Publicity
Why haven’t I heard of the TPST if it was formed in 2005?
We have not achieved the publicity we would have liked, although we ran a classified ad in the Catholic Herald from 2006 and occasionally a larger one. We were allowed to start advertising in the LMS magazine in 2012 and have done so regularly since then. Hopefully we are now more widely known.
Priests
Can you help priests who do not live in the
No. HMRC does not allow this.
Do you help New Rite or biritual priests while in discernment before committing to saying the Old Rite exclusively?
No, because it is possible that they will not make that commitment.
Why don’t independent traditional priests join priestly societies if it’s so difficult to exercise their apostolate outside them?
Some have tried but it has not worked. Church politics are involved. Also a vow of obedience would oblige a society priest, eg to accept a posting abroad, which he may not wish to do.
Can you help our group/community to find a traditional priest?
No. The provision of priests is not in our mandate. In any case, the priests we help are often elderly or in poor health and unsuited to the commitments of a normal apostolate.
Do you help seminarians?
Four seminarians have already asked for help. We have agreed that we would like to offer help from the second year of their seven-year training. However, our funds have so far not allowed this. We will always prioritize ordained priests.
Money
Why isn’t the TPST a registered charity?
Because our annual income is less than £5,000. HMRC advises small charities not to register and grants them exactly the same benefits as larger registered ones. See here.
Can the TPST accept donations in other currencies than sterling?
Yes. CAF Bank will convert, eg US$ cheques before they go into our account. However, there is a charge for this, so please allow extra to cover it. You may prefer to donate to traditional priests in your own country rather than funding English banks!
We have received two legacies to date. Otherwise we rely on standing orders for modest amounts from traditional faithful. Occasionally we have also had large one-off donations.