Angelus Press's Blog

For those of you who will not be able to attend the Angelus Press Conference for Catholic Tradition in person we are now offering easy access to the live-streaming service. Given the importance of this year's topic: Nurturing Vocations: A Shared Responsibility, we want as many young adults, high school juniors and seniors, and college students to still participate where possible. Below we have included the QR code Poster for AngelusPlus.com our SSPX streaming site, which will host the 2025 Conference Livestream. Please print this 2025 Conference Poster and encourage as many people as possible to attend online if they can't come in person.

Thank you so much for doing your part in helping those who may have a vocation discern one and answer the call! 

We are happy to announce that the update to our website is complete, and wholesale accounts are once again able to order online. 

Please contact our customer service department if you are having any problems logging in, checking out, or of any price discrepancies. We can be reached M-F 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Central time at 800.966.7337.

Thank you for your patience and continued support. 

Angelus Press will be updating our wholesale account access beginning on April 24th and should be completed in a few days.

This application runs in the background on our website, and allows our wholesale customers to purchase directly from the Angelus Press website and receive wholesale prices and, if authorized, the ability to check out with net terms.

While we make this change, wholesale access may be unavailable for a few days. During that time orders can be placed via email (to orders@angeluspress.org) or by calling our customer service department at 800.966.7337. Our staff is available Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM central time.

This change will not affect account specific terms or pricing, and account login will still be required to purchase at the wholesale level.

Thank you for your patience while we make these necessary improvements to our site. 

With great sadness, Angelus Press and the U.S. District of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) announce the passing of Fr. Dominique Bourmaud. He went to his eternal reward in the early hours of Saturday, September 4, 2021. He was, fortunately, able to receive Last Rites and all the prayers of the Roman Ritual for the sick and dying before his death. During his illness, Catholics around the world prayed fervently for his recovery. It is a testament to his kindness, pastoral sense, and tireless work to restore Catholic Tradition that so many were moved deeply by the news of his condition.

A Life of Service to the Catholic Church

One of seven children, his family hailed from the Vendee region of France, a point of particular pride for Father. (He would spend only six months as a priest in his native France.) Ordained a priest by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1981, Fr. Bourmaud spent 25 of his 40 years of priesthood teaching in the SSPX’s seminaries.

He was assigned as a professor to St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary (then in Ridgefield, CT) in 1983, where he would stay until 1993, five years after it moved to Winona, MN.  He also taught at the Seminary of Our Lady Co-Redemptrix in Argentina from 1994 to 1997 and Holy Cross Seminary in Australia from 1997 to 2009. Even after returning to the United States, he spent the better part of a decade shepherding diocesan and religious priests to the traditional Mass or even the SSPX itself through its “priests program.” In some sense, Fr. Bourmaud never stopped teaching.

Besides the countries already mentioned, he also spent time in Spain and Kenya. All told, Father worked for the SSPX on five different continents. He had just been appointed Prior of St. Vincent’s in Kansas City in August 2021.

In America, Fr. Bourmaud made a singular contribution to the U.S. District’s publishing apostolate, Angelus Press. During his time at the Press, Father oversaw the publication of The Angelus magazine, including developing themes for each issue, recruiting authors, and ensuring that its content was thoroughly orthodox. Fr. Bourmaud also extended his work as censor into the Press’s book-publishing arena. As a learned cleric with connections worldwide, Father provided invaluable assistance identifying new and out-of-print works in other languages that would be of great interest to traditional Catholics.

Even with this heavy workload, Fr. Bourmaud continued in his priestly ministry until his health declined. He also found time to compose two books, One Hundred Years of Modernism and, most recently, An Introduction to Catholic Social Doctrine. He also gave his time to assist priests, both in and outside the SSPX, with their ministries and appeared in two episodes of the ongoing Crisis in the Church podcast series.

There are many more beautiful things to be said about Fr. Bourmaud in due course. For now, please join the priests and religious of the Society, along with the lay faithful who work for the U.S. District, in praying for Father’s soul. May God quickly receive His good and faithful servant into the halls of Heaven.

Eternal rest grant unto Fr. Dominique Bourmaud, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

The weekend of October 4 - 6 was acclaimed "The best Conference yet" by many attendees!

Compelling lectures by a number of different priests, religious, and laity were scheduled throughout the day captivating audiences and giving them much food for thought. 

The cuisine was hot and delicious as always! In the ballroom across from the lecture hall, guests sat around large tables elegantly decorated with centerpieces of fresh flowers. 

Many Angelus Press titles were available for purchase, and this year, we were able to offer our beautiful 2020 calendar featuring The Holy Family beginning with the month of October 2019!

The evenings of games and trivia were well attended and gave all who were there an opportunity to wind down with friends - both old and new!

Thank you to all who attended and made this year's Conference a great success!

See you next year!

by Jane Carver

It's October 4, 2019 and crowds of traditional Catholics from around the country have gathered together once again for the annual Angelus Press Conference. Smiling faces and the buzz of chatter fills the halls as people browse vendor booths and greet old and new acquaintances. 

His Excellency Bishop Bernard Fellay joins us today as well as many other priests, monks (who have once again brought their delicious Abbey Roast Coffee for us to sample and enjoy) sisters, and laity. We especially remember our Franciscan Sisters today on the feast of their founding father, the Seraphic St. Francis.

The US District Superior, Fr. Jurgen Wegner gave a welcome address to open the Conference and explained the importance of this year's theme: "Defense of the Family: Fortifying Catholic Marriage." 

The conferences given by the various speakers today were both thought-provoking and practical. Topics surrounding the family in today's society are extremely important for the traditional Catholic who wants to give their children the best formation possible. And yet, in order to do this, we need to be informed about the dangers to family life and the war waged against the soul by the world, the flesh, and the devil. 

After dinner, we were able to wind down from the days events by enjoying an evening mixer and game night with drinks and hors d'oeuvres.Tomorrow is another full day of conferences beginning with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Rosary.

O Lord, grant us many, holy, Catholic families!

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A beautiful day for Ordinations! 

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Procession of Bishop, Priests, Seminarians, and Candidates for Ordination up the hill to the ordination tent.

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A moment during the Ordination Mass and ceremony.

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The newly-ordained pose for pictures after the ceremony while the bells ring out notes of joy!

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Final procession into the seminary. Deo gratias for our new priests!

 

"Someone may ask, 'How is justice greater than all the other virtues?' Other virtues gratify the one who possesses them; but justice does not give pleasure to the one possessing it, instead it pleases others." - St. Jerome

Justice is a virtue. But how often does the world tell us that justice is a vice? Telling someone that they are wrong, "judging" others? 

Justice doesn't only punish what is wicked, but rewards that which is good!

We know from the Creed that Jesus is the "Just Judge" and that He shall come to judge the living and the dead. Jesus Himself became man and lived our life here on earth. He experienced temptations, sorrow, joy, and death. He has a right to judge us all as Creator but remember it was He the Creator, who less than a week ago, died for us. God's example of the Just Judge should only further our hatred of sin since His judgement is the result of the infinite love He has already shown to all.

Sometimes, justice can be a cause for disordered fear, knowing that we are all indeed, sinners and have merited a just punishment. But Christ's Mother has no judgement in her. She is the Mother of Mercy and the Refuge of Sinners and through her intercession we are spared the magnitude of justice we deserve! 

- Jane Carver

"The virtue of justice is to give everyone what is his due. To God we give the worship which is due to Him as our Creator, Lord, and Father. To our neighbor, we owe respect for his rights, taking into account our various obligations toward him, according to whether he is our superior, equal, or inferior. Justice is always the necessary foundation of charity, without which, charity itself could not subsist."

"Again there are abject and honorable virtues; for the world generally despises patience, gentleness, simplicity, and even humility itself, while, on the contrary, it highly esteems prudence, valor, and liberality." - St. Francis de Sales 

Prudence is one of the four cardinal virtues. These four combined with the three theological virtues make up the seven main virtues of the Catholic Faith. (Cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude - Theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity.) 

Prudence is that virtue which has to do with acting rightly. It helps us in every action and is essential to the regulation of life in all its parts. This virtue is particularly important as it guides all the other virtues, enabling us to use them in the right way and at the right time. 

The prudent man looks to the future and considers the effect of his current actions upon it. This eye on the future is a guard against wrong action and is essential to virtue. The uncharitable comment that springs so quickly to the tongue is choked backed when the effects of that same comment are considered. All things are touched by this virtue. It is a virtue to work, but imprudent to do so at all hours or at the wrong hours. It is prudent to rest, but to sleep all the time or at the wrong time turns to sloth. We must eat and drink to survive, but to do so in excess turns to yet another vice. A man who turns to prayer knowing that it is necessary for a happy death is a prudent man. "He who keeps his end constantly before his eyes will never sin."

Let us turn to God and His Holy Mother and pray for the virtue of prudence this Lent! 

"The prudent man considers things afar off, in so far as they tend to be a help or a hindrance to that which has to be done at the present time." -St. Thomas Aquinas

 - Benjamin Bielinski

 

   

Purchase the 2019 Calendar of the Virtues here:

https://angeluspress.org/products/2019-liturgical-calendar-the-virtue

 

History of the Ember Days

The Ember Days, which were historically kept four times during the liturgical year, have a venerable history. Here is the explanation from the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia. 
 

The purpose of their introduction, besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.

The Romans were originally given to agriculture, and their native gods belonged to the same class. At the beginning of the time for seeding and harvesting religious ceremonies were performed to implore the help of their deities: in June for a bountiful harvest, in September for a rich vintage, and in December for the seeding; hence their feriae sementivae, feriae messis, and feri vindimiales.

The Church, when converting heathen nations, has always tried to sanctify any practices which could be utilized for a good purpose. At first the Church in Rome had fasts in June, September, and December; the exact days were not fixed but were announced by the priests. The "Liber Pontificalis" ascribes to Pope Callistus (217-222) a law ordering the fast, but probably it is older. Leo the Great (440-461) considers it an Apostolic institution.

This pope also permitted the conferring of priesthood and  deaconship on the Saturdays of ember week--these were formerly given only at Easter. Before Gelasius the ember days were known only in Rome, but after his time their observance spread. They were brought into England by St. Augustine; into Gaul and Germany by the Carlovingians. Spain adopted them with the Roman Liturgy in the eleventh century. They were introduced by St. Charles Borromeo into Milan.

The Eastern Church does not know them. The present Roman Missal, in the formulary for the Ember days, retains in part the old practice of lessons from Scripture in addition to the ordinary two: for the Wednesdays three, for the Saturdays six, and seven for the Saturday in December. Some of these lessons contain promises of a bountiful harvest for those that serve God.

 

Keeping with Tradition

Catholics who have access to the traditional liturgy outside of Sundays should make a special point to assist at Mass on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of this week. In addition to keeping the fasting and abstinence prescriptions on these days, the faithful should be attentive to the special collects and readings that are assigned on these days. Here, for instance, are the Collects from Wednesday, which properly capture the spirit of these days.
 

Why do we fast and abstain?

“Unless you do penance, you shall likewise perish.” (Lk. 13:5)

Because we are sinners, justice requires each of us to make recompense to God for the honor we have denied Him by our sins. Because we have misused our goods, our souls and bodies—as well as those of others—the natural law requires us to strive to restore the order we have disturbed by our sins. Thus, the Natural Law and the Divine Law bind us in a general way to perform acts of penance. In order to help us fulfill this requirement, Holy Mother Church, knowing our weakness and laziness, binds us under ecclesiastical laws to perform works of penance at certain times.

Throughout the centuries, these ecclesiastical laws have changed, sometimes becoming more strict, sometimes relaxing the discipline of penance. Regardless of changes to the Church laws, which exist to make our obedience to the natural and Divine laws of penance easier, the fundamental requirement remains: “Unless you do penance, you shall likewise perish.”

Considering the alternatives of unending bliss in heaven or unending misery in hell, and considering that the effects of original sin and of our own sins make us lazy and apt to forget our duty towards God, it seems much more reasonable to err on the side of too much penance, especially in times of relaxed Church discipline such as our own, rather than on the side of too little.

Only the Church can hold us guilty of mortal sin for failing in this or that specific act of penance, but we can certainly offend God mortally by neglecting penance completely over a length of time. This principle should be kept in mind when deciding on concrete penitential practices in accordance with the requirements and guidelines listed below. “Rules for penitential days under present Church law” details the bare minimum of penance which we must accomplish if we are to hope to stay out of mortal sin.

Nevertheless, we will easily fall into mortal sin if we confine our entire penance for the year to those days and acts required by the current law. “Guidelines for traditional penitential practices” spells out the strongly recommended practices which were observed until just after the Second Vatican Council.