Letter of Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz

Letter from Monsignor Michael Schmitz, Vicar General of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, on the occassion of St. Francis de Sales’ 100th anniversary:

Dear friends and faithful of St. Francis de Sales,

Every church is a gateway to heaven. St. Francis de Sales, now an Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, shows clearly that those who sacrificed their time and material goods for its construction wanted this sacred edifice to be a visible door to the eternal glory of the Most High. The “Cathedral of South St. Louis” is an imposing sign of God’s presence in the City of St. Louis, and, together with the beautiful liturgy it serves, forms a spiritual and artistic landmark radiating far over the borders of this important American metropolis. St. Francis Oratory is a beacon of faith and culture for St. Louis and for the entire nation.

It is with deepest gratitude that the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, its Prior General Msgr. Gilles Wach, and all our priests and seminarians thank Holy Providence and the Archbishop of Saint Louis for the invitation to take care of this magnificent building so that it will offer “Tradition for Tommorrow.” Also in the name of our Prior General, I thank my confreres at the Oratory for their incessant efforts for this restoration project, and I thank all of you for your dedication and generosity. On this 100th anniversary of the consecration of this most impressive house of God, we shall approach our coming tasks with renewed enthusiasm and a fervent spirit of prayer and sacrifice. Our generosity will be once more the beginning of a huge success, and, at the same time, the base of many graces and blessings.

All the faithful of St. Francis de Sales Oratory, its generous benefactors and all its friends are included in my prayers on this important occasion. I encourage you to collaborate with the Institute of Christ the King to make St. Francis de Sales Oratory visibly again what it really is: a dwelling for the Blessed Trinity, and thus a gateway to heaven for us all.

Yours very gratefully in Christ the King,

Msgr. R. Michael Schmitz
Vicar General and Provincial for the US

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