Rorate Caeli

FSSP in Europe reunion and images


The website of the General House of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter has kept since 2011 a nice page (its format is that of a blog...) called "Au fil des mois", or "Through the year". Its latest addition is of the events that preceded this year's European ordinations, including a reunion of the FSSP priests serving in Europe, with many moving and/or interesting images. Our European friends will certainly find many familiar faces in the images.

The FSSP is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year: October 18 will be the official day of this Silver Jubilee.

From June 27-29 the priests in Europe of the Fraternity of St. Peter met at their Mother House in Wigratzbad Germany to begin the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the foundation of FSSP. The days began with Vespers at the country church of Mywiller. They continued the next day with a solemn Mass at the church in Maria Than offered by Fr. Frederique Roseau and assisted by Fr. Jacques Olivier and Fr. Quentin Sauvonnet as deacon and subdeacon; These three priests were also celebrating their 10th anniversary of priestly ordinations. The First Assistant of the Fraternity, Fr. José Calvin-Torralbo preached in Latin on the life and epistles of our Patron St. Peter to exhort us in our respective duties as members and underline what unifies us as a Fraternity.

In the afternoon, His Excellency Vitus Huonder, Bishop of Chur, Switzerland, gave a spiritual conference to all of the priests on the essential elements which a priest must keep in mind when carrying out his duties. The day concluded with solemn First Vespers of Ss. Peter and Paul sung at the church in Opfenbach and a visit to the grave of Fr. Pierre Gaudray; long time spiritual director of many of our priests in Wigratzbad, who died this past year.

The festivities ended fittingly on the Feast of St. Peter and Paul with the ordination of five new priests for the Fraternity at the church of Ss. Peter and Paul in Lindenberg. The ordinations were conferred by Bishop Huonder.