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A joyous milestone was observed on May 31 at our apostolate in Wausau, Wisconsin — the 5th anniversary of the consecration of St. Mary’s Oratory of the Immaculate Conception by the Most Rev. Raymond Burke who was at the time the bishop of La Crosse. Established in 1861, St. Mary’s is the oldest Catholic parish in Wausau. The present-day neo-Gothic church dates from 1892, while its interior was refashioned in a more contemporary style after a fire in 1953. In 1999 the Institute was given care of St. Mary’s and began the renovation of its interior in 2001, creating a replica of a late medieval chapel at the Blotenburg Castle in Bavaria. St. Mary’s Oratory is listed by authorities in the area as a must-see attraction for its exquisite artistry. Visitors come from far and wide to contemplate its beauty and pray before the statue of “Our Lady of Wausau,” an original wooden sculpture found in the Salzburg area, dating from the 1470's.
To commemorate the fifth anniversary of St. Mary’s re-consecration, Msgr. Gilles Wach offered a Solemn High Mass in the presence of the Most Rev. Jerome Listecki, Bishop of La Crosse, who was the homilist for the occasion. After Mass, His Excellency joined the superiors, clergy, and faithful of St. Mary’s at a reception commemorating the joyous occasion on this his first official visit to the Oratory.
On March 29–30, 2008, the Institute of Christ the King conducted a pilgrimage to Lourdes in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady there.
The superiors, seminarians, and sisters of the Institute came en masse from Gricigliano, along with many of the Institute's priests from France, led by their Provincial Superior, Abbé Benoît Jayr. They were all joined by a great number of friends and faithful from France, Ireland, Italy, and the United States.
The two days were filled with private and scheduled devotions, including the Rosary, Way of the Cross, and an impressive candle procession Saturday evening. Solemn High Masses were celebrated in the upper basilica chapel, which was filled to capacity. On Saturday, the celebrant was Vicar General of the Institute, Msgr. Michael Schmitz, while Msgr. Gilles Wach, Prior General of the Institute, offered Mass that Divine Mercy Sunday. The Rector of the Shrine, Msgr. Walter R. Rossi, greeted the pilgrims with a warm welcoming speech.
On Saturday, Decemer 29, His Eminence Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops came to the Shrine of Christ the King to solemnly crown the statue of the Divine Infant King.
The rare ceremony occurred during a Solemn High Mass celebrated by Msgr. R. Michael Schmitz at which His Eminence assisted. The Mass was celebrated inside the church building, which is undergoing restoration.
On Thursday, November 29, 2007, Msgr. R. Michael Schmitz celebrated High Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City, the crowning moment of a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. After forty years, the Mass of the Ages returned to the capital of a people who, not so long ago, heroically shed their blood for Cristo Rey.
On October 10, 2007, Msgr. R. Michael Schmitz, Vicar General of the Institute of Christ the King and Provincial Superior for the United States, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the Holy Priesthood.
Monsignor Schmitz was ordained in Rome on October 10, 1982, by then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. From the Archdiocese of Cologne, he entered the German College in Rome in 1976 and pursued his seminary and graduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, earning a Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology in 1988. Subsequently, in 1992, he received a Licentiate in Canon Law from Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. Pope John Paul II elevated him to the rank of Chaplain of His Holiness in 1998. Monsignor Schmitz is a member of the Academy of Theology in Rome since 1988 and a chaplain of the Sovereign Order of Malta.
A friend of the founders of the Institute of Christ the King, Monsignor Gilles Wach and Father Philippe Mora, Monsignor Schmitz collaborated with the Institute as visiting professor at its seminary, eventually founding its German Province. He was incardinated into the Institute in September 2000 and was appointed its Vicar General that same year, also taking on the responsbility of Provincial Superior for the United States.
Please keep Monsignor Michael Schmitz in your prayers, especially on October 10, the day of his Ordination, and October 11, the day of his first Holy Mass.
In thanksgiving for "Summorum Pontificum," the Holy Father's motu proprio on the ancient form of the Latin Liturgy, the Institute of Christ the King held a Forty Hours' Devotion, starting with High Mass at 7:00 PM on Friday, September 14, at the Shrine of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in Chicago.
The three days of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament took place inside the magnificent church building on the south side of Chicago, still undergoing restoration. This marked the first time that Holy Mass was offered there since the building's closure in 2002 and threatened demolition, and the first time Mass in the traditional form of the Latin Rite since 1969 (Mass is normally offered in a chapel in the adjacent rectory).
On September 14, the day the Holy Father's motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum", came into effect, His Excellency Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, President of the Pontificial Commission Ecclesia Dei, celebrated Holy Mass according to the extraordinary use at the Sanctuary of Loreto, assisted by priests of the Institute of Christ the King. View Images
On Friday, September 14, Father Karl Lenhardt, rector of St. Francis de Sales Oratory, celebrated a Solemn High Mass at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. View Images
On June 15, 2007, His Grace Archbishop Raymond Burke ordained two deacons of the Institute to the priesthood. The ordination took place at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis. This marks the first time that priestly ordinations of the Institute have been conducted in the United States of America. More than 1,200 attended the impressively beautiful ceremony which imperceptibly lasted 4 hours.
On the following day, Saturday, June 16, Father Matthew Talarico celebrated his first Mass at St. Francis de Sales Oratory in St. Louis. On Sunday, June 17, was the first Mass of Father William Avis, also at the Oratory.
View Images | Read "4 Hours in Heaven" | Read the Press Release
On the evening of the priestly Ordinations, which took place in St. Louis, June 14, 2007, an investiture ceremony followed by a Solemn High Mass was held at St. Francis de Sales Oratory, when members of the Institute of Christ the King serving in the United States solemnly received their choir habit. The habit was originally bestowed upon the Institute of Christ the King on August 31, 2006, by His Eminence, Ennio Cardinal Antonelli, Archbishop of Florence, the hierarchical superior of the Institute. View Images
On Wednesday, March 7th, a Solemn High Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite was celebrated in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis by members of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in commemoration of the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, co-patron of the Institute. The main celebrant was Father Karl Lenhardt, Rector of St. Francis de Sales Oratory (the Institute’s apostolate in St. Louis), assisted by Father Jacques Fournier as deacon, and Abbé William Avis, as sub-deacon, also members of the Oratory.
Among the several clergy of St. Louis in attendance were Bishop Robert Hermann, Auxiliary in St. Louis, Msgr. Joseph Pins, rector of the Cathedral Basilica, Msgr. Henry Breier, personal secretary and Master of Ceremonies of His Grace, Archbishop Raymond Burke, and Father Thomas Keller, professor of liturgy at Kendrick-Glennon Seminary and Master of Ceremonies of the Cathedral.
The great beauty of the Solemn High Mass was enhanced by the participation of the Choir of the Cathedral Basilica, under the direction of organist and Choir Master Dr. John Romeri, with music by renaissance composers Orlando Gibbons, Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Josquin de Près, Tomás Luis de Victoria, as well as by former director of the Sistine Chapel, Monsignor Bartolucci.
Five hundred faithful were in attendance at this event, which was the first Solemn Mass at the high altar of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis in forty two years.
The 10th Annual Spring Seminar of the Latin Mass Community of Rockford, Illinois, took place on Friday, May 26, and Saturday, May 27, at St. Mary's Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King. With a series of talks by Monsignor Michael Schmitz and several opportunities for discussions, the event closed with a banquet in honor of this year's award winner, Mr. John Blewett, Managing Editor of The Latin Mass magazine. On the following Sunday, there was a luncheon commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Ordination of Father Brian Bovee, rector of the Institute's St. Mary Oratory in Rockford.
On Saturday, May 6, Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, a long-time friend of the Institute of Christ the King, gave a conference at the Institute's headquarters in Chicago on the true role of women in society and the Church. The large crowd of attendees from not only the greater Chicago area, but from in- and out-of-state, were treated to a thought-provoking and entertaining analysis of certain currents of thought on the nature of women. A reception and Holy Hour completed the afternoon, on this First Saturday of the "Month of Mary," Our Lady. CDs of Dr. von Hildebrand's talk are available from St. Joseph Radio, P.O. Box 2983, Orange, CA 92859, 714-744-0336.
On Saturday, April 1, 2006, Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz preached at a Lenten Retreat Day organized by Una Voce Columbus at Holy Family Church.
On Friday, February 10, 2006, at 7:00 pm there was a Benefit Concert of contemporary jazz in the Meyer Theatre in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to benefit the African missions of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. This concert, sponsored by the faithful of St. Joseph’s Oratory in Green Bay, featured Richard Davis, symphonic string bassist and jazz musician from Madison, and Nadi Qamar, member of St. Joseph’s Oratory. Proceeds from this concert will go to help build a school at the Institute’s mission in Mayumba, Gabon. Those wishing to contribute may contact Father Jean-Marie Moreau at (920) 437-9660 or use our Donate page.