PRIVATE AUDIENCE OF THE PRIOR GENERAL AND THE SOVEREIGN PONTIFF

On the 24th June 2024, the 45th anniversary of his Priestly Ordination by Saint John Paul II, Monsignor Gilles Wach, Prior General of our Institute, was received in private audience by His Holiness Pope Francis, accompanied by Monsignor Rudolf Michael Schmitz, Vicar General of the Institute, and by Canon Louis Valadier, Provincial of France.

This audience was an occasion to thank the Holy Father for his inspiring Apostolic Letter, Totum amoris est, dedicated to Saint Francis de Sales, our Patron Saint. Monseigneur Wach was also able to present all the pastoral work carried out by the priests of the Institute throughout the world in the service of souls. On two occasions, the Pope insisted that we continue to serve the Church according to our own, proper charism, in the spirit of unity and communion which the harmony and balance of the Salesian spirituality allow. The Holy Father also expressed his gratitude for the prayers and for the apostolic and missionary work of the Sister Adorers.

At the end of the meeting, the Holy Father invited our Prior General to visit him again with all the members of the Institute, as well as the Sister Adorers, whom he would be very happy to receive in audience.

TWO NEW PRIESTS ORDAINED

Always with thanks to God, two new priests for eternity have been ordained at Gricigliano, the Institute seminary near Florence, Italy on the feast of St. Francis de Sales.

His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke ordained Canon Morrow and Canon Ringeval las Monday.

Hopefully one or both will visit us soon.

2023 ORDINATION PHOTOGRAPHY

With due credit to the seminarians of Gricigliano who took these beautiful photographs, we are pleased to present a chronicle of the 2023 Ordinations in Florence.

Presentation of the Cassock and Incardinations

Minor Orders conferred by His Lordship Bishop Madega, Bishop of Mouila in Gabon

Major Orders conferred by His Grace Archbishop Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco, USA, in the presence of His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

Te Deum of Thanksgiving celebrated by His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke followed by dinner and fireworks

DIACONAL ORDINATIONS

Florence, 5th July 2023

This morning, in the presence of His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, His Grace, the Archbishop of San Francisco, the Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone conferred Holy Orders upon 5 subdeacons and 6 deacons at the Church of Santi Michele e Gaetano.

On Monday, a group of seminarians at the end of their first year received their cassocks. Meanwhile, on Tuesday the minor orders of porter, lector, acolyte and exorcist as well as the clerical tonsure were conferred.

Deo gratias!

FOUR NEW PRIESTS FOR ETERNITY

On Saturday 1st April 2023, just before Holy Mother Church began the ceremonies of Holy Week, four young deacons were ordained to the Holy Order of the Sacred Priesthood at the Church of Saints Michael and Gaetano, Florence by His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke.

Canon Dodd, Great Britain (pictured second left)
Canon McCowen, Great Britain (pictured third left)
Canon Wells, United States of America (pictured far right)
Canon Bell, United States of America (pictured far left)


Tu es sacérdos in ætérnum secúndum órdinem Melchísedech.

THE DEATH OF CANON HENRIQUE FRAGELLI

Dear Friends of the Institute,

On this first day of the month of March, dedicated to St. Joseph, patron saint of a good death, it is with great sadness that we inform you that Canon Henrique Fragelli passed away early this morning in Brazil at the age of 59 years after suffering from a pulmonary infection.

Ordained to the priesthood on July 3, 2008 by His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, he exercised his priestly ministry in Wausau, in the diocese of La Crosse (United States), then in Oakland (United States) and finally in Mouila (Gabon).

Through his tireless work and great zeal, he was able to give new life to our mission in Mouila. He established a school, a dispensary and an orphanage.

Having contracted Covid in the spring of 2021, he had to be hospitalised for a long time. Many of you prayed for his recovery. After his miraculous recovery, his health became very fragile.

Deeply grateful for the spiritual support you have generously offered him, I now ask you to pray for the repose of his priestly soul. May he who gave his life in the service of Holy Mother Church within the family of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest now receive the eternal reward promised to those who labor in the vineyard of Our Blessed Lord.

I also entrust the family of Canon Fragelli to your prayers in this time of sorrow, as well as all those who are afflicted by his passing.

Throughout this holy season of Lent, may our Mother of Sorrows strengthen us all in the hope of the Resurrection of her divine Son and in the joyful expectation of the heavenly life to come.

Requiescat in pace.

In Christo Rege,
Msgr. Gilles Wach
Prior General

ORDINATIONS ON THE FEAST OF ST FRANCIS DE SALES

On the 29th January last, the feast of Secondary Patron of the Institute St Francis de Sales, Abbés Almeida and Henry were ordained to the Sacred Priesthood by His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke.

Photography from the Ordaination Mass and the First Masses of both new Canons:

Ordination Mass

First Mass of Canon Henry

First Mass of Canon Almeida 

GEORGE CARDINAL PELL RIP

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of Cardinal George Pell. He was 81. His private secretary, Fr. Joseph Hamilton said that His Eminence died in Rome on Tuesday night.

His Eminence was ordained priest on the 16 December 1966, Consecrated Bishop on the 21 May 1987 and created a Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church on the 21st October 2003 Saint John Paul II.

Cardinal Pell was a previous visitor to the Institute Motherhouse at Gricigliano in March 2021 when he took part in the liturgies for the Annuntiation.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.
Amen.
May his soul
and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

 

THE DEATH OF POPE BENEDICT XVI

Benedict XVI's coat of arms

 

Pope Benedict XVI
Born: 16 April 1927
Ordained Priest: 29 June 1951
Consecrated Bishop: 28 May 1977
Created Cardinal: 27 June 1977
Pope, Bishop of Rome, Successor of Peter and Vicar of Christ: 19 April 2005 – 28 February 2013
Died: 31 December 2022

God, Who, in Thine ineffable providence, didst will that Thy servant Benedict,
should be numbered among the high priests, grant, we beseech Thee,

that he, who on earth held the place of Thine only-begotten Son,
may be joined forevermore to the fellowship of Thy holy pontiffs.
Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son,
Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
Amen.