast of Ottawa at North American Martyrs Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. Please keep these priests in your prayers as they commence their mission as God’s consecrated ministers!

Rev. Adrian Debow
Rev. Anthony Dorsa
Rev. Joseph Favole-Mihm
Rev. Jonathan Heinricy
Rev. Caleb Kick
Rev. James Smith
Rev. Matthew Vierno

Two priests from the North American District, Fr. Alex Stewart and Fr. Krzysztof Sanetra, were ordained by His Excellency Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of Liverpool at St. Mary’s Shrine Church in Warrington, England on Saturday, June 17, 2017, in the first traditional ordination ceremony to take place in the UK in decades. For the full story, we checked in with Fr. Simon Harkins, Bursar of the North American District, who participated in the ordinations and gave us the 411 on what took place and why the Fraternity decided to hold the ordinations in England.

We thank Mr. John Aron, who took the photographs featured in this article and graciously granted us permission to use them. For more photos and videos of the ordinations, please visit St. Mary’s Flickr album here.

by Fr. Simon Harkins, F.S.S.P.

From time to time the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter encourages ordinations in locations of specific interest in the furtherance of our mission. This year two men who completed their studies at our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary and who will serve their first years of priesthood in the North American District were ordained at the Shrine of St. Mary, Warrington, England.

The Shrine of St. Mary’s is the first fully functioning parish run by the Fraternity in the U.K. In order to draw attention to our work and to promote the Traditional Latin Mass in England and Scotland, it was determined that Fr. Alex Stewart (England) and Fr. Krzysztof Sanetra (Poland) should be ordained by His Grace the Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon, Archbishop of Liverpool, at a ceremony held on the 17th of June, 2017.

The event was a complete success! In a packed church and in the most perfect weather, the parishioners of St. Mary’s Warrington made the most of the occasion by providing spectacular sacred music and the very epitome of the quintessential English garden party. Masterminded by Fr. Armand de Malleray, F.S.S.P., Parish Priest of St. Mary’s, and in the presence of His Lordship Rt. Rev. Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury and members of the North American and French Districts, including the Very. Rev. Fr. Bisig, Rector of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, Frs. Stewart and Sanetra joined their seven classmates already ordained this year for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter’s North American District.

This occasion marks the sixth ordination from the British Isles since 2009 and continues the trend of traditional vocations springing from the seeds first planted by Fr. de Malleray and subsequently nourished by Fr. Matthew Goddard in our apostolate in Reading, Berkshire. Every U.K. member of the Fraternity was on hand to welcome Frs. Stewart and Sanetra to the order of Melchizedek.

The shrine of St. Mary’s, Warrington, is well placed between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester to become the centerpiece of Fraternity activity in the North West of England, revitalizing traditional Catholicism in the industrial north. With the ordination of Fr. Stewart and the future ordination of Deacon Seth Phipps in 2018, it is clear that traditional vocations continue to grow among the recusant remains of Catholic England.

The Priestly Fraternity has three houses in Great Britain which are currently served by five priests. Details are given below:

St. Cuthbert House
6 Belford Park
Edinburgh
Lothian, EH4 3DP

Most Pure Heart of Mary
Smith Street
Warrington
Cheshire, WA1 2NS

St. John Fisher House
17 Eastern Avenue
Reading
Berkshire, RG1 5RU

This July, St. Stephen of Hungary in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a flourishing parish under the care of pastor Fr. Gregory Pendergraft, FSSP, will celebrate one year of being an FSSP apostolate.

St. Stephen’s road to its current status was not an easy one, however.

The Latin Mass community at St. Stephen’s goes back to 1995, when a monthly Mass, offered by the late Msgr. Charles Moss, was begun at St. Roch Church in West Bangor, PA. The Mass became weekly in 1998, and the community would remain at St. Roch until shortly after the death of Msgr. Moss in 2006. The community then moved to St. Stephen of Hungary in Allentown.

For the complete story on St. Stephen’s road to apostolateship, we talked to a parishioner of St. Stephen’s, one who has been a member of the Latin Mass community of Allentown since 2004. He told us more about the events following the move to Allentown.

“It was a very challenging time,” he explains. The Mass was at 8am, whereas it had been at 9:20 at St. Roch’s, and the early time presented a travel problem for the distant members of the TLM community. The Mass was eventually changed to 10 and then 10:15 am.

The next 10 years proved to be a struggle for the parish, and the size of the community stayed stable but did not grow significantly. At times, the TLM could not be held at the parish, if the pastor was away and could not get a replacement. When the pastor was forced to to take an extended hiatus due to health issues, a group petition was initiated asking for the FSSP to come in. The chancery said that the request would be considered in the fall. The parish spoke with the FSSP a couple of months later, who in their turn informed them of their interest in sending them a priest. Soon after, at a meeting at the chancery, representatives of the parish found out that St. Stephen’s was going to be closed soon due to financial challenges. The parish put the case forward for the FSSP taking over, and the chancery was open to that option.

Two weeks later it was announced that the pastor of St. Stephen’s would be going on sabbatical and ending his term as pastor, and the TLM was offered by a rotation of priests while the parish waited to hear the final outcome. On Pentecost Sunday 2016, via a letter from Bishop Barres read before Mass, the parish was informed that the FSSP would be taking over in July. When the letter was read, “you could tell that nearly everyone was both completely stunned and delighted,” says our parishioner.

As they say, the rest is history. Mass attendance doubled, and this month, the parish welcomes their new assistant pastor, Fr. Joseph Favole-Mihm.

“When I was in college, a friend was giving me a ride to St. Roch’s and I naively asked him if there was a plan to bring in the FSSP if something happened to Msgr. Moss,” the parishioner says. “Little did I know what would be involved in making that actually happen.”

He offers some concluding thoughts. “When I discovered the Latin Mass in high school, I fell in love with the beauty of it and realized I couldn’t simply go back to attending the Novus Ordo at my childhood parish. While this was a blessing, it left me uprooted in a certain sense. With the arrival of the FSSP at St. Stephen’s to provide for parish life with the Latin Mass and the spiritual life it entails, I’m finally settled after 17 years of feeling like a nomad with my family.”

On the patronal Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, we were pleased to welcome the Most Reverend Joseph Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, in order to give his apostolic blessing to our new headquarters in South Abington.

Assisted by Father Saguto, His Excellency began with giving thanks for the Fraternity in our pastoral mission and for our support of the Church and the Diocese, wishing us all the best in our new home. Joining him for his pastoral visit were Msgr.  Thomas Muldowney, Vicar General; Fr. Jeffrey Walsh, Vicar for Clergy; and Fr. Shane Kirby, Judicial Vicar for the diocese.

We extend our thanks for His Excellency’s visit accompanied by the principal officials of the diocese, and thank him for his continued support.