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| SSPX Pilgrimage to Tsechenstochau |
This was written by the District Superior for East Europe, Fr. Karl Stehlin in his Christmas letter.
The Society can only devote twelve priests in eastern Europe. Actually, the present pastoral work would require thirty priests -- so says Father Stehlin.
In Warsaw the Fathers will be shortly leading a third old Mass on Sunday.
Every week there are about four hundred Catholics who appear for Mass -- doubled the number as there were two years ago.
The Brick Work of the Gymnasium Stands
According to Father Stehlin the reason for the growth are Society's new schools.
They are attracting young families.
At the Pius elementary school sixty children are being instructed and the Gymnasium [high school] there are 46.
The student population has jumped a third in comparison to last year.
That's why the Society is presently planning to increase the size of its Gymnasium.
The new construction will accommodate the separation of the boys and girls so that the instruction can be tailored to the respective genders.
The brickwork of the new school was recently completed.
Churches and Chapels are bursting at the seams
There are nine Society priests active in Poland.
For the Ascension the Society is establishing its fourth priorate in the country in the Pomeranian village of Baersee (Bajerze) -- not fare from the city of Kulm.
From these bases the Society can serve more chapels.
A new chapel opened recently in October in the city of Posen [Pzchyzchńyzyń].
A hundred Catholics came to the opening of this chapel.
In many locales these chapels are bursting at the seems and the Society is collecting donations for the construction of proper churches.
Churches destroyed during the Communist occupation
In Lithuania three priests are in a priory. From there, they serve the faithful in White Russia and Russia.
The chapels there are still very small.
In Estonia the Society is planning the building of a church. At the present there are problems with a building permit.
Here the Society is being helped by Lutheran preachers, says Father Stehlin:
"We're dreaming, that after his conversion he will open a Catholic school for Estonia."
In Latvia, a certain Father Valerius, about whom Father Stehlin has no further information, is taking care of the construction of a church and a rectory.
In all of the Baltic countries, many conversions of from Protestantism are being made.
The Society have to scrimp and scrape because of the shortage of priests and resources.
There are already vocations
The work of the Society is awakening vocations in Eastern Europe.
Seven seminarians are presently studying in the seminary of Zaitzkofen near Regensburg.
A Polish seminarian will be formed in the seminary of Ecône in Switzerland.
Link to kreuz.net...
Photo: © Piusbruderschaft.de
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