My dear brethren, 

In a conference given by Bishop Tissier de Mallerais in Syracuse, New York almost two years ago, (which is now being serialised in the latest Mater Dei magazine), he summarised the three-point plan of the Revolution to undermine  Christ’s reign over society:

First step: the elimination in government of Christ the King by the secularisation of the State. Hence the civil law is no longer submitted to the Gospel and the State declares unable to give a judgement of truth about religion.

Second Step: the suppression of  Mass though the separation of the Church from the State, with a resulting loss of Faith and the abandoning of the Church and the Holy Sacrifice. 

Third step: to make souls become pagan by no longer living in the state of grace. 

With the Second Vatican Council, these three points were effectively accepted by the men of the Church. Archbishop Lefebvre, however, imbued with the spirit of his Alma Mater, the French seminary in Rome under Fr Le Floch, and the great Father Denis Fahey, saw the answer to today’s crisis of Faith as consisting in a reversal of those three points. 

‘Firstly, to give the Holy Mass back to the faithful, so that they receive the graces coming from the Sacrifice of the Cross though the true Mass. This is what we are doing with our faithful. We see the fruits of sanctification. We see many families with many children, and many vocations. 

Secondly, through the traditional Mass and sacraments, to have souls living in the state of grace. That is the situation of our faithful. I think that most of them are living in the state of grace. They come regularly to Confession in order to increase sanctifying grace or to recover if they have the unhappiness to lose it. They are living in the state of grace. Children are living in the state of grace. Children are taught how to fight against the occasions of sin. 

Thirdly, with this group of Catholics living in the state of grace, they act so as to re-crown Our Lord Jesus Christ in society, and to give Him back His crown. They do this in their homes, in our Catholic institutions, little-by-little in their places of work, in their professions, to make their professions run according to the law of Jesus Christ; to be a good example at work among their fellow workers. All this is ultimately for the re-Christianisation of civil society.’  [extract from an 11^th February 2009 interview given by Bishop Tissier de Mallerais to “Catholic Family News”] 

A clear understanding of the triple-points of the Revolution over society is essential if we are to appreciate the importance of the three steps towards Our Lord’s Restoration. These considerations may serve as a fitting introduction to the latest Letter to Friends and Benefactors from our Superior General, Bishop Fellay, which develops the same themes and is included in this newsletter. 

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For other news: 

Confirmations

Please see the updated Confirmation schedule along with the times for the Pontifical Masses and Confirmation ceremonies. 

Saint Michael’s School, Burghclere

Many thanks to all those who contributed to St Michael’s School ‘fayre’ last November. A list of winners for the raffle is to be found elsewhere in this newsletter, as well as a brake-down of funds raised. Special thanks are due to Sister Mary Elisabeth and the Oblates and helpers for the Christmas puddings and calendars which did especially well at this occasion. 

I am happy to announce that the Dominican Teaching Sisters of Fanjeaux will be paying us a visit next month in the person of Mother Marie Johanna, Prioress of St Dominic School in Post Falls, Idaho, accompanied by Sister Marie Sabine. Mother has kindly accepted to give a talk at St Michael’s School on her Congregation and on the Education of Girls during a brief stop-over visit to France over the weekend 26-27^th February 2011. I do hope that many parents will attend the conference, which is provisionally scheduled for the Sunday. Further details will be available in the February newsletter, including the time of an additional Mass later in the day so as to facilitate things for people travelling from elsewhere for the occasion. 

Ireland

I was happy to have been able to visit our chapels in Belfast and Newry last month in spite of the wintry weather, and to meet the faithful who managed the adverse road conditions. In this regard, Fr Paul Bierer will now be looking after these two chapels from Dun Laoghaire, whilst Cork will henceforth be administered by the Athlone priory. 

Of your charity please remember in your prayers the repose of the soul of Brother Gerard Nichols’ mother who died on the 3^rd January; may she rest in peace. Brother has gone home to the U.S. for the funeral and will return to Athlone in due course. 

Scandinavia

Owing to the good initiative of some of the faithful in Oslo, a more central venue has been found for the celebration of Holy Mass with an resulting increase in numbers. Hence we intend to maintain our more frequent visits to Norway, which have been taking place on a monthly basis since  September last. 

Seminarians

Mr Peadar Walsh, from Cashel, is presently in his fifth year of seminary at Econe, which is an important year marked by the reception of the first two major orders, namely those of Sub-deacon and Deacon. Let us continue to remember him in our special prayers as well as the three other seminarians from this District. 

Scotland

The construction of a modest oratory for St Andrew’s House in Carluke begins this month. This will replace the temporary chapel set up in one of the reception rooms which has been used to date for private Masses and the community prayers in community which take place in all Society Houses four times daily. 

Also, the acquisition last year of a modest flat in Gateshead close to the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, has facilitated our work here, given the three hours drive from Carluke. 

The North

In addition to the projects to acquire  replacement churches in Liverpool and Keighley, as well as renovation works at the Chapel of Saint Pius X in Manchester,  the Fathers in Preston are now also facing the prospect of major structural works on Saint Mary’s House due to subsidence! 

Bristol

A new boiler has now been installed at Saint Saviour’s House  hopefully making things somewhat less penitential for visiting retreatants. . .  

London

Thanks to the generosity of the late Mrs Marguerite Brett, who bequeathed her apartment in Highgate to the Society, the Fathers now have a North London base for their apostolate close to Saint Joseph’s Church. 

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In this month dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, the following lines from St Bernard are worth taking to heart:

“There is  nothing like the name of Jesus to calm the storms of anger, nothing like it to repress self-complacency, nothing like it to heal the wounds of the soul, to stem the tide of sensuality, to quench the flames of lust, to moderate the thirst of avarice and to put to flight the whole weltering mass of loathsome temptations; nothing like the name of Jesus.’ 

Wishing you all every grace and blessing this New Year,
 

Father Paul Morgan

Superior