Celebrating the Eucharistic Heart of the Catholic Church
As the United Kingdom emerges from Lockdown, in a year that has seen churches closed and Processions cancelled, we gather together in the heart of the nation’s capital to honour Our Eucharistic Lord, celebrate the richness of the Catholic Church and take to the streets of London to share the message that Christus Vincit! View the Programme
Confraternity Message from Fr. Stefan Reiner, FSSP
Dear members of the Confraternity,
The Motu proprio Traditionis Custodes and its accompanying letter from Pope Francis have shocked us all. We have not yet been informed of any definitive decisions regarding the future of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and its apostolates. Even though the first reactions of various bishops have been rather reassuring and have not involved any significant restrictions, nevertheless, in the coming weeks various bishops’ conferences will discuss the matter on the occasion of this motu proprio and possibly take decisions that will be groundbreaking for us. The Roman Congregation for Religious Orders, which in the future will be responsible for us instead of the “Ecclesia Dei” Commission, will also begin its work in a few weeks and will also make the first decisions concerning the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.
For these decisions, which are important for us and which bishops and cardinals will make in the near future, I would like to ask you, as the closest confidants of our Fraternity, most sincerely for your prayers. Through our prayers, let us consciously place the future of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her intercession and maternal protection will lead the Fraternity into the future in a way that is in accordance with the Divine Will. For this purpose, I would like to create the so-called “Living Rosary”. For this purpose we have created a simple homepage, which you can find at www.fssp.de/rosarium and register there.
In the columns of the table you will find numbers 1 to 30, which stand for the 30 days of the coming month of September. Each day is divided into sections of 20 minutes from 0:00 to 24:00 (Central European Time), in which two people can sign in with a simple click. With the first click, the corresponding field turns yellow and the number 1 appears. Once a yellow field is clicked, another person can click on it again, then the field turns green and the number 2 appears. The goal is for each field to appear green, that is, for at least two people to pray the rosary during the corresponding period. If you make a mistake and you would like to pray the Rosary at another time, you can click on the box another time and your entry will be deleted.
With your help, the Rosary will be prayed without interruption during the month of September. Since there are about 8,000 members in the Confraternity of St. Peter worldwide, not all of them can register in this table. But even if all the fields of the table are already set to green, I would like to ask all the other members of the Confraternity who could not register to participate by praying at least one rosary. The times of the table rows are given according to Central European Time (Berlin), i.e. each member should calculate the time difference himself according to his place of residence. I would ask that the American members predominantly adopt the European night hours. Not all members of the Confraternity have internet access or can be reached by e-mail. If you know of any such members, I would ask that you pass this prayer request on to them. It would be beautiful if we could succeed in continuously assailing Heaven with about 8,000 rosaries prayed during the month of September.
Each rosary should be prayed with the following intention:
We pray for our Holy Father and for all the bishops, as well as all those in authority in the Church who will have to make significant decisions regarding the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in the near future.
We pray for all the priests and seminarians of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, that they may continue to carry out their ministry in the Church with fidelity, reverence and obedience, giving guidance to the faithful through a clear ecclesial and humble attitude.
We pray for all the faithful in our apostolates and for all the people attached to the traditional Mass, that they will not lose heart, but will be able to accept this time of trial and, with the help of God’s grace, come out of it stronger.
United in prayers,
Father Stefan Reiner Chaplain General of the Confraternity of St. Peter
All members of the FSSP will be praying a novena for the Holy Father, for our Fraternity and apostolates, and for all attached to the Traditional Latin Mass. We invite members of the Confraternity of St Peter to join us. The novena begins on 22 August (Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) and ends 30 August.
One decade of the Rosary
Prayer to St Joseph:
Ad te beáte Joseph, in tribulatióne nostra confúgimus, atque, imploráto Sponsæ tuæ sanctíssimæ auxílio, patrocínium quoque tuum fidénter expóscimus. Per eam, quæsumus, quæ te cum immaculáta Vírgine Dei Genítrice conjúxit, caritátem, perque patérnum, quo Púerum Jesum ampléxus es, amórem, súpplices deprecámur, ut ad hæreditátem, quam Jesus Christus acquisívit Sánguine suo, benígnus respícias, ac necessitátibus nostris tua virtúte et ope sucúrras. Tuére, o Custos providentíssimæ divínæ Famíliæ, Jesu Christi sóbolem eléctam ; próhibe a nobis, amantíssime Pater, omnem errórum ac corruptelárum luem ; propítius nobis, sospitátor noster fortíssime, in hoc cum potestáte tenebrárum certámine e cælo adésto ; et sicut olim Púerum Jesum e summo eripuísti vitæ discríminæ, ita nunc Ecclésiam sanctam Dei ab hostílibus insídiis atque ab omni adversitáte defénde : nosque síngulos perpétuo tege patrocínio, ut ad tui exémplar et ope tua suffúlti, sancte vívere, pie émori, sempiternámque in cælis beatitúdinem ássequi possímus. Amen.
Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis (3x)
To join the Confraternity of St Peter, please contact Fr Phipps.
Official communiqué of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter following the publication of the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes
Fribourg, July 20, 2021
The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, whose goal is the sanctification of priests through the faithful observance of the liturgical traditions prior to the reform implemented after the Second Vatican Council (cf. Constitutions n. 8), has received Pope Francis’ Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes with surprise.
Founded and canonically approved according to the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei Adflicta of Pope St. John Paul II of July 2, 1988, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter has always professed its adherence to the entire Magisterium of the Church and its fidelity to the Roman Pontiff and the successors of the Apostles, exercising its ministry under the responsibility of the diocesan bishops. Referring in its Constitutions to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, the Fraternity has always sought to be in accord with what Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI called in 2005: “the hermeneutic of reform in the continuity of the Church” (Address to the Roman Curia, December 22, 2005).
Today, therefore, the Fraternity of St. Peter is deeply saddened by the reasons given for limiting the use of the Missal of Pope St. John XXIII, which is at the center of its charism. The Fraternity in no way recognizes itself in the criticisms made. It is surprising that no mention is made of the many fruits visible in the apostolates attached to the missal of St. John XXIII and the joy of the faithful in being able to benefit from this liturgical form. Many people have discovered or returned to the Faith thanks to this liturgy. How can we fail to notice, moreover, that the communities of the faithful attached to it are often young and flourishing, and that many Christian households, priests or religious vocations have come from it?
In the current context, we wish to reaffirm our unwavering fidelity to the successor of Peter on the one hand, and on the other, our desire to remain faithful to our Constitutions and charism, continuing to serve the faithful as we have done since our foundation. We hope to be able to count on the understanding of the bishops, whose authority we have always respected, and with whom we have always collaborated loyally.
Confident in the intercession of Our Lady and our Patron, Saint Peter, we hope to live this trial in faith and fidelity.
I am afraid I need to share with you the disappointing news that we are compelled to cancel the camps again this year.
We are devastated to be taking this step for the second year in a row. As you know, I have delayed a decision as long as possible in the hope of finding a workable solution. In the end, however, even though there is due to be a relaxation of some of the Covid restrictions on 19 July, after various discussions with the venue and the governing agency, it became clear that the requirements and expectations remaining in place would simply not be acceptable.
I thank you greatly for the patience you have all shown in waiting for the final decision. I know it will come as a great disappointment – it is because I have seen for myself the desire and enthusiasm for these camps among the children that I have put off reaching this conclusion. I realise as a consequence that many of you will have disruption to travel and accommodation plans, which I do regret, but I hope you will understand that none of this has been done lightly.
May I also take this opportunity to thank our seminarians and volunteers who have given up much time and energy preparing for these camps. Please God we will see the fruit of it next year!
In the meantime, be assured of my prayers – I pray in a special way for the young people so cruelly affected by this situation.
We are delighted to announce that Regina Caeli Academy
USA and UK have formally approved the start of Regina Caeli Academy (RCA)
Warrington this September. This good news comes after months of diligent
preparation.
Although Regina Caeli Academy is a separate entity from
the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, our Fraternity is actively committed to
providing good Catholic education in various countries. Furthermore in
Warrington, the building which we bought next door to our church, Priory Court,
used to be a school run by the Sisters of the Cross and Passion, the female
branch of Bl. Dominic Barberi’s Passionists, whose foundress Elizabeth Prout
was made Venerable by Pope Francis. Therefore, RCA Warrington can rely on the
full support of our Fraternity. We are very glad that good Catholic education
will be offered again at St Mary’s Shrine.
RCA Warrington is still able to accept registrations for
children in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2 (UK Reception to
Year 3) for this September. Please do spread the word and encourage any other
parents who may be interested to contact Regina Caeli Academy Warrington: theacademystmarys@gmail.com.
Two of our parishioners at St Mary’s Shrine were selected
as teaching staff and have received specialised training with RCA USA.
They look forward to teaching the children and supporting the parents.
If you would
like to support educational initiatives at St. Mary’s Warrington, please
contact theacademystmarys@gmail.com.
Venerable
Elizabeth Prout – pray for us!
Regina Caeli – ora pro nobis!
Fr Armand de
Malleray, FSSP, Rector of St Mary’s Shrine
Thank you for patiently waiting further news on our summer camps this August. At this point in time, things are sadly still very unclear. However, we have been reliably informed that even if the government proceeds with the (delayed) roadmap, there will most probably still be restrictions that apply to residential youth camps. Until we know precisely what these are, it is impossible to have sufficient clarity as to whether we can go ahead.
Please note, this is not only a matter for the FSSP, but also Savio House where the camps are held, and the National Youth Agency, whose regulations the camps also need to abide by.
Therefore, it is our intention to wait until the review for the current extension of restrictions is announced – this may be by 5 July, but perhaps more realistically around 12 July to have a clearer idea of the details. Naturally, if the ongoing uncertainty is difficult, it is no problem if you wish to withdraw your booking.
As things stand, one thing that looks almost certain is that our numbers will be restricted to 30 (we can normally have 40). As a result, I must now announce that we are fully booked for both camps. If you still wish to send in booking forms, you can do so, and we will put your children on a reserve list in case of cancellations.
All of us in Britain & Ireland, and abroad, assure you both of our prayer for you on this your fourth anniversary of ordination. We recall with emotion this wondrous event, when you became priests of the Lord. The fact that it was occurring in the traditional way for the first time in 50 years was an added grace for all Catholics in these Isles. We thank you for your ministry and priestly witness over the past four years.
Cost: $18.95 USD = £13.43 GBP. Check with your local FSSP UK & Ireland parish for discounted bulk order.
“Can priests miss Mass? This little book light-heartedly depicts ten Holy Masses nearly missed by priests due to some opposition. From Kilimanjaro to Loch Ness, from Burma to Paris and more, the ten humorous short stories describe obstacles to the celebration of Holy Mass, thankfully overcome. The ten priests persevered, spurred by the conviction that Holy Mass: 1) honours God, whose extrinsic glory increases each time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered; 2) helps souls through the temporal application of Christ’s saving merits that Holy Mass brings about; 3) fortifies priests, whose ontological raison d’être is to offer the divine Victim on the altar. Leaving aside theological arguments, Near Missed Masses entertainingly illustrates these truths through fiction.”
Praise for Near Missed Masses
In the real world, which is the world that God made, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the power station feeding the life of grace. Without such grace, we die. In this volume of true stories, Fr Armand de Malleray shows us the life-giving power of the Mass in a world darkened with devildom. The light-hearted and humorous tone of the stories makes them easily readable without ignoring the gravity of the topic. — Joseph Pearce, author of biographies of J. R. R. Tolkien, Oscar Wilde, C. S. Lewis, and G. K. Chesterton
The unusual theme that unites a good number of the stories in this compendium is a scenario with which many a freshly-ordained priest will soon become familiar—the battle royal that often ensues in the attempt to secure an altar at which the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass may be offered in an atmosphere of recollection and decorum. With tact and good humour, Father de Malleray explores the intra-ecclesial prejudices and neuroses which have given rise to such a state of affairs, and illustrates how perseverance, charity and prayer are the most effective weapons we possess against suspicion and bigotry. An edifying read for both priests and laity, which we should pray will contribute to the healing of self-inflicted wounds which for too long have hampered the Church’s mission of evangelisation. — Fr Julian Large, Provost of the London Oratory
The stories in this collection give us precious evidence of the hidden persistence of the grace of the true priestly vocation in unexpected situations. The ten narratives portray priestly candidates and priests of various ages and cultures. All reveal that secret dialogue in the soul that takes place when grace is at work. Based on my experience in teaching Thomistic philosophy to seminarians for a decade and catechesis to seminarians and priests as well as lay people, I cannot recommend this book highly enough for young Catholic men and for all those who nurture vocations, or who could, but who are not sufficiently alert to the quiet presence of the Holy Spirit in many young souls. — Dr Caroline Farey, Annunciation Catechesis
In Near Missed Masses, Fr de Malleray finds a delightfully playful and imaginative way to reinvent true contemporary stories and drive home a serious point: the value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the zeal that we should have to celebrate (as priests) or attend (as layfaithful) this Sacrifice worthily and frequently. In this way, the book functions like the proverbial storeroom containing things both new and old! — Fr Henry Whisenant, Diocese of East Anglia (England)
