The physical edifice of the chapel of Saints Peter and Paul has been completed at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, but ongoing adornment of the chapel continues.  Recently the statues of the Fraternity’s patrons were installed, ensconced on the walls flanking the altar.

We once again extend our thanksgiving to all who have supported the Fraternity and Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary. By your support and prayer this fitting habitation of the Lord has been built; a house of prayer and devotion for our priests and seminarians.

What follows are pictures of the process of installation. Enjoy.

Joyful in the hope of the priesthood of Christ, the Fraternity of Saint Peter is pleased to have three new Subdeacons and a new class of twelve tonsurandi for the North American District. Most Rev. Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop Emeritus of Lincoln, traveled to Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary on Saturday, October 19, 2013, to administer the Subdiaconate and Rite of Tonsure.

The Subdiaconate conveys the privilege of touching the sacred vessels, chanting the Epistle, and the responsibility of preparing the necessities of the Eucharist.

The Rite of Tonsure is administered early in the second year of formation, and is the point at which a seminarian ends life in civilian clothes to be invested with the cassock and surplice. The 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia gives an excellent overview of the rite:

(From the Latin verb tondere, “to shear.”)

A sacred rite instituted by the Church by which a baptized and confirmed Christian is received into the clerical order by the shearing of his hair and the investment with the surplice. The person thus tonsured becomes a partaker of the common privileges and obligations of the clerical state and is prepared for the reception of orders. The tonsure itself is not an ordination properly so called, nor a true order. It is rather a simple ascription of a person to the Divine service in such things as are common to all clerics. Historically the tonsure was not in use in the primitive Church during the age of persecution. Even later, St. Jerome (in Ezech., xliv) disapproves of clerics shaving their heads. Indeed, among the Greeks and Romans such a custom was a badge of slavery. On this very account, the shaving of the head was adopted by the monks. Towards the end of the fifth, or beginning of the sixth, century, the custom passed over to the secular clergy.

As a sacred rite, the tonsure was originally joined to the first ordination received, as in the Greek Church it still is to the order of lector. In the Latin Church it began as a separate ceremony about the end of the seventh century, when parents offered their young sons to the service of God. Tonsure is to be given by a candidate’s ordinary, though mitred abbots can bestow it on their own subjects. No special age for its reception is prescribed, but the recipient must have learnt the rudiments of the Faith and be able to read and write. The ceremony may be performed at any time or place. … According to canon law, all clerics are bound to wear the tonsure under certain penalties. But on this subject, Taunton (loc. cit. inf.) says: “In English-speaking countries, from a custom arising in the days of persecution and having a prescription of over three centuries, the shaving of the head, the priestly crown, seems, with the tacit consent of the Holy See, to have passed out of use. No provincial or national council has ordered it, even when treating of clerical dress; and the Holy See has not inserted the law when correcting the decrees of those councils.”

Many thanks to Bishop Bruskewitz for his tireless support of the Fraternity of Saint Peter.

In your kindness, please pray for our new subdeacons and tonsured seminarians, as well as all the seminarians, deacons, and priests of the Fraternity.

The Most Reverend George J. Lucas, Archbishop of Omaha, recently made a Canonical Visitation and administered the Sacrament of Confirmation at Immaculate Conception, our parish in Omaha, Nebraska. He was assisted by Fr. John Brancich, FSSP, pastor, and Fr. Massimo Botta, FSSP, assistant pastor.

The canonical visit was composed of several parts. The Archbishop, Priests, and servers processed to the church doors. There the Archbishop knelt and was presented with a crucifix, veiled in white, to kiss.  He then rose and sprinkled the priests and those in the vestibule with holy water from the aspergillium. Afterwards incense was blessed and the pastor incensed the Archbishop three times.

The procession to the high altar was next.  There, the Archbishop knelt at the faldstool in the sanctuary as Fr. Brancich began in prayer. The Archbishop then ascended the altar, kissed it, and turned to offer his apostolic blessing upon all present.

Because there is no cemetery attached to Immaculate Conception, the Absolution of the Dead of the parish was simplified.  While the Archbishop vested in a black stole and cope, a large black cloth was laid down in the middle of the sanctuary, representing the dead of the parish. After reciting the De Profundis, the Archbishop sprinkled the cloth with holy water, then blessed incense and incensed the cloth, which completed the absolution.

The Archbishop then inspected the tabernacle and high altar, and administered Benediction while the Tantum Ergo was recited. The ceremony concluded with Fr. Brancich ascending the altar to lock the tabernacle once again.

The Canonical Visitation concluded with Confirmations. The Archbishop vested in the regalia of Confirmations, including his miter and crozier, and proceeded with administration of the Sacrament of Confirmation to those ready to receive.

Once the visitation was complete, all gathered together for a luncheon in celebration of the visit. Enjoy a variety of pictures from the event, courtesy of Cathy Webster, a parishioner of Immaculate Conception.

The newly tonsured seminarians of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary chant the Salve Regina, in the solemn tone, before the altar of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the seminary chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul, immediately after their receiving of tonsure in October of 2013.

A Report From Seminarian Daniel Heenan

The second annual St. Francis Xavier Mission Trip of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter began in the Miami airport on August 1st, 2013, and prepared to set out to work in the city of Piura in northern Peru. The group was nearly twice as large as last year and came from more diverse locations across the US and Canada. After an overnight flight we arrived exhausted. Our spirits, however, were quickly revived by the warm welcome given by the people of Santisimo Sacramento Parish, which proved an accurate overture for our stay in Piura.

Santisimo Sacramento is a parish of over 40,000 souls comprising 26 chapels in outlying villages extending eastward from the city of Piura. The pastor is Fr. Joseph Uhen, who hails from Oklahoma, but has spent his entire priesthood in Peru. After spending time with the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, he decided to be ordained for the archdiocese of Piura where he has worked for 20 years. The extent of his labors caring for the souls and bodies of the people entrusted to him is immense. He is aided by an able staff of lay workers and a near constant stream of missionaries from the United States and elsewhere. (Visit the parish website www.santissimo.org). He graciously welcomed our group and put us to work in a great variety of activities.

Each morning and afternoon a list of jobs would be posted to which the missionaries were assigned. Some built houses, some worked in the free clinic at the parish, others assisted with hospice care. Still others delivered food and other goods to the poor. We spent time visiting the three orphanages cared for by the parish. There is also a parish school, a senior citizen home, a drug rehab center, a women’s shelter, and much more.

The two FSSP priests who were part of the trip spent much of their time making sick calls and blessing houses. Several young missionaries accompanied the priests on each of the visits, and many them related afterwards that these were among the most memorable experiences of the trip as they witnessed the great faith of these simple people as Our Lord visited them in Holy Communion. Though these encounters were brief, there was a profound realization that great distances and cultural differences were instantly bridged through the mystery of the Sacrament before which all bent theirs knees in adoration.

Of course the objective of the FSSP making this trip was not merely to give the young people the opportunity to be glorified social workers for two weeks. The goal was to give them the chance to deepen their relationship with Christ through the performance of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The grace to do this derives principally from their daily participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Having ourselves benefited tremendously from this daily offering of our Lord’s sacrifice in the Extraordinary Form, the St. Francis Xavier Mission Trip strives to share this treasure with those to whom we minister, remembering that Pope Benedict XVI taught in Summorum Pontificum that the traditional liturgy is the common heritage of the whole Church.

On the Feast of the Transfiguration we were invited to offer a public Solemn High Mass at the parish. Nearly five hundred were in attendance. Many of the older parishioners were excited to share how they had dug out their old mantillas and missals for the occasion. For most this was a new experience, but all were greatly edified. Afterwards, Fr. Uhen commented that the spirituality of the traditional Mass fits very well with Peruvian piety. We also had the opportunity to offer a Solemn Mass at the Madre del Redentor girls home where more than fifty young ladies live under the care of three hard-working nuns. Later that week, Fr. Uhen asked us to offer the weekly Mass at the parish school for several hundred students. Afterwards, one of the seminarians had the chance to spend the morning talking with students and teachers about the liturgy and answering some of their questions. One of the teachers commented that she never had prayed so well at Mass and that the silence of the canon following the beautiful Gregorian chants made her feel transported to heaven. “What a blessing it is that you shared this with us!” was a common response.

Our final Sunday in Piura, we traveled about an hour outside of town to offer a Solemn High Mass in the small rural town of Buenos Aires where a priest is able to come maybe every third month. The landscape here was stark. It is a veritable desert, complete with sand dunes. At first glance structures of the town itself only seem to add to the inhospitableness of the area, as the people live in homes consisting of little more than bundles of dry sticks tied together. Nevertheless, they have a modest chapel, whose painted colors inside and out present a vivid contrast to the surrounding scenery. As the bells tolled signaling the beginning of Mass, hundreds of people emerged from the barren environs and filled the chapel beyond capacity. The timeless chants, the immemorial ceremonies, and the infinite graces poured out from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass were able to make one forget what a desolate place he was in. After the Mass, there were tears to be seen in the eyes of not a few of the older people who were present. The celebrant, despite his protestations, was treated as some sort of living saint for having seemingly brought heaven down to earth in this poor village. We shared a meal with the villagers following the Mass and journeyed home trying to digest the experience of where we had been and what we had just participated in.

Before leaving Piura, we had the chance to meet several families that were sponsored by our group. Through Santisimo Sacramento’s Family to Family program, $300 a year allows one to sponsor a poor Peruvian family, providing them with monthly food donations organized and delivered by the parish and the missionaries who come to assist them in their work. One of these families was also a recipient of one of the new houses paid for and built by our group.

The trip concluded with a day and a half in the capital city of Lima. There we visited the relics of four of Peru’s five saints: St. Martin De Porres, St. Rose, St. John Macias, and St. Toribio de Mogrovejo. We were also privileged to be able to offer a Solemn High Mass at the beautiful church of San Marcelo in Lima. This was a fittingly joyful conclusion to the trip realizing that this church in the heart of colonial Lima, a city that was once the capital of the Spanish empire in America, and had likely been the setting for many such Masses long ago. Like last year, although we were all exhausted from the work of the previous two weeks, there was much sadness that the trip was coming to an end. The chance to live for two weeks devoted to the service of those who are less fortunate, the forging of new friendships, being challenged to deepen one’s spiritual life and being given the means to do so, the first-hand experience of the catholicity of Christ’s Church and the palpable realization of our union in the Mystical Body of Christ all contributed to give the missionaries a more vivid understanding of Our Lord’s promise: “that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be filled.” John 15:11<

Camp St. Peter in the Black Hills of South Dakota was a great success, where campers enjoyed camping and the sights of South Dakota.  Fr. Christopher Hathaway, FSSP, the founder of the camp, provided for the physical and spiritual needs of the camps with daily Mass and Confession, along with the “Ask Father” session each night. Campers enjoyed hikes, fishing and sports along with the stunning beauty of God’s creation. Camp St. Peter was truly a exercise for the body and the spirit.  The boys made lifelong memories and hopefully learned lessons of faith and responsibility that they will carry with them throughout life. We look forward to next year’s camp!

St. John Vianney School, located in Maple Hill, Kansas, opened its new school year on Tuesday, September 3rd. Led by chaplain Fr. John Rickert, FSSP, the school year began with a sung Mass followed by blessing with the relic of St. Pius X, followed by the teachers and classroom assistants kneeling at the Communion rail to pronounce the Profession of Faith and the Oath Against Modernism.

SJV has an increase in enrollment this year, with 50 students in grades K-12. All religion classes are taught by the FSSP priests of the apostolate. Other subjects are taught by a staff of dedicated teachers, parents, and volunteers.

On opening day, Assistant Chaplains Fr. John Shannon and Fr. Kevin Young prepared a surprise scrambled egg breakfast in the school hall for students, staff and parents. After breakfast Chaplain Fr. John Rickert and Headmaster Fr. Shannon welcomed everyone to the new school year and introduced the school schedule. Opening day concluded outdoors with an all-school photo.

Fr. Joseph Valentine, FSSP, and the Joliet Latin Mass Community recently took up residence in their new home at St. Joseph’s Church in Rockdale, IL, and the community’s liturgical life began with a solemn Missa Cantata on Sunday, August 5.

The North American District extends its sincere thanks to His Excellency Bishop R. Daniel Conlon for providing a stable home for the Joliet Latin Mass community, and the opportunity to provide for the needs of St. Joseph’s. Enjoy pictures of the Mass, and a recent Baptism.

With great joy, the Houston apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter announces the formal establishment of Regina Caeli Parish, effective as of August 15, 2013. The installation of Rev. Charles Van Vliet, FSSP, as founding pastor and the official opening Mass of the parish took place that evening, at the Solemn Mass of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Prior to the installation of Rev. Van Vliet, a letter was read from His Eminence, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, acknowledging the formal erection of the personal parish. Msgr. Daniel Scheel, Episcopal Vicar of the Western Vicariate, graciously represented His Eminence in the installation ceremony.

The Fraternity is very grateful to His Eminence for his support and generosity. Cardinal DiNardo extended an informal welcome to the FSSP in December 2009, and in September 2011, Fr. Van Vliet arrived in Houston. On Feb. 21, 2012, the Presbyteral Council of the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston approved, on the recommendation of His Eminence, the establishment of the personal parish.

Regina Caeli Parish is the only parish in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in over 40 years to offer exclusively the Traditional Rite to the faithful. The parish is in the process of development in northwest Houston, on forty acres donated for that purpose.

What follows are images of the installation and first Mass of the parish. In your kindness, please keep in your prayers Fr. Van Vliet and the parishioners of Regina Caeli as they continue construction of their new parish home.

Installation of Fr. Charles Van Vliet, FSSP, as Pastor

Solemn Mass of the Assumption

After Installation and Assumption Mass Dinner

The Tulsa Cathedral, Holy Family, is about to observe its 100th birthday, and is in celebration all year. His Excellency Edward James Slattery, with the support of Cathedral rector, Msgr. Gregory Gier, decided that people should see the Mass that Holy Family would have had when it was opened.

Fr. William Define, FSSP, was asked to celebrate the Mass with the altar boys being those from the Parish of St. Peter, along with the choir and organist. High Mass was celebrated at 10:00am, the normal slot for His Excellency’s Mass, with priests, deacons, and rector in choir. His Excellency delivered the homily and assisted in administering Communion.

During his homily, Bishop Slattery expressed thanks to the FSSP, and in particular with the Parish of St. Peter, along with expressing deep respect and affection for the traditional Latin Mass. The sermon was lovely, and one could not have asked for a better sermon in the midst of a High Mass, given to a packed Church.

Afterwards, there was a get together in the basement of the Cathedral, with Msgr. Gier and Bishop Slattery in attendance.  Overall, and even in detail, it was a wonderful event for the parish, the Cathedral, and the FSSP.  It is possible that in November His Excellency will be offering a Pontifical High Mass at Holy Family and it has been requested that the altar boys from the Fraternity parish serve that Mass, and to have the choir and organist provide the music.