March 25, 2023.
Dear Friends and Benefactors
We unite ourselves to the joy of our confreres and the faithful of Saint Mary's, KS.
After so many years of waiting, they have the joy of having a beautiful and large church that will allow them to enhance the beauty of the liturgy and, as St. Pius X emphasized at the very beginning of his pontificate, liturgical beauty is a necessity for the people of God,.
This is a profound grace for them and for all of us, as Saint Mary's remains the jewel of Catholic tradition in the US.
Thus, we publicly congratulate our confreres for this beautiful building and join in their thanksgiving.
The picture is quite different here at the seminary, where our ceremonies are still taking place in a big conference room, as those who follow the STAS livestream can see. So let us follow the patient example of our confreres in Saint Mary's, who had to wait so long before they could celebrate their liturgical services with dignity.
Why do we not build a chapel that would allow for the liturgical pomp, as we would expect in a seminary? And how much more would we expect this building to advance, since it is planned to close and complete the cloister.
The answer is simple: we do not yet have the financial means.
Despite rumors, the cost of the seminary building still needs to be fully repaid. In addition, we have recently faced an increase in bank lending rates.
Even though we still have relatively low rates, thank God, this rate increase, combined with the ongoing repayment of our debt, is affecting our budget.
Thanks to God and your generosity, we are able to meet our payment deadlines.
Providence loves to make us feel that our greatness lies in being dependent. Our greatness is also to reach out and tell you the truth: the seminary is not yet fully paid, and we are far from starting the construction of the church. Our debt is still significant.
So, poor, we come to you asking for your help in this beautiful and urgent work of the formation of priests.
Do not think that a small donation has no value: in the eyes of God, it counts the same as larger alms. Moreover, small streams make large rivers and are indispensable. Too often we mistakenly think that our donations are so small that they are not worth it; on the contrary, God loves to use what is small to build great things. It is thus in both the spiritual life and the material world. Our God is the God of creation, ex nihilo!
Let us repeat it: we are sorry that a rumor has distorted reality. However, we have a duty of justice to pay down our debt first.
The works of material mercy are important and cannot be neglected. Alsmagiving covers a multitude of sins and allows us to repair our many errors.
But the works of spiritual mercy are even more valuable, as spiritual poverty is much more troubling than material poverty. If material stones have particular importance, how much more do spiritual stones. Stone buildings exist only to help build the spiritual edifices of souls.
That is why we invite you to order the small booklet that we have translated and that will soon be available entitled Angels of the Priesthood by Msgr. Ambroise Leblanc. In a few straightforward pages, he invites us to consecrate ourselves to prayer and sacrifice in order to work for the holiness of consecrated souls – and especially for the souls of priests.
Priests are necessary for establishing the kingdom of Christ, and they are particularly attacked today. Who can be surprised that these attacks come from the enemies of the Church? On the other hand, let us not add our voices to these criticisms. Let us take care of our priests through our prayers and sacrifices.
This very simple booklet could be an invaluable aid for priests today. Please, do not hesitate to order it.
May God help you to penetrate the mystery of charity that unfolds in the sacred days of Holy Week, and may he give you a share in the joy of his Resurrection.
In Christo Sacerdote et Maria,
Fr. Yves le Roux