The Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, has announced the establishment of a chaplaincy entrusted to the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP) to provide the Traditional Latin Mass and associated sacraments for Catholics devoted to the usus antiquior.

The Chaplaincy of Our Lady of Victory will begin its work on July 1, with Fr Jonathan Romanoski and Fr John Audino of the FSSP as the first chaplains. The diocese confirmed that Bishop Michael Burbidge announced the chaplaincy on June 19, and that it will be established from July 1.

In a statement, the diocese explained that the new chaplaincy formalises and expands a previous arrangement with the FSSP. The priests will be based primarily in Front Royal while periodically assisting elsewhere in the diocese. The initiative does not create a new personal parish and will not affect the three existing parishes and five non-parish locations in Arlington where the Traditional Latin Mass is already celebrated.

The diocese stressed that the arrangement respects the provisions of Traditionis Custodes while making use of faculties granted by Pope Francis in February 2022. It stated: “Since the priests of the FSSP have the faculty, granted them by a decree of Pope Francis on February 11, 2022, to celebrate the Mass and the sacraments in the Extraordinary Form with the consent of the Ordinary of the place, this arrangement enables the faithful, in keeping with Traditionis Custodes, to be able to participate in the celebration of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form.”

Baptism, Confirmation and Matrimony in the Extraordinary Form will be available for those with a pastoral connection to the community who regularly participate in this form of the liturgy, subject to the consent of the local pastor and the Ordinary. The chaplaincy will allow the FSSP priests to live their charism of fraternity while serving the faithful attached to the traditional rite.

The Arlington decision stands in contrast to more restrictive approaches taken in some other dioceses following Traditionis Custodes. Bishop Burbidge’s diocese has maintained a relatively stable provision for the Traditional Latin Mass compared with certain other US jurisdictions that have significantly reduced or relocated traditional celebrations.

The FSSP, founded in 1988, is a society of apostolic life in full communion with the Holy See. Its priests celebrate the sacraments according to the liturgical books in force in 1962. The fraternity has grown steadily in recent years, with houses and apostolates in multiple countries.

The Arlington announcement makes no reference to the Society of St Pius X (SSPX), whose planned consecration of four new bishops on July 1 has drawn Vatican warnings of a potential “schismatic act”. The diocese’s statement notes that the FSSP operates in full communion, in contrast to the SSPX’s irregular canonical status.

The chaplaincy is expected to strengthen the formation and community life of families and young people drawn to the Traditional Latin Mass while remaining fully integrated into the diocesan structure.

Further details regarding the schedule of Masses and sacraments at the new chaplaincy are expected in the coming weeks. The initiative reflects Bishop Burbidge’s efforts to provide for the spiritual needs of diverse groups within the diocese while maintaining unity under the local Ordinary.

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