FSSP Subdiaconal Ordinations

These ordinations were held jut 20 miles from Wilber on the same day that my friend Lucas (of Christ the King road trip fame) asked if I wanted to drive 500 miles to Denver and back for the SSPX subdiaconal ordinations!

From the New Liturgical Movement

By Gregory DiPippo

On Saturday, February 9th, His Excellency Robert Finn, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph, ordained nine men to the subdiaconate at the FSSP seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. Seven of the men are members of the Fraternity itself, and two are of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer on the island of Papa Stronsay, Scotland. (Their superior is seen at the back of the choir in the first photo.)

The ordinands stand at the call to Holy Orders read by the assistant priest.

The bishop briefly addresses them on the duties of the subdiaconal order, according to a text prescribed by the Pontifical.

The bishops and major ministers kneel at the altar, while the ordinands lie prostrate in front of it, for the singing of the Litany of the Saints.

Towards the end of the Litany, the bishop rises, receives his crook and miter, then turns to the ordinands, and sings the invocations, “That Thou may deign to bless 🜊 these chosen ones. - That Thou may deign to bless 🜊 and sancti🜊fy these chosen ones. - That Thou may deign bless 🜊, sancti🜊fy and conse🜊crate these chosen ones.”, (making the sign of the Cross over them where I have put the 🜊 sign.)

The bishop then delivers another, lengthier admonition in the form of a sermon, according to a preset text in the Pontifical.

The traditio instrumentorum, by which the instruments of the ordained minisery are given (more or less symbolically) by the bishop to the ordinands: first, of the chalice,

then a set of cruets, along with a tray and towel of the sort used at the washing of the priest’s fingers at Mass.

The ordinands are then vested with the amice, maniple and tunicle, after which they receive the Epistle book. (It is a common custom for several of them to touch the book at once, as we see here.)

The newly ordaines subdeacons are then dismissed to return to their place in the choir.

One of the newly ordained subdeacons sings the Epistle of the Mass.

The subdeacons exchange the Kiss of Peace with the bishop.

At the end of the ordination, the bishop imposes upon them the reading of the nocturn of the following day, the beginning of the obligation to read the Divine Office, which traditionally began with the subdiaconate.