(Because this posting describes a nonSSPX site, I've posted it in "Crisis in the Church" instead of either "Resistance" forum. I hope that's what Matthew would've wanted, and I would not object to him moving it to wherever he thinks it's a better fit. I don't recall seeing the subject chapel mentioned previously on CathInfo.)
As an example of what can be done to establish a permanent independent venue for providing the
traditional Mass & sacraments, consider <
http://www.wfla.com/story/21829098/the-little-tampa-church-that-could> (
Tampa, Fla.):
[....] After raising nearly $500,000, and three years of planning and construction, congregants now have a newly built, debt-free sanctuary. The Spanish mission-style church  will be  was consecrated April 12, 2013, with a ceremony marking a new beginning and hopeful future.
(Italics added, to update Bearden's year-old story.)
Yes, the cost was held down to only
$1/2 million, beginning by purchasing "a former
Church of Christ building", and following through by tracking down less-expensive reusable items, and sometimes personally driving out-of-state round trips to truck items back to Tampa. The result is a rebuilt church--now
traditional Catholic--that's
traditionally consecrated, and that's
independent of the Diocese of St. Petersburg (Fla.). Both priests providing Masses & sacraments at the new chapel seem to be members of the
Sociedad Religiosa San Luis Rey de Francia (Religious Society of St. Louis (IX) King of France) (apparently sedevacantists).
I've not seen any ethnic analysis for the chapel, but considering that Spanish explorers/conquistadors began to make landings along the shores of Tampa Bay since the 1500s, its eventual metropolitan area has been home to substantial populations of Catholics for generations.
It makes me wonder: How many traditionally constructed & decorated Catholic churches has the diocese of St. Pete
demolished, to profit from the value of the real estate?
(Beware: The chapel's Web site (URL not shown in this posting) now has an unexpected--and unwelcome--background audio track on which a solo woman vocalist
belts out  a more-or-less hymnlike song, surprisingly in
English. Good grief! How about an understated "Ave Maria" or "Salve Regina" instead?)
Topic: Traditional churches on the cheap: (Read 662 times)