The Why behind the MHFM's Failure in Berlin, NJ and its Radical Shift, afterwards, into Sedevacantism
Richard Ibrayni (ex-MHFM)
Frederick “Michael” Dimond did not become Sedevacantist until after Joseph Natale death in 1995. Frederick “betrayed” Joseph, became his Judas, by abandoning / selling out the monastery’s initial religious / pastoral platform of “true” traditionalism for the “ultra-right-winged” position of Sedevacantism for reasons that appear to coincide with the time that Richard Joseph Michael Ibranyi came into the picture as a collaborator then initiate at the MHFM.
Richard had been an invited guest speaker at the Berlin, NJ, monastery during the time that Joseph Natale was alive; just like Father Nicholas Gruner, Father John O’Connor and Father James Wathen were invited as guest speakers. One of the major differences, besides the fact that Richard wasn’t an ordained priest, was that he solicited Joseph to become an MHFM initiate. But, for some unkown reason, Joseph did rejected Richard’s request. It wasn’t until after Joseph’s sudden demise, that Frederick, who managed to become the MHFM Superior by some trickery, granted Richard entry (April 4, 1996); feeling that Richard would be an asset. That “honeymoon period” didn’t last for long and on August 19, 1997 Frederick ordered Richard to leave. Joseph was right, Richard should have never been brought into the MHFM as he “sowed the seeds of Satan” into the hearts and minds of the others (sedevacantism), but never mind.
The important thing here is that for one year and five months Richard collaborated closely with Frederick and lived in the monastery’s facilities with the other lay brothers. The monastery was going through “hard times”, with the death of their founder, and in facing a lawsuit filed by Father William Ashley with the help of the New Jersey Catholic Diocese who sought to gain total control over the Berlin, NJ, monastery’s church and kick “Frederick and Co.” out.
During this period there were numerous questionable events that Richard witnessed and personally went through; which he recounts in the YouTube video on the right. Though the Dimond brothers have since branded Richard an apostate and a heretic (depending on what side of the traditionalist Catholic doctrinal fence you’re standing on), I would still seek to encourage you to listen to the video (audio recording) and familiarize yourself with his side of the sordid story describing in detail the lack of integrity that existed within the monastery during that time.
I would propose that if we are to believe anything else from Richard's audio, besides his claim that the MHFM is not and has never been a Benedictine monastery, it would be that Richard managed to convert Frederick's younger brother, Robert "Peter" Dimond, to "Sedevacantism" who then in turn convinced his older brother, "Frederick", to follow suit. Richard goes on to state that he believes that it is actually Robert "Peter" Dimond who is the strongest willed of the two brothers and is the "brains” of the organization; while Frederick is "just a Parrot". Of course, at this time, Richards claims are pure conjecture but worth considering.
Richard Ibranyi's "Second Coming of Christ" Speech led to a Lawsuit that Ended the MHFM in Berlin, NJ
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The Second Coming of Jesus Christ Speech (1996)
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In Richard Ibranyi YouTube video (audio) above he states:
"God killed Brother Joseph (Natale) so I could do the "Second Coming of Christ" tape; and the long story short of it was that he never wanted me to come back and talk again after my layman speeches. So, because he didn’t let me do that, God struck him dead ..."
The fact of the matter is that Joseph Natale did NOT agree with the contents, the message, the style, the tone of the speech and thus would not permit Richard to give the “Second Coming of Christ” speech to his Berlin, New Jersey, quarterly conference. It was clear that Joseph had his doubts, his suspicions about Richard to the point of rejecting his application to join the ranks of the MHFM as an initiate.
But that was about to change. After Joseph Natale died in November 1995 and Frederick "Michael" Dimond took control over the monastery, Richard was welcomed / accepted into the MHFM on April 4, 1996. That same month Frederick allowed him to give his "Second Coming of Christ" speech at the Berlin, New Jersey, quarterly conference.
The result / the response from that speech were not what was anticipated / expected. It proved to be counter-productive; in fact, it was catastrophic. Shortly after the speech, the Berlin, NJ, congregation complained and petitioned Father William Ashely to lodge a formal complaint and that he file a lawsuit against Frederick and the MHFM; with the emphasis on securing total control / ownership of the Berlin, New Jersey property and force the MHFM out. Joseph Natale’s congregation was in a stake of shock … horrified with Richard’s speech; interpreting it as being anti-Catholic. They now considered the MHFM as a non-Catholic, illegitimate / counterfeit Benedictine monastery, that misrepresented itself and thus had “tricked” them into donating financially to it; which they claimed, in the lawsuit, was paramount to theft.
In short … a civil lawsuit was filed by Father William Ashely, on behalf of his parishioners, supported in full by the “Catholic New Jersey Diocese”, against Frederick and the MHFM. To Frederick’s surprise … Father Ashley won and with that he and his followers packed up and moved to the “Queen of Angels” monastery in Fillmore, NY, where they reside today.
Please note that the Queen of Angles Corporation, that Joseph A. Natale had created along with Paul E. Wedekind, and Joseph J. Vennari, and to whom the Fillmore property belonged, was later legally changed, by Frederick, to the “Most Holy Family Monastery”. Thus the MHFM which exists today is NOT the MHFM that Joseph Natale founded.
The “Second Coming of Jesus Christ” video is close to an hour. You can listen to it and judge for yourself if the post-Joseph Natle congregation over reacted or not.
Richard Ibranyi has a website of his own called Saint John the Baptist Website if you wish to further delve into his "sedevacantist" formulated religious beliefs and positions.
Richard Ibranyi writes concerning himself: On RJMI