Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
When I became pastor of St. Peter Parish in June of 2014,
I knew one of my major projects was to plan for the construction of a new parish center.  I am very grateful to all the volunteers on our building committee and capital campaign committee, as well as our parish manager and office staff for all their time and effort over the past three years. Thank you again to all who have made pledges to our capital campaign. Your financial sacrifice and commitment over the next five years will ensure that our project will reach its successful completion.
 
I am very pleased to report that all our hard work has paid off.  As most of you know, these past few weeks the building committee, following the process as outlined by the Diocese, has had multiple meetings and presentations at the Diocesan Center regarding our parish center addition project.  Alongside the diocesan process, we have also sought the necessary approvals and permits from the county and township.  This past week, after a final meeting with Bishop Gainer and the College of Consultors, St. Peter Parish was given the official final approval for construction to begin!  
 
In the coming weeks, there will be meetings to tie up any loose ends between the township, county, and our builder, engineers, architect, etc. Our construction and land development plans have been released by the township to be signed and recorded as this pre-construction process comes to a close. Shortly thereafter we will begin to see lots of "activity" at Marshall Drive. Construction excavating equipment, trailers and other items will move in.  As the construction schedule is firmed up with our builder, Pyramid, we will provide as much detail as possible so everyone knows how the process is moving along.    
 
Praise God for His goodness to our parish!
 
Peace,    Fr. Steve
 

 
Dear Brothers and Sister in Christ,
 
Today’s Gospel passage is a very familiar one.  Usually we see ourselves as the ground into which God desires to sow the seeds of his word. Sometimes we are open to his word, and the message of God takes root and grows in us. At other times we are not open to his word and the seed and we alongside it wither.
 
It may be helpful for us to look at the parable from another perspective.  While there are times when we need to receive the Good News with open hearts, there are also times when we need to be the ones who are actively sowing the Word of God.  After all every gift that God gives us is meant to be shared, especially the gift of faith.
 
Obviously we sow seeds through our own words, but so often our actions carry more weight.  Do we sow negativity or condescension or do we seek to lift up and encourage?  Are our heads up to notice the needs of our neighbor or are they looking down waiting for the next text or email to appear on our phones?
 
We must remember to see ourselves as sowers. Our every thought, word, and deed, should demonstrate our desire to live in union with God and the Gospel. 
 
Peace, Fr. Steve
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
We all have crosses to carry and many burdens weigh us down.  This week Jesus invites us to share his yoke.   By teaming up with Jesus, we do not have to face the trials of life on our own.  We need to humble ourselves to acknowledge that there is much we need to learn.  Although we may not have all the answers, a life in union with Christ will lead to peace in our hearts and ultimately rest for our souls.
 
Peace,
 
Fr. Steve
 

 
Today we welcome Father Paul Mercieca to our parish.  Father is from the Missionary Cooperative Program. WE can make a difference. We, the parishioners, hear about their essential mission work for the Church, their stories, their challenges, and their successes. The missionaries not only increase our awareness of the Church’s missionary activity, but also help promote vocations to the Missions in the hearts of our young people. We are invited to help these organizations carry the                           Gospel to the ends of the earth with our prayers and financial support.
The goal is to support the mission dioceses through subsidies so they
may eventually become self-sufficient.
Thank you for your generosity and prayers!!
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
What keeps us from being faithful to our commitments to God and each other?  Usually is it our fear.  Too often we allow our fear of getting hurt, fear of embarrassment, or fear of making uncomfortable sacrifices to prevent us from rising to the occasion. We go into self-preservation mode and we hold back. This is not the life that God desires for us.  Jesus warns us, "If you try to save your life, you will lose it.”
 
This Sunday, Jesus offers us words of encouragement. He tells, “Don’t be afraid.” He assures us that he will take care of us, so we need only to place our lives in his hands. He offers us the gift of eternal life and no one can take that away from us. With such empowering freedom, our self-preoccupation becomes pointless.
 
By the grace of God, we can find the strength we need to turn off our tendency toward self-absorption and turn on our passion to serve others. This must be what Jesus means when he says, "If you lose your life for my sake, you will find it.”
 
Peace,
Fr. Steve
 

Heavenly Father,
you entrusted your Son Jesus,
the child of Mary,
to the care of Joseph, an earthly father.
Bless all fathers
as they care for their families.
Give them strength and wisdom,
tenderness and patience;
support them in the work they have to do,
protecting those who look to them,
as we look to you for love and salvation,
through Jesus Christ, our rock and defender.
Amen.
- Author Unknown
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
The most quoted verse from the New Testament is John 3:16.  It reminds us of the infinite, unconditional love of our God, who revealed himself perfectly to us through our Lord, Jesus Christ.  On this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, may we remember who we are, and whose we are - sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father; brothers, sisters and disciples of Jesus, the only begotten Son of God; and temples of the Holy Spirit.
 
 
Peace, Fr. Steve
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. 
 
This is the response to the psalm this weekend and it is very appropriate for Memorial Day.  As precious as our earthly lives are, we know through faith, that God has even greater things in store for us and our departed loved ones in the life to come. This is a great comfort for us as we remember the great sacrifices made by our brave men and women in uniform, who have given their lives in service to our nation.
 
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
 
Fr. Steve
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This weekend, Jesus says to his disciples and to us,   “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”   We know that God is love. We know that Jesus came to reveal his Father’s love for us. If God is love, then  we, his children, created in his image and likeness, were created to love.  This is why the Lord stressed  the importance of the two greatest commandments, upon which all the other commandments depend.
 
You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
 
If we live our lives by these two commandments, we will not only be carrying out God’s will for us, but we
will realize our true potential as human persons.
 
Peace,
 
Fr. Steve
 

A Prayer for Mothers
 
Mary, on this day when we honor all mothers, we turn to you. We thank the Lord whom you serve for the great gift of motherhood. Never has it been known that anyone who sought your intercession was left unaided by grace. Dear Mother, thank you for your "Yes" to the invitation of the angel which brought heaven to earth and changed human history. You opened yourself to God's word and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
 
Dear Mother, intercede for all of our mothers. 
Ask your Divine Son to give them the grace of surrendered love so that they could join with you in giving their own "Fiat." May they find daily strength to say yes to the call to sacrificial love- the very heart of the vocation of motherhood. May their love and witness be a source of great inspiration for all of us called to follow your Son.
 
On this Mothers day, Mother of the Word Incarnate, pray for us who have recourse to you...  Amen.          
          (Catholic Online - catholic.org)
 
Peace,
Fr. Steve