In my first article, I discussed my first visit to a chapel staffed by priests of the Society of St. Pius X. While overall I felt the church and the congregation were pleasant, the homily delivered by the visiting priest left me (and my pride in what I believe the mission of the FSSPX) wounded considerably.
I am happy to report however that upon my second visit to this parish, I was overwhelmed by the charity and devotion of the experience – largely stemming from the priest who ministers there regularly. Again, the church was lacking nothing in beauty and the congregation nothing for reverence. The priest heard confessions until about ten minutes before Mass, and thus I was unable to talk with him before hand.
My intent was to attack the sermon from the second Sunday of the month and ask hard questions about the integrity of Fraternity priests who are willing to act as judge and jury, but not physician and shepherd.
The Mass began as beautifully as before - the way in which priests who know the Gregorian Mass as simply the Mass pray the Mass is evident in the devotion and precision the priest (not of himself but of our Lord) offers the Sacrifice – and the people were just as attentive and involved. When the time came for the homily I shot a nervous glance at the friend who accompanied me and offered a short ejaculation for the priest.
I was amazed. He began by reading parish announcements calling his flock by name and entreating their prayers for sick and dying members of the community – one of whom a non-Catholic who he said he personally visited several times before his death. He mentioned supporting several of the youth of the parish who were preparing for a pilgrimage to France “monetarily but more importantly with prayer”. After the announcements he read the Epistle and Gospel in English. Though not exactly to my taste, he offered insights and commentary into the readings as he went along. I was encouraged by his insights into the First Letter to the Corinthians and the prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem in Luke.
After this he went on to tell the congregation about his recent trip to several battlefields from the War Between the States and his pilgrimage to the basilica where St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is interred. His insights into the War as history almost evoked cheers from the Stars and Bars on my heart (“it is a historical fact that Karl Marx congratulated Lincoln on his election to the American presidency”… “the Northern capitalists sought to destroy the Southern agricultural society and annex it into its destructive vision of economic wage slavery”)* He interjected spiritual parallels to the historical narratives at Sharpsburg and Gettysburg and then went on to discuss the relevance of these battles in establishing a New World Order where the South, the glorious Old South, and the United States as a whole, without Christ as its sole monarch will never rise again.
His passionate anecdotes of St. Seton’s life, the Sisters of Charity, and his visit to her tomb – as well as this priests abundantly charitable outlook on the Church – can be summed up in his response to the fact that there are only a handful of Sisters of Charity left in the two St. Seton lived. He looked out at the congregation, called young girls there by name and said, “You! The Church needs you to cultivate your vocations in order that, with St. Seton’s courage, you too go out and educate Catholic children again!” What a contrast! He did not lay blame on the Newchurch or the failures of the hierarchy, but rather called the congregation to holiness and personal responsibility for the reconstruction of the Church, so wounded in recent years.
After Mass he mentioned that he wanted to meet with those visiting for the first time. I gladly obliged about being told by the third person to introduce themselves to me in the vestibule to find him in the sacristy.
When I went to meet him he was joyful and could not stop smiling. He never broke eye contact when speaking to me and kept telling me how “awesome” it was that I could be there. Any heavy handed words about my experience last week fell at my feet. I was completely disarmed by his charity and love for the priesthood of Jesus Christ. The love his parishioners had for him was evident and I was won over. He invited my friend and I to dinner though we had to decline because of pervious engagements. The next day I called him and thanked him for his witness to our Lord and the Sacrifice of the Mass.
My friend was lucky enough to attend his Monday morning Mass (which he offers before he flies back to Kansas in between visiting the sick and ministering to the congregation). His reviews of that experience are even more glowing. It was an incredible testament to the integrity of the priesthood of Jesus Christ sustained by the traditional Mass and sacraments. I was beside myself. This man was truly and priest of Jesus Christ who authentically represented the vision of Archbishop + Marcel Lefebvre and was a true son of St. Pius X.
Please keep this humble priest who wore a shabby cassock and worn shoes without concern for a second tunic in your prayers. Continue to pray and make acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus who is so often neglected and offended. Especially pray through the intercession of Our Lady under the title of Immaculatta – Who Has Destroyed All Heresies to watch over the Church and especially Benedict our Pope. And remember me as well.
Ad Meioram Dei Gloriam
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