So I’ve been reading a lot lately about the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. I’d REALLY like to find a FSSP Church around me but I can’t seem to find one any closer than Pennsylvania. Does anyone know if there is a FSSP church anywhere near Washington D.C. If I’m correct in believing that the closest FSSP Church to me is in PA, is there anything I can do to try and get an FSSP presence in the D.C. area?
Bold is mine.
Canon Law does not allow any society of apostolic life to enter a diocese unless the local bishop and its superior agree that it is good, first for the society itself. The society’s welfare comes before that of the diocese and second, it must be good for the diocese.
In order to reach such an agreement certain conditions must be met. Once it is established that the society and the diocese would benefit from its presence, then the question of sustainability has to be answered. The superior of the society has to be sure that his men are going to be paid. They can’t live if they don’t get paid. The FSSP is not a religious community. Its members are not consecrated religious. Therefore, each one is paid a salary + benefits (retirement, health insurance, life insurance and social security). I don’t know if the FSSP requires that the diocese reimburse them for daily expenses such as mileage, cell phone, internet, etc. Some societies do require this and others do not, because the job provides a car, cell phone and internet.
Once they have established financial sustainability, they must establish longevity. The superior must decide whether or not there is a fertile ground for vocations in that area. They can’t go into a place where they will not receive new members or they will die by atrition. It is the duty of the superior to keep the society alive.
Finally, there has to be a vacancy. They can’t take over a parish is there is not a parish to be taken over. This last one is rarely a problem. There is a shortage of diocesan priests and most priests who are religious do not do parish work. Bishops always welcome the possibility of consolidating men. This opens up parishes. Here comes the flip side.
The bishop must assign his own men to parishes that can pay them. He can’t give the FSSP or a religious community a parish that has financial resources and assign diocesan priests to a parish that has little or none. Diocesan priests do not work for free. They are not consecrated religious either. They must be paid and receive benefits in order to live. The parish that takes in the FSSP must have resources to keep them. Dioceses don’t pay the salaries of parish priests who are not religious. The parish pays the salary and benefits. The diocese manages those benefits packages. In some dioceses, the diocese will have enough income from special collections and drives to pay for retirement. This helps the parishes, because it’s one less expense for the parishioners.
Because the FSSP are not religious, they pay taxes. The organization is a 501(c)3. Any donations to the FSSP is tax free. Any income to any FSSP priest is not tax free. These priests pay state and federal income tax. The Society does not help them pay it, because it’s illegal. It would be income that they have to report and that just raises their tax bracket.
As you can see, you must have a need for the society, whichever one it is. You, as a community, must also be good for them. And you must be able to afford them. Finally, they must have the numbers of men to send to your area. If they spread to thin they run risks. If someone gets sick, dies or retires, they have a vacancy that they cannot fill.
Religious communities do not face all of these issues, because they have a vow of poverty. They don’t get paid salaries or benefits and they don’t get social security or pay FICA. They are less expensive to bring into a parish. Most religious communities of men do not do parish work, because they were founded for other missions and other ways of life. Most do not have men who want to celebrate the EF.
In the end, it’s a wait and see scenario if you want the FSSP itself. Otherwise,you have to find a priest who is willing to celebrate the EF and who has permission to do so. As we know, secular priests do not need permission. It’s a matter of finding one who wants to do it. That’s your other option.
Unfortunately, the Archdiocese of Washington is very small. It does not have a large number of secular priests. It has a huge population because it takes in DC, Prince George County and parts of Montgomery County. However, it has never had the numbers of diocesan priests that other metropolitan dioceses have. Most of its parishes are one or two man parishes. It’s going to be a little more challenging to find a secular priest who wants to celebrate the EF, because you have a smaller pool. There are hundreds of priess at Catholic University, but they are all members of religious orders or religious congregations. They need their superior’s permission to celebrate the EF and most are not there for the benefit of the diocese. They are attached to one of the formation houses around CUA.
You’ll have to start a prayer chain that the FSSP grows and that they and the Archdiocese will come to some agreement.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
