Recently St. Benedict’s parish, our apostolate in Chesapeake, Virginia, celebrated the installation of their new organ. The Rev. Msgr. Walter C. Barrett, Jr., Episcopal Vicar for the Eastern Vicariate of the Diocese of Richmond, visited the parish in order to bless the new organ and attend in choir a Solemn High Mass of thanksgiving. The Mass was offered by Fr. Neal Nichols, FSSP, pastor of St. Benedict’s, who was assisted by Fr. Peter Byrne, FSSP, as deacon and Rev. Mr. David Franco, FSSP, as subdeacon. Enjoy pictures of the Mass.

The third annual St. Francis Xavier Mission Trip of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter began in Miami this year with a group of people from diverse locations across the US and Canada. From Miami they set out to work in the city of Piura, in northern Peru.

Making the mission as a Deacon last year, now Fr. Daniel Heenan, FSSP, was joined by Fr. Justin Nolan, FSSP, Fr. Rhone Lillard, FSSP, Rev. Mr. John Kodet, FSSP, and numerous seminarians of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary. This year’s mission included the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Traditional Rite in various churches in the region and attending to the spiritual needs of the ill and others in need. Within the earthly realm were construction and education projects with local families and children, and the fun of recreation in food and communal activities.

Enjoy pictures of this year’s mission.

Recently a camp for learning Gregorian chant was held at Immaculate Conception in Rapid City, SD. Nicolas and Elizabeth Lemme led the chant camp. The camp was one week long, and featured children from apostolates around the U.S. At the end of the camp the members chanted the Friday Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. Fr. Christopher Hathaway, FSSP, was the celebrant for the Missa Cantata.

This year’s Camp St. Isaac Jogues, at the FSSP’s headquarters in Elmhurst, PA, was a great time of faith and fun. Campers were involved in a variety of sports and activities, all leavened by daily Mass and devotions. This year included hosting a parish picnic for the local Fraternity parish, Saint Michael the Archangel, in Scranton. The picnic was a great success — great games and activities fueled by lots of food — and concluded with a gathering of parishioners, campers, and priests praying the Holy Rosary, which was led by newly-ordained Fr. Joseph Heffernan, FSSP, chaplain of the camp.

We look forward to next year’s camp!

Fr. James Buckley, FSSP, spiritual director and professor at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, led a group of seminarians and young men on a pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. After beginning with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and blessing of the travel vehicle, Father and the pilgrims made their way to Maryland and then processed to the Shrine, where the pilgrimage ended with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the crypt church. Enjoy pictures of the pilgrimage.

North American Martyrs, our apostolate in Seattle, was blessed to celebrate recently the reception of First Holy Communion by 15 children of the parish.  Fr. Gerald Saguto, FSSP, chaplain, offered the Mass. Enjoy pictures of the day. Many thanks to Mr. Michael Curtis for the beautiful images.

Father Michael Irwin, FSSP, long-time member of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, recently celebrated his 50th Anniversary of ordination with a Solemn High Mass of thanksgiving at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, in Denton, Nebraska.  Father Irwin was assisted by Fr. James Buckley, FSSP, as deacon and Fr. Robert Ferguson, FSSP, as subdeacon. Enjoy pictures of this celebratorious day.

1

Fr. Daniel Nolan, FSSP, was ordained in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday May 31, 2014, and offered one of his first Masses in his home state of Oklahoma, at St. Monica Catholic Church in Edmond.  Father Nolan was assisted by his brother, Fr. Justin Nolan, FSSP, with Fr. Christopher Pelster, FSSP, assisting as Deacon.

Father was born June 10th, 1976, in Spokane, Washington. In 1982 his family moved to Oklahoma and they have been there ever since. He is the second oldest of thirteen children, four of whom were adopted.

Father was educated in the Seton Homeschool program from the 2nd – 12th grade. The strength of the homeschooling curriculum allowed him to make advances later in life that he felt might otherwise have not been possible.

In July of 1996 he entered the United States Naval Academy, and it was there that he first began to think about a priestly vocation. Father had always looked at the priesthood as something which no one really wanted to do, but somehow, through incomprehensible grace, managed to endure. But he figured every young Catholic man had at least the duty to consider it, so consider he did. At the time, he gave God a 1% chance.

Four years later he graduated with a BS in Systems Engineering and received a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. After training as an infantry officer, he was stationed in Camp Lejeune, NC, and over the next three years deployed to Okinawa, Cuba, Kuwait, Iraq, and the Republic of Georgia. During this time his faith in God was both tested and strengthened in a variety of ways. His thoughts about the priesthood continued to grow as well, and by now he was giving God a 50/50 chance.

In May of 2004 Father was assigned to the Oklahoma City Military Entrance Processing Station, and it was during this time that he began to attend the Traditional Latin Mass. He became convinced, by the beauty and power of the traditional liturgy, that this was the future of the Church. He looked upon life as a spiritual battlefield, and if priests were God’s army, then FSSP priests were God’s Marine Corps. He joined the Marines for a reason, and he joined the FSSP for a similar reason. If he was going to fight, he wanted to fight in the best unit, the hardest unit, the toughest unit.

Father Nolan separated from the military in August of 2006 as a Captain, and, after a year of discernment and prayer, finally entered the seminary in the fall of 2007. As he looks back, he realizes that the call to the priesthood was a call to fulfillment; a call to happiness. There have been, and will be trials and crosses, but if well endured, they are always redemptive.

As Father says, “God had a plan for my life, and thank God I followed it!”

Fr. Joshua Passo, FSSP, was ordained in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday May 31, 2014, and offered his first Mass the next morning at Immaculate Conception, our parish in Omaha.  Father Passo was assisted by Fr. Robert Ferguson, FSSP, with Fr. Karl Marsolle, FSSP, assisting as Deacon, and Fr. Michael Passo, FSSP, his brother, as Subdeacon.

Father’s vocation story begins with God giving him parents who taught him what it means to know, love, and serve God faithfully. Father considers his parents two wonderful and amazing people who have been a great example and influence for him not only in his answering the call to his vocation, but especially to answering the call to the vocation to which God gives everyone, that is, the call to holiness.

Father thanks all of his brothers and sisters for their support, good example, and love. For him, what little virtue he has and also why he has been able to persevere in his vocation has been only because of God’s grace and the support of his family.

One thing he learned about his priestly formation in the seminary is that it has been a journey of trust in God. As a seminarian you experience many situations when you have no other option than to just trust in God and hope for the best. Whether it was in the classroom or taking a very difficult exam, fulfilling all his daily duties of work, study, and prayer, or serving as the Head Master of Ceremonies in Pontifical Masses or other difficult Ceremonies, all of these situations can leave a seminarian with the overwhelming feeling that he had not the time, energy, or ability to accomplish everything that is required of him. Father found myself saying often to God: “My God, I can’t do this. Only with your help can I have success in this work.” As he looked back at all he accomplished in his seven years at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary he knows that it was only by the grace of God and his trust in Him which gave him the strength and ability to complete the seven years of priestly formation.

If a young man were to ask Father what he must do to make it through seven years of seminary formation, he would tell him that he must trust and love God more than He ever has before. No matter what happens, no matter how helpless he may feel at times, he will always have the strength and ability to accomplish what is asked of him if he continues to give God the first place in his heart. All God wants from each and every single one of us is our love and commitment, once we have given Him this, we can do anything.

With God all things are possible.

Fr. Passo wishes that the love and blessing of the Infant Jesus be with each of you, and asks that you all keep him in your prayers.

Recently a Solemn High Mass was offered at St. Mary of the Assumption church in the present of His Excellency, the Most Rev. Michael F. Olson, Bishop of Fort Worth. St. Mary’s is the home of Fort Worth Latin Mass Community; the priests of Mater Dei parish, our apostolate in Dallas, assist the community by offering the Traditional Latin Mass there.

Fr. Thomas Longua, FSSP, pastor of Mater Dei, was the celebrant, assisted by Fr. Philip Wolfe, FSSP, as Deacon and Fr. Terrence Gordon, FSSP, as Subdeacon. The Mass was offered in a full church, with 450 people in attendance.

Bishop Olson gave the sermon, and spoke fondly of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, the 2007 document that further expanded the faithful’s access to the Traditional Latin Mass and Sacraments. His Excellency remarked that he sees Summorum Pontificum as helping to heal divisions that have developed in the Church over the previous decades.

What follows are pictures of the day. Many thanks to His Excellency for attending the Mass and supporting the Community at St. Mary’s. Please, in your kindness, continue to keep in your prayers the members of the Fort Worth Latin Mass Community as they seek to found a parish of their own.