February 18, 2026

Heavenly Father, we come to you with humble hearts, asking for your mercy upon all mankind. Let your peace flow through nations, across borders, and into every home. Calm the storms of hatred, silence the drums of war, and replace pride with compassion.

Heal our broken world. Let us not grow tired of praying, hoping and believing. May we, in our little ways, be instruments of your peace and love.

Amen.

~ St. Padre Pio


Dear Parishioners,

It is the first Sunday of Lent, and – as always – we begin by heading to the desert. The word desert can also be translated as wilderness, or quiet place. We know it as the place of Jesus’ testing, his battleground with the devil that prepared him for his public ministry and, eventually, his suffering and death.

Let’s consider the young mother who was at her breaking point. She had a colicky baby who had been crying and fussing for most of the day and night for many months. Beyond being exhausted and worried about her child, the mother called an older friend who had raised seven children of her own. The exasperated mother asked, “How long will this last? I don’t know how much more I can take.” The friend’s response was crystal clear: “God will give you enough grace for today.” 

The desert is a trying place. Yet notice who drives Jesus into the desert: it is not the devil, luring Jesus to someplace evil; it is the very Spirit of God! The Spirit is a driving force, often leading us to places we would rather not go, such as multiple months with a colicky baby, or maybe even these forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving of Lent. Perhaps Jesus also asked, “How long, Lord? How long will this wilderness last?”

As Christians, however, we never begin a journey without the end in mind. The story of Adam and Eve in Eden and the beauty of their creation and existence in the garden is quickly marred by their distrust of God’s provision and ensuing disobedience. They believe the lies of the cunning serpent and eat from the tree of knowledge. 

The entirety of Scripture documents how God has rectified this one decision. Salvation history takes many twists and turns, including plenty of wandering in the desert and continued disobedience, until it reaches a place called Calvary. It is here where the devil’s victory in Eden is crushed once and for all. As St. Paul explains, Adam’s disobedience is nothing compared to the obedience of Christ; gift transcends transgression, the cross always wins.

And so we begin this Lenten journey with the cross, with the victory in mind. The Spirit will take each of us to places of immense challenge throughout our lives, places of temptation, suffering, even death itself. Yet this Spirit does not drop us in the desert and then abandon us. No, the Lord journeys with us in the difficult places of life, always giving us enough grace to endure today. We thus embark on this Lenten journey with hope, for the end is in sight.

God Love Ya!
Fr. Reilly


Each time we enter the church we bless ourselves with holy water. That rite is meant to remind us of our Baptism. Baptism is the way that we became part of the community of the faith. It was our entrance into church (the people of God). It was the way that God made us God’s children, brothers and sisters of Jesus and of one another. So each time we enter the church we make that sign of our faith. The font or fonts at the entrance to the church contain holy water. It is the water that we use to renew our faith and the water we use to baptize. Those who use holy water as part of their family prayer may use the holy water container in front of the St. Peter statue in the back of church to fill their container with holy water to take home.


We are exploring Lenten topics at our bi-weekly meetings throughout Lent. We will watch and then discuss a video on prayer during Lent at the next Evening Men’s Group meeting on Thursday, February 19 in the SSPP parish center. Doors open at 7:50 PM, program starts at 8:00 PM. All men are welcome!


Lent is here. Would you like this Lent to be “different” and make lasting changes to your spiritual and everyday life? Since our parish has a subscription to Formed.org, why not check out some of the videos and podcasts available? Simply go to www.formed.org and sign up as a parishioner for free access to all the Catholic content there!

For Lent, you may want to start with this new series on Formed: https://app.formed.org/app/collections/1096760

Lent would also be a great time to check out the Hallow App to see what all the hype is about! Like Formed, it truly is a wonderful Catholic resource that you can take with you on your walks, to the gym or your commute to work. Go to: https://hallow.com/.

Hallow also has special episodes for the teens in your life. They are offering a free 90-day subscription for teens that you can access by going to https://try.hallow.com/lifeteen90.

Of course, our parish will also offer the Little Black Books for Lent again this year. With a little planning and commitment, maybe this can be your best Lent ever!


We hope everyone is getting ready for Lent. Providing extra meals is a big necessity to meet our obligations to our elderly Seniors.

They look forward to our weekly visits bringing them nourishing high protein meals and delicious hearty soups, along with some needed companionship.

Over the last two weeks we only received a total of two and ten meals. We provided over forty meals to meet our clients needs. The result is that we used up most of our stock. I am not happy unless we have four full shelves of stock.

I know it is a busy time for everyone. Please take some extra time to help us continue sharing our good will with our friends that require support and assistance to meet their food security.
Please make an extra effort to help keep our freezer full.

God Bless! Greg and Dolores 

Lectio: Mark – Faith Not Fear

Wednesday evening, March 18, 7:00 PM
Thursday morning, March 19, 10:00 AM

Join Dr. Tim Gray as he helps us explore the Gospel of Mark like never before. We’ll dive into this action-packed narrative, which reflects St. Peter’s firsthand account of Christ’s life and teachings.

We covered the first 7 lessons in the Fall of 2025 but there is still plenty to discover as we complete the final 7 lessons, with no meetings during Holy Week. Each meeting includes a video presentation and group discussion.

Study materials will be ordered as a group. The cost is approximately $25 per person, or $35 if you would like a leader guide that includes answers to the study questions. By ordering through the parish, you will save on sales tax and shipping! If you purchased a study guide in the Fall, you will not need another! You are welcome to check it out without purchasing a study guide, if that appeals to you!

All sessions will be held in the Parish Center (the building between the Church and Boot Road). Choose between two group meeting times: 

· Wednesday, March 18 at 7:00 PM -or- 

· Thursday, March 19 at 10:00 AM                       

To reserve your study guide or request more information, by Monday, March 9, please contact Jane Joyce at 610.429.3973 (landline with voicemail) or [email protected].

Looking for a meaningful way to offer your time and talent in our parish? Our baptism volunteers warmly welcome young families to the celebration of this sacrament and assist the priest and sacristan in making everything run smoothly. Please email Judy Magee at [email protected] if you are interested in being a part of this important ministry.





Partner with us to provide Easter outfits for children in need in Chester County. Sign up on SignUpGenius by scanning the QR code below or by visiting www.partnersinoutreach.org/signup.

If you want to select a family, contact us and we can help you. Once on the site, select a child/family, provide your contact information and submit and you will receive an email confirmation. We will send out a reminder the week it is due back.

Please return clothing on hangers labeled with the child’s name and ID code to the Narthex on or before March 15, 2026. 

Recommended items: dresses for girls, khaki pants and collared shirt or polo shirt for boys and no accessories, please.

If you would like us to shop for you or make a donation, mail your contribution to Partners in Outreach, P.O. Box 21, Chester Springs, PA 19425 or donate online at http://www.partnersinoutreach.org.Contact Barb Quinn, [email protected], if you have an questions. Easter blessings to you all.