About the Oratory

Canonical Erection of the Oratory

December 28, 2006

Dear Friends,

Early in the life of our Diocese, Bishop DuMaine authorized the celebration of the Mass in Latin according to the Missal of 1962.  Since that time, this Mass has been celebrated once a month—on the first Saturday—at Our Lady of Peace Parish.

For some time now, I have received requests for the use of the 1962 Missal on a more regular basis—on Sundays—so that those individuals and families who are attached to the rituals in use in 1962 would be able to participate in the celebration of the Mass and the sacraments more frequently.

Recently, representatives of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel in Santa Clara approached me with the request that they be recognized and, through that recognition, be brought into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.  This request was joined together with a generous offer from the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, a religious community of priests are in union with the Holy See and dedicated to the celebration of the traditional Latin liturgy.  The Institute expressed a willingness to assume the pastoral care of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel.  After consultation with the priests of our Diocese, I have agreed to this request.

This recognition of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel is effective as of the first day of January, 2007.  In order to allow proper communication of this, the last Mass to be celebrated at Our Lady of Peace Parish according to the 1962 ritual will be on Saturday, January 6, 2007.

This new arrangement has a distinct advantage for the members of the Christian faithful who adhere to the traditional Latin liturgy: where there had been but one monthly celebration recognized by the Church, there will now be multiple Sunday celebrations of Mass each week at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel according to the Missal of 1962.

As the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest takes on this new role in the Diocese of San Jose, all liturgical celebrations according to the rituals in force in 1962 will be transferred from Our Lady of Peace Parish to Our Mother of Perpetual help Chapel.  No priest will be allowed to celebrate the Eucharist or other sacraments there unless they are nominated by the Institute so that they can be granted the priestly faculties of this Diocese.

In closing, I offer my thanks to Father Pedro Ottonello, long-time chaplain at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel, for engaging in the dialogue that has resulted in this new recognition.  I am especially grateful to Father Michael Wiener of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest and to Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz, Vicar General and Regional Superior of the Institute, for their work toward this goal and their willingness to assume this apostolate in the Diocese of San Jose.  May the work we do lead us more and more to be one Body, one Spirit, together in Christ.

With every best wish and kind regard, I remain,

Sincerely yours,

Patrick J. McGrath, Bishop of San Jose