Saints Peter & Paul Parish

Well it’s over…

The fourth and final night of the Merrillville Cluster Mission just ended. Fr. Rose preached on James Letter and on the Eucharist. He said that we all, past, present AND future, meet in the Holy Eucharist. When we partake of the Body and Blood we are united with Christ and all of our friends and family members, both alive and dead. This was a unique and exciting insight into the meaning of the Sacrament. It puts going to Mass into a whole new light. Father complimented everyone who helped with the Mission. He particularly singled out the music ministry led by Laura Monteen and Debbie DeVault’s husband, Jim -). The consensus afterward was that we were sorry that it was over. Maybe we can get Father Rose to come back next year?

Also, a special thanks to Father Vamos and the folks at Our Lady of Consolation who are always so hospitable and to the priests of our cluster who participated in the past four nights.

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Three for three

Well, Father Rose did it again. On the third evening of the Merrillville Mission he came through with a powerful and engaging talk followed by a beautiful reconciliation service. Weather influenced the turnout only slightly as it seems the snow just won’t stop. Surprisingly, in spite of the bad weather, the number of attendees has remained fairly constant for the past three nights. People are universally enthusiastic about this young priest who has held his audience captivated for the past three nights.

There’s a ground swell of opinion that Fr. Rose should come back next year! I don’t think that anyone will argue with that. He has done a truly outstanding job.

If you haven’t had the opportunity yet to come to the Mission, come tomorrow at 7:00pm for Mass. Father’s homily will be on the Eucharist.

ps If you are enrolled in ParishPay you may go to that site to make a donation to the Merrillville Cluster Mission. I told you it was convenient!

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Mission’s Second Night - Attendance good despite weather

The brave souls who ventured out in the icebound streets to hear Fr Rose continue his talks were not disappointed. Attendance was roughly the same as Sunday although the weather was much worse. If you haven’t been to a Mission in a while or if you don’t usually go, check this one out. Fr. Rose has a wealth of interesting and often humerous stories that he weaves into his presentation on our relationship with Jesus. Everyone was buzzing about Sunday’s talk and many had even tried some quick and easy ideas suggested by him. Come to the Mission and definitely stay for the wealth of goodies afterward. You won’t be disappointed!

Hey, if you want to contribute to the Mission go to www.parishpay.com and signup!

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Mission kicked off to great success!

Father Geoff Rose hit one out of the park today at Our Lady of Consolation during the first day of our 4 day Mission! The people that were fortunate enough to be there Sunday night came away feeling wonderful. Father Rose or “Froze” as his high school students call him has a down to earth style of speaking that is engaging, humorous and thought-provoking… all at the same time. Come this Monday night to hear this outstanding speaker talk about our walk with Jesus. Hope to see you there!

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Mission Begins this Sunday!

Click image for larger view.

C

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This Sunday is the kickoff of the Conversion Project

This Sunday will be very special for 2 reasons:

1. At all of the Masses, a parishioner will speak on the impact that SS Peter & Paul had in their lives, the effect that our parish has had on their spiritual journey, and the importance of supporting the mission of our church through increased sharing of our resources. All of the speakers volunteered to speak because they recognize the importance of conversion in their own lives and in the life of our Parish Community.

2. At the end of all the Masses, John Monteen will present our parishioners with a revolutionary and highly convenient method of donating to our parish online.In addition, members of the Parish Council Finance Committee will be present at all the Masses to answer questions and help people sign up with this exciting new program.

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Snow Removal costs exceed $3600!

There will be a second collection this Sunday to offset the cost of snow removal. As you know, we have been especially hard hit this season and the season is not over. Please be generous!

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Financial Crisis - A Letter from Father Teles

Dear Parishioners,

Our parish is facing an immediate financial crisis. The cost of energy and health insurance has skyrocketed well beyond our projections. As a result, we may not have the money to renew Sister Karen’s contract this June. I am sure you would agree that as a parish we value the work Sister has done for all of us for the last 20 years and wish for it to continue. This may not be possible if we are not able to significantly raise our level of financial support.

As you know, we have always been very frugal with your money, stretching it till the Eagle screams! But even our most ambitious efforts cannot keep up with two unavoidable facts: our bills are increasing but our contributions are staying the same!

Some of you decided many years ago that a certain amount was enough to give to the church. However, the same dollars that once paid to heat the entire church on Sunday now barely pays enough to heat the Sacristy! So far this winter, (as of the writing of this letter) we have spent over $3,600 for snow plowing and salt.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Website Construction

You may notice that some of the linked pages are blank. They are still being constructed. Sorry for any inconveniences this may have caused. Please check back soon we intend to be fully operational within the next week.

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Donating to SS Peter & Paul just got way easier!

Here’s the deal: It’s Sunday Morning and you’ve got a $20 bill and 6 singles. You normally give $10 per week but you need to stop at the store on the way home for some groceries. What do you do? You might say to yourself, “Hey, I’ll put in the $6 and catch up next week.” Sounds logical but guess what, next week never comes. This is called reflexive giving. Instead, try reflective giving. Sit down just once and determine what you can do to keep the church lights on, the Nipsco bill paid, the staff employed, etc. and go to www.parishpay.com. Set up your monthly giving and forget about it! Try it for a month or two and see if the convenience of giving like this doesn’t blow you away!

If you have any questions call John Monteen at 219-981-2001.

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