A structured work

According to its Statutes, the Society of St. Pius X is governed by the Superior General, who resides with his assistants, the Secretary General and the General Bursar, in the General House situated in Menzingen, Switzerland.

Districts

The Society is organized into districts, each of which is entrusted to a district superior who is appointed by the Superior General for 6 years. They live at the headquarters of their district; they direct and encourage the efforts of the priests who are entrusted to them.

Seminaries

The formation of future priests is at the heart of the SSPX’s mission; it therefore takes the utmost care of its seminaries. They depend directly on the Superior General who appoints the rector as well as the professors. The latter have the important responsibility of forming future priests who will then join the priories of the Society throughout the world.

Bishops

In 1988, Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated auxiliary bishops. They are specially appointed to aid the priests and the faithful of the Society by conferring the sacraments of holy orders and confirmation; they depend directly on the Superior General.

Priories

The priests of the Society of St. Pius X live together in small communities called priories, which are ideally made up of at least three priests, two or more brothers, and a community of sisters.

The priories depend on a district; they constitute the backbone of the apostolate.

Every priory is entrusted to a prior who looks after the material and spiritual goods of the house. He is also in charge of the apostolate.

Several times a day the community gathers for times of prayer, meals, and work, so that the priests share their life and their apostolate with their confreres.

Members

The priests and the bishops are not the only official members of the Society; Brothers and Oblate Sisters also contribute to the common work. The vocation and spiritual orientation of these religious are directed toward the altar and the priesthood. They devote themselves to the service of the priests so as to support them in their sanctification and their apostolate. They dedicate themselves to prayer, begging God to send down abundant graces. The efforts of these brothers and sisters often remain hidden, yet they are an indispensable support to the work of the Society.

The faithful

Many Catholic faithful find in the Society’s chapels and works the spiritual support that they need in order to sanctify themselves. They turn to the priests of the Society so as to attend the Mass of All Time, to receive the traditional sacraments, and above all to be instructed in the Faith.

The faithful are not officially members of the SSPX, except those who belong to its Third Order. They are one of the great consolations and a powerful support for the priests and the religious, in particular the large families who often gather around the schools of the Society.