October 2, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

Faith is a gift that must be nourished, for it sustains us and empowers us. In the book of the prophet Habakkuk; he and God are engaging in a dialogue about justice. Habakkuk calls out to God, asking how long he must endure destruction, violence, strife, and discord. The Lord responds that it may be a while: The vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.

The Lord fulfills his promises, but he does so in his own time, and he is encouraging Habakkuk, and us, to trust and have faith. He says, The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live. Impatience is not a virtue, but faith is. We do not know how long we must endure various hardships while on earth, but we are called to persevere in faith until the end: The just one, because of his faith, shall live. 

This is much like what Paul writes to Timothy, as he encourages him to bear his share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. He tells him to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. In Timothy’s case, this is the gift of ordination to an ecclesial office.

Likewise, each of us who has been baptized has received the Holy Spirit, and when confirmed we are filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit – gifts that strengthen us to bear witness to our faith in Christ. We can call upon the Lord to stir into flame these gifts when we are faced with suffering or circumstances that challenge our faith. 

We can keep in mind Jesus’ words regarding faith when things get tough because God is not bound by our limitations. As he says in response to the Apostles asking him to increase their faith: If they had faith even the size of a mustard seed, they could command the mulberry tree to be uprooted and plant itself in the sea. 

Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and all that he has said and revealed to us because he is truth itself. By faith, “man freely commits his entire self to God.” God gives the gift of faith freely. To preserve this priceless gift let us read the Scriptures, deepen our prayer life, and place our hope in God’s promises. As we celebrate the Eucharist, we give thanks for our faith and ask God to increase and nourish it.

God Love Ya!
Fr. Reilly




It is with great news that I announce that our parish prayers have been heard and we will be adding a new addition to the clergy status here. I have been informed by the Archbishop that we will be receiving a Parochial Vicar.

We will warmly welcome Rev. Ganong Suh (Fr. Joseph) sometime in mid or late October. 

Fr. Joseph will be coming to us from Cameroon, Africa. Before he arrives here, he will be spending time with Fr. Wilfred, parochial administrator of St. Martin de Porres in North Philadelphia, and the only other Cameroon priest stationed in the Archdiocese. Fr. Wilfred will help Fr. Joseph navigate living in the US and acclimate him to the archdiocese and Catholic culture here. When the Office of Clergy decides he is ready, they will send him out to live in the beautiful countryside of West Chester.

I have spoken with Fr. Joseph via Zoom and he is very excited to be coming here to minister to our parish families. The official language of Cameroon is French and English, so his understanding and speaking of the English language is second nature to him. I personally enjoyed our conversation and understood everything that was said. 

Fr. Joseph's visa is only good for 3 years here in the US and we are not guaranteed to have him for all those years. Therefore, our Mass schedule will remain the same and we will continue to be stuck with the rain and Fr. Dennis!!

I pray and ask you to warmly welcome him, as you did me and be patient with Fr. Joseph as he continues to grow accustomed to the rolling hills of Chester County. I am confident that you will all inspire him as our new parochial Vicar; as you do to me everyday as your Pastor. 


Please continue to pray for Fr. Joseph, all priests and especially an increase to vocations to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.



We invite you to join the Saints Peter and Paul community in honoring the Sacred Heart in Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament on Friday,

October 3 at 7:00 PM. Concluding at 8:00 PM, this First Friday Holy Hour will consist of Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Evening Prayer, the Litany of the Eucharist.

In the words of Saint Teresa of Calcutta:

“When you look at the Crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then, when you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how Jesus loves you now.”



This weekend, Fr. John will be visiting our parish on behalf of Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). Father is a FOCUS National Chaplain and is a religious priest of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary (OMV). He was ordained in 2012 by Archbishop Jose Gomez in Hawaiian Gardens, CA. Prior to his role at FOCUS, he served for six years as Vocation Director for the OMV in Boston and six years as Parochial Vicar at St. Mary’s in Alton, IL.

FOCUS is a national organization serving college students at more than 255 campus/locations including nine international locations, 29 parish venues and nine digital expansion campuses. More than 1048 FOCUS missionaries invite college students into a relationship with Christ and His Church, while equipping them for a lifetime of Catholic evangelization. Fr. Luong is excited to be with us and share the hope of the New Evangelization!

To learn more: please visit: www.focus.org.



Do you need a better understanding of the Mass and its rituals? Would you like answers as to why we sit, stand, kneel, and sing? 

Do you wonder how and why the entire Mass is scriptural? Are you skeptical about how actively participating draws you deeper into the Eucharistic Mystery?

Well, set your alarm a few minutes earlier for the next eight weeks because we will be reprising the popular 2023

“Teaching the Mass” video clips before each weekend Mass, starting on October 4. If you missed it the first time, now is your chance!



The Women's Evening Cafe will host author, mom, and Saints Peter and Paul parishioner, Jessica Hildebrand, as she shares insights from her book, “Look: The Solution to Stress.” Jessica will offer encouragement, hope, and practical tools for finding peace in the beautiful chaos of being a woman of faith! Join us on October 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM for inspiration, refreshments and fellowship. See the bulletin and website for more details! A free will offering is encouraged to support our ministry!

 
The crew will begin working on the lighting restoration in the Church on Monday, so there will be no Exposition next week. Secondly, the library is closed until October 11 as the workers equipment is being stored in the library. Thank you for your patience!



The Shepherds of Bethlehem imports all of their works of reverent art from the finest Christan craftsmen in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. In these challenging times, with ongoing war, it’s extremely difficult for the Christian community, which relies on tourism or pilgrimages. Many families struggle to provide food for their children.

Let us be your connection to the Holy Land.

We are honored to bless your home and the homes of your loved ones with unique, handmade gifts lovingly carves by our talented craftsmen. Each one of a kind piece will serve as a devout and stunning visual reminder of the presence of God, your relationship to the Lord, and your connection to the Holy Land. We will display after the scheduled Masses on October 18, 19.

www.shepherds-bethlehem.com

 


Join us for our bus trip to the National Shrine of the Basilica of the immaculate Conception.  Cost is $110 and includes all shrine activities, roundtrip motor coach transportation, driver’s tip and a 3-course dinner in Baltimore Harbor.  Reservation deadline is September 28.  Please see our parish website or [email protected] for details and to register!

 
As a special program leading up to and including Advent, we will be exploring the Christian lessons contained in the Charles Dickens story, A Christmas Carol. Beginning on Monday October 20, participants will meet every other week for five sessions to journey through the Christian principles and issues Dickens brought to light in his beloved classic. To minimize reading requirements, we will be relying primarily on the 1999 movie version of the story

To sign up, please register here