Confederate Catholic
Thanks for the reminder. Now that I think of it...about 20 years ago when I was stationed in Va Beach, local Catholics pitched in and bought 4 acres of land on Damn Neck Rd for a little under $300k. It came with a house on the property...not pretty, but had potential for a small conversion to a chapel.
Long story short, about ten years before that “Father” Williamson helped to found St Benedict’s in Chesapeake. When the Archibishop Consecrated without Papal Mandate these Traditionalists threw Fr Williamson out and gave their property to the Bishop Sullivan with a promise to provide Traditional Masses...St Benedict’s is now run by FSSP.
Back to the 90’s...because they were previously burned by Traditional Catholics in the area, Fr. Scott demanded that ownership of the land be signed over to the SSPX so that they could be sure that they would not be betrayed again. Over time the locals were out voted by the SSPX, to their disappointment, and the small house was demolished to build a “real chapel worthy of Our Lord”. Two or three years after the demolition the SSPX saw a boom in local real estate. The property was appraised at more than triple it’s original purchase price. You guessed it...the SSPX decided it would be better to sell the four acres and use the incredible profit to purchase a small existing church....
That was in 2003, last I checked, Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission, still meets at the local hotel for Sunday Mass. I’m not sure whatever happened to the property on Damn Neck Rd but it is obvious that a Church was never built.
I totally forgot how opportunistic the SSPX can be. Thanks for refreshing my memory, unfortunately.