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Welcome to St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Community

From Fr. Chris - 26 August 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Now that school has resumed, I wanted to provide an update of many of the great things occurring here at St. Peter the Apostle and St. Andrew Academy. First, we reopened school successfully on Wednesday, 19 August 2020 to anxious and excited learners. Second, one of our own, Mr. Chris Herbert will be ordained to the Permanent Deaconate by Archbishop Kurtz on Saturday, 29 August 2020. His assignment will be at Good Shepherd parish and will join the ministry team there, headed by Fr Deo, whom we all know well. Mr. Chris Herbert will return the last weekend of September to assist at the altar, along with an opportunity for the community to wish him well. Third, our mass attendance has steadily been growing since we re-opened on 20 May 2020. Fourth, we have several new hires on the staff, Ms Maria Berryhill has joined us to become our Director of Faith Formation. Deacon Joe Moore has also joined us as our Part-time director of Worship, and David Edwards has accepted the position of Full-time custodian at St. Andrew Academy as part of the Coronavirus initiatives to keep our children safe at school.

Just a reminder that attending mass has been modified to accommodate the CDC recommendations for Safe at Worship. These changes have been implemented for the safety of all who gather to include: Social distancing within the pews (every third pew is to be occupied), Frequent handwashing by providing alcohol based hand-sanitizer at each entrance and exit, and the use of wearing a face covering. Additional measures we have also undertaken include the Eucharist being distributed in-pew, sanitation of the worship space, the common areas and restrooms after each mass, and the reduction of liturgical ministers: i.e.: one versus two Lectors, Two Extra-Ordinary Communion minister’s vs six, one Altar Server, one Head Usher, along with either Two/Three Ushers to help control incoming and outgoing traffic, and an occasional Cantor & Choir to help lead us in providing liturgical music.

Finally, I remind everyone that the dispensation from the obligation to attend Holy Mass on Sunday’s and Holy Days of obligation is still in effect. For those who are not able to attend in person, we have installed a camera system in both the daily chapel, along with the main church after a successful Camera fund campaign. This is one way for those at home to join us as we celebrate the Holy Mass in our own unique community. Many who join us either live locally or reside outside the state and they are able to stay connected with our dynamic community. Lastly, I provide a weekly update every Friday on Facebook Live on the St. Peter the Apostle Facebook page and it’s here I update the Archbishop’s weekly updates, I include my own, and provide a one-minute teaching. [Link to Facebook for Weekly Update.] Please be assured of my prayers and know that I am praying for each one of you.

Sincerely,

Rev Christopher Lubecke,

Pastor, St Peter the Apostle & St. Andrew Academy

Support Our Parish

Capital Campaign

Dear Parishoners

We are entering historic times in the life of St. Peter the Apostle parish. As your new pastor, I am thrilled with what God is doing and will do through us as a parish family. I know that you share my enthusiasm and gratefulness for this time and place in the emerging history of our great parish.

For 10 years, the parish has been enjoying the new worship space. Yet, our beautiful church is not completely paid for, nor is the rest of the building very functional or useable. Following, therefore, the Archbishop’s encouragement to all parishes to engage in a spiritual discernment process, St. Peter underwent that experience last year, looking at our mission and praying about our needs.

The result? It became crystal clear to your pastor at that time, Father Chuck Walker and lay parish leaders, that St. Peter the Apostle Church needed to aggressively seek to pay down debt and renovate the adjoining building, providing a fellowship gathering space seating 400+ parishioners and have adequate bathrooms.

With these two needs clearly identified, the parish engaged in a feasibility study under the director of Generis-Ashley|Rountree. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Parishioners agreed debt needed to be reduced and a Parish Community gathering space needed to be created. Further, the Generis study said we could potentially raise between $1.5M to $2M dollars in a 3-year capital campaign. The decision was made, therefore, to request Archdiocesan permission to conduct a capital campaign, applying $1M to the renovation costs and $1M to the reduction of parish debt.

Today, I am thrilled to announce to you the capital campaign is in full-swing. We are calling the campaign “LIVING STONES” as we are asking every family to be a “living stone” and help build the parish dream, creating a beautiful gathering space, commercial kitchen, with fully-equipped, accessible bathrooms and to significantly drop our debt while we are at it, too.

For our parish to experience a successful campaign, we must have the generous support of everyone and the extraordinary giving of a few. Everyone’s gift matters, just as everyone’s participation matters to the Kingdom of Christ and His Church. Will you pray. Will you be generous? Will you join this effort?

• Our plan is a good one. It is needed, too. This space will help bring all of our faith family together from the many traditions of our past to new traditions and new memories for the future of our parish.
• Big and small food events, programs, and community gatherings will be made possible with a commercial-size kitchen with adequate, accessible bathroom facilities.

I am excited to see our church moving forward as Living Stones, Building Our Home, Together.

But I need your help. I am asking you to join me in making an extraordinary and generous gift. Soon, I will share with you in Mass what I believe God is leading me to give over the next 3 years. Although I’m new to St. Peter, I would not ask you to do something I would not do. I believe we can grow our family and make our church stronger and greater. Read the enclosed materials. Pray. Ask God to lead you. Then, join me, giving generously and, together, let’s give God glory as Living Stones, Building Together.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Chris Lubecke

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