I would appreciate it if anyone who goes to the chapel in Phoenix would send a PM to me with an update of what is going on there.  I have been gone for several months but will be returning soon and would like to know what the "tone" is back home.  All messages will be kept in strictest confidence and will not be shared with anyone.  In the interest of full disclosure I am in the "resistance camp".

Thanks,
Marsha

What does the church look like? I tried finding information on it before, but the only website I could find was a page for the church that is under construction. Google Maps also doesn't show anything at its address.

I ask because I wanted to visit the church in a couple of months when I go to visit AZ.

The current church is not much to look at but we are in the process of fund raising for a beautiful new church.  The current one was bought from some protestant group so does not have the proper architecture to turn it into a traditional looking church.  We do have a beautiful altar in the main church and the retreat chapel was built from scratch and though small has an "old world" feel to it.  I'm not sure if it is open during non-retreat times though.

The grounds are nothing to see.  Consists of a parking lot, orange orchard and ball field.  

Because the church is in a "bad" neighborhood everything is kept locked up so you won't even be able to go in the church unless a devotion is in progress or of course it is Sunday.

SSPX page on chapel

Shortly after I left 3 of the 4 priests (the experienced ones) were transferred to various other locations.  I know nothing of the new priests who are there now.

I just heard that they are going from 3 Masses on Sunday down to 2 - 7am and 9 am.  I don't know if that is because of a drop in attendance or for some other reason.  Our attendance used to go up in the winter because of the snow birds who come to AZ starting in November.

The church is set back from the road with a tall stucco fence in front so you probably won't see anything on google but the fence.

Shoot me a PM when you come to Phoenix and if it's a Sunday in April or later we could meet after Mass for the ubiquitous donut and coffee in the hall  

Marsha

Any news on what's going on at Our Lady of Sorrows chapel in Phoenix?  We left at the beginning of Advent after nearly twenty years due to changes the new pastor had put into effect.  I understand there have been many more since then, possibly more serious than what we left for.  Our hope was to return some day but that sounds less and less likely as time goes on.  

I realize my previous post was a little too uncharitable. The new prior is a young priest; he must be exhausted from taking care of the priory, school, and retreat house. The higherups in the SSPX appointed him, when they should have appointed someone with experience to take care of Our Lady of Sorrows. If he can't cope with the stress, I'm afraid Fr. Riccomini will be ruined, as an SSPX priest told me.

part of the cynisism of neo sspx,

I do mean Fr. Riccomini. He's the prior and retreat-master, from what I've heard; if I'm wrong, correct me.

QVP:

Quote

The new prior is a young priest; he must be exhausted from taking care of the priory, school, and retreat house. The higherups in the SSPX appointed him, when they should have appointed someone with experience to take care of Our Lady of Sorrows. If he can't cope with the stress, I'm afraid Fr. Riccomini will be ruined, as an SSPX priest told me

You say the sspx higherups appointed him over someone who might be better experienced.  Do you have any idea why.  Where did Fr. R receive his seminary training?  Is he an American?  How many years has he been a priest.  Has he exhibited strong loyalty to Bp. Fellay?  I mean, is he pretty vocal about it?
Also, QVP, another question:  Are you aware of well over one hundred people having left  Our Lady of Sorrows over, say, the last five years?

Fr. Frank Riccomini was in my class. Class of 2007.

He was the only one out of 10 solid, promising seminarians that was ordained.

He was starting his 3rd year (out of 6) when Fr. Le Roux came to the seminary. So he had 2 years of +Williamson, then a good 4 years of Fr. Le Roux changes during the final years of his formation.

Oh, and he went straight into 1st year. He didn't do the extra Humanities "0 year" under +Williamson like I (and others in his class) did. So he had a very small dose of +Williamson.

He is an American, obviously of Italian extraction. He was from St. Mary's -- I think his family has been there for some time. He was of average age -- maybe slightly on the young side. Though he was around 20, his parents had another baby back home while he was in the seminary! Classic Italian family! :)  I forgot how many siblings he had, but it was into the double-digits.

His father died of a heart attack during Frank's 3rd year. As I mentioned, the youngest child in that family was an infant.

I know Fr. Riccomini was recently ordained when my own father passed away in 2007 -- he sent me a short letter with his condolences, stating that he was going to offer a Mass for my father's soul. I'd say he's a good man, and I'm sure he is trying to be a good priest, but he's the kind of man who likes to be mainstream and not stand out.

I got along with him just fine, though I wouldn't say we were especially "close". Mostly because I was eccentric, while he was quite the opposite.

I do mean Fr. Riccomini. He's the prior and retreat-master, from what I've heard; if I'm wrong, correct me.

Yes, he was made Prior in June 2012 or thereabouts.  I think he has been a priest for 4 or 5 years.

Marsha