Support the FSSP mission in Mexico/Latin America

I have heard very good things about Fr. Jonathan Romanowski, FSSP for some time.  I have seen some of his talks in Spanish on the Sensus Fidelium Youtube channel.  Some readers have had very complimentary things to say about him.  The interview below was posted on The Remnant’s Youtube channel several months ago:

So I was very excited to meet him when he visited Mater Dei parish in Irving, TX this past weekend.  Father was visiting to raise funds for the FSSP apsotolate in Mexico and Latin America.  I have blogged on this effort in the past.   It is a most worthy effort, and seems to be attracting significant interest.  The parish in Guadalajara, for instance, has grown to several hundred souls.

I don’t want to shower too much unwanted praise on this priest who comes across as a bold but humble warrior for Holy Mother Church.  I think the videos below I took of some of his talks speak for themselves.  Fr. Romanowski is a man, and that’s saying something nowadays.  Priests attached to Tradition face enormous obstacles in re-instilling the traditional practice of the Faith in Mexico, where there is so much governmental and cultural hostility.  Just as a for instance, the government has seen fit to permit many immoral businesses, like late night bars, discos, and even strip clubs, all around the vicinity of the historic Catholic center of Guadalajara.  As such, the FSSP parish in Guadalajara is surrounded by bars on three sides, who blast immoral music that even penetrates into the church itself at all hours of the night.  As a bit of spiritual warfare, Fr. Romanowski informed us that they have installed speakers outside the Church to play the sermons out to the public.  That’s the kind of holy creativity and initiative we need to see more of in fighting against the rapid descent into neo-pagan sexularist barbarism.

I took several videos of Father’s talks. Sorry for the low video quality, my phone is just about kaput.  Fortunately, the audio comes through rather well.  Father Romanowski had this to say about how the TLM is received by Catholic officialdom in the bishops of the various dioceses of Mexico – he said the situation there viz a viz the TLM is about how it was in North America 25 years ago.  There is still a good deal of hostility and general negative assumptions regarding the TLM – the propagandizing of the liberals against the “Lefebvrist” Mass has been incredibly effective – but through piety and charity those barriers are slowly being penetrated.  Father told an interesting story of an elderly priest visiting their parish in Guadalajara, who started browsing through the Missal and asking questions:

“You say the Mass in Latin?”

“Yes, Father.”

“You are Lefebvrist, then?”

“No, Father.”

“But you say the Mass in Latin?”

“Yes, Father.  Father, when were you ordained?”

“1955”

“Father, this is the same Mass you offered for years before Vatican II.  We are Catholic, just like you were when you offered it.”

Even though there is much secularist (and demonic) opposition, Father Romanowski makes clear that there is still a reservoir of Catholic culture and piety in Mexico.  It is often disordered and corrupted by either superstition or noxious modern ideas, but it is still there.  Another advantage is that the political correctness – cultural marxism – that is suffocating discourse in the more developed West is unknown there.  It is must easier to speak freely and directly about important matters, rather than having to tiptoe around people’s overly sensitive feelings.

So now to the videos.  First a brief talk describing the FSSP apostolate in Mexico before his sermon, which was AWESOME, but my phone flaked out and I missed almost all of it:

The other videos are some I shot during a talk given after Mass.  They kind of hop around a bit, sorry, I was very interested in the conversation and didn’t always want to be dealing with my phone while I listened.

“Sodomite unions” – thank you Father for calling it what it is!

It is sad to hear that a quarter of the 40 odd priests ordained in Guadalajara every year leave the priesthood within 10 years.  Even though Guadalajara remains probably the most Catholic diocese in Mexico, obviously many problems remain.

How the Revolution has come to pass, obliterating the former Christendom:

The strange contrasts of remaining Catholic elements with disordered or sinful modernism on frequent display in Mexico:

Father then showed a video on the new formation house that has been acquired to help men discern potential calls to the priesthood and subsequent entrance in seminary.  The hope is that this will eventually lead to a seminary in Guadalajara for the Spanish speaking world. Try as I might I could not get it to embed in the post.  But you can watch it at the new FSSP Mexico website (in English) here.

What is needed most right now by the apostolate is financial support.  Specifically, about $700,000 to pay off this new house of formation.  The souls are coming, there are men in seminary right now, but financial resources are of course quite limited throughout much of Latin America.  Every little bit helps.  There are also opportunities for non-financial aid: website design, physically relocating to Guadalajara and helping out around the parish, etc. You can inquire through the FSSP Mexico website, where donations can be made, as well.

I was really impressed by Fr. Romanowski.  He’s funny, engaging, joyful, but also very serious and knowledgeable. He seems in every respect a most dedicated warrior for Christ and shepherd of souls…….both very rare commodities these days.  Of course I do not know him well but every indication I have received has only reconfirmed all the good things others have said about him.