by Jonel Esto

A dispute has erupted at Crisis Magazine between Kevin Wells and Janet Smith—two writers whom I greatly admire. The controversy centers on Kevin Wells’ appeal for an SSPX priest to leave the Society and minister within the Church. As a result, Kevin has become the target of fierce attacks from excommunicated Lefebvrist schismatics, emboldened by prominent Catholic personalities who believe they are defending the Church while, in reality, defending those who wound her.

Kevin Wells’ open letter has drawn criticism from prominent Catholic figures such as Janet Smith and Peter Kwasniewski, who have become increasingly sympathetic to the now schismatic and excommunicated SSPX despite repeated warnings from the Church’s Magisterium against its illicit episcopal consecrations and continued rejection of ecclesiastical authority.

He rightly challenged an SSPX priest to leave the Society because, in his view, the sacrificial mission of a priest—as both shepherd and victim for souls—is needed far more in struggling Novus Ordo parishes, where countless Catholics suffer from poor catechesis, weak preaching, and a lack of authentic pastoral care. Drawing on the example of St. John Vianney and Venerable Aloysius Schwartz, Wells argues that true priestly heroism is found not in ministering primarily to already committed Catholics, but in bringing Christ to those who are spiritually starving and most in need of conversion.

As I read Kevin Wells’ open letter, it is built around a series of searching questions—not meant to condemn, but to challenge an SSPX priest to reflect on the missionary nature of the priesthood. This is how I understand his appeal. Each question invites the priest to consider whether the treasures of Catholic tradition are being brought to the places where they are needed most: ordinary parishes and the spiritually hungry Catholics of the wider Church.

Can you look into the eyes of spiritually starving Novus Ordo Catholics?
Kevin Wells challenges the priest to recognize the millions of Catholics who hunger for sound doctrine, reverent worship, and faithful pastoral care, yet have never encountered these treasures in their own parishes.

Do you recognize where the true battlefield for souls is?
He argues that the greatest spiritual struggle is not within thriving traditional communities but in ordinary parishes where confusion, weak catechesis, and declining faith leave countless souls vulnerable.

Are you avoiding the mess of the wider Church while leaving others to fight?
Wells asks whether remaining within a traditional enclave unintentionally leaves faithful diocesan priests to shoulder the difficult work of renewing struggling parishes without the support of those formed in strong tradition.

Are you ministering where the greatest sacrifice is required, or only where the faithful are already well formed?
He challenges the priest to consider whether authentic pastoral charity calls him to spiritually neglected Catholics rather than remaining primarily among communities already rooted in orthodox teaching and traditional worship.

Have beautiful liturgy and tradition become ends in themselves?
Wells warns against allowing the preservation of liturgical beauty to overshadow its true purpose: glorifying God and leading souls to holiness and salvation.

Have you forgotten the example of St. John Vianney, who embraced a spiritually desolate mission?
He presents the Curé of Ars as a model of priestly sacrifice, choosing a spiritually barren parish and transforming it through holiness, preaching, penance, and tireless ministry in the confessional.

Can you help ordinary Catholics trapped in weak catechesis and confused pastoral leadership?
Wells reminds the priest that many Catholics have never consciously rejected the Faith; they simply lack faithful formation and deserve shepherds willing to guide them patiently to Christ.

Can you overcome your dislike of the Novus Ordo for the sake of souls?
He asks whether objections to the ordinary form of the Mass should prevent a priest from ministering to Catholics who desperately need sound preaching, the sacraments, and authentic pastoral care.

Can you work alongside faithful diocesan priests who are striving to renew the Church from within?
Wells encourages collaboration with orthodox diocesan clergy who quietly labor to restore reverence, teach authentic doctrine, and rebuild parish life despite many obstacles.

Can you choose missionary sacrifice over liturgical preference?
He argues that the priesthood is fundamentally missionary, calling priests to embrace difficult missions where souls are most in need rather than where ministry is most comfortable.

How can you help heal the Church if you remain outside her ordinary canonical structures?
Wells concludes by asking whether working within the Church’s ordinary canonical structures would better enable a priest to bring tradition, sound doctrine, and authentic renewal to the wider Catholic world.

For Wells, these questions all lead to one conclusion: a priest is called to embrace sacrificial victimhood for the salvation of souls. If an SSPX priest is too cowardly to answer that call by serving where the need is greatest, then he can remain a schismatic, excommunicated outside the Church’s ordinary mission instead of helping renew her from within.