District Superior's Letter: Oct 2008

Dear Friends and Benefactors,

I wish to thank Fr. John Fullerton for his work as District Superior of the United States of America for the past six years. His dedication to the priests, the faithful and the work of the Society of St. Pius X in this country is well known and should lead us to pray for him as an expression and a sign of our deep gratitude. As you already know, Fr. Fullerton is now the Rector of St. Mary’s, Kansas.

Bishop Bernard Fellay, the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, has appointed me, Fr. Arnaud Rostand, as your new District Superior. I receive this new appointment certainly as an honor but I commend myself to your prayers, as it is a delicate and important task.

I would like, in this first letter, to entrust the District of the United States of America to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Blessed Virgin Mary is our hope in this difficult time and we ought to confide each and every one of our priests, faithful, and families, our chapels and schools, as well as all of our apostolic works, to her Immaculate Heart. It is for every one of us, a real need.

At Fatima, the Blessed Virgin Mary, in her apparitions and in her message, was definitely warning us.

It was first an admonition to the world. If the world wants peace there is no other way than by Our Lord Jesus Christ; and in our times, Our Lord wants to grant it to us only through  devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As a matter of fact, the request to consecrate Russia to her Heart is still an unanswered request of Our Lady of Fatima. “I have come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart (…)”. This has not been done as she has asked and there will be no real peace in the world until her request is granted.

Our Lady announced also the terrible crisis of Faith that the Church is, at present, experiencing. We indeed, have no doubt that Our Blessed Mother announced in her message at Fatima, the events we have known for the past 40 years. She revealed the events we are living through today. The third secret of Fatima—which was to be made public in 1960 just before the Second Vatican Council—was, most likely, foreseeing and announcing the crisis of the Church: crisis of authority, crisis in the liturgy, crisis of Catholic doctrine, crisis of the Faith. Our Lady announced the present crucifixion of the Catholic Church by churchmen themselves.

Our Lady announced as well, the difficulties that we would have saving our souls, how difficult it would become and how so many souls would fall into eternal damnation. She insisted many times on the necessity of offering prayers and sacrifices for the conversion of sinners:

Are you willing to offer yourselves to God to bear all the sufferings He wants to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and for the conversion of sinners?

She asked this of three little children, only 10, 9 and 7 years of age.

Our Lady has warned us to the point we might well be frightened, but we must never forget that Our Lady of Fatima gave us also the divine solution for today’s world: devotion to her Immaculate Heart.

It is the answer to the world and for the world, to bring peace to the world.

In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is also the solution to preserve our Catholic Faith in these times of crises. It is only through her Immaculate Heart that we will be able to remain faithful to the Catholic Church, the true Faith and true liturgy. It is only through her Immaculate Heart that the Church will recover its full splendor.

It is also the solution for our personal holiness and sanctification:  “You have seen Hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart,” she told the three little children. She added to Lucia, who was to remain longer on earth, “I will never forsake you! My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.” Our Lady is telling us also, that we must seek refuge in her Heart and that this devotion will lead us to God.

I promise to assist at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall receive the sacrament of confession, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to my Immaculate Heart.

I would like therefore to greatly encourage participation in the Heart of Mary Crusade, which was started by the District House last year. Let us increase our devotion towards the Immaculate Heart of Mary by consecrating ourselves to the Immaculate Heart, praying the holy rosary daily, practicing the devotion of the first Saturdays, and offering prayers and sacrifices to make reparation to Our Blessed Mother for all the offenses against her.

You surely remember also that Bishop Fellay requested a permanent Rosary Crusade. Some parishes have already organized it so as to help you to pray the Rosary. During this month of October, since it is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, I would like to invite you to a special generosity. Let us multiply our prayers; let us make an assault of prayers towards heaven.

“In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph”; these words are our hope.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary be with you always.

With my prayers and blessings in the Immaculate Heart,

Fr. Arnaud Rostand