District Superior's Letters

July 2006

Dear Faithful,

Back from the General Chapter held in Econe Switzerland from July 3 to 15, I am very pleased to announce, for those who have not yet heard that Bishop Fellay re-elected as superior general, Fathers Niklaus Pfluger and Alain Nely respectively 1st and 2nd assistants. (see below)

I was very pleased to see, contrary to certain reports which have nothing to with reality, the cordial relations and the unity between all the members of the Chapter. All are determined to continue the fight begun by Archbishop Lefebvre against modernism and liberalism and which many of us have been waging for over 20 years following the same principles given to us by the prelate foretold by Our Lady of Good Success. So the Society continues in the same line traced by Archbishop Lefebvre.

I urged you to take part in the spiritual bouquet being organized which will be presented to the Pope for the restoration of the Mass of all times. One million rosaries is not impossible if every traditionalist Catholic takes part.

Now I must announce to you a few changes for our district this Fall. The newly ordained Father Dominic May will come to Toronto. Father Dominique Boulet who has spent 16 years in western Canada will become prior of St Pius X priory in Shawinigan. So the retreats will continue to be preached in both French and English. Father Loren Gerspacher until now in Toronto will replace Father Boulet in Vernon and Langley. And yours truly will be taking up a new post in the USA. I will be responsible for the priory in Kansas City. My replacement as district superior is Father Arnaud Rostand. Father Rostand was ordained in 1993 and spent the first years of his priesthood in the Asian district in the Phillipines and Sri Lanka before coming back to France where he presently is. Until his new appointment he was the director of Saint Bernard School in Paris. I hope you will give him a warm welcome and the same assistance you gave me.

So this will be my last letter and I wish to take the occasion to thank the priests and faithful of the Canadian district for their help and support during the last six years.

Be assured of my continued prayers for all of you.

With my blessing,

Fr. Jean Violette

Here is the official press release following the election of the Superior General and his assistants:

On Tuesday, 11 July, 2006, at the seminary of Ecône (Switzerland), the General Chapter of the Society of Saint Pius X elected its Superior General and his two General Assistants.

After having verified that the forty members of the Chapter had been convoked according to the rules and after having heard the report by the Superior at the end of his term of office, the Chapter re-elected Bishop Bernard Fellay as Superior General for a twelve-year term. Fathers Niklaus Pfluger and Alain-Marc Nély were elected first and second assistants, respectively, also for twelve-year terms.

Bishop Bernard Fellay Bishop Bernard Fellay was born on April 12, 1958, in Switzerland, and entered the seminary of Ecône in October 1977. He was ordained priest on June 29, 1982, and was immediately appointed General Bursar of the Society. He was at the same time chaplain for several youth groups and exercised his priestly ministry in parishes. He made several apostolic journeys throughout Third World countries. On June 30, 1988, he was consecrated bishop while retaining his functions as General Bursar until his first election as Superior General of the Society in July 1994. Bishop Fellay is fluent in French, English and German and conversant in Italian and Spanish.
Fr. Niklaus Pfluger Rev. Fr. Niklaus Pfluger was born on November 3, 1958, in Oesingen (Switzerland). He entered the seminary of Zaitzkofen (Germany) in 1978, and was ordained priest in 1984. After one year in the priory of Oberriet, he was prior in Basel from 1985 to 1989. Superior of the district of Switzerland in 1989, he was appointed rector of the seminary of Zaitzkofen in 1991. In 1998, he resumed the charge of district Superior of Switzerland. Since 2004, he has been superior of the district of Germany. Fr. Pfluger speaks French and German.
Fr. Alain-Marc Nély Rev. Fr. Alain-Marc Nély was born on February 18, 1950, at La Ferté-sous-Jouarre (France). He entered the seminary of Ecône in 1979 and was ordained in 1985. From 1985 until 1994 he was vice-rector and professor of philosophy at the school Saint Joseph des Carmes, in southern France. From 1994 until 2004, he was dean and prior in Marseilles. Since 2004, he has been district Superior of Italy. Fr. Nély speaks French, English and Italian.