Any Regrets About Going to A FSSP Parish?

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Peggy_in_Burien said:
That is an unfair assumption.
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If you’re talking about “the average parishioner” it’s correct as far as I can tell. But that isn’t to say that there aren’t some truly devout and holy future saints at non-traditional parishes. There certainly are.

I once heard an SSPX priest in his sermon (on video) tell his “parishioners” that the reason God led them to a traditional parish is because they are worse than the average “Novus Ordo” Catholic and need all of the traditional devotions and prayers and traditional Mass to get to Heaven.
 
NO!!! NONE!!! For all the reasons already enumerated:
  1. HOLY non-ad libbed Mass
  2. Solid Catholic teaching
  3. Respect for God and persons
  4. Quiet prayer time (before, during, and after Mass)
  5. Confessions before (and usually during when there is two priests) the Mass
  6. God focused, not human focused
  7. PRIESTS WHO CARE ABOUT WORSHIPING GOD, OBEDIENCE, AND THEIR FLOCK!!!
Was the Latin Mass hard to get used to? Yes. I didn’t have anybody in person (though lots of people here, at CAF) to help me through it. I kept going, though. I’m still learning and began to go to the Latin Mass in 2008, but, the funny thing is, I think I’ve learned more Catholicism in the past three years than I have prior.

The FSSP priests are well taught; they are real priests and pastors. They (and I’m not excluding all OF priests) care about their flock and all people and want to keep as many people out of hell and get as many people as they can into Heaven.
 
adstrinity said:
NO!!! NONE!!! For all the reasons already enumerated:
  1. HOLY non-ad libbed Mass
  2. Solid Catholic teaching
  3. Respect for God and persons
  4. Quiet prayer time (before, during, and after Mass)
  5. Confessions before (and usually during when there is two priests) the Mass
  6. God focused, not human focused
  7. PRIESTS WHO CARE ABOUT WORSHIPING GOD, OBEDIENCE, AND THEIR FLOCK!!!
Was the Latin Mass hard to get used to? Yes. I didn’t have anybody in person (though lots of people here, at CAF) to help me through it. I kept going, though. I’m still learning and began to go to the Latin Mass in 2008, but, the funny thing is, I think I’ve learned more Catholicism in the past three years than I have prior.

The FSSP priests are well taught; they are real priests and pastors. They (and I’m not excluding all OF priests) care about their flock and all people and want to keep as many people out of hell and get as many people as they can into Heaven.
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I’d have to agree with this… and I found FSSP priests to be very knowledgeable, caring, and devoted to God and the Church.
 
No regrets from me, I prefer the solemn atmosphere right before Mass starts, and the chant during the High Mass.
 
I have a few. (I don’t know if you would call them regrets, more consequences)
  1. Attending our FSSP priests classes I have learned more deeply the faith and am now forced to hold myself to a higher standard of behavior.
  2. I probably spend an extra 100 bucks on gas a month to get to mass each week and other days.
  3. My family thinks I am a “Rad Trad”
  4. I now am stuck in a city I despise because where I’d like to transfer has no EF parish, and thats a sacrifice I’m not willing to make.
 
OldYoungGuy said:
I have a few. (I don’t know if you would call them regrets, more consequences)
  1. Attending our FSSP priests classes I have learned more deeply the faith and am now forced to hold myself to a higher standard of behavior.
  2. I probably spend an extra 100 bucks on gas a month to get to mass each week and other days.
  3. My family thinks I am a “Rad Trad”
  4. I now am stuck in a city I despise because where I’d like to transfer has no EF parish, and thats a sacrifice I’m not willing to make.
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You are either a saint, or stuck in Seattle!😃
 
I haven’t switched to the local FSSP chaplaincy, I’m still very involved at my local parish that reverently celebrates the Ordinary Form and faithfully teaches the truth of the faith. But I am associated with the FSSP chaplaincy in that I serve there once or twice a week and have been getting to know the priest.

One of my observations about that FSSP chaplaincy is that there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot going on other than the liturgies and devotions - not a lot of community, not a lot of other activities and ministries like you would find in an average parish of any size. That’s one reason that I would think twice about switching there permanently, even if I wasn’t so attached to my local parish. (Another reason is that I actually like a reverently and traditionally celebrated OF Mass just as much as an EF Mass.)

On the other hand, I haven’t seen much stigma around here against the EF or the FSSP chaplaincy. The common reaction seems to be, “Oh, that’s nice that they have that. I should go some day to see what it’s like.” Or at the worst, “Okay, good for them, but it’s not for me, I don’t know Latin.”
 
Bbigam said:
One of my observations about that FSSP chaplaincy is that there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot going on other than the liturgies and devotions - not a lot of community, not a lot of other activities and ministries like you would find in an average parish of any size. That’s one reason that I would think twice about switching there permanently, even if I wasn’t so attached to my local parish. (Another reason is that I actually like a reverently and traditionally celebrated OF Mass just as much as an EF Mass.)
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Community is very important to me. Thanks for sharing that.
 
Bbigam said:
No problem. Please note that this is just my experience with one particular FSSP community, others may be quite different.
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So noted. Hopefully some others will pipe in with their experience.
 
Regrets? No, not at all. I’ve found FSSP priests to be wonderful spiritual counselors and confessors, and am blessed to have two at my parish who are Fathers to their flocks in every sense of the word.

I do wish that the parish was more of a parish; we don’t have parish activities, or ways of getting to know each other or even to support one another. I recently visited a friend’s Anglican church*, and was amazed at the friendliness and fellowship at the reception afterwards. I’ve never seen anything like that at my parish, but I admit that this parish has somewhat odd circumstances attached to it that make similar activities difficult at best. (The priests drive nearly an hour each way to come and say Mass and hear confessions on Sunday evenings, so not the best time for socializing after Mass.)

In short, I find Mass to be, as that priest said, a bit of Heaven on earth, and I’ll take that over the best social hours any day.

*Nope, not planning on leaving the RCC! I’m a music nerd, and this parish has the best music anywhere in the area, hands-down.
 
Bbigam said:
I haven’t switched to the local FSSP chaplaincy, I’m still very involved at my local parish that reverently celebrates the Ordinary Form and faithfully teaches the truth of the faith. But I am associated with the FSSP chaplaincy in that I serve there once or twice a week and have been getting to know the priest.

One of my observations about that FSSP chaplaincy is that there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot going on other than the liturgies and devotions - not a lot of community, not a lot of other activities and ministries like you would find in an average parish of any size. That’s one reason that I would think twice about switching there permanently, even if I wasn’t so attached to my local parish. (Another reason is that I actually like a reverently and traditionally celebrated OF Mass just as much as an EF Mass.)

On the other hand, I haven’t seen much stigma around here against the EF or the FSSP chaplaincy. The common reaction seems to be, “Oh, that’s nice that they have that. I should go some day to see what it’s like.” Or at the worst, “Okay, good for them, but it’s not for me, I don’t know Latin.”
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TrueLight said:
So noted. Hopefully some others will pipe in with their experience.
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I will share my experience, because it is very different 🙂

at my FSSP parish, I found much more community than at my home parish that does the Novus Ordo… maybe that is because the Novus Ordo parish is very big - certainly the priest there is very friendly and welcoming 🙂

but at the FSSP parish, - I was new and went downstairs for coffee and donuts after Mass, and I didn’t really know anyone, but a lady introduced herself to me and introduced others to me as well… I met some people my age and was invited to go to lunch with them. After every High Mass on Sunday, they would go to lunch, with the priests. I came on various occasions and found a great community there. My friends even made a goodbye party for me when I had to leave. One of our friends became Catholic at the parish, and everyone was very supportive. The priests organized a “Lent day of recollection” for all the young people, which was amazing, and they even made us dinner! the priests there put SOO much effort into the parish. They’re always available for Confession, there is Confession before every Mass, always available for spiritual direction or advice as well… there were other things going on, like we all went to pray by an abortion clinic, and went out to dinner on some Fridays after the evening Mass, etc…

I think it really depends on the parish! Mine had a great community, which I noticed right from the beginning, - even when I just went to the bookstore, people were very friendly there.

God bless 🙂
 
Monica4316 said:
I will share my experience, because it is very different 🙂

at my FSSP parish, I found much more community than at my home parish that does the Novus Ordo… maybe that is because the Novus Ordo parish is very big - certainly the priest there is very friendly and welcoming 🙂

but at the FSSP parish, - I was new and went downstairs for coffee and donuts after Mass, and I didn’t really know anyone, but a lady introduced herself to me and introduced others to me as well… I met some people my age and was invited to go to lunch with them. After every High Mass on Sunday, they would go to lunch, with the priests. I came on various occasions and found a great community there. My friends even made a goodbye party for me when I had to leave. One of our friends became Catholic at the parish, and everyone was very supportive. The priests organized a “Lent day of recollection” for all the young people, which was amazing, and they even made us dinner! the priests there put SOO much effort into the parish. They’re always available for Confession, there is Confession before every Mass, always available for spiritual direction or advice as well… there were other things going on, like we all went to pray by an abortion clinic, and went out to dinner on some Fridays after the evening Mass, etc…

I think it really depends on the parish! Mine had a great community, which I noticed right from the beginning, - even when I just went to the bookstore, people were very friendly there.

God bless 🙂
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That sounds awesome! That’s how it should be.
 
TrueLight said:
So noted. Hopefully some others will pipe in with their experience.
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I think we each find as much community as we are looking for …

There is a strong element of community in my FSSP parish. It’s a small parish too so that’s important to consider, but really when it comes down to it, I really do think that we each only find what we are used to looking for.
 
There is A LOT going on with my FSSP parish, and, keep in mind, this is for a parish that really doesn’t have a church (have I mentioned that we’re squaters using another parish at the moment?)

We have brunches and pot-locks, we have a Men’s Group, we have the Altar & Rosary Society (women’s group), we have a Book Club, Women’s Chior, Men’s Chior, and, because I drive so far, but, I go to the Friday night Mass, and will be going to the First Saturday Mass and Sunday Mass, two people, one woman and one family, have offered to let me stay at their place for the first weekend of the month Fall through Spring, which is a generosity I never expected.
 
I wanted to say that this thread got me really interested in the FSSP, as I really wanted a traditional priest to instruct me.

I found a great parish where the people sing (hooray). The people including the priest were so welcoming that I signed up for one-on-one instruction, after my fist visit. The priest who is instructing me is really nice, caring and traditional. I was giving a Catechism book from the 1930’s to learn from. 😛

I can clearly see that the way everything happened, God had a hand in this, although Satan has tried to derail me (but that’s another topic).

So thanks for all the people who piped in about the FSSP!

Give honor where honor is due, right?
 
I go to an FSSP Parish when I can (it’s across town), which is usually once a month. I consider it my regular parish even though I’m at a closer OF Parish most of the time. I wish I could go every week! It’s not that I don’t like the OF, it’s just that I enjoy the EF more. The incense, the Latin, the choir. To coin a phrase, it’s like Catholic candy.

So, in the end, I guess I have no regrets!
 
Our FSSP parish is over 2 hours from my house but it is a very active parish. There is a Young Catholic group, Adult Choir, children’s choir, CCD classes, This time of the year the choir is on a well deserved break so we ONLY have the pipe organ ;). Low Masses only until September, then a Sunday High Massat 11:30am.

I have been very impressed by the friendly and welcoming folks. We now have lots of friends at North American Martyr’s in Seattle.

A big plus is that our FSSP priest has taught two local priest how to say the EF Mass and we now have a scheduled Sunday low Mass once a month locally. 👍 👍 👍
 
corsair said:
Our FSSP parish is over 2 hours from my house but it is a very active parish. There is a Young Catholic group, Adult Choir, children’s choir, CCD classes, This time of the year the choir is on a well deserved break so we ONLY have the pipe organ ;). Low Masses only until September, then a Sunday High Massat 11:30am.

I have been very impressed by the friendly and welcoming folks. We now have lots of friends at North American Martyr’s in Seattle.

A big plus is that our FSSP priest has taught two local priest how to say the EF Mass and we now have a scheduled Sunday low Mass once a month locally. 👍 👍 👍
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northamericanmartyrs.org/PatronalFeastDay2009.html
My pastor is in several of the photos taken at North American Martyrs Church. I think this was when he was learning to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass. He is holding Archbishop Brunette’s cope in two of the photos, and standing next to him under the canopy (Left side of photo) in another photo.
 
corsair said:
Our FSSP parish is over 2 hours from my house but it is a very active parish. There is a Young Catholic group, Adult Choir, children’s choir, CCD classes, This time of the year the choir is on a well deserved break so we ONLY have the pipe organ ;). Low Masses only until September, then a Sunday High Massat 11:30am.

I have been very impressed by the friendly and welcoming folks. We now have lots of friends at North American Martyr’s in Seattle.

A big plus is that our FSSP priest has taught two local priest how to say the EF Mass and we now have a scheduled Sunday low Mass once a month locally. 👍 👍 👍
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Oh, Corsair, I am so glad to hear that you are having the EF closer to you! One of these days, I still hope to meet you in person at NAM–you are, after all, the person who led me there two years ago.

Did you hear that we are getting a second priest in January (I think)?

Someday, our own church building…

😃
 
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