SSPX Australia District Newsletter – March 2010

Dear Brethren

As you are all aware, the ordinations at Goulburn were celebrated by Bishop Tissier de Mallerais on 19th December last year when Father Todd Stephens entered the ranks of the sacred priesthood. Father has been appointed to Rockdale where he has replaced his namesake, Father Jordie Stephens who has gone to Tynong.  Father Vachon has moved to Park Ridge.  All of these priests are now settled in to their new posts. Father Jordie Stephens remains the chaplain of the Third Order.  We were afraid that with the ordination of Father Stephens there would be no more Australian seminarians at Goulburn. However, the honour of our country has been saved and two ex-pupils of St.  Thomas Aquinas College, Tynong entered at the beginning of this academic year. They are cousins, Marcel and Joseph Ockerse.  Bishop Tissier was unable to visit many places during his visit but we expect that Bishop de Galarreta will be coming to Australia during the course of this year, probably in August, and will confer confirmation at various churches. The visits of both Father Niklaus Pfluger, the First Assistant of the Society and Father Nely, the Second Assistant were both successful. The former preached a retreat to the Ordinands and then passed some time in Fiji, while the latter preached a retreat to the priests of the District at Goulburn and made a brief visit to Rockdale.

Extensive building works are taking place at both of our schools at Tynong and Park Ridge.  Work is progressing on the façade of the church at Tynong which should transform its appearance from that of a farm shed to a Roman Basilica!

At the time of writing the Rosary Crusade announced by Bishop Fellay a year ago is drawing to its close. In Rome the talks between the Society and the Vatican are continuing. The question of the new liturgy has been discussed and the topic for this month is Religious Liberty. The details of these discussions have not been revealed at this stage.

Already Lent is almost over and Holy Week is fast approaching. We should all seek to attend the ceremonies of this Great Week and follow Our Lord on the way of the Cross. It is the Cross which is the sign of contradiction to this present world of materialistic pleasure seeking. As the enemies of the Cross become each day more virulent and subject the Church, Christ’s Mystical Body, to a new crucifixion, it behoves us as members of Christ’s Mystical Body to unite ourselves with Him on the Cross by dying to our sins so that we can rise with Him glorious and immortal at the end of our days.

I wish you every grace and blessing this Easter,

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Father Edward Black
District Superior