Saint Peter's Point- The Catholic Blog of Saint Peter Parish, Stevens Point Wisconsin

In case you have not noticed, Saint Peter Parish is in the midst of a mini baby boom! Upon my arrival in Stevens Point, I introduced the practice of praying for the deceased of our parish and for the consolation of the family at all the weekend Masses following the funeral. Because our parish is large and funerals are many, it seems that most weekends we are offering the three Hail Marys and so we can get the impression that all that happens at Saint Peter is burying the dead! Not so! For all of the last calendar year our parish celebrated a total of 25 baptisms. This year – only five full months into 2008 – we have already baptized 20 children with five more scheduled through the end of June! And we have quite of few families who are now pregnant and due before the end of 2008! Indeed, we are on a pace to have the most baptisms the parish has celebrated for quite some time! It is a sign of the spiritual (and physical!) vitality of a parish that those living the Sacrament of Matrimony are joyously welcoming the gift of new life!

As Saint Peter Parish officially says farewell to Father Sakowski this weekend, we also express our gratitude to him for his wise counsel offered in the confessional and in spiritual direction, for his faithful proclamation of the teachings of Christ and His Church, for his fidelity in celebrating the Sacred Liturgy according to the mind of the Church, and for his excellent homilies. Our best wishes and prayers accompany him as he begins advanced studies in Rome this fall. And we prayerfully anticipate the arrival of his successor!

Two times each year all the priests of the Diocese of La Crosse gather to strengthen our fraternity in the priesthood of Jesus Christ, to hear presentations by various speakers, and simply to enjoy some time of relaxation together. The summer gathering in La Crosse – called “Priest Unity Days” – begins at 4:00 pm on Sunday, June 8, and ends at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, June 10. Please pray for Bishop Listecki and the priests of our Diocese!

Our parish picnic “For Pete’s Sake” (June 14-15) is almost upon us! In this last week please do your part to publicize the picnic by inviting family, friends and neighbors. And sell those raffle tickets!

I warmly encourage you to consider having your children (or grandchildren!) take part in our Saint Peter Vacation Bible School to be held here from Monday, July 28, through Friday, August 1. This program for children in grades 1-5 was developed by our own parishioners and runs each day from 9:00 am to Noon. The week concludes with a potluck gathering and skits Friday evening. The theme this year – “Christ Our Hope” – is taken from the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States. If you have questions or wish to register please contact Phil Lawson at the rectory. Early registration ($15.00) is due Friday, June 15.

I have always wanted to visit the Holy Land – to see and pray at the places made holy by Jesus and spoken of in the Bible. While I was a seminarian studying in Rome (1985-1989) I had several opportunities to travel to the Middle East but money was tight and the region was extremely unstable. So, I never went, although the desire has never left me. Earlier this year, Father Robert Schaller – former Pastor of Saint Peter now serving at Saint Elizabeth in Holmen – made his first visit to the Holy Land. He came back so moved and enthused that he called me from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport where he had just landed in order to convince me to lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with him in 2009! Well, it worked and Father Schaller and I will be leading a pilgrimage to the Holy Land February 8-18, 2009. We will be the spiritual guides celebrating the Holy Mass each day. We will have the opportunity to see and pray at those sights most holy to our faith. The number of pilgrims is strictly limited so that we can all travel together on one bus thereby creating a more intimate atmosphere conducive to a prayerful absorption of all that we will see and experience. Some of the highlights include visits to Caesarea Philippi (now known as Banias) where Jesus declared to Simon, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church”, Cana in Galilee where couples may renew their marriage vows, Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity, as well as Jerusalem where we will walk the Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Of course, this only scratches the surface of the magnificent and moving sights to be seen and places to offer prayers! The cost of $2799 includes airfare, expert native Christian tour guides, meals, and lodging in first class hotels. For a complete itinerary and more information please consult the brochures available in church or at the rectory.