March 11, 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,

Happy Laetare Sunday!

In the book of Samuel, God gently rebukes Samuel for judging with the eyes and measure of the world, reminding him and us that Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart. Our hearts are our inner sanctuary, and we only open them to those we truly trust – those closest to us. God is so close to us that he knows and sees what lies in our hearts.

Knowing this about God can be both scary and overwhelming. Scary when we think about our sinfulness: the fruitless works of darkness, the less than charitable thoughts we entertain, the unholy desires in which we indulge in our minds or when no one is around. Overwhelming when we consider that despite knowing the darkness that lies in the human heart, God was not repelled, he did not recoil. Rather, God, in Jesus Christ, assumed a human heart, bringing his light into it and illuminating our own to free us from this darkness. How blessed are we to be so loved!

Knowing ourselves to be so loved should prompt us to do as St. Paul exhorts us to do: to live as children of light. That is, our lives should abound in goodness and righteousness and truth. At our baptism, we received the light of Christ; our hearts were enlightened by Christ and we were urged to keep that light burning brightly. For this light to burn brightly requires effort on our part. But for every small effort we make, the Lord offers exponential help through his abundant grace which he freely offers. Especially in the sacraments, God comes to meet us and lead us into deeper faith, as he did the blind man in the Gospel.

When Jesus first encountered the man born blind, Jesus made and smeared clay on his eyes and instructed him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man might have found this a bit strange, but he seems to have kept an open mind and gone along. How thrilled must he have been to see for the first time! But then he faced scrutiny and interrogation to which he responded with an increasing level of understanding, reflecting his own deepening awareness of what had happened to him, culminating in his affirming his belief that Jesus is the Son of Man, the Lord. 

This is a powerful story and one that unfolds in our own lives: a pattern of encountering the Lord, obeying his commands, being transformed, facing challenges, finding ourselves sought out by the Lord and led into a deeper faith. Whatever stage we find ourselves in this story, we proceed in the knowledge that the Lord knows us, loves us, and is here to help us.

A great example of this story is the great saint we honor this week, St. Joseph. On March 17th -19th at 7:00 PM, we as a parish family will have a St. Joseph Triduum where we will honor St. Joseph. Each night there will be Exposition, Benediction, Devotions and Specific Prayer Intentions. Our homilists each night are 3 men who will be ordained priests this May and June, whom I have been blessed to have in my life; as well as 2 who have blessed our parish. March 17th ~ Deacon Alex Cross (prayers for the family) March 18th ~ Deacon Juan Colon (prayers for priests) March 19th ~ Deacon Declan Cole (prayers for employment and litany)

I pray you can take some time out of your busy schedule and join us to honor such a great man who watches over all of us.

God Love Ya!
Fr. Reilly




When the entrance procession reaches the sanctuary space and the ministers have made their reverence of the altar, the preside (priest) approaches the altar and kisses it. We are occupied with singing the entrance hymn, so we probably don’t pay too much attention to this profound gesture. Yet it is full of meaning. This gesture dates at least to the fourth century and probably has its origin in ancient culture; often families would kiss the table before a meal began as a kind of greeting. Thus, one interpretation of the veneration of the altar by a kiss is that the presider is greeting Christ who is present among the assembly. In ancient times this gesture of the presider kissing the altar was directly linked to the exchange of the kiss of peace among the faithful. At its dedication the altar was anointed with holy chrism and thus became a symbol of Christ’s presence. We begin liturgy, then, with a gesture that reminds us of Christ. And we are at the same time reminded that we are the Body of Christ, now gathered around the Head who is present. We also prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ in both word and sacrament. So there is a kind of “already” and “ not yet” at play in the veneration of the altar with a kiss. Christ is present, yet we anticipate Christ still to come.





Why not take a spiritual health day and join us on Wednesday, April 29 for our annual parish retreat at the Malvern Retreat House from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM? Mary Bea Domico, founder and director of the St. Carlos Acutis Shrine and Eucharistic Encounter at Malvern will be our guest speaker.

* Discover how the Lord revealed His Plan for an expanded mission for Malvern Retreat House centered upon the life and work of Blessed Carlo Acutis.

*Learn about the documented and scientific findings of Eucharistic Miracles from around the world, spanning more than 1,200 years.

* Gain new insights into the extraordinary life of this ordinary boy, and the call to sainthood on each and every life.

*Expand your understanding of Eucharistic Miracles – and more importantly the Miracle of the Eucharist.

* Deepen your personal encounter with the Living Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Cost is $45 and includes a continental breakfast and a hot lunch. Prior registration is necessary no later than April 22. To register, click here



Fiorenza's Food For Friends (F4), is seeking volunteer drivers to collect food donations from multiple Wawa locations in Exton, Lionville, West Chester, Downingtown, and Chester Springs areas and deliver the donations to multiple non-profit organizations in Coatesville or West Chester.

This is a once a month volunteer opportunity that will take approximately 2 hours to collect and transport food donations on Saturdays or Sundays.

Volunteers will be part of a 4-5 person team that enable you to swap dates each month, if needed.

If you are interested, please contact F4 at: 610.955.7090.

Thank you!
Brenda Russell, CEO
Fiorenza's Food For Friends (F4)




March 17-19: St. Joseph Triduum. A series of homilies and devotions to honor St. Joseph by Deacon Cross, Deacon Colon and Deacon Cole. 7:00- 8:00 PM in the Church.
April 10-12 The Malvern Retreat House is hosting a weekend Divine Mercy Retreat with Bishop Efren

Esmilla, Fr. DeLacy and Kathleen McCarthy. Please go to www.DivineMercyRetreat.com for details.

• Apil 15- Presentation by Fr. Chris Walsh: Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit. 7:00-8:00 PM in the Church.
• April 29- Our annual Saints Peter and Paul Parish Retreat at the Malvern Retreat House, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Mary Bea Damico will be presenting on The Life and Work of St. Carlos Acutis. Cost is $45 and includes breakfast and lunch. Please see our parish website to register.
• May 3- Donut Sunday
• May 4 - May Procession

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.





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

Contact Barb Quinn, [email protected], if you have an questions. Easter blessings to you all.





You Are the Beloved: Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living by Henri J. M. Nouwen, 2017; call number 248.3 NOU in the Prayer/Devotions section. This daily devotional is a compilation of meditations by the world-renowned Dutch born Catholic priest, pastor, and professor. Nouwen was author of over thirty books on spiritual life.

The Hiding Place, 35th anniversary edition, by Corrie Ten Boom with Elizabeth and John Sherrill, 2006; call number BOO in the Biography section. Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who was active in the Resistance. She and her family and friends participated in extraordinary efforts to save countless lives during the Nazi occupation of Holland. She and members of her family were eventually sent to a concentration camp and endured horrific treatment. Her unwavering faith in God’s love was the foundation for her strength, ingenuity, and resilience. She was the only member of her family to survive, and dedicated the rest of her life to traveling the world and sharing her story while helping refugees and others to overcome their extremely traumatic experiences.

David and Goliath: Adapted from the Bible and illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher, 1st ed., 1993; call number FIS in the Children section. This illustrated children’s book retells the Bible story in which a Hebrew shepherd boy kills the giant Philistine warrior, Goliath, with a slingshot.

The library is self-service. Please feel free to browse the shelves and sign out/sign in your borrowed items using the binder. Returned items may be placed in the Return Basket.

*Please note that the library has limited space and is not accepting donated items.