[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV Extends Apostolic Blessing to SSPX Chapel in North Carolina for Its 25th Anniversary

Rorate Caeli ^ | December 8, 2025P | Peter Kwasniewski

[ebb tide]

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV Extends Apostolic Blessing to SSPX Chapel in North Carolina for Its 25th Anniversary

The document reads:

The Holy Father Leo XIV cordially imparts the requested Apostolic Blessing to Reverend Father John Bourbeau, FSSPX and Faithful of the Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Pii X of Saint Anthony of Padua Chapel on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Chapel invoking through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary an abundance of divine graces. Mount Holly, North Carolina, 22nd August 2025, Jubilaeum A.D. MMXXV. (Dated at the Vatican, November 18, 2025, and signed by Card. Konrad Krajewski, Papal Almoner)

To understand the importance of this document, it will be useful to recall the history of St. Anthony’s. In the 19 years before the acquisition of the current St. Anthony’s chapel in the year 2000, the community held Mass in a variety of borrowed and rented spaces. Initially they gathered at a private residence. For another period, they rented vacant space on the second floor of a bank building. Lastly, they rented space at a facility owned by the Junior League of Charlotte. 

In the Spring of 2000 (as it happens, during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000), a member of the community, John McMahon, noticed a church building for sale on his drive home from work and contacted Mr. Jim De Piante. Mr. De Piante contacted Father Kenneth Novak (SSPX) and the two men went out to view the property as soon as possible. Father Novak contacted the sellers and, after a negotiation, the parties came to terms on the property. The community moved in and celebrated the first Mass on August 22, 2000, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The initial altar was a table propped up on chairs. First renovations included the construction of a confessional. Father Novak learned of a wooden altar and statue niches for sale in the Midwest. The altar was restored and cleaned, and the first Mass on new altar took place Holy Thursday 2001. A choir loft was built by the men of the schola. The house on the property was renovated into a rectory, with some rooms converted to classrooms. In 2007, the small sanctuary was enlarged. Other interior renovations allowed for an additional four rows of pews. The downstairs was renovated into a social hall. The bell and bell tower were repaired and made to function. Numerous other renovations and repairs have taken place over the years. It is a property to which the faithful have given their best, in return for the ministrations of their spiritual fathers.

How did this Papal Blessing come about?

In the summer of 2025, during the current Jubilee Year, hundreds of priests and religious of the Society of Saint Pius X, along with thousands of faithful, went on pilgrimage to Rome and formed together in solemn procession, publicly professing the Credo as they processed through streets and entered the Holy Doors of the four Patriarchal Basilicas. 

A delegation from St. Anthony de Padua in Charlotte joined this pilgrimage. It was a tremendous grace for participants to attend in a year in which the 25th anniversary of the founding of their chapel coincided with a Holy Jubilee in Rome. After the pilgrimage, representatives of St. Anthony’s visited the Office of Papal Charities (Elemosineria Apostolica) in the Vatican to deliver a written request for a papal blessing for the 25th Anniversary of St. Anthony of Padua. As one can well imagine, the community was overjoyed that our petition for a Papal Blessing was granted. 

Everyone understands the routine nature of these blessings and their significance should not be overinflated. The deepest significance—and it counts as a message to the Church at large—is that a community of Catholics who avail themselves of the ministry of the SSPX in a diocese hostile to tradition so strongly desired this papal blessing that they took the steps necessary to request it, and now publicly display it as a testimony of filial love for the Holy Father and of the Catholic Church.

Updated 12/8/25

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TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: apostolicblessing; charlotte; popeleo; sspx

[ebb tide]

The deepest significance—and it counts as a message to the Church at large—is that a community of Catholics who avail themselves of the ministry of the SSPX in a diocese hostile to tradition so strongly desired this papal blessing that they took the steps necessary to request it, and now publicly display it as a testimony of filial love for the Holy Father and of the Catholic Church.

[ebb tide]

Ping

[NorthMountain]

Meanwhile, Latin Mass communities and parishes in full formal communion with their local Ordinaries get the shaft ...

Leo the Two-Faced strikes again.

[irishjuggler]

Mixed feelings about the SSPX... They’re a good group and I have no criticism of any that they themselves are doing, but I dislike the way that some in the establishment hierarchy see the SSPX as a useful ghetto in which to quarantine trads so we don’t “contaminate” the normies. Cardinal Mueller has said, for instance, that some of his liberal confreres say about those who want the TLM that we should “stay home or go to the Lefebvrists.” In a sense, to affiliate with the SSPX rather than fight for the TLM in the regular diocesan structure is to let the Novus Ordo establishment off the hook.

[irishjuggler]

Per my post above, an argument could be made that bestowing this papal honor is more cynicism than hypocrisy.

Card Mueller has said that some anti-TLM bishops say that trads should “stay home or go to the Lefebvrists.” Giving this SSPX chapal an honor may be a backhanded way of encouraging TLM Catholics in the Charlotte diocese to “get lost” into the SSPX ghetto rather than staying in the diocesan structure and fighting for the TLM from within

[ebb tide]

In Charlotte, how does one “fight” for the TLM with a dictator bishop like Michael Martin?

[NorthMountain]

How does one "fight" for much of anything in a feudal monarchy? The hierarchy depends on donations but is utterly unanswerable to We the Faithful who provide the donations. I can, and do, pray for their conversion. I can, and have, cut off my meager funds from the parish-diocesan syndicate. I can, and have, voiced my opinion at "listening sessions".

The hierarchs don't give a rip ...

[NorthMountain]

an argument could be made

I have trouble countering that argument ...

[Oystir]

A homosexual requests a blessing from a priest and he receives a blessing. Likewise, ebby, a diminished group of sspx requests a blessing and receives a blessing. ImagineThat!

[ebb tide]

Only you would make such a vulgar comparison.

I’m not at all surprised.

[Oystir]

So for today Pope Leo is a good Pope, ebby? Pope Leo will bless you too, ebby. All you have to do is request. This diminished sspx chapter humbly approached the Pope and asked for a blessing. Of course, good Pope Leo blessed this group. Pope Leo will bless other sinners too. ImagineThat! Could you humbly make a request for a blessing from a Pope you ridicule on-line, ebby? It would be good for your soul.

I believe Pope Leo is a good Pope everyday and I pray for him everyday. Do you, ebby?

[ebb tide]

I don’t believe you pray.

I don’t even believe you’re a Catholic.

[irishjuggler]

Well, you could make a sincere effort to go to the backwater TLM chapel that he set up no matter how overcrowded it gets... while withholding donations to your territorial parish. You could band together with other parishioners to lobby diocesan priests to be supportive of the TLM in the form of private masses as well as encourage them to resist Martin’s various other antics. It’s neither easy nor fun to play the part of thorn in his side, but if you just walk away in favor of the SSPX, you’re letting him win comfortably rather than forcing him to “win ugly.”

[ebb tide]

I can’t post one positive Catholic article without you bringing up sodomites.

You have serious morality problems.

[ebb tide]

I guess I’m a little more optimistic than you.

I tend to see the SSPX chapels attracting large, traditional Catholic families who tend to be quite generous when it comes to the collection basket.

When dictatorbishops see the drop in their own collections, they may re-think the consequences of shutting down diocesan TLM’s.

It’s a known fact that when the SSPX sets up new chapel, some bishops have reacted by bringing in the FSSP as a countermeasure, which is a plus for all traditional Catholics.

[ebb tide]

... but if you just walk away in favor of the SSPX, you’re letting him win comfortably rather than forcing him to “win ugly.”

Martin has been "winning ugly" since the day Francis placed him in Charlotte. I have a brother who lives in Charlotte and he is close to his pastor, who has confided that the majority of priests can't stand Martin.