Zaitzkofen – Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate – 2025
The stated goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is the renewal of the Catholic priesthood and all that pertains to it. Consequently, the celebration of priestly ordinations is not only the highlight of the year for the seminary community, but also, it can be said, for our entire spiritual family.
This year, the German-speaking regions had a particular reason to celebrate: after three years in which candidates came predominantly from Eastern European countries, come four new priests from the countries of Germany (1), Austria (1), and Switzerland (2).
Among the five new deacons, two Germans were included, alongside an Australian, a Lebanese, and a Polish national. The fact that the number of candidates receiving Holy Orders from the hands of His Excellency Bishop Bernard Fellay during this year's Vigil of Saints Peter and Paul reached nine, a number not seen for a long time, only added to the joy.
In his homily addressed to the ordinands and the approximately 3,000 faithful present, Bishop Fellay emphasized that the priest has too often been forgotten during the post-conciliar reforms and his true identity falsified. But since the holiness of the Church depends essentially on the holiness of her priests, the current crisis in the Church has its origins in the crisis of the priesthood.
For only the priest, as God's chosen instrument, dispenses the sacraments with his consecrated hands, first and foremost the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, from which all graces flow. Without priests, without the Mass, these essential sources of grace would be closed to us.
Candidates for ordination must therefore firmly believe in the greatness of their ministry while maintaining profound humility. It is this faith in the true priesthood, the true sacrifice of the Mass, and the true doctrine of the Church that is able to "overcome the world" (1 Jn 5:4).
Motivated by such religious zeal, our new priests will soon be able to put their first apostolate to the test after their first Mass trips. However, none of the four newly ordained priests will return to their home countries for the time being. Raphael Sidler, a Swiss-German, will travel to Gavrus, Normandy, for his first assignment.
His compatriot, Ludovic Udressey from Valais, will be traveling almost as far, as he will now be assigned to the Italian district headquarters in Albano, near Rome. The German district headquarters in Stuttgart will be able to count on the support of Klaus Rumpl from Austria. Adrian Deger, originally from Baden, will be moving to Wil, Switzerland to strengthen the priory and school.
The biographies of the ordination candidates clearly demonstrate the importance of Catholic schools in awakening spiritual vocations: three of the four new priests discovered their vocation in a Society school.
Emerging from the daily silence of the seminary to enter the serious life of the apostolate is, of course, always a great challenge. Let us therefore pray to Peter and Paul, the princes of the Apostles, as well as to all the holy servants of God, that our new priests may also carry out fruitful activities in their new environment and remain faithful to their high calling until the end.
(Sources : Séminaire Herz Jesu/District d’Allemagne – FSSPX. Actualités)
