SS.
Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Mission
129
South Beaver Street
York,
Pennsylvania
717-792-2789
January 12, 2004
Most
Reverend Nicholas C. Dattilo, D. D.
4800 Union Deposit
Road
Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania 17111
Dear Bishop Dattilo,
SS. Peter and Paul
Roman Catholic Mission has been formally established
in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since July of 2002 and informally for
several years before that. The members
of the Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Mission have joined together to
work toward the sanctification of their souls by restoring to the Diocese of
Harrisburg, and by defending the Ecclesiastical Traditions of the Roman
Catholic Church, the patrimony and right of all Catholics. The primary focus of
these efforts are the propagation of the traditional Roman Rite of the Mass for
the holy and acceptable public worship of God, as codified by Pope St. Pius V,
and in the providing of sound traditional catechetical instructions for the
purpose of promoting the greater glory of God and to obtain the conversion of
souls to the Catholic Church, "outside of which there is no
salvation". The members observe holy Catholic obedience to our Holy
Father, the Pope of Rome and his delegated representative, the local ordinary
of the Diocese of Harrisburg, in all things that are not contrary to, or could
in any way impede, the restoration and defense of the immemorial traditions of
the Catholic Church.
The Members, in
following the exhortation of Pope St. Pius X to "restore all things in Christ",
bound together in acts of prayer and penance, will engage in any form of
Catholic Action that is related to the divine mission of the Church in
extending the Kingdom of God to everyone: individuals, families and society. So help us God.
In
pursuit of this noble and holy purpose we have purchased a church centrally
located in the historical district of York. We would like to offer you, as the
local ordinary, the opportunity to consecrate this Catholic Mission. You would be expected to do so in absolute
accordance with the traditions of the Roman Rite. It was St. Ambrose who said, “Whatever church
you may come to, conform to its custom, if you would avoid either receiving or
giving offense.” I can promise you, if
this request is accepted, every effort will be extended to show the proper
respect due to your office.
For your
information, I have enclosed a copy of the article, The Vatican II Renewal:
Myth or Reality by Mr. Kenneth C. Jones that was recently published in The
Latin Mass magazine. Mr. Jones is
the author of the book, Index of Leading Catholic Indicators, which is a
simple statistical evaluation of the Catholic Church since Vatican II. The article addresses some of these
statistics and their unavoidable inferences.
As you can see, by any objective measurable criteria, your Novus Ordo Church is a dead or dying institution. Your contribution to this desolation is
evidenced in your having closed approximately thirty parishes in this
diocese. We at SS. Peter and Paul Roman
Catholic Mission are offering you an opportunity to have a part in the
restoration of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Harrisburg by your
participation in this holy act of consecrating a new Catholic Mission.
You need not be
concerned that this holy mission will entail any burden whatsoever upon the
Diocese of Harrisburg. We are a
financially sound operation and provide from our own funds for the care of all
the priests that serve our Mission.
Furthermore, all the priests that serve our Mission are properly ordained
Roman Catholic priests under no canonical censure. They fearlessly preach and defend exclusively
the Catholic Faith and morals without compromise as taught by the immemorial Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Our priests who serve this
Mission ruthlessly condemn modernism in all its various shades and
manifestations.
We respectfully
request a reply within ten days. If we
do not hear from you, we will assume that you have no interest in this matter,
and we will go about this holy endeavor in spite of your absence or
opposition. Regardless of your decision
with respect to your duties, we will continue to do ours. Your name will continue to be included in the
canon of the traditional Roman Rite of Masses that are offered at SS. Peter and
Paul Roman Catholic Mission.
Lastly, your
judicial vicar, Rev. William J. King, has recently published in the diocesan
newspaper certain lies regarding members and supporters of SS. Peter and Paul
Roman Catholic Mission. I will be
formulating a public reply to Rev. King.
I will also offer Rev. King an opportunity to enter into a public debate
on the question of the doctrinal position of SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic
Mission where he can defend his libelous accusations. I hope you would encourage Rev. King to do
so. The expenses for this will entirely
be born by SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Mission.
Frankly, I think that Rev. King has not only disgraced himself but the
priesthood, the profession of canon law, and your office. If I were to give medical opinions comparable
to his canonical opinions, my license would have been revoked long ago.
Sincerely in
Christ,
David M. Drew
SS. Peter and Paul
Roman Catholic Mission
cc: Rev. William J
King, JCD