St. Thomas More Welcomes Fr. John Fullerton, SSPX District Superior for the USA

Welcome back to the U.S. District, Father. For our readers who are unfamiliar with your background, perhaps you can start by telling us a bit about yourself.

Thank you. I was born and raised in northern New York. After high school, I went to university for five years and studied physics and civil engineering. Then I was commissioned in the Air Force and served for four years as a Weather Officer. During this time, I was discerning a call to the priesthood. As a result, I entered St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Winona, MN, in 1990. After I was ordained in 1996, I was assigned to St. Joseph’s in Armada, MI, where the SSPX was establishing a new boarding school, which would eventually become Notre Dame de LaSalette Academy in 2005.

In 2002, I was appointed District Superior for the United States. After my six-year term expired in 2008, I was assigned as Rector at St. Mary’s Academy and College until 2012. I was then nominated District Superior of Australia and New Zealand, where I’ve been for eight years.

Now, by God’s grace, I am back home in the U.S. District. Though much has changed, much is still the same. It is good to see some familiar faces among the priests and laity. Still, it is also exciting to meet many new people. The growth of Tradition here is quite encouraging, while at the same time holds some unique challenges.

What are some of your goals over the next six years?

First and foremost, the U.S. District, like the wider Society, is committed to the salvation of souls. We need to reach as many souls as possible and provide the traditional sacraments and catechesis of the Church. We need to continue to provide spiritual nourishment for them, and graces come through the priest. The Society’s particular charism involves the Catholic priesthood, which means our primary duty is to help priests—here in the U.S. District and even priests outside of the SSPX who are confused by the current crisis. We do this through retreats, advice, education, and instruction (e.g., how to say the traditional Mass).

Second, I want the U.S. District to serve as a model for the rest of the Church. That includes, but is not limited to, honesty concerning accusations of abuse. I believe we have handled credible allegations in the past with fairness to both victims and the accused. Of course, there is always room for improvement. That is why we have our Plan to Protect in place, which I will continue to oversee to ensure that it remains in line with best practices. In Australia, we had similar programs, and child protection was a high priority. Plan to Protect will help us do the same here.

Third, I hope to continue the excellent work that has been done reaching out to other traditional communities and the wider Church. God willing, we can be an example for others of Tradition. This apostolic work does not mean compromising our principles but instead communicating what we stand for and why to new audiences. Sadly, many Catholics still have an incomplete or distorted vision of us and our work. In the age of social media, a lot of misinformation is spread easily, which we need to respond to quickly. The District has been doing good work to disseminate our message, both in print and online. But as the District continues to grow, so do our apostolates. Through the help and generosity of our friends and benefactors, we will have the resources to continue promoting the message of Archbishop Lefebvre with the clarity, timeliness, and professionalism that befits an organization of our size.

This is not new but simply the message that Our Lord gave to Holy Mother Church. The Society of Saint Pius X is a Catholic work dedicated to serving the Church. Through your generosity, spiritually and materially, this work will continue and bear even greater fruit.

Fr. John Fullerton, District Superior of the SSPX's United States of America District

The District Superior is responsible for the pastoral, spiritual, and temporal administration of the District according to the Statutes and spirit of the Society of Saint Pius X. He reviews the files of aspirants to the priesthood and organizes the foundation of priories, retreat centers, and schools. He authorizes the opening of new chapels, submits the names of the priors to the Superior General, and appoints the prior's assistants and the Brothers entrusted to him.

Fr. Fullerton hails from New York, and before his ordination to the priesthood in 1996, he served in the US Air Force, and studied physics and civil engineering. He was first assigned to St. Joseph's in Armada, Michigan, before serving as District Superior of the United States from 2002-2008. He was assigned as Rector to St. Mary's Academy and College before serving as District Superior of Australia and New Zealand from 2012-2020. He was named US District Superior for a second term in 2020 by Fr. Davide Pagliarani.

Fr. Fullerton is related to the Campbell family. Mrs. Bernadette Campbell, our Sacristan at St. Thomas More, is an aunt of Fr. Fullerton. Welcome to Florida!