You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men. You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but nupon a cadlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Mat 5:13-16)

For all you are the children of light, and children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (1 Thes 5:5)

Menzigen, the Inheritors, Replaced the Creators

Most people don't know or have forgotten that what is today known as "the SSPX" was at one time, at its roots, a handful of faithful that got together to have a mass at someones home. From these humble beginnings, by God's Grace these independent "chapels", grew into a group big enough to rent a location, and eventually to buy a building to house the mass, what they could finally call a chapel. It was all done by the parishioners. It was all of God, or it would never have grown. God sent them priests, and eventually he sent Abp. Lefevbre . These chapels eventually asked Abp. Lefevbre to send them a priest. Now, this was the monumental moment that brought us to where we are today. Because from a bad past experience with priests taking the properties, the Abp. asked that the independent chapel hand over the property in return for his group (the SSPX was all Abp. Lefevbre at that time) supplying the priest and himself, bishop. This process happened over the years to every single chapel in what is called today "the SSPX". The SSPX did not start any chapel, they were all started each in the way I described, by a handful of faithful by the Grace of God.

This period of grass roots growth was of the children of light. Abp. Lefevbre and many others (Bishop de Castro Mayer, Fr. Hector Bolduc, Fr. Carl Pulvermacher...) as good shepherds lead the sheep to good pastures. The growth came from the faithful being led to good pastures and the faithful happily paying the way. Churches, seminaries and seminarians, were all paid by the faithful, and the leadership was transparent a light shining before men, that they could see the good works. Then, all these founders passed away, Abp. L, Bishop de Castro Mayer, Fr. Hector Bolduc....

Like all great human endeavors, eventually those that created, developed and sustained them, eventually die and are replaced by others not of the same caliber. The SSPX (faitful and clergy) were replaced by others not of the same metal, not founders and builders like the others, but inheritors, bureaucrats. It took some 15 years after the death of Abp. L for these inheritors to change what once was the SSPX Light of the World, a union of independent chapels started and nurtured by a handful of faithful and Abp. L (and others).  

Today the SSPX is a very rich organization centralized organization run by, I believe, only 2 or 3 men. An organization made rich by the practice of exchanging a priest for properties. An organization (of 2 0r 3 men) that is beholding to no one, and is anything but transparent, and anything but a light shining before men, that they could see the good works. Everything is hidden now. We now, 2 0r 3 men now say "We know what is best, just follow us".

I believe that change in direction of the SSPX is a punishment from God upon those that let their growth go to their heads. It is not God's intention at this time that his people have anything but the true mass. We have been in a period of darkness for over 60 years at least, it is not in God's plan for our time for us to build monuments and "change the conciliar church". Our times are for what took place at the beginnings of the  SSPX described above, a time for a handful of faithful to gather in houses, hotels, small chapels, to have the mass.  That is all God will grant us at this time. Those that aspire to build the Church anew, have let their success go to their heads. They will all fall, and out of the ashes will emerge the new traditionalist, once again the creators, a handful of faithful will have a mass at someones house and begin the process anew. Maybe this time, by the time, an Abp. L dies, we will have a pope sent by God to take over, and this chastisement will have ended.

Last trad:

Today the SSPX is a very rich organization centralized organization run by, I believe, only 2 or 3 men. An organization made rich by the practice of exchanging a priest for properties. An organization (of 2 0r 3 men) that is beholding to no one, and is anything but transparent, and anything but a light shining before men, that they could see the good works. Everything is hidden now. We now, 2 0r 3 men now say "We know what is best, just follow us".

I think I agree with you.  The neo-SSPX is hardly transparent, as you say, virtually owned and run by the 'Wizard of OZ,' and a few of his cronies at the top, with at least one confessed zionist making some of the business investment decisions in harness, apparently, with the Jaidhoff bunch.

But Last trad, wasn't the whole process of growth set off by the archbishop and his 'priests for properties' scheme, in a kind of Iranian 'oil for food' arrangement?  If so, then doesn't he bear at least some responsibility for sowing the seeds of eventual decline?  

Inheritors, Replaced the Creators

It was all done by the parishioners.

The SSPX did not start any chapel, they were all started each in the way I described, by a handful of faithful...

The growth came from the faithful ...and the faithful happily paying the way. Churches, seminaries and seminarians, were all paid by the faithful,

An organization made rich by the practice of exchanging a priest for properties.

Your version of the history of the early days of the SSPX is fantasy.

Whatever your feelings of today's SSPX, your tone is decidedly anti-clerical and condemnable. As if, somehow, the faithful provide the faith and the priests' consecrated hands are bit actors.

Most people don't know or have forgotten that what is today known as "the SSPX" was at one time, at its roots, a handful of faithful that got together to have a mass at someones home. From these humble beginnings, by God's Grace these independent "chapels", grew into a group big enough to rent a location, and eventually to buy a building to house the mass, what they could finally call a chapel. It was all done by the parishioners. It was all of God, or it would never have grown. God sent them priests, and eventually he sent Abp. Lefevbre . These chapels eventually asked Abp. Lefevbre to send them a priest. That is exactly how we remember. In the 70s, our group in Des Moines, IA started recruiting retired priests to say Mass for us: Fr. Aldera, Fr. Ring, Fr. John O’Connor (not the Dominican), Fr. Stephen Albert Nogαy…then we learned about the SSPX and contacted ABL.

That is exactly how we remember. In the 70s, our group in Des Moines, IA started recruiting retired priests to say Mass for us: Fr. Aldera, Fr. Ring, Fr. John O’Connor (not the Dominican), Fr. Stephen Albert Nogαy…then we learned about the SSPX and contacted ABL.

In late 1978 or beginning of 1979, Fr. Cekada, Fr. Dolan and Fr. Jenkins started to offer a monthly Mass for us in homes, then we rented a chapel in a military base just for the Sunday use and later bought the chapel in Beach, IA. We had to move a few months after the purchase and finding a job near a chapel wasn’t easy then but with God’s help we always found one although not an easy drive. Better jobs had to be sacrificed for Mass locations, but in the end...it all worked out.

Those days may be here again.