SSPX Priests

Many of the priests who have joined the SSPX have left, either abandoning the Catholic Church entirely, joining the sedevacantists, joining the main church under FSSP, or often going independent. Many of them got what they needed from SSPX ('valid orders') and then went rogue to use their powers for money & control (e.g. Daniel Dolan, Donald Sanborn, or Father Cekada).


For a partial list of priests who've left: go here.

Priests Who Left Before 1988

  • The "SSPX Nine" left in the early 1980s. Three of them (Clarence Kelly, Donald Sanborn, Daniel Dolan) were especially power hungry and found men to make them bishops. Two of them wanted attention (Anthony Cekada and William Jenkins) and self-appointed themselves as international authorities on what "traditional Catholicism" means.
  • Fr. Douglas Laudenschlager was the first priest ordained by Marcel Lafebvre in the US. He abused boys in Post Falls & left Catholicism entirely.

Priests Who Left 1988 to 2012

  • The FSSP was formed with 12 former SSPX members in 1988.
  • Rev. Fr. John Rizzo left in 1993.
  • Abbé Emmanuel Berger left in 1994.
  • Fr. Carlos Urrutigoity and Fr. Eric Ensey left SSPX after ordination in the late 1990s to form "The Society of St. John." This group turned into a pedophile cult, and both Fr. Urrutigoity and Fr. Ensey have been convicted of child abuse.
  • Fr. Robert L. Neville left in 1997.
  • Fr. Marshall Roberts left in 1997.
  • Fr. Gary Campbell left in 1999.
  • Fr. Benedict Van der Putten left in 2001. He has been accused of child abuse.
  • Fr. Rafael Navas Ortiz left in 2001.

Priests Who Left Since 2012

There were 20 "Resistance" priests from SSPX in late 2012.

  • Bishop Williamson was kicked out and started "The Resistance."
  • Fr. Gabriel Grosso left in 2012.
  • Fr. David Hewko operates the "Resistance" from Saint Marys Kansas.
  • Fr Pfeiffer was kicked out, and had himself made a bishop.
  • Fr. Francois Chazal left to join "The Resistance" against SSPX.
  • Francis Palmquist abandoned Catholicism and is now a Christian deconstruction influencer.