August 2001 - District Superior's Letter

Dear Faithful,

Priestly ordinations

The last few months have been times of great graces. Let us first thank divine Providence for the graces of the priestly ordinations in June. On the 23rd seven new priests and five deacons were ordained at St Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Winona by H.L. Bishop Williamson. This means there should be five new priests next year.

June 29th at Ecône H.L. Bishop Fellay ordained twelve new priests: nine for our Society, two for the Capuchins of Morgon and one for the Community of the Transfiguration both French communities. There were also ordained 16 deacons. And finally at Zaitzkofen in Germany 2 new priests were ordained. So there is hope for the future.

This year was of course a very good year for Canada as we have two new priests in the persons of Fathers Emmanuel Herkel and Patrick Girouard as well as a deacon Rev. Mr. Robert MacPherson who, God willing, should ascend the altar next year.

I was very pleased to see an important Canadian delegation. Indeed most provinces were represented from New Brunswick to British Columbia. Many undertook the long journey by car. Holy Family School also sent a delegation: Father de L'Estourbeillon came with his scouts who by their discipline and manners made a very good impression. We hope the ordination ceremony made a good impression on them, as well as on the other young boys, so that many of them may hear the call of Our Lord to serve him more closely.

In July many of you were also able to attend the first Masses and receive the first blessing of the newly ordained priests which is also a great grace.

Summer Camps

Four camps were also held this summer: two in Quebec and two by Fr Sulzen in Ontario. All were well attended and all seemed to have profited from the experience. I hope the fruits will last at least until next year. I want to thank all those who helped financially or by giving their time to help in the organisations of these camps. They are great for the children but they are also a great amount of work for the priests.

Changes in the Canadian District

The month of August is the "official" month of transfers in the SSPX. This month will see the opening of our new priory in Vernon BC. Fathers Dominique Boulet and Emmanuel Herkel will take up residence there. Some other changes for the district: Father Nicolas Kergall has left Holy Family School to return to France. We thank Father Kergall for his devotedness and hard work at the school. I'm sure he will be missed. We welcome Father Roger Gueguen, who comes to us from France, who will be replacing him at the school. After many years in Quebec Fr Gerard Rusak is moving to Winnipeg, where he began his ministry with me in 1987. It's been a while! He will be assisted by Fr De Vriendt. In Calgary Fathers Todd Angele and Francis Ockerse will continue the good work already started. Fr Mery will join Fr Sulzen and myself in Toronto. I had hoped I could have news from attempts at purchasing a house in the the Montreal area, but at the time of writing there is no reply to our offer to purchase. In the meantime Fathers Stephen Delallo and Patrick Girouard will take up residence in Shawinigan and from there serve Montreal and Ottawa. Please continue to pray that we can find a suitable house in the Montreal area.

Relations with Rome

I enclose excerpts from last exchange of correspondence between H.L. Bishop Fellay and H. E. Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos in June. In his letter the cardinal says: "All the guaranties will be given so that the members of the Fraternity (of St Pius X) and all those who have a special attraction for this noble liturgical tradition can celebrate it freely in all your churches and places of worship." Haven't we heard that one before? They are basically granting us an indult we did not ask for and do not need and which we do not want. We are not asking for charity but for justice! They really have no idea what the struggle is about. For them the Mass is only a matter of "special attraction". So we continue.

No the fight is not over. Are we living the times Dom Gueranger prophetically spoke about: "woe to those times when the dispensers of the divine word, having themselves nought but halved or use principles, give but weak; shriveled seed to the souls entrusted to them! The Holy Ghost is not bound to supply their insufficiency; ordinarily speaking, He does not supply it, for such is not the way established by Christ for the sanctification of the members of His Church. The common Mother, however, has supplementary aid for such of her children as may be thus treated.‑ it is her liturgy. There they will find, not only the holy sacrifice which will support them, and the graces of the Sacrament of love which will nourish spiritual life within them, but moreover, the surest rule of conduct and the sublimest teaching of every virtue."1 There you have it! Maybe this is why they are so against Tradition and especially against the Mass: it is contrary to their false principles. They know their new religion is doomed if they allow the Mass. Dear Faithful keep the faith! It is all that matters. Stay attached to the traditional liturgy without compromise! Leave the rest to God; He will take care of it.

Pilgrimage to Martyr's Shrine in Midland

I remind you of the pilgrimage to Midland in honour of the Canadian Martyrs Saturday September 29th. They planted the Catholic Church in our country and watered it with their blood. Let us ask them the grace to be faithful to this same Church and for many more vocations to continue the work they began. A flyer will me mailed as soon as it is ready.

Be assured of our prayers and gratitude for your continued prayerful and financial support. As usual the monthly Mass for friends & benefactors will be on the last Sunday of the month.

With my blessing,

Father Jean Violette

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1 Dom Gueranger The Liturgical Year vol. XI Time after Pentecost Book 11 page 202.