Archbishop Lefebvre visits Long Island Dear Friends and Benefactors,
The visit of Archbishop Lefebvre to St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary and to Farmingville, Long Island, at the beginning of November was a great success. Ceremonies of Confirmation and Ordination crowned the admirable work of the Long Islanders and their friends who so swiftly transformed a factory-floor into a prayerful church.
In the "Angelus" appears this month the text of the conference given by His Grace on the Saturday evening, and next month a picture-story on the ceremonies. One hopes the pictures will give an idea of what has been achieved. When so many church properties are being converted to the world, here is a worldly property converted into a Catholic church by what the Archbishop himself called "a minor miracle". The Faith is not dead. God's grace is still at work. It only remains for us to show our gratitude to God by the right use of His tremendous gifts.
On the Saturday night the Archbishop spoke partly on the problems of the Society, mainly on the problems (much more important) of the Catholic Church. He began by explaining why he keeps going to Rome; not in any way to compromise with the enemies of the Faith (that is obvious to anyone who has a grain of intelligence), but simply to ask for the return to Tradition. Nor, as the Archbishop made clear, does he under-estimate the difficulties at Rome for he is well aware of the entrenched opposition. Last month, those on the Seminary's mailing list received the Archbishop's comments on his exchange of correspondence with Rome; this month they find enclosed the continuation of that correspondence.
Firstly, Cardinal Ratzinger's letter of 20 July of this year to the Archbishop, which is doubly interesting. On the one hand the sections numbered 1 and 2 demonstrate that even if some of the Archbishop's friends (present and past!) misread his prolonged negotiations over the Council and the Liturgy, his adversaries in Rome are perfectly clear as to the uncompromisingness of the Archbishop's stand; on the other hand the section numbered 3 shows Rome treating the Archbishop as neither separated from Rome nor schismatic. As a whole the letter seems sympathetic, but in reality Catholic Tradition is as boxed in, before as after.
Hence secondly, you are receiving by way of the Archbishop's reply a historic document, marking a new stage in the saga of Catholic resistance to the modernist occupation of the Church by her liberal enemies. This is the Episcopal Manifesto, or Open Letter to the Pope, signed by two Bishops, the second being Msgr. Antonio de Castro-Mayer, who long battled to retain the Tridentine Mass throughout his Diocese of Campos in Brazil, until his resignation two or so years ago, since then he has had to watch Rome doing everything possible to destroy the firm Diocese he left behind him.
The contents of this letter are mostly familiar to anyone who has followed Archbishop Lefebvre's speeches and writings in his battle against the liberals. What is new is that for the first time another eminent Catholic Bishop has associated himself in public with Archbishop Lefebvre in his cry of alarm, such as St. Paul addressed to St. Peter, in defense of the Faith. Archbishop Lefebvre is no longer alone. Deo Gratias! May a third and a fourth and a fifth Catholic Bishop now join them to protect the sheep of Our Lord!
Also enclosed is the latest letter to Friends and Benefactors written by the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, and giving brief news of its progress throughout the world. This news is quietly encouraging. So too is the fact that contributions to the Seminary have picked up in the last two months. Nevertheless financial report! Leaving aside the building costs and the Building Fund, operating costs for the Seminary from July through October totaled about $84,000.00 whereas operating income for the same period was only $69,000.00. Dear friends, if Archbishop Lefebvre is defending God's cause, please continue – or begin – to support his American Seminary. And may the Sacred Heart reward you with a clear and untroubled Faith in Him through dark and troubled times!
With all good wishes and blessings,
Sincerely yours in Our Divine Lord,
Fr. Richard Williamson
The visit of Archbishop Lefebvre to St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary and to Farmingville, Long Island, at the beginning of November was a great success. Ceremonies of Confirmation and Ordination crowned the admirable work of the Long Islanders and their friends who so swiftly transformed a factory-floor into a prayerful church.
In the "Angelus" appears this month the text of the conference given by His Grace on the Saturday evening, and next month a picture-story on the ceremonies. One hopes the pictures will give an idea of what has been achieved. When so many church properties are being converted to the world, here is a worldly property converted into a Catholic church by what the Archbishop himself called "a minor miracle". The Faith is not dead. God's grace is still at work. It only remains for us to show our gratitude to God by the right use of His tremendous gifts.
On the Saturday night the Archbishop spoke partly on the problems of the Society, mainly on the problems (much more important) of the Catholic Church. He began by explaining why he keeps going to Rome; not in any way to compromise with the enemies of the Faith (that is obvious to anyone who has a grain of intelligence), but simply to ask for the return to Tradition. Nor, as the Archbishop made clear, does he under-estimate the difficulties at Rome for he is well aware of the entrenched opposition. Last month, those on the Seminary's mailing list received the Archbishop's comments on his exchange of correspondence with Rome; this month they find enclosed the continuation of that correspondence.
Firstly, Cardinal Ratzinger's letter of 20 July of this year to the Archbishop, which is doubly interesting. On the one hand the sections numbered 1 and 2 demonstrate that even if some of the Archbishop's friends (present and past!) misread his prolonged negotiations over the Council and the Liturgy, his adversaries in Rome are perfectly clear as to the uncompromisingness of the Archbishop's stand; on the other hand the section numbered 3 shows Rome treating the Archbishop as neither separated from Rome nor schismatic. As a whole the letter seems sympathetic, but in reality Catholic Tradition is as boxed in, before as after.
Hence secondly, you are receiving by way of the Archbishop's reply a historic document, marking a new stage in the saga of Catholic resistance to the modernist occupation of the Church by her liberal enemies. This is the Episcopal Manifesto, or Open Letter to the Pope, signed by two Bishops, the second being Msgr. Antonio de Castro-Mayer, who long battled to retain the Tridentine Mass throughout his Diocese of Campos in Brazil, until his resignation two or so years ago, since then he has had to watch Rome doing everything possible to destroy the firm Diocese he left behind him.
The contents of this letter are mostly familiar to anyone who has followed Archbishop Lefebvre's speeches and writings in his battle against the liberals. What is new is that for the first time another eminent Catholic Bishop has associated himself in public with Archbishop Lefebvre in his cry of alarm, such as St. Paul addressed to St. Peter, in defense of the Faith. Archbishop Lefebvre is no longer alone. Deo Gratias! May a third and a fourth and a fifth Catholic Bishop now join them to protect the sheep of Our Lord!
Also enclosed is the latest letter to Friends and Benefactors written by the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, and giving brief news of its progress throughout the world. This news is quietly encouraging. So too is the fact that contributions to the Seminary have picked up in the last two months. Nevertheless financial report! Leaving aside the building costs and the Building Fund, operating costs for the Seminary from July through October totaled about $84,000.00 whereas operating income for the same period was only $69,000.00. Dear friends, if Archbishop Lefebvre is defending God's cause, please continue – or begin – to support his American Seminary. And may the Sacred Heart reward you with a clear and untroubled Faith in Him through dark and troubled times!
With all good wishes and blessings,
Sincerely yours in Our Divine Lord,
Fr. Richard Williamson
