Superiors of the Institute

Worldwide Superiors

Monsignor Gilles Wach, STD
Founder, Prior General

Canon Philippe Mora, STD
Co-founder

Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz, STD, JCD
Vicar General

Seminary of Saint Phillip Neri (Gricigliano, Italy)

Canon Philippe Mora, STD
Co-founder, Rector of the Seminary

Canon Paul Antoine Lefèvre
Vice Rector, Prefect of Studies

Canon Jason Apple
General Prefect

Canon Louis Poucin de Wouilt
Prefect of First-Year Seminarians

Canon Alexandre Garcia
General Bursar 

Canon Brieuc de La Brosse
Seminary Secretary

Province of the United States of America

Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz, STD, JCD
Vicar General of the Institute, Delegate for the USA

Canon Matthew Talarico
Provincial Superior

Province of France and Belgium

Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz, STD, JCD
Provincial Superior

Canon Gilles Guitard
Vice Provincial

Canon Joseph Amadieu
Vice Provincial

Province of Italy

Canon Joseph Luzuy
Provincial Superior

German-Speaking Province

Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz, STD, JCD
Provincial Superior 

Apostolate of Spain

Canon Raúl Olazabal

Missionary Province of Gabon

Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz, STD, JCD
Vicar General, Delegate of the Prior General

African Missions Living the Truth in Charity

From the beginning, the Institute of Christ the King has been shown by Holy Providence that its apostolate should have a missionary touch. (To support our missions, please consider a donation.)

Solemn High Mass in the jungle

Our Mission Begins

When the first seminarians of the Institute approached Msgr. Gilles Wach, STD, it was not easy to find a bishop to encourage the adventure of a new religious community. At this moment, the situation in France did not seem to allow any progress in this direction, but during a meeting in Paris, Msgr. Wach encountered His Excellency Bishop Obamba, Shepherd of the Diocese of Mouila in Gabon, Africa. Bishop Obamba asked our founder whether it would be possible to have some of his future priests serve as missionaries in his diocese. If so, he would consider allowing the canonical erection of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in the Diocese of Mouila.

Preaching to the assembled faithful

Msgr. Wach immediately understood that Divine Providence was at work. He promised to Bishop Obamba the help of the Institute in the future. From this time on, priests of the Institute have always been present in Gabon and have worked with success under Bishop Obamba, and upon his retirement, under the then apostolic administrator and current Archbishop of Libreville, the Most Reverend Mve Engone, as well as under the present bishop of the Diocese of Mouila, Bishop Dominique Bonnet.

Some of the Institute's missions are located in the middle of the jungle. We have restored and constructed several churches, chapels, schools, kindergartens, and medical dispensaries. The native population is very attached to our missionaries, and they are deeply rooted in the beautiful tradition of the Classical Latin Mass.

Our missionaries hear Confessions

Remembering Our Missionaries

For our missionaries, Gabon, with its difficult atmosphere, murderous climate, and ever-present malaria, is a very hard country to work in, but the satisfaction given to them by the openness of the African population, through conversions and hundreds of baptisms every year, equals the strain on their health and all the hardships that they must endure. We should always keep them in our prayers and not forget that not only the Institute of Christ the King but the whole Church must be missionary.

Please consider a donation to keep our African missions supplied and successful.

Donate to Our Missions

Traditional Latin Mass Heavenly Liturgy

The Institute of Christ the King celebrates the classical Roman Liturgy, the "Latin Mass," in its traditional form according to the liturgical books promulgated in 1962 by Blessed Pope John XXIII. During his pontificate, Pope John Paul II exhorted bishops to be generous in allowing its use. It was with his blessing that the Institute began to celebrate the Traditional Mass.

Beauty of the Traditional Latin Mass

Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

Pope Benedict XVI also wishes that the treasure of the traditional Roman liturgy, which was celebrated without change for centuries and centuries, should be preserved for all generations. Following the steps of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, with his milestone document "Summorum Pontificum," restored to priests the freedom to celebrate the "extraordinary form" of the Roman rite.

The Traditional Latin Mass was the exclusive form celebrated during the Second Vatican Council. As a matter of fact, most of the changes that have been introduced by the 1960's liturgical reform took place in the years after the Second Vatican Council. The Council itself never abolished the traditional liturgy, and its famous document about the Liturgy of the Church, "Sacrosanctum Concillium," mentions only the possibility of some adaptations but never called for the change of language nor the rite of the Holy Mass as a whole.

It is, therefore, very desirable that all the faithful should know the traditional liturgy and should be able to understand its significance and its importance for the future of Holy Mother Church.

Attractiveness of the Latin Mass

First Holy Communion in Green Bay

More and more young people, who have never before experienced the profoundness and beauty of the traditional liturgy, are deeply touched by their first contact with it and are everywhere requesting its wider use. It is very convincing to see how the apostolates of the Institute, as well as those of other communities where the Traditional Mass is celebrated, are frequented by young families and youth. All of them are attracted by the force of tradition itself. It is the Institute's aim to give as many people as possible the opportunity to know the classical Roman Liturgy because the people have the experience that it strengthens their faith, it helps them in their struggle for a Christian life in the world of today, and it always attaches them more to the Church and to the Holy Father.

Confirmations in Wausau, Wisconsin

The founder of the Institute of Christ the King, Monsignor Gilles Wach, STD, frequently underlines that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is like a diamond that needs a dignified, beautiful setting to show even more its value and brilliance. For this reason, the Institute strives to surround the Holy Sacrifice with the perfectly traditional Catholic teaching and the utmost beauty and solemnity of the rite. Truth, liturgy, and charity should form an ever-greater harmony to render evident the sacramental power and riches of grace present in the Holy Mass. We try to integrate all of these elements everywhere so that the celebration of the Traditional Liturgy becomes the highlight and the climax of what our priests and faithful are living in their commitment to their Roman Catholic faith.

Words, Gestures, and Details

The moment of Consecration, where the mystery of Transubstantiation takes place, is like a peak of a majestic mountain from which the streams of Paradise flow down into our daily life. Certainly, one has to come down from this peak, but the water of Divine Grace that has touched him in this moment will refresh the mind and body during the day. Our relationship with God is profoundly linked to the presence of our Savior in the Holy Eucharist, made possible through the Holy Mass and received with awe during Communion. In a human relationship, every word, every gesture, and every detail is important — how much more in our relationship with God! Therefore, to secure this relationship, on which our life and salvation is depending, the Church has always taken the greatest care with the words, gestures, and details of the Sacred Liturgy.

Consecration of the Precious Blood

No one would like to jeopardize his contact with the Almighty by the casual behavior or the gratuitous and willful change of words and gestures that establish, according to God's will, this relationship. On the contrary, God Himself, by the power of the Holy Ghost, has instituted the Holy Eucharist in such a way that, even after 2000 years, we can be sure of His Divine Presence if we do what the Church does and has always done. The Liturgy, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, has developed such words, gestures, and details that God Himself has esteemed worthy to express the right kind of worship that is due to Him. No individual has permission to change these rubrics and formulas at will. The more we are faithful to the liturgy that has grown under the influence of God's Almighty Spirit for centuries and celebrated by the Church for much more than a thousand years, the more we will become faithful to the Church itself and worship with Her the presence of the Holy One whose glory is our redemption.

Loving Care of the Rubrics

Traditional Latin Mass with
Then-Cardinal Ratzinger

The priests of our Institute are very aware of the fact that the rubrics of the Mass, born from the grace of the Holy Ghost, are to be observed with loving care if we want to maintain the treasure of the Catholic Faith. The famous sentence stating that "the law of prayer is the law of the faith" (lex orandi, lex credendi) gives to the exact and careful celebration of the liturgy great importance. He who changes words or gestures of the Liturgy endangers the faith of those for whom he celebrates and becomes responsible for diminishing the integrity of their belief.

Not only the ceremony in itself with its beautiful rubrics, the dignified Latin language, and the profound expression of theological truth is important, but other details matter when it comes to making every single person understand how important the liturgy is for our lives. The vestments, the altar cloths, the candlesticks, the cruets, the garments of the servers—all of these and many other items used during the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass have to show that we care to give the Lord only the most beautiful things that we have. For this reason, Christian art at its best plays a significant role in the liturgical mysteries.

Art for the Liturgy

So many skills have been developed during the centuries, especially for the beautification of the Mass and the objects used during the Holy Sacrifice. Carving, gilding, painting, lace making, needlework, sewing, weaving, and many other human crafts have been developed to their present perfection because of the needs of the Liturgy, and they are, as it is, in danger of disappearing without these needs. Fine arts brought into the Liturgy are just another expression of the visible and tangible veneration that is necessary for us humans to give glory to God. As we have not only a soul but also a body, we have to show our awe towards God with both these elements that form our being. It should be clear to everyone that it is impossible to pretend to venerate God with our whole strength if we would not include in this veneration those talents and skills that He has given us to transform nature into art.

Woodcarver at our restoration in Wausau, WI

During the centuries, the Liturgy has certainly used different styles of ecclesiastical art such as Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, or Classicism. These styles are quite different from each other, but they use some unchangeable principles of beauty that are adequate to serve the worship due to the Almighty. It is perfectly acceptable to utilize these styles today, especially because there rarely seems to be anything worthy of replacing them. It is not easy to create an appropriate setting for the greatest of the mysteries on earth which is the Mass, but it is worthwhile to put a lot of energy in the effort to do so because then the graces of the Lord's Sacrifice will even more richly flow into our hearts.

Sacred Liturgy, Path to God

Genuflection during the Consecration

The Lord has left us the Holy Liturgy to make sure that we can remain in contact with Him. It has been the aim of the Church to bring as many people as possible to the liturgical celebration of the Sacrifice of the Lord. As a matter of fact, we could say that the only aim of the Church is to bring people in contact with the Lord through the celebration of the Sacraments, especially through the Holy Mass. It is the center of the Church, and at the same time, Her nourishment, Her protection, and Her goal because therein is the Lord. What could we do more than to strive with all our forces to make it clear to every single person that without the assistance at this holy celebration it remains very difficult, if not impossible, to stay with the Lord. Therefore, the Institute of Christ the King lives for the Liturgy, which is the source of everything else when it comes to the Faith. Liturgical matters are not minor details, but they are and they have always been one of the main preoccupations of Holy Mother Church. If not for the Liturgy, many people would not know about the doctrine, and if not for the Liturgy many people would never have met the Lord. It is a worthy task and a highly important aim to maintain the fullness of the liturgical tradition to safeguard the meaning of its mystical gestures and to defend the right to do today what the Church has always done. In total obedience to Holy Mother Church, the Institute of Christ the King is proud and happy to serve the Lord present in the Holy Mysteries of the Liturgy and to give all the energy of its members to this decisive liturgical apostolate.

This care for the Liturgy includes care for a complete Catholic lifestyle and for the integrity of Roman Catholic Doctrine. It is never an end to itself, but it always guides us to Him who is the beginning and the end of everything: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Who We Are Get to Know Us

The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right whose goal is the honor of God and the sanctification of priests in the service of the Church and souls. Its specific aim is missionary: to spread the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ in all spheres of human life. Our work is carried out under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception, to Whom the Institute is consecrated.

His Holiness with our founder Msgr. Gilles Wach

The Institute was founded in 1990 by Monsignor Gilles Wach and Father Philippe Mora in Gabon, Africa, where we still have missions. Today, the motherhouse and international seminary of the Institute is located in Gricigliano, in the Archdiocese of Florence, Italy.

Recognizing the importance of a deep harmony between faith, liturgy, life, and the power of beauty in attracting the human senses to the things above, an integral part of the Institute's charism is the use of the traditional Latin Liturgy of 1962 for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the other sacraments. Great care for a solemn liturgy, complete fidelity to the doctrine of the Church and the Holy Father, and awareness of the central role of Grace, especially Charity — these are essential elements of the Institute's spirituality, which is drawn from its three co-patrons, St. Benedict, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Francis de Sales. Our motto, taken from St. Paul, is "Live the truth in charity." The Institute operates in more than fifty places in twelve countries, where our priests focus on the care of souls in many different ways. To assist our priests in their apostolic work, the Institute also has clerical oblates. In 2004, a community of religious sisters was canonically established to aid the priests in their mission through prayer and apostolic work.

History of a Young Institute

Solemn Mass in the traditional Roman rite

The Institute of Christ the King is, for ecclesiastical standards, a very young foundation. Our founder, Monsignor Gilles Wach, STD, supported decisively by the co-founder, Father Phillipe Mora, STD, had the Institute canonically erected the Semptember 1, 1990. Originally, the young French abbé, Gilles Wach, never intended to start a foundation at all, but during the 1980's, working for Cardinal Silvio Oddi in Rome and with a priestly association in France, he was approached by more and more young men who wanted a traditional Catholic formation to the priesthood. Finally, he decided to make an attempt to bring them together and to follow their formation in some way. Several Roman Cardinals, though, urged him to decide for the foundation of a religious community, so that the idea of the Institute took form already as soon as 1988.

From Africa to Italy

Divine Providence, at this moment, helped to find a bishop who was ready to give this courageous enterprise a canonical foundation. At that time, the situation in France was too tense to realize the idea of the Institute in the home country of our founder, but God is very inventive. He finally brought us in contact with the late Bishop Obamba of Mouila in Gabon who invited the young community to help him in his Diocese with missionary work and gave it the needed canonical erection. At the same time, he appointed our founder his Vicar General, with which goes officially the title Monsignor. Soon, with the help of the German Augustinus Cardinal Mayer, OSB, a member of the Roman Curia, Monsignor Wach was able to find an appropriate location for the Seminary and Motherhouse of his quickly growing community. The Benedictines of Fontgombault in France, who meanwhile founded a monastery in the state of Oklahoma in the United States, had decided to close a priory that they maintained in Gricigliano at a very old summer villa of the Counts Martelli near Florence in Tuscany. Because of the regulations of the estate of the last Countesses, they had to find a successor who would take over the building and guarantee the celebration of the traditional Mass at this place. We were very happy to be able to accept this generous offer, especially because the Archbishop Silvio Cardinal Piovanelli was immediately ready to give our Motherhouse and seminary canonical erection in his diocese.

Providential Growth

A procession of our priests, seminarians, and sisters

From this day forward, the history of the Institute has been a history of steady growth and more and more apostolic work around the whole world. Soon, apostolates in France, Spain, the United States, South America, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany could be opened. More and more seminarians joined the Institute to have a traditional Catholic formation to the priesthood. The spirit of St. Francis de Sales, expressed in the motto of the Institute, Veritatem facientes in caritate ("live the truth in charity"), made the Institute under the guidance of Monsignor Gilles Wach into a family of priests and non-priestly members which is centered on the worthy celebration of the Holy Mysteries, the proclamation of the whole Catholic Truth, and a genuine Catholic lifestyle. Grace, truth, charity, and culture are elements of "family life" which are typical in the houses of the Institute. We are always happy to hear that the faithful who visit our apostolates and priories notice the atmosphere of the Institute's particular spirituality present in all the environments in which we live.

Spirit

Our co-patron St. Francis de Sales

"Cook the truth in charity until it tastes sweet"—this famous quotation of St. Francis de Sales is the principle of our apostolic work. Fruitless discussions or, worse, uncharitable polemics never help to attract souls to the Lord. Again, St. Francis de Sales said, "One drop of honey attracts more bees than a barrel of vinegar." The revealed truth of our Holy Catholic Faith is in itself attractive because of its depth, brilliance, and logic. Wherever it appears clothed in the beautiful garments of charity, it becomes ever more acceptable to those who might otherwise fear its inevitable consequences for our lives and the sharpness with which it cuts through our weaknesses and our excuses. The famous religious poet, Gertrude von Le Fort, wrote of the Church and the revealed Truth, "I have fallen in your Faith like in an open sword, and you have cut all my anchors." How much more easily does a soul accept the grandness and the majesty of Divine Faith when it is presented with the merciful charity and patient meekness which Our Lord himself shows all the time to His children.

That is the reason why the members of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest strive to follow the example of St. Francis de Sales, who was, at the same time, one of the most knowledgeable theologians of his period and the "Doctor of Charity." Certainly, our attempt to teach truth with charity and to live also in our communities a life according to the great commandment of charity is a goal that can only be achieved with a daily struggle against one's own shortcomings and continuous collaboration with the gifts of grace. Charity does not replace daily mortification. On the contrary, he who wants to be full of charity towards the Lord and his neighbor must mortify his own will continuously. This is why St. Francis de Sales, the great teacher of Divine Love and apostolic charity, has rightly been called "the most mortifying of the Saints."

"To be Good at What We Are"

Msgr. Schmitz ordained
by then-Cardinal Ratzinger

Msgr. Wach ordained
by Pope Saint John Paul II

The fact that, after nearly twenty-five years of existence, the Institute counts 80 apostolates in twelve countries, 80 priests, and more than 90 seminarians is perhaps sufficient proof that the Institute is on the right path within the Church.

However, it is not our intent to grow quickly and to become mushroom-like, that is to say, big and weak. Rather, we desire to consolidate our Institute by a careful selection of possible candidates and by an always-growing emphasis on a solid community life according to our own spirituality. We do not press our candidates into a mold or a certain typical uniformity of mind and expression, but, here again, we follow St. Francis de Sales. The holy Doctor entreats us "to be good at what we are," which means that through the collaboration with the grace of God, everyone must develop his own various talents and gifts according to the Will of the Lord and to eliminate from his character those traits which are opposed to the divine teachings. This is indeed the ongoing struggle of a lifetime. However, there are appropriate instruments which give us the strength never to give up this battle: a fraternal community, the participation in the mysteries of the liturgy, and the continuous study of the marvelous tradition of the Church as reflected by Scripture and the Magesterium. Thus we can advance every day with renewed joy and confidence.

Mission Statement

"The mission of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is to spread the reign of Christ in all spheres of human life by drawing from the millennial treasury of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly her liturgical tradition, the unbroken line of spiritual thought and practice of her saints, and her cultural patrimony in music, art and architecture. The Institute accomplishes this primarily through a solid and well-rounded formation of its priests, rooted in Catholic tradition and carried out at its international seminary in the Archdiocese of Florence. Our priests, conscious of the need for their own sanctification, strive to be instruments of God's grace through their apostolic work discharged in the churches assigned to the Institute, its schools, its missions in Africa, by preaching retreats, teaching catechesis, and providing spiritual guidance. The Institute of Christ the King operates under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception, to Whom it is consecrated."