News from the FSSP… By Alan Frost

News from the FSSP…

By Alan Frost

Dowry is the title of the quarterly magazine of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP) in the UK and Ireland. Founded in 1988, the FSSP is devoted exclusively to the traditional liturgy of the Roman Rite and has ordained 12 new priests from the UK since the early 2000s. The Superior of the English apostolate of the FSSP is Fr Armand de Malleray, also the editor of Dowry since its inception as a newsletter in Advent 2008. Dowry took over from the newsletter of the FSSP of Scotland, Videre Petrum, edited by its founder Fr John Emerson. Dowry was chosen as a title because England, since the late 14thc., had been dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as ‘Our Lady’s Dowry’.

In these Isles the FSSP is present in Reading, Chesham Bois, Bedford, Edinburgh, Waterford (Ireland) and at what over the last five years has become the main English base: St Mary’s Shrine Church in Warrington, where daily liturgies and homilies broadcast on livemass.net are a lifeline for many during the pandemic.

Dowry is a glossy well-illustrated magazine with a wide range of articles on contemporary, historic and theological matters, on family and pro-life topics, as well as on art and reviews of publications relating to the traditional liturgy. Originally written entirely in-house, in recent years it has included contributions from outside the Fraternity. Dowry welcomes articles, drawings and pictures, to be submitted by email to the editor: malleray@fssp.org.

All the issues are accessible online, thereby providing an important research source, perhaps on items not that accessible elsewhere. In this issue of Mass of Ages, e.g., in the Reports section, there is reference to the distribution of Epiphany Water. One can find all about this in an article by Fr Matthew Goddard FSSP in Dowry Issue 21 of Spring 2014. Access to this resource, by author or title, can be found on https:// fssp.co.uk/dowry-articles/. Dowry is sent free of charge. Details of how to obtain the magazine by subscription, including in Ireland and Scotland, are provided: postal addresses and the website access (https://fssp.co.uk/ manageprofile/register.php). Priests and laity are welcome to order several 5, 10 or more copies to give to parishioners and acquaintances.

In these difficult pandemic times, a most appropriate prayer is to be found on the cover of the magazine, beneath the title. It has been displayed there since the third issue, that of Summer 2009, quoting the words of Cardinal Wiseman:

"O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gracious Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon England thy Dowry."