2013 Annual Lenten Appeal Letter
Fr. Arnaud Rostand
US District Superior
Dear Friend of Catholic Tradition:
This letter is sent full of trust that you've had a holy and fruitful Lenten season as we prepare to rejoice in the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
I want to ask you a simple-yet profound-question. Have you ever thought about what your life would be like without your local chapel or mission?
What would your life look like? Would you have access to the sacraments? Would you be walking a tightrope at a "Motu" Mass, never knowing when the "Spirit of Vatican II" might invade the sanctuary? Who would your friends be? Committed Catholics who urge you to press on when life gets difficult? Or people with a take-it-or-leave it approach to living faithfully to God's Commandments?
As I tour the US District, I'm struck by how many of you are sincerely devoted to your chapels! I'm updated frequently regarding the sacrifices and hard work from so many of you toward the maintenance and upkeep of your chapel. In supporting your chapel, you're participating in an ancient and noble practice that reaches back to the very foundation of the Church (and earlier under the Old Law with the Israelites). I encourage you to continue to be generous toward your chapel, to visit it frequently, and to make it a worthy house for our Lord Jesus Christ.
In this season of renewal and thanksgiving for the sacrifice of our Lord, I'm asking you to consider a worthy opportunity for almsgiving and make a special gift to your chapel, which depends entirely on your generosity.
As you know, it's the motto and mission of the Society of St. Pius X "To restore all things in Christ," and I trust that you share that goal and strive to achieve it in your daily life.
But you can't accomplish this mission alone. You need the support of priests and religious and fellow laymen.
You need your chapel. And your chapel needs you.
Consider all the ways your chapel plays an important part in your life, day in and day out. Think of your pastor. He says Mass, provides spiritual guidance, and prays for you. He baptizes, hears your confessions, officiates at weddings, and is there for you at the end of your life. Think of the orthodox teaching you and your family receive-teaching that may not be available elsewhere simply because a church has a "Latin Mass" each Sunday. Think of the friendships that mean so much to you and your family. Think of the experiences you share with them that help join you as Catholics against a world that hates you. All of this happens because your chapel exists.
Your chapel provides refuge from a world gone mad. When you enter into your chapel, you literally enter into the presence of God's love and mercy. You share your cares and troubles with Him without the distractions that continually hassle you on the outside. You receive supernatural graces that sustain you in the fight for the salvation of your soul. Your chapel, then, is vitally important.
One of the faithful wrote to the District Office recently to describe why his chapel is important to him:
“Our chapel embodies all that is good and noble about the Church. It has been a home to the True Mass for decades originally serviced by the Society. For some time its care fell into the hands of others more committed to liturgical customs than doctrinal purity. Yet, when forces conspired to destroy the chapel-by which I mean not merely closing its doors but ending its mission of resisting the doctrinal and liturgical dangers to the Faith initiated by Vatican II-the Society came to its rescue. The Society has kept the sanctuary lamp lit, the doors open, and the whole Truth taught from the pulpit. Although another nearby option exists for those who merely prefer a reverent Latin Mass, our chapel stands open as a gauntlet thrown in the face of the enemies of the Church proclaiming our obligations transcend our aesthetic or liturgical preferences. The truth matters! The sacrifices lived out each week by clergy and laity alike to keep the sanctuary lamp lit and the whole Truth alive challenges all Catholics to answer the question: What does it profit a man if he gains a regular reverent Latin Mass but loses his soul nonetheless in the forest of the errors and ambiguities of Vatican II?”
What an eloquent tribute to the generous graces that a chapel yields!
I'm sure you have your own testimonial about your chapel written at least in your heart.
Just as you need your chapel, your chapel needs you and relies so much on your generosity. I know that it is possible to develop a tendency to take your chapel for granted. The lights are on, heat flows from the vents, flowers are on the altar, the organ plays-everything seems to be working fine.
But things aren't always as they seem. There are always needs, both hidden and visible. Whether your chapel is small or large, new or old, your gift of any size is essential for tending to present needs, planning for the future, and supporting the SSPX in expanding our apostolates.
I know you want to do all you can to help your chapel, so as an extra incentive, I'm offering you unique packages as my way of saying "thank you" for your support (please see insert for photos and descriptions).
Please join your fellow parishioners this Easter in sending a special gift to your chapel. What a befitting way to thank God for all that He has given you!
In trusting your souls to the protection of Saint Joseph and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I assure you once again of my gratitude, my prayers and offer you with my whole heart my blessing.
Father Arnaud Rostand
P.S.: Your gift needs to be post marked no later than April 30, 2013 in order to be eligible for these special offers!