The Lord’s Vineyard

After serving as General Secretary of the FSSP in Switzerland, Fr Armand de Malleray returned to the English and Welsh mission in August 2008 for a second tour of duty. He has been joined by Fr Simon Leworthy. Here, Fr de Malleray updates us on the FSSP’s apostolate.

It is now eight months since the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) transferred its English residence from London to Reading, Berks. There are now two priests living communal life in a small rented house in the town. We have been granted official faculties by Bishop Crispian Hollis of Portsmouth. In Reading, nearly one hundred souls, half of whom are children, attend weekly Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary Form in the Church of St William of York. The very youthfulness of the community indicates that the ‘Old’ Rite appeals to families and young people. Holy Mass is also offered every day and on all Holy Days in the church.

The parish priest, Fr Golding, has been welcoming. When studying canon law in Ottawa he visited the personal parish of the FSSP in that city and saw the fruitful relations between the Traditional community entrusted to the Fraternity and the rest of the diocese. This made him confident when it was proposed that the FSSP become active in his own parish.

Among other things, he advertises the Extraordinary Form Masses in the parish newsletter, as well as the retreats, prayer group and family days organised by our Traditional community. Relations with the parishioners are cordial. Some of them occasionally attend Traditional Masses and last November some of the Traditional faithful who live locally attended the blessing of graves with myself and other clergy and laity from the Reading pastoral area.

Pastoral activities

As I was accustomed to do when I served at St Bede’s, Clapham Park, London, I also readily meet with the local clergy and occasionally hear confessions in neighbouring parishes. I also serve in other locations within the Portsmouth diocese. These include Douai Abbey, Berkshire, where I have just preached my fifth retreat. I also recently gave days of recollection in Portsmouth Cathedral and in Lyndhurst (New Forest), both in March.

Lastly, I and my confrére, Fr Simon Leworthy (from Australia), offer Mass once a month on the Isle of Wight. We make ourselves easily available for hearing confessions and administering other sacraments, and for teaching the Faith and giving spiritual direction. Like any faithful, those attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite find it beneficial when they can have access not only to the Mass but also to the various other means of sanctification instituted by Holy Mother Church.

With the approval of Bishop Peter Doyle of Northampton, the FSSP also offers Mass every Sunday at 5.00 pm at Sacred Heart Church in Flitwick (near Luton). Other ministry, mainly in the South East, includes days of recollection in Westminster, Kent and Sussex, etc., talks to students and spiritual direction.

A more discreet but very important ministry is the support offered to clergy, particularly as regards the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. The tutorial DVD, recently issued by the FSSP and EWTN was officially launched by myself in London in February and can now be ordered from the contact address below. I have also resumed my monthly ‘Art for Souls’ tours in the main London art galleries. The tours are free and open to all. Recently at the National Gallery, about thirty people followed a one-hour presentation on the theme, ‘Christ’s Saving Passion’, illustrated by famous paintings. With permission from Bishop Alan Hopes, auxiliary bishop in Westminster, I also answer pastoral requests in London, in particular among the French-speaking community, to whom I deliver a doctrinal lecture once a month.

Planning for the Future

For improved pastoral efficiency, one year ago the former British Region of the FSSP was divided into two entities, each directly under the FSSP General House in Switzerland. FSSP England, under my direction, now deals with all matters regarding the FSSP in England and Wales, and FSSP Scotland, under Fr John Emerson in Edinburgh, concentrates on the apostolate north of the border. Financial support to FSSP England will therefore be used exclusively for the apostolate in England and Wales. Your financial help will be gratefully received, particularly as the FSSP is the only Traditional priestly community serving in England and Wales with episcopal permission, though at this stage we are not financially supported by the dioceses.

Furthermore, we are in the process of purchasing a house close to St William of York Church in Reading. To this end we have been granted a £100,000 loan, which we hope to pay back in the not too distant future. If you think that priests trained and serving according to the Roman Traditions of the Church are urgently needed in England and Wales, please kindly consider sending us your offering.

Father Leworthy and myself hope to meet as many of the faithful as possible at the First Solemn Mass of Fr Matthew Goddard FSSP, at St James’s Church, Spanish Place, London W1, on Whit Saturday, 6 June, at 11.00 am. Matthew Goddard is one of two British FSSP seminarians to be ordained this year, the other being the Rev. Mr William Barker.

Please pray for our priests and seminarians. We pray for you.

To order the DVD, please send a cheque for £19 per DVD (made payable to ‘FSSP England’) to: Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, 179 Elgar Rd, Reading RG2 0DH.

Tel: 0118 987 5819; or visit: www.fssp.org. Please remember to include your own full postal address.

[Taken from "Mass of Ages" May 2009, The Latin Mass Society's quarterly magazine]