My dear brethren,

       It has been reported that 70% of Americans have not bought a book in the past five years, whilst 58% have not opened a book since they left high-school! With the increasing ‘cultural’ Americanisation of Europe we are clearly not immune from such trends. Archbishop Lefebvre used to say that if we do not read then we shall eventually betray the combat for the Faith. Living as we do in a time when more and more of us prefer to ‘go online’ than to read real books, we too ought to fear the consequences of an inadequate literary intake. . .

       At the end of last May I accompanied Father Alan Nely, the Second Assistant to the Superior General, on his first trip to Scandinavia. He visited our Mass-centres in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and was able to address the faithful on the subject of the talks between the Rome and the Society on the question of the conciliar errors. The visit provided the occasion of assessing our modest work to date, whilst considering ideas for the future. One positive development in this regard is the Ordination to the Priesthood of our Swedish deacon, Reverend Mr Sten Sandmark, at Zaitzkofen on 26th June. It will be remembered that the Reverend Sandmark had been a well-known Lutheran minister for some thirty years prior to his conversion in 2006. At the time of writing the first assignment of Father Sandmark has not yet been announced but the ordinationof a second Swedish priest for the Society represents a great blessing and encouragement for our Scandinavian faithful, providing as it does an extra labourer in this vast northern field of apostolate. Father Hakan Lindstrom will be representing the District at the Ordinations in Zaitzkofen and I look forward to including some photos of the occasion in the next newsletter.
       Whilst on the subject of new priests I am reminded to think of senior ones also, and hence I should like to extend our best wishes to Father Alan Rolph who celebrated his seventieth birthday in May. We are grateful to Father for continuing to take care of Saint Anne’s Church in Leicester and we appreciate his dedicated support towards the Society. Having preached two retreats at Saint Dominic’s School in Post Falls, Idaho last March, I was invited earlier this month to celebrate their Graduation Mass and to give an address to those in attendance.
       The event also provided the occasion to speak with Mother General of Teaching Dominican Sisters of Fanjeaux about the education of girls from our own country. As the Congregation presently runs some nine schools in France and the USA it clearly of interest to promote further contacts with them in various ways, not least given our present limitations regarding to the education of secondary school girls. At the end of another school year the following words pronounced by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1982 to leaving pupils remain as pertinent as ever and should resume our own sentiments and aspirations:
       Dear Friends,
       At a time when so many others, pupils and students like yourselves, no longer receive a Catholic education, are no longer taught the Catholic Faith, then you must be witnesses to both. The world needs you, your country needs you, people need you to be witnesses to Our Lord Jesus Christ, witnesses to Christian civilisation. At the very moment when everything seems to be destroyed, when there is no longer true morality, when there is no more truth, when there is no more true love, true charity, then you must take up the torch and hold on to it. You must show that even in our time it is possible to be and to remain Catholic.
       I trust that you understand these things so as to respond to the teaching which has been given to you and to the devotion of all those who have supported you. I would like to thank with all my heart those devoted souls-headmasters, teachers, personnel who, with sacrifice and abnegation, have endeavoured to make of you true men and true Catholics.

(If only such sentiments were manifested in the photographs and comments of those Old Michaelians who choose to appear on whichever social net-working site!!)

 After the 5pm Sunday Mass in Woking on 18th July there will be a ‘parish-barbecue.’

am happy to report that Bishop Williamson was able to pay a visit to Menzingen recently, and also that His Lordship honoured us with his presence at the Corpus Christi by presiding the ceremonies at Saint Saviour’s House earlier in June.
Following on from the successful Turin Pilgrimage-with special thanks to the Chaplain Fr McLaughlin and group coordinator Mr John Wetherell-the Canterbury Pilgrimage is again upon us. Given the distances which separate the faithful, it is to be hoped that many individuals and families will again come together to support this important event so as to be strengthened in their attachment to Catholic Tradition.

Wishing you every grace and blessing this month of the Precious Blood

Superior