Where was this conference posted? I was in the area with my family and we would have loved to go but never heard anything about it. Was it advertised? I know other people who would have also liked to go.
I'm sorry it couldn't have been more heavily promoted. In the future, that will come. He's just getting started; once he's more established he'll be doing all the good things the SSPX used to do when it was a faithful Traditional organization.
Basically, the answer is: He didn't want the local Media there. Also, the building could only hold so many.
This obviously brings up the topic of "everything public" vs. "prudence".
I don't know if you're suggesting this, or how upset you are about this. But I know that this post has "echoes" of a certain piece of stubborn propaganda coming out of you-know-where.
No one has mentioned this before, to the best of my knowledge: has it occurred to anyone that the two charges leveled by certain "rivals" which shall remain nameless: "He's after the East Coast cash cow" and "He's secretive"
are actually contradictory charges? It's like saying "He wastes all his money" and "He's a tightwad" to different people at different times. Is such a person just trying to generally ruin the man's reputation in any way? Throw a bunch of mud on the wall and see what will stick? Because he can't be a tightwad and a profligate spender -- that much is logically impossible.
Likewise, if Fr. Z wanted to be a "sheep stealer" as he has been slandered by a certain organization, he would have advertised and promoted this and every other conference high and wide. He would seek after publicity and conflict in all forms. And if people responded, coming from all over, this rival priest would be upset. He would then retort, "You're trying to steal my parishioners all over the country. You just want to max out your collection basket." See how this rival "has it both ways?"
What I'm trying to say is: Stop and think about it. Don't you suppose these families that didn't know about the conference would have put SOMETHING in the collection? Even if the location had to be upgraded as a result of 50 or 100 more people coming, that would be nothing compared with the "increase" in the resulting collection. So apparently money -- as well as fame/grabbing parishioners -- is not the only consideration. That is the only logical conclusion.
If he were a sheep stealer OR a money grubber he would not have been able to refrain from advertising this conference.Oh, and they have had problems with certain individuals recording conferences and then selectively editing them, and twisting what they say to suit their agenda! I'm not kidding or exaggerating; I wish I were!
But these are my observations, for those with ears to hear -- for those of good will.
St. Matthew's Gospel has a lesson about this:
(St. Matthew, chapter 11)
[16] But whereunto shall I esteem this generation to be like? It is like to children sitting in the market place. [17] Who crying to their companions say: We have piped to you, and you have not danced: we have lamented, and you have not mourned. [18] For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say: He hath a devil. [19] The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say: Behold a man that is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners. And wisdom is justified by her children.