Transalpine Redemptorists receive a new member

On 22 August 2015, the Transalpine Redemptorists received a new member into their ranks.  They have posted photos at their blog and Facebook page, where you can see Br. Jerome be received into the Congregation.  Br. Jerome, as he is now known, comes from the Midwest in the United States.

Some photos have been published below.

The postulant kneels and is questioned by the Superior regarding his desire to enter the Congregation.

He is clothed in the religious habit.

He is given a new name, Br. Jerome.

The Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer

The Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer are a Catholic religious institute canonically erected in the diocese of Aberdeen and are based on Papa Stronsay, with an additional house in Christchurch, New Zealand.  While their rule is  based on that of St. Alphonsus Liguori, they have no formal connection to the Redemptorist congregation.

Fr. Michael Mary Sim C.SS.R sought to make sense of the turmoil in the Church in the late 1980s.  Convinced the crisis came from and was caused by a crisis in Liturgy, he turned to Abp. Lefebvre for advice and guidance.  After some months, it was suggested to Fr Sim to ask about founding a religious community where the Traditional Latin Mass and the old Redemptorist Rules could be lived for the English-speaking world.  The Congregation was originally based at the Monastery of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary in the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, then moved to the Mother of Perpetual Succour Monastery in Joinville, Haute-Marne, France in 1994.  In May 1999, the island of Papa Stronsay was purchased in 1999, and it was there that the Golgotha Monastery was established, which has been their home and mother house ever since.  In 2008, the Congregation petitioned the Holy See for reconciliation, which was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI.  On 15 August 2012, the community was granted canonical recognition as a Clerical Institute of Diocesan Right by Dom Hugh Gilbert, O.S.B., Bishop of Aberdeen.

As of mid-2015, there are 19 men living in the community.

Their vocations blog has a very good brief review of the active and contemplative life they lead, which all should read, who have an interest in this community.

They also promote the holy image of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings, set in Scotland, under the title of The Bonnie Prince.

Monastery Address:
Golgotha Monastery Island
Papa Stronsay
Orkney, KW17 2AR
Scotland, UK
International: + [44] 1857 616 210
Website: http://www.papastronsay.com/index.html
Blog:  http://www.papastronsay.blogspot.com/
YouTube Video Account: https://www.youtube.com/user/filiiSSR/videos

Interior of monastic cell at Papa Stronsay

Redemptorists on Feast of St Alphonsus

Yesterday, the Feast of our Holy Father Saint Alphonsus, was a very special day for us since we also had a final profession, temporary profession and two clothings!


The four candidates present themselves before the superior.


With Our Lord enthroned within the tabernacle and the doors open, Br. Xavier Maria, F.SS.R. kneels before His Divine Majesty and pronounces his final vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience together with a vow and oath of perseverance.


Br. Xavier binds himself with his hand upon the Holy Gospel.


Br. Alfonso, also kneeling before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament pronounces his temporary vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience for three years. He received his complete religious name: Br. Alfonso Maria of the Star of the Sea, F.SS.R. Brother had spent some years as a sailor before he joined the Transalpine Redemptorists.


At the time of first profession, brother receives his pallium, or, mantle.


Our two postulants preparing to be clothed in the habit of the congregation. On the left Mr Tyler Lunsford and on the right Mr Arden Mills, both from the United States.


Exuat te Dominus veterem hominem cum actibus eius,
et induat te novum, qui secundum Deum creatus est
in justitia et sanctitate veritatis.

May the Lord strip thee of the old man with all his acts and
clothe thee in the new, who is created by God in justice
and in the holiness of truth.


The new Brothers receive their habits.


Indue, Filii Dominum Jesum Chrisum, semper
mortificationem ejus in corpore tuo circumferens.

Son, put on Our Lord Jesus Christ, always surrounding
thy body with His mortification.


Accipe, Fili, imaginem Crucifixi, Magistri et Redemptoris tui,
qui passus est pro te, et tradidit Semetipsum pro te. Pone Illum
ut signaculum super cor tuum, ut signaculum super brachium
tuum.

Receive, my Son, the image of the crucifix,
image of thy Master and Redeemer, who suffered for thee and
offered Himself for thee. Place it as a seal upon thy heart, as a
seal upon thy arm


The first step towards leaving the world! Today we have seen all three:
These young men leave the secular life and enter the novitiate.
Br. Alfonso completes his novitiate and makes his temporary vows.
Br. Xavier, after three years of temporary vows takes the final step and gives himself to religious until his death.


Accipe, Filii, Rosarium beatæ Virginis Mariæ, quæ tibi sit semper murus ad protegendum, mater ad nutriendum, stella ad dirgendum, portus ad salvandum. Tu autem stude diligenter Mariam diligere et imitari, ac ejus saluberrimam devotionem ubique propagare. In periculis, in angustiis, in rebus dubiis, Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca. Dulce nomen illius non
recedat ab ore, non recedat a corde.

Receive, Son, the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may She always be a wall to protect thee, a mother to nourish thee, a star to guide thee and the door to thy salvation do Thou, however, learnest diligently to love and imitate Mary, and to propagate Her most salutary devotion everywhere. In dangers, in anguishes, in doubtful things, think of Mary, call upon Mary. May Her sweet name not disappear from thy lips, nor disappear from thy heart.


Accipe hunc habitum benedictum precans sanctissimam
Virginem, ut eius meritis illum perferas sine macula, et te ab
omni adversitate defendat, atque ad vitam perducat æternum.

Receive this blessed Scapular and beseech the Blessed Virgin
that through Her merits, you may wear it without stain. May
it defend you against all adversity and accompany you to
eternal life.


With the reception of the skull cap comes the new name:
Mr Tyler Lunsford is now Br Seelos after Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.SS.R.
Mr Arden Mills is now Br Peter after St. Peter the apostle.


Congratulations to Br Peter and Br Seelos!


And to Br Xavier Maria and Br Alfonso Maria!




Br Seelos with his mother and father and three brothers.


And Br Peter with his father.


Mr de Jarving, a friend of Br Alfonso, entered as a postulant today.


Br. Xavier Maria and Br. Magdala Maria, both from the Pacific Islands.

(reposted from Transalpine Redemptorists at Home)

Transalpine Redemptorist Final Profession

On August 15th 2010, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Br. Martin Mary, F.SS.R. made his final vows in the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer on Papa Stronsay. His mother, father, sister and two brothers were also there for the occasion, and his father and brothers sung in the schola. This video is mostly made up of clips from the ceremony. In the evening we held our annual bonfire and BBQ, to which the residents of Stronsay are also invited, to celebrate the profession and the feast.

More photographs from the occasion are available here.

Monastery Address:
Golgotha Monastery Island
Papa Stronsay
Orkney, KW17 2AR
Scotland, UK
papastronsay.blogspot.com

Papa Stronsay Bookshop

Support the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer; buy a book from the Papa Stronsay Bookshop!

We announce the opening of the
Papa Stronsay Bookshop.
We have many doubles and seconds of good books
that we will offer to our readers
for a donation towards the monastery.

The bookshop front will be from this blog address:
www.papastronsaybookshop.blogspot.com

Papa Stronsay Bookshop
will be of interest to book buyers and browsers alike.

Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer Seminarians Assist in Texan Cathedra

On Monday, January 11 in the year of Our Lord 2010, the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer (Transalpine Redemptorists) graciously assisted Holy Mass during a Tridentine Rite (EF, TLM, etc.) Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Austin Texas.

According to the New Liturgical Movement:

"The Deacon was Fr. Tommy Chen, assistant priest at St. Cyril and Methodius Church in Shiner, TX, a parish which offers both forms. The subdeacon is Br. Jean Marie, FSSR, of the Translalpine Redemptorists. Other Transalpine Redemptorists functioned within this Mass as well."

This means that yet another Catholic Bishop in the United States has opened his Cathedral to Masses said in the Extraordinary Form from the Roman Missal of 1962 (every Sunday at 3:30 pm). Deo gratias! As a witness to this, the Transalpine Redemptorists themselves said that the Rector of the Cathedral of St. Mary himself celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass:

"This Solemn Mass was celebrated by Father Albert Laforet  the Rector of St. Mary's Cathedral, Austin, Texas."

 The New Liturgical Movement also provided pictures of the architecture in the Cathedral.

It is interesting how the altar has a tree carved onto it in stone--referencing more of the "Sacrifice" of the Mass--rather than focusing mostly on the altar being like a table (as many modern churches try to relate it to more often than the altar of Our Lord--the cross). You will also notice that this high altar has the tabernacle directly on it like a pre-Vatican II church would. Making notice of this, we come to find that there is, in fact, no Novus Ordo altar present here in this Cathedral at the time of this Mass. This is clearly seen in the photo below:

All that seems to be missing in the cathedral is the presence of the altar (Communion) rail.

The news of the Sons of the Holy Reedemer assisting this Mass does not only show the beauty of their traditional charism in the Church, but this also shows how they are being well accepted and welcomed into the Church ever since they left the SSPX (Society of St. Pius X)--just as the FSSP (Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter) did.

Another interesting fact about this Mass is that it took place during a time when the Diocese of Austin, Texas was having a priests' retreat in Belton, TX. What a great way to offer up prayers for the priests on the retreat if you were to offer up this Holy Mass for them.

Support the Sons of the Holy Redeemer by visiting their blog at: http://papastronsay.blogspot.com/

Papa Stronsay Calendar

by Fr Tim Finigan

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer on Papa Stronsay have a beautiful and original calendar for 2010 featuring photos of Liturgy and manual work on the island. For information, see: Into a New Year with the Papa Stronsay Calendar. There are some copies left after their regular mailing to subscribers so it would be good if they were able to sell them. The first page has a list of "n00th" anniversaries through the centuries, such as the 1800th anniversary of the birth of St Cyprian. Each day has the celebration listed according to the liturgical calendar of 1962.

You can get a copy via paypal by using the order link on the sidebar of the Papa Stronsay blog, or you can order one from ebay. Price £5.

(reproduced, with permission, from The Hermeneutic of Continuity)

New Irish Vocation for the FSsR

The Transalpine Redemptorists or Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer have just announced the first profession of a new novice, Brother Gerardo Maria Majella, F.Ss.R. The image above shows the 'interrogation', an element of the profession ceremony where the professi is asked what he seeks of the Order, that is, where he is prompted to ask to be received into the Order under temporary vows. It is similar to the interrogation of the candidate or their sponsors at Baptism.

The image below shows the novice with his family.