Our Tulsa apostolate, the parish of Saint Peter, recently celebrated the finding of a new, permanent home.  Fr. William Define, FSSP, has now blessed the newly purchased church, Mass and the sacramental life of Saint Peter’s has commenced, and plans are being made to rightfully transform the new building into a fitting habitation for Our Lord.

Father Define, the parishioners, and the North American District extend our heartfelt thanks to His Excellency, Bishop Edward James Slattery, and his Diocesan Finance Board for the help and guidance in procuring Saint Peter’s new parish home. To say that their support and guidance was critical is to understate their importance. The members of the parish finance board had to learn an wide array of details and information very quickly, and this was helped along by His Excellency and the finance board. As one member of the parish board noted, they had to “drink from the proverbial fire hose” to learn what the diocese required.

Besides the conversion of the church from its current state as a former Protestant building, plans are being formulated for the construction of a parish rectory.  Father Define currently resides in an RV, which he is glad to have, since it means the parish has a new, permanent home. Enjoy pictures from their new home.

Fr. Antony Sumich, FSSP, and Fr. Brian McDonnell, FSSP, are assigned to our Calgary and Edmonton apostolates in Alberta, Canada, and have been busy in the Sacramental life of their communities over the past year. What follows are images from Calgary and Edmunton, which include a Solemn Requiem Mass, Father Sumich participating in the preparation of moose meat for the poor, the Easter Vigil of 2013, and a visit with the Most Reverend Frederick Henry, Bishop of Calgary.

A special note about the Requiem vestments.  This beautiful set actually belongs to the Diocese of Calgary, and was lent to the Fraternity for use in the Solemn Requiem Mass.

The origin of the tradition of Marian devotions in May is not certain, but it is known that as far back as the thirteenth century King Alphons X of Castile, Spain, wrote in his Canticles of Holy Mary of the many days in May dedicated to Our Lady.

During the Middle Ages devotion to the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin also grew, and later, in the Renaissance, devotion to Mary in May became a widespread practice in Italy. Devotion to Mary in this month increased in the nineteenth century in the English-speaking world, including here in America.

The May Crowning, an act of homage wherein we recognize the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, occurs in most countries on or around May 1.  Because Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May in the United States, we typically celebrate the May Crowning on that day.  The girls of a parish process in with flowers in hand, to lay them up in a basket near a Marian statue, followed by a maiden, often in blue, who places a crown upon Our Lady’s head.

Enjoy images from May Crownings in the District, including Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, Saint Michael’s in Scranton, and Holy Family in Dayton.

Enjoying a beautiful sunny day of spring, Bishop Timlin began with a firm exhortation to those receiving the Sacrament of the need to always remain close to Christ and His Church as they grow into adulthood. He then cautioned the confirmandi against the dangers of this world: secularism and the tendency to irreligion, the attacks upon the Faith, and the temptations that come with life in the modern world, exhorting them to prayer and the Sacraments, and above all a firm love and trust in the Lord for guidance and grace.

Assisted by Fr. Jose Zepeda, FSSP, pastor of Saint Michael’s, and Fr. Joseph Poisson, FSSP, Assistant Pastor, the bishop then began the prayers and blessings of Confirmation. As each child and sponsor approached, he sealed them with Sacred Chrism, blessed them, and gave the slap of admonition. This is the gentle warning that each confirmandi is now strengthened in their Baptismal graces and expected to be able to suffer affronts at the hands of the world.

After the concluding prayers and final blessing, Bishop Timlin then joined the parish in the hall for refreshments and congratulations of the newly Confirmed. Enjoy pictures of this joyous day.

Holy Week at North American Martyrs in Seattle began with a Solemn Mass on Palm Sunday in which Fr. Robert Skeris, a well known professor of Theology and Sacred Music, served as Deacon.

Fr. Skeris was seminal in founding Consociatio Internationalis Musicae Sacrae, the International Association of Sacred Music, and has contributed much to the preservation of Sacred Tradition and music in the Church and at the University of Dallas, the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, Christendom College and the Catholic University of America. The chaplain of our apostolate, Fr. Gerard Saguto, FSSP, who is also dedicated to the study of Sacred Music, is a former student of his.

The Mass of Palm Sunday celebrant was Fr. Simon Harkins, FSSP, Assistant Administrator of North American Martyrs. Fr. Skeris was Deacon. Enjoy pictures from the Mass and procession.

The clergy and laity of Immaculate Conception, our parish in Omaha, Nebraska, recently rendered an act of special adoration to Our Lord with the Forty Hours Devotion. Fr. John Brancich, FSSP, pastor, Fr. Terrence Gordon, FSSP, assistant pastor, and Rev. Mr. Paul Leung, FSSP, one of our newly ordained deacons, led the Forty Hours Masses and adoration.

This traditional act of devotion and piety can be offered in a single parish or series of parishes where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and adored for a consecutive forty hours.  When offered as a series, as the Forty Hours ends in one church, a Forty Hours commences in another church. This devotion developed in Milan in 1537, and spread quickly in Italy. In an interesting fact of history for the Fraternity, by the year 1550 St. Philip Neri had begun to offer the Forty Hours devotion for the Confraternity of Santissima Trinita dei Pellegrini, our parish in Rome. Three Masses are typically offered during the Forty Hours: a solemn Mass of Exposition begins the devotion, a solemn Mass for Peace is offered during the second day, and the devotion concludes with a Mass of Deposition.

A good explanation of the purpose of the Forty Hours is offered by Pope Paul III in granting his approval of the devotion, and its first indulgence:

“Since … Our beloved son the Vicar General of the Archbishop of Milan at the prayer of the inhabitants of the said city, in order to appease the anger of God provoked by the offenses of Christians, and in order to bring to naught the efforts and machinations of the Turks who are pressing forward to the destruction of Christendom, amongst other pious practices, has established a round of prayers and supplications to be offered both by day and night by all the faithful of Christ, before our Lord’s Most Sacred Body, in all the churches of the said city, in such a manner that these prayers and supplications are made by the faithful themselves relieving each other in relays for forty hours continuously in each church in succession, according to the order determined by the Vicar … We, approving in our Lord so pious an institution, and confirming the same by Our authority, grant and remit…”

Enjoy a gallery of pictures from the Forty Hours in Omaha.

The Mass of Easter Day is full of the images of Resurrection, Baptism and new life in Christ. The color of vestments and ornamentation is white, signifying the purity and joy, the joyful threefold alleluia, alleluia, alleluia returns, the Vidi Aquam, referring to the waters of Baptism, is chanted instead of the Asperges before Mass, and the Pascal Candle burns signifying Our Lord’s earthly presence, until His Ascension on Thursday 40 days from now.

The Fraternity’s Director of Development, Fr. Gregory Pendergraft, FSSP, joined with the clergy and faithful at Holy Family, our apostolate parish in Vancouver, in the celebration of Easter Sunday. Fr. Daniel Geddes, FSSP, celebrated the Mass, with Fr. Pendergraft as Deacon and Fr. Eric Deprey, FSSP, pastor of Holy Family, as Subdeacon.

Holy Saturday is the day of mourning and waiting. No Mass is offered, and the altar is laid bare as we mediate on the Passion and Death of the Lord and await His Resurrection.

Moving into the darkness of night, the Church moves towards the Resurrection, and the altar is prepared once again for Sacrifice.

The Easter Vigil begins with the sacred ministers gathered outside the church to bless the new fire. The new fire both signifies the Light of Christ, and serves to light the Pascal Candle and the candles of the altar and the laity within the church. Once lit and prepared, coals are taken from the fire and placed in the thurible, so that incense can be blessed and burnt, and the fire sanctified.

The Pascal Candle is then blessed and lit by the celebrant, being inscribed with a cross, the alpha and omega, and the year, lastly having five large grains of incense fixed to it to signify the five wounds of Christ upon the Cross. All candles within the church are extinguished as the sacred ministers and acolytes process into the Church. The Deacon processing in pronounces Lumen Christi (“The Light of Christ”) and then the candles of the faithful and altar are lit from the fire of the Pascal Candle.

The Exsultet, a hymn of praise to the Risen Christ, is then sung by the Deacon, followed by the final blessing of the Pascal Candle by the priest. The great lessons from the prophecies of the Old Testament are then offered, showing the great act of salvation history.

The great Litany is then offered in two parts. The first part is offered, the blessing of the Baptismal font is made, Baptismal promises are renewed, and then follows the conclusion of the Litany.

At or about midnight, the rites of the Easter Vigil concluded, the first Mass of Easter commences. What follows are images of Holy Saturday and midnight Mass in our apostolate in Sacramento, St. Stephen the First Martyr parish.

Fr. James Buckley, FSSP, spiritual director of Our Lady of Guadalupe seminary and perennial retreat master, will be giving a series of three day retreats, and a five day retreat, based on the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola during the summer of 2013.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary

3-Day Men’s Retreat: June 20-23, 2013 (Thu-Sun)

Cost is $195.00

Includes private room and meals. Begins with dinner at 6:00 pm on Thursday; ends with brunch at 11:00 am on Sunday. Call Mr. Kilcoyne at (402) 797-7700, or  e-mail business@fsspolgs.org.

Regretfully, the seminary is not able to offer a retreat for women this year.

White Post, Virginia

3-Day Men’s Retreat: June 27-30, 2013 (Thu-Sun)

San Damiano Spiritual Life Center

Cost is $310.00

Includes meals, room and board. For information please contact Aimee Nichols at (202) 255-3552, or e-mail Retreat4Men@gmail.com (e-mail is preferred).

Upper Marlboro, Maryland

5-Day Women’s Retreat: July 14-19, 2013 (Sun-Fri)

Our Lady of Mattaponi Retreat & Conference Center

Cost is $375.00

Includes meals, room and board. For information please contact Aimee Nichols at (202) 255-3552, or e-mail Retreat4Ladies@gmail.com (e-mail is preferred).

St. Benedict Abbey, Still River, Massachusetts

3-Day Women’s Retreat: July 26-28, 2013 (Fri-Sun)
3-Day Men’s Retreat: August 9-11, 2013 (Fri-Sun)

Cost is $285.00

Includes all materials, meals, private room and board. Arrival time is the Thursday evening before the retreat begins. For information, contact Mr. James Buxton, preferably by e-mail: janthonybuxton@yahoo.com, or call (978) 957-3118 and leave a message. (you will hear the phone message “You have reached Pa and Babchi.”)