Saint Benedict's Chapel
521 McCosh Drive
Chesapeake, Virginia   23320
757-543-0561

Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Fr. Neal Nichols, FSSP was number four in a family of five children. He was educated in the Catholic school system and attended Benedictine High School. He went on to college and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Hampden-Sydney College located near Farmville, VA. While attending, he served as a firefighter on one of only two college run fire departments in the U.S. at the time. Not only was the department serving the campus but also the entire district area. Initially set on becoming a physician, half way through school he began to feel the call to the priesthood.

After graduating from Hampden–Sydney College he joined the family business, Hand Craft Cleaners & Services. It was during this period that he began contemplating a priestly vocation. While reflecting on this, the local parish of St. Joseph’s started an Indult Latin Mass and this resulted in Father taking a serious look at the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). He decided to go on retreat held by the Fraternity. The retreat, coupled with many hours of discernment, led to his ultimate decision to join the Fraternity. He entered the FSSP at 33 and was ordained 7 years later. Father’s first assignment was as the Director of Development for the Fraternity. For seven and a half years he raised funds for the FSSP.

His second assignment brings him here to St. Benedict Chapel, where he will serve as chaplain for the first time. He is delighted to have this opportunity and is ecstatic that it has happened in his home diocese close to his family and friends in Richmond. He acknowledges the tremendous foundation laid by his predecessors and is eager to build upon it. Each priest that has come to St. Benedict’s has left a special mark on the community of this chapel, Fr. Damian Abbaticchio, OSB,; Fr. Kevin Willis, FSSP and Fr. Daniel Geddes, FSSP. Fr. Nichols expressed gratitude for the efforts of Fr. Willis, in particular, which laid the groundwork and created ideal circumstances from which to grow our community. When reflecting on the work of his predecessors, Father uses the analogy of a farmer who tirelessly works tending to his crop, carefully sowing each seed, watering, breaking up the dirt clods and pulling out the weeds in order to produce the best possible crop. Father recognizes that these efforts have placed our community at an important junction. He believes St. Benedict’s is a great community that holds tremendous potential spiritual growth. Father hopes to further nurture this growth in the years to come.

In order to fully realize the potential sown into the foundation of St. Benedict’s, Father plans to emphasize the significance of the customs and traditions that bring the faith alive, which is known as the Domestic Church. This is particularly important for young families who did not grow up with the benefits of having the full Catholic life experience, as did previous generations. He understands that an integral part of the Catholic culture has been lost and wants to restore this. He is eager to reinstitute the culture and customs that were once a way of life and woven into everyday decisions; an experience that brought the Church into our homes and extended beyond the sacraments and Mass attendance. His one request is that the people of the community faithfully pray on his behalf and on behalf of all priests. Father calls to mind the importance of his appointment by Bishop DiLorenzo to Saint Benedict’s as its chaplain and the obligation to lead each soul entrusted to him to heaven. When asked to summarize his goals for the parish he answered, “To educate and instill the faith and tenants of the Church, and to sanctify the people of St. Benedict’s Chapel.”

Fr. Peter Byrne FSSP
Assistant ChaplainBorn in Somerville, New Jersey, Father Peter Byrne, FSSP son of Jim and Margaret Byrne is one of two children, having one older sister. His father worked in computer technology and marketing which in time. led his family to Dallas, Texas.

Father Byrne is also the nephew of a Franciscan priest, who spent nearly twenty years in Bolivia then worked out at sea on merchant cargo ships, both as Chaplain and eventually as Captain. No doubt a man of this stature would inspire and intrigue a young man. Fr. Byrne and his family enjoyed a close relationship and frequent visits from his uncle throughout the years.

As a young boy he delighted in the typical things that most boys do, the great outdoors, ‘military stuff’ and football. He also took a great interest in music. At age thirteen he began playing Bass guitar and formed a band with close friends. They were together for six years, performing many shows for school dances and parties. He attended Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas and continued with the band up until graduation from high school.

Beyond these interests, Fr. Byrne held a strong desire to follow Christ, though he did not start contemplating the vocation of priesthood just yet. He was often inspired by Matthew 4:20-“Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” It was this quote from scripture that would ultimately define his entire life’s focus.

Wanting to return to the east coast, he went on to college and was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware. It was toward the end of his college career when he began discerning a priestly vocation.

He returned from college to Dallas in the spring of 1994. By mid summer he began attending the Latin Mass, where coincidentally the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter had established it’s first apostolate, Mater Dei Latin Mass Community in 1991. One year after returning to Dallas in the fall of 1995, Fr Byrne entered into the fraternity seminary, Our Lady of Guadalupe located in Denton, Nebraska. In June of 2003, Fr. Byrne completed his studies at the seminary and was ordained.

He was sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma where he spent five and a half years at the Parish of Saint Peter. In addition to his obligations at the parish, he acted as an on-call Hospital Chaplain for Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, and would travel a few hours south to administer to correctional facility inmates located in Stringtown, OK. In February of this year, Fr Byrne was transferred to St. Benedict’s Chapel.

We are so very thankful to have another priest from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter and are delighted to welcome Fr. Byrne to St. Benedict’s where he will be kept in our prayers daily.

Our Seminarians

Please pray for our seminarians: Rob Schmid and Phil Johnson at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Edward Ablang from the Institue of Christ The King; David Franco at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary (FSSP) in Denton, Nebraska and Brother Seraphim Maria, a Benedictine Monk of "Our Lady of the Cenacle" in Tulsa, OK


Phil Johnson is second from left in the second row back (straightest row!) and Rob Schmid is 3rd from right in the first row Rob Schmid and David Franco with Fr. NicholsEdward Ablang, a seminarian for the Institute of Christ the King (another traditional order like the FSSP)Brother Seraphim Maria - Benedictine Monk of "Our Lady of the Cenacle" in Tulsa, OK