News

St Cuthber's House Chapel

Masses in August

All the Mass times and locations given on the page "Masses" apply throughout the month of August.

In addition, there will be Sung Mass of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in St Andrew's church at 12.15 on Thursday August 15 (holy day of obligation in Scotland).

"Sacred Time"

Days of instruction and prayer, now in the house chapel at 6 Belford Park.

Dates

(1) Saturday 15 June (Our Lady’s Saturday)
(2) Saturday 21 September (St Matthew)
(3) Saturday 23 November (St Clement)

Programme

10.30. First talk
11.30 Confessions.
12.00 Mass.
1.00. Lunch (please bring packed food)
2.30. Second talk.
3.30. Vespers.

Important: If you plan to attend, please e-mail edinburgh[a]fssp.org so that we can be sure that numbers do not exceed capacity.

Juventutem

Juventutem Edinburgh, for young people aged 18 to 35+, has resumed its regular activities in the Fraternity’s chapel at 6 Belford Park (monthly adoration, with confessions, Mass and social). For details visit https://facebook.com/juventutemedinburgh

Mass Schedule

St Andrew's Church in Edinburgh

Archdiocese of St. Andrews & Edinburgh

With the gracious permission of His Grace Archbishop Leo Cushley.

St. Andrew's Church, Ravelston

Address:
77 Belford Rd., Edinburgh EH4 3DS

Sunday: 12 noon (Sung Mass)
Benediction follows Mass on the final Sunday of each month.

Holy Days of Obligation: 12.15

St. Cuthbert's House Chapel, Belford Park

Address:
6 Belford Park, Edinburgh EH4 3DP

Monday through Friday: 18.00
Saturday: 9.00
NB Please call 0131 332 3750 before making a special journey.

About the Fraternity

FSSP Ordination

The Priestly Fraternity of St Peter is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right: a priestly institute, dependent on the Holy See, whose members do not take religious vows but work together for a common mission in the Catholic Church. The Fraternity's mission is first the formation and sanctification of priests, then the pastoral ministry, using the liturgical books in force in 1962, as specified in its decree of erection in 1988, confirmed by a decree of Pope Francis (February 11, 2022).

The Fraternity was founded on at the Abbey of Hauterive, Switzerland, by a dozen priests and a score of seminarians. Following a request by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, the Bishop of Augsburg (Josef Stimpfle) soon allowed the Fraternity to come to Wigratzbad, a Marian place of pilgrimage in Bavaria. Wigratzbad remains the home of the Fraternity's European seminary and of its German-speaking District House. The General House is in Fribourg, Switzerland. At present, around 340 priests and 185 seminarians are incorporated in the Fraternity.

Visit our Statistics page for a few up-to-date figures, or if you have any queries about Vocations.

The Fraternity of Saint Peter in Great Britain now has an association for interested people, both clerical and lay. There is no fee for membership, although your charity might help cover the necessary working expenses of the Confraternity (in which case cheques should be made payable to “FSSP England”). To learn more about the Confraternity, visit the Confraternity page for more information.

The Confraternity

FSSP Confraternity

The Fraternity of Saint Peter in Great Britain now has an association for interested people, both clerical and lay. There is no fee for membership, although your charity might help cover the necessary working expenses of the Confraternity (in which case cheques should be made payable to “FSSP England”).

About the Confraternity

The example of Our Lord

‘Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of t he crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the labourers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out labourers for his harvest.”‘ (Mt 9:35-38)

What is the Confraternity of Saint Peter?

It is a society which gathers those who feel close to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter and who wish to support its charism through prayers and sacrifices. Single or married people, as well as priests and religious are all equally welcome.

Thus the Confraternity contributes to the service of the Church, through supporting numerous vocations, the sanctification of priests and their pastoral endeavours.

What does a member of the Confraternity of Saint Peter do?

Members commit themselves to pray one decade of the Holy Rosary daily for the sanctification of our priests and for our priestly vocations, and to recite the Prayer of the Confraternity daily. Members also commit to having the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for these intentions at least once a year.

What spiritual benefit do members receive from the Confraternity?

Their commitments place the members among our most faithful benefactors, and as such, among the particular recipients of our priests’ and seminarians’ daily prayers.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered each month for the members of the Confraternity in each area. Recollections and instructions in the faith are also foreseen.

How does one become a member?

Fill in the enrollment form and send it back to us when filled out. The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter will send to you in return the certificate of membership. The commitments take effect with the reception of the certificate.

Members must be at least 14 years old. Membership is purely spiritual and does not confer any rights or duties other than the spiritual support in prayer and charity in accord with the commitments described above. By themselves the commitments do not bind under penalty of sin. Membership and the commitments which follow it are tacitly renewed each year on the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (February 22), unless expressly determined otherwise.

How does one receive news about the Confraternity?

The bulletins and websites of the districts or of the houses will provide news about the Confraternity.

Prayer

Prayer for Priests, to be said by members of the Confraternity of St. Peter.

Following a decade of the Rosary:

V. Remember, O Lord, Thy congregation.
R. Which Thou hast possessed from the beginning.

Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus, born to give testimony to the Truth, Thou who lovest unto the end those whom Thou hadst chosen, kindly hear our prayers for our pastors.
Thou who knowest all things, knowest that they love Thee and can do all things in Thee who strengthen them.
Sanctify them in Truth. Pour into them, we beseech Thee, the Spirit whom Thou didst give to Thy apostles, who would make them, in all things, like unto Thee.
Receive the homage of love which they offer up to Thee, who hast graciously received the threefold confession of Peter.
And so that a pure oblation may everywhere be offered without ceasing unto the Most Holy Trinity, graciously enrich their number and keep them in Thy love, who art one with the Father and the Holy Ghost, to whom be glory and honour forever.
Amen.

Nihil obstat: Vic. Gen. FSSP, 05.II.2007
Imprimatur: Vic. Gen. Diœc. Laus. Gen. Frib., 28.II.2007

Statistics

FSSP Ordination

Jump to:

Origin of the Fraternity

The Fraternity was founded on July 18, 1988 at the Abbey of Hauterive (Switzerland) by a dozen priests and a score of seminarians. Shortly after the Fraternity ’s foundation and following upon a request by Cardinal Ratzinger, Bishop Joseph Stimpfle of Augsburg, Germany granted the Fraternity a home in Wigratzbad, a Marian shrine in Bavaria that now lodges the Fraternity ’s European seminary. In the same month of October there arrived a handful of priests and some thirty seminarians ready to start “from scratch ”. There are currently over 260 priests and 145 seminarians in the Fraternity.

A Few Figures

Statistics as of November 1st, 2023, reproduced from: https://www.fssp.org/en/

Members today

  • Total: 569 (incl. 364 incardinated)
  • Priests: 368
    • 342 incardinated
    • 20 incorporated ad annum
    • 2 postulants
    • 4 associated
  • Deacons: 22
  • Non-deacons seminarians (including postulants): 179
  • Average age of members: 39 years
  • Deceased members: 12

Pie chart showing the proportion of priests, deacons and seminarians in the FSSP
Priests (65%)  Deacons (4%)  Seminarians (31%)

Nationalities

Pie chart of all FSSP members by country
All Members

Pie chart of incardinated FSSP members by country
Incardinated Members

Pie chart of FSSP seminarians by country
Seminarians

Increase and ordinations

Number of members (as of Jan. 1 each year)

FSSP Members increase over time
Total members   Definitively incorporated priests   Seminarians (incl. deacons)

Priestly ordinations in the FSSP over the last 12 years

Please scroll the table to view all the counts.

YEAR

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

AVERAGE

TOTAL

11

11

12

15

16

19

16

12

14

11

15

15

14

Number of seminarians (excluding deacons and including postulants)

Bar chart: Number of seminarians (excluding deacons and including postulants)
Number of seminarians (excluding deacons and including postulants) between 1988 and today

Confraternity of Saint Peter

  • Total members: 9546
    • French speakers: 1262
    • German speakers: 1231
    • English speakers: 6957
    • Others: 96

Locations

  • Dioceses served: 146
  • Mass centers: 249 locations
  • Personal parishes: 48
  • Number of houses: 138
  • Number of erected houses: 95

Dioceses served by countries
Dioceses served by countries

Dioceses served by districts and regions
Dioceses served by districts and regions

Mass centers by districts and regions
Mass centers by districts and regions

Number of houses (as of Jan. 1 each year)

Number of FSSP houses (as of Jan. 1 each year)
Nb. of houses     Nb. of erected houses

Vocations

The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter operates two seminaries: that of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Denton, Nebraska, USA, and the International Seminary of Saint Peter in Wigratzbad, Bavaria, Germany.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Denton, Nebraska, United States of America

The Fraternity operates Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary for the formation of English-speaking candidates for the priesthood. Men who believe that they may have a vocation are strongly encouraged to make a vocational retreat at the seminary. These retreats are offered two or three times a year. For futher information, please contact:

Director of Vocations
Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
P.O. Box 147
Denton, NE 68339
Tel.: (402) 797-7700
Email: vocations[at]fssp.com

International Seminary of St. Peter

Wigratzbad, Bavaria, Federal Republic of Germany

The International Seminary of St. Peter in Wigratzbad was the first seminary founded by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and also its first house canonically established. It is situated on the ancient frontier of Bavaria and Swabia, a short distance from Germany ’s borders with Austria and Switzerland. For further information, please contact:

Email: seminar[at]petrusbruderchaft.de

Vocations
French section: vocations[at]petrusbruderschaft.de
German section: berufungen[at]petrusbruderschaft.de

Contact

Priests

Fr. BRENDAN GERARD (superior)
Fr. JOHN EMERSON

Contact Information

Readings for 2024

The following table shows the readings for Masses in 2024. Please scroll the table to the right to view more columns.

Date Mass Epistle Gospel
Palm Sunday Philippians 2:5-11 Matthew 26:36–27:60
Easter Sunday 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Mark 16:1-7
Sunday in Albis 1 John 5:4-10 John 20:19-31
Second Sunday after Easter 1 Peter 2:21-25 John 10:11-16
Third Sunday after Easter 1 Peter 2:11-19 John 16:16-22
Fourth Sunday after Easter James 1:17-21 John 16:5-14
Fifth Sunday after Easter James 1:22-27 John 16:23-30
Ascension Acts 1:1-11 Mark 16:14-20
Sunday after Ascension 1 Peter 4:7-11 John 15:26–16:4
Pentecost Sunday Acts 2:1-11 John 14:23-31
Trinity Sunday Romans 11:33-36 Matthew 28:18-20
External Solemnity of Corpus Christi 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 John 6:55-59
Third Sunday after Pentecost 1 Peter 5:6-11 Luke 15:1-10
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Romans 8:18-23 Luke 5:1-11
3 Fifth Sunday after Pentecost 1 Peter 3:8-15 Matthew 5:20-24
External Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul Acts 12:1-11 Matthew 16:13-19
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Romans 6:19-23 Matthew 7:15-21
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost Romans 8:12-17 Luke 16:1-9
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost 1 Corinthians 10:6-13 Luke 19:41-47
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost 1 Corinthians 12:2-11 Luke 18:9-14
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost 1 Corinthians 15:1-10 Mark 7:31-37
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost 2 Corinthians 3:4-9 Luke 10:23-37
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Judith 13:22-25; 15:10 Luke 1:41-50
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Galatians 3:16-22 Luke 17:11-19
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Galatians 5:16-24 Matthew 6:24-33
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost Galatians 5:25–6:10 Luke 7:11-16
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost Ephesians 3:13-21 Luke 14:1-11
5 Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost Ephesians 4:1-6 Matthew 22:34-46
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost 1 Corinthians 1:4-8 Matthew 9:1-8
Michaelmas Revelation 1:1-5 Matthew 18:1-10
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost Ephesians 5:15-21 John 4:46-53
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost Ephesians 6:10-17 Matthew 18:23-35
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost Philippians 1:6-11 Matthew 25:15-21
Christ the King Colossians 1:12-20 John 18:33-37
All Saints Revelation 7:2-12 Matthew 5:1-12
Fourth mobile Sunday after Epiphany Romans 13:8-10 Matthew 8:23-27
Fifth mobile Sunday after Epiphany Colossians 3:12-17 Matthew 13:24-30
Sixth mobile Sunday after Epiphany 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 Matthew 13:31-35
Final (24th) Sunday after Pentecost Colossians 1:9-14 Matthew 24:15-35
First Sunday of Advent Romans 13:11-14 Luke 21:25-33
Immaculate Conception of the BVM Proverbs 8:22-35 Luke 1:26-28
Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete) Philippians 4:4-7 John 1:19-28
Fourth Sunday of Advent 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Luke 3:1-6
Christmas Night: Titus 2:11-15 (Dawn: Titus 3:4-7) Day: Hebrews 1:1-12 Night: Luke 2:1-14 (Dawn: Luke 2:15-20) Day: John 1:1-14
Sunday in the Christmas Octave Galatians 4:1-7 Luke 2:33-40