I have been studying the Traditional Catholic Faith in the past few months. I was baptized Catholic (I think) shortly after the V2 council. I attended a parochial school from K thru 8 and then a "Catholic" high school where I did learn some Catholic History including the history of antipopes. I was Confirmed (I think) in the 1980's. I became a Cafeteria Catholic in college and returned to orthodoxy and what I thought was the Catholic Church shortly after.  I was always pro-life and I joined a "Catholic" young adults group as well as some "Catholic" Charismatic prayer groups in my area. I was introduced to the Latin Mass on a visit to EWTN in the late 1990's. I learned a lot more about the Catholic Faith by watching EWTN and listening to a Catholic radio station and attending lots of Catholic retreats. Unfortunately I now recognize I was getting an altered version of the True Catholic Faith. About 10 years ago I met some Traditional Catholics in my area through prolife work, but they lacked charity and I was turned off from the Latin Mass because of their fanatical and judgmental ways. I have forgiven them, and I am now starting to believe that they were just poor and weak messengers, and I decided to take another look at the Traditional Catholic groups.  For years I was told that the liberal priests and nuns who are so against the prolifers were just twisting Vatican II to suit their own agendas. I recently read the V2 docuмents on the Vatican's website, and I finally saw the heresies they contain. I have also read why the Novus Ordo Mass is invalid, The Plot Against the Church, the 1936 article on the Jєωιѕн Peril from the Catholic Gazette of London, and Ratzinger's heretical writings in Principles of Catholic Theology.  I know about the FSSP, the SSPX, the SSPV, the CMRI, the Thuc line, the Siri Pope Gregory XVII folks, and others. I have read the writings of Father Luigi Villa and I know about Malachi Martin and Fr. Rama Coomaraswamy. I have studied the varying opinions and I am leaning towards a Sedevacantist or Sedeimpedist (sp??) position. I stopped attending the Novus Ordo Mass because I could not stand the casual worship anymore. I will not attend a diocesan Latin Mass or the FSSP, and I am still hesitant to go to the Sedevacantist chapel near me because I do not know if the priest has true apostolic succession. I am living like the Japanese Catholics or the English Recusants who did not have priests or Mass for centuries. I do this by trying to make a Spiritual Communion daily, also a Perfect Act of Contrition when I sin, and by reading Traditional Catholic writings including the writings of the Saints. I also pray the Rosary and pray to Our Lady of Good Success. I have rejected the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and all popes after Pius XII.  So where do I turn for a valid Latin Mass??? I live between Tampa and Orlando.

My in-laws live in Lakeland, Florida.  When we visit, we go to a chapel in Tampa:

Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel
2404 E. Stuart St., Tampa, FL 33605

http://www.immaculateheartofmarychapel.com/

If this is the chapel you say you are hesitant to go to, I suggest you make an appointment with one of the priests and discuss your concerns.  I am sure he will put your concerns to rest.

To TKGS,

Thanks. I talked to the priest at the Immaculate Heart Chapel in Tampa that you mentioned. He said he is Sedevacantist but does not require me to hold that belief. However, when I talked to him, I forgot to ask him about his Apostolic succession. Do you know?

Thanks!

About 10 years ago I met some Traditional Catholics in my area through prolife work, but they lacked charity and I was turned off from the Latin Mass because of their fanatical and judgmental ways. I have forgiven them, and I am now starting to believe that they were just poor and weak messengers, and I decided to take another look at the Traditional Catholic groups.  

That seems to happen a good bit.  I'm so glad you've heard His call over all the noise, and that you've found some thoughtful assistance here.  

You seem to be ahead of the game, SeekerofTruth. [....]  Have you looked into Sacred Heart Traditional Chapel in Orlando?

Whether one types the phrase "orlando traditional catholic", or "traditional catholic orlando", into an Internet search engine, whether it's the privacy-hostile <www.google.com>, or the privacy-conserving <ixquick.com/>, the first nonadvertising result is <orlando-sacred-heart.org> (the customary "www." being optional).  That's exactly the Web site you'd want to find.

The church provides a remarkably extensive slate of Masses and devotions (I've been told that the Missale Romanum is a 1948 edition).  A link to its regular "SCHEDULE" is in the middle section of the menu-stripe on the Web site's main page, just below the name-plate.  The header content below the name-plate provides not only the church's address, but also (for the directionally challenged) its latitude & longitude.


As for apostolic succession:
Pastor Louis Montelongo was ordained to the Catholic priesthood, according to the traditional rite, by independent Bp. Timothy Hennebery (R.I.P. June 2012).
Asst. Pastor Jonathan Derrington was ordained to the Catholic priesthood, according to the traditional rite, by independent Bp. Patrick Taylor (for whose valid succession through Bp. Thuc, Fr. Rama Coomaraswamy specifically cited confirmation by Fr. Malachi Martin's highly placed sources).

Who the h&!! down-voted me? Either he doesn't  like the long-suffering Catholic East, or is upset that some Uniates uphold the Infallible doctrine of EENS better than some Trads.

Quote from: IllyricuмSacrum (Sep 4, 2014, 8:57 am)

You seem to be ahead of the game, SeekerofTruth. [....]  Have you looked into Sacred Heart Traditional Chapel in Orlando?

Whether one types the phrase "orlando traditional catholic", or "traditional catholic orlando", into an Internet search engine, whether it's the privacy-hostile <www.google.com>, or the privacy-conserving <ixquick.com/>, the first nonadvertising result is <orlando-sacred-heart.org> (the customary "www." being optional).  That's exactly the Web site you'd want to find.

The church provides a remarkably extensive slate of Masses and devotions (I've been told that the Missale Romanum is a 1948 edition).  A link to its regular "SCHEDULE" is in the middle section of the menu-stripe on the Web site's main page, just below the name-plate.  The header content below the name-plate provides not only the church's address, but also (for the directionally challenged) its latitude & longitude.


As for apostolic succession:
Pastor Louis Montelongo was ordained to the Catholic priesthood, according to the traditional rite, by independent Bp. Timothy Hennebery (R.I.P. June 2012).
Asst. Pastor Jonathan Derrington was ordained to the Catholic priesthood, according to the traditional rite, by independent Bp. Patrick Taylor (for whose valid succession through Bp. Thuc, Fr. Rama Coomaraswamy specifically cited confirmation by Fr. Malachi Martin's highly placed sources).

It is my understanding that +Taylor was a Novus Ordo presider who received conditional ordination from a valid schismatic bishop and later received consecration through the same lineage. Years later he received conditional consecration from the +Thuc and Duarte-Costa/Castillo-Mendez lines. If he carries the lines from "Bishops" Coomaraswarmy and Martin (Gaston-Lopez), then that could be a problem, especially if they are his chief lines of succession. Please enlighten me.

Illyricuмsacrum - you are lying again.  If you are not bright enough to click on the link(therefore remaining on the main page), then you would not have even seen a "couple of pictures".  There is only one picture of +Kelly and +Mendez on the main page.  Despite all of that, you still have yet to admit the "existence of these photos" and all of the immaculate docuмentation provided.