Institute of Christ the King takes up permanent residence in Ireland

by Mgr. Wach

Canon Lebocq celebrates Holy Mass at St. Patrick's Church in Limerick

Dear Friends of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest,

For the last four years Divine Providence has permitted the Institute of Christ the King to exercise a ministry in the Diocese of Limerick with the permission of the Most Reverend Bishop Murray, then Bishop of Limerick, whom I had the pleasure to meet several times on my visits.

Thanks to your prayers and perseverance, and also to Father Irwin, Pastor of St. Patrick Church, we have celebrated mass more and more often in Limerick.

This year as every year, I have asked all the canons of our Institute to come together at our mother house and seminary at Gricigliano, near Florence, Italy, for the first week of September. Canon Lebocq knows this house well, having received his priestly formation here and having spent another seven years here as vice-rector and choirmaster.

Our 57 young priests have thus come together this year, first of all, to pray together and also to cultivate a spirit of family and true brotherhood. It is also the occasion when I receive them individually and announce to them the place where they will exercise their ministry for the next year.

As you know, Canon Lebocq has been coming regularly from Italy for several years to tend to your souls. Thanks to your prayers, patience and perseverance, I have the pleasure to announce to you that Canon Lebocq will soon stay in Ireland permanently; you will thus be able to attend the extraordinary form of the mass every Sunday in Limerick, as encouraged by our Holy Father, Benedict XVI. Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz, my Vicar General, whom many of you know, will assist me as Provincial for Ireland. The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right in canonical form, which means that all the priests of our community are canons. This title is not first of all an honour but above all a duty. The principal duty of a canon is to make the prayer of the Church public by chanting the divine office in community. For this reason, I have asked a seminarian and an oblate to form a community life with him. They will pray together, study and work in St. Joseph House in Graigacurragh, Granagh, to advance the reign of Christ the King on your beautiful island.

I will have the pleasure to come visit you soon and to sing the mass again at St. Patrick Church. In the meantime, I ask you to give thanks to God for sending you our young community which, by the Catholic priesthood, will bring to you the wonders of God in a spirit of great love for the Church. I thank each one of you for supporting by your prayers and fidelity this apostolate which we have placed under the patronage of St. Joseph, foster father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Msgr Wach
Prior General of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest

(reproduced from Rorate Caeli)