Goodbyes Can Be Hard
Goodbyes can be hard. Sometimes they are filled with joy as well as sadness; sometimes they are more about sadness. We say goodbye to family and friends that move away, we say goodbye to children who go off to college, we say goodbye at a funeral. My children sometimes get [...]
The Heart of Lent
Last weekend, during all the masses, our choir lead us in a beautiful praise & worship song called “The Heart of Worship” by Matt Redman. In that song, we are called to make sure that when we come to worship our God, that we are focused on Him and not [...]
When Human Leadership Fails Us
In February of 1798, French troops marched into Rome under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte. Pope Pius VI was imprisoned by Napoleon, where he died in 1799. Later that year, a new pope was elected by 34 cardinals from across Europe who gathered in secret, since Napoleon had made their [...]
We Are St. Peter’s
What, exactly, is a parish in our Catholic church? The Catechism (2179) defines it in a few ways: It is “a stable community of the faithful within a particular church or diocese”. It is “the place where all the faithful can be gathered together for the Sunday celebration of the [...]
Recap of Workcamp 2014
Earlier this summer, I promised a summary of our Workcamp trip for 2014 would come later. Well, it’s time . . . On Thursday night July 23rd, it began: a round trip journey of almost 3,000 miles for 21 teenagers and 4 adults from St. Peter’s. Workcamp 2014 began slowly, [...]
The History of Workcamp at St. Peter’s
A lot of parishioners may not know that we have an archive of our old bulletins, stretching back to the early 1980s. Looking through those recently, I came across an article from April 24, 1994. This article announced a new youth ministry program. That upcoming summer, “There are seven teens [...]
You Can’t Be Catholic Alone
A frequent question I hear from young people, is “why do we need organized religion”? It isn’t just young people either; there are many in our world today who don’t think our Church is necessary, and they can have a relationship with God and with Christ that will sustain them [...]
The Woman at the Well
Water is one of the most common elements in our lives. It is everywhere, whether it be in rivers and lakes, flowing from our sinks, or falling from the sky. We need this water for life. Even our bodies are comprised mostly of water. Yet when Jesus meets the woman [...]
Faith and Belief
In our society, we place a great value on knowledge. It seems in fact, that our culture increasingly places less value on that which cannot be proven in a scientific or tangible fashion. While preparing students to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, I have even noticed an increase in the [...]
Catholic Links for 9/13
Below are links to articles, stories, and blog posts that may be of interest to our parishioners, other Catholics, and those interested in reading about the church and its people. (all links should open in a new browser window when clicked) Fr. Mike Schmitz shares the perspective of a priest during [...]
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