The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) is a clerical Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right, that is, a community of priests who do not take religious vows, but who work together for a common mission in the Catholic Church, under the authority of the Holy See. We were canonically erected by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988. As stated in our Constitutions: 

The objective of the Fraternity of Saint Peter is the sanctification of priests through the exercise of the priesthood, and in particular, to orient and direct the life of the priest toward that which is essentially his raison d’être, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, with all that it signifies, all that flows from it, all that is complementary to it. 

At the center of this charism is our faithful celebration of the traditional Mass and Sacraments (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite). The members of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, nourished through the spiritual riches of the Church’s ancient Roman Liturgy, strive to accomplish our mission in a twofold manner; first, through the formation of priests in our two international seminaries, and second, by the care of souls and pastoral activities in the service of the Church. 

The Fraternity has chosen St. Peter as their special patron in order to express their gratitude, filial love, and loyalty to the Supreme Pontiff. With more than 300 priests and 150 seminarians from 30 countries, the Fraternity serves in over 130 dioceses on 5 continents. International headquarters are located in Fribourg, Switzerland and North American headquarters in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania.