Busy- October 2, 2026

Welcome to yet another Friday and yet another letter from your pastor!

One of the duties and privileges of a priest is spiritual direction, and often we ourselves learn a little about the spiritual life from our directees (sometime more than they learn from us). I recently had spiritual direction with a woman from Crete, who has been coming to see me for 2 years or so now. In that meeting she mentioned how she had gone on retreat and heard something interesting that she had never heard before: busy is an acronym. My first thought was that this was going to be really stupid. And it was. But, I must say it does hold some water and made me reconsider some things. Busy is broken up as such:

Burdened

Under

Satan’s

Yoke

I’m not a fan of trendy acronyms, but it did make me reflect on the busyness of our time: sports, school, work, vacations, day trips. All of these good things that we get to experience take up our time and make us, well, busy. And being busy isn’t all that bad – it keeps us out of trouble (usually), it can be fun, and it can be truly edifying. But, busyness can also take us away from God instead of bring us closer to him.

When we are too busy to pray, go to Mass, be with our families, or anything else within our vocations, we are moving from God and are burdening ourselves under Satan’s yoke. To be busy in this sense is satanic, meaning that we move away from God, and Satan is the only other option. If we are busy in the Lord’s work, however, it is life-giving and fruitful. We actually move closer to God and not farther away from him. Busyness is truly a blessing, as it means God has given us the means to be busy. Even St. Paul wishes us to be truly busy and not simply “acting like busybodies.” (2 Thess. 3:11) We just need to be prudent and not allow busyness to hijack our vocation.

Now that school is in full swing and extracurriculars abound, let’s not forget our debt to the Lord. He is a God who loves us and wants to be with us. Let’s not let busyness get in the way and burden us under Satan’s yoke.

God Bless!

Fr. Stoley

Narthex- September 25, 2026

The Rosary- September 13, 2026

Hello all!

As I was praying the rosary on Monday, I was thinking about how the next day would be the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That kind of sent me into a bit of a spiral thinking about some Mary things during the Rosary and I began to think about a meditation I had during a rosary earlier this year: as I was praying the first Joyful Mystery (the Annunciation), I suddenly found myself wondering what Mary was doing at the time Gabriel came to her.

All it says in Scripture is that Gabriel came to a virgin named Mary in Nazareth. No time of day. No specific place. No mention of her activities. Nearly every image I’ve see of the Annunciation (minus a handful) show it to take place in the middle of the night, waking her from sleep. Maybe. But it doesn’t say that in the Gospels. So, what was she doing? Was she doing laundry? Was she eating lunch? Was she praying? Was she taking a stroll? I thought about that for a considerable amount of time and eventually realized the first decade ended up being around 27 Hail Mary’s instead of 10. But that happens, and it’s alright! And I think it’s by design, in a way.

The rosary is a guided meditation on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It isn’t actually about the Hail Mary’s or the Our Fathers. The beads and the prayers associated with them provide a sort of timed meditation chant. Saying the prayers provides the background music, so to speak. The real purpose is to enter each mystery and truly contemplate it during the “allotted time” of each decade. If you go a little past, no problem! We are entering the profound moments in the life of Christ. The prayers are important, of course, and of utmost power, but the meditations are the primary focus – which actually adds more uumf to the already efficacious prayers because of their association with the meditations themselves.

As you pray your rosary, especially as a group, allow the chant of the prayers to lead you deeper into the life of our Savior, in turn deepening your relationship with him!

God Bless!

Fr. Stoley

Discipleship Renewal- August 21, 2026

Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! 

Our Discipleship Renewal is upon us! I would like to encourage you to take some time to reflect on your commitment to Jesus as His disciple—specifically, on how you are living out that commitment here at St. Peter. 

Perhaps, in your discernment, you find that you are exactly where the Lord wants you. Perfect! Don’t change anything! 

Perhaps, in your discernment, you discover that God may be inviting you to make a greater gift of yourself: increase your tithe, give more time to a particular ministry, or perhaps add more time to prayer. Possibly all of the above! 

Whatever the case may be, we are asking everyone to renew their commitment either online or through the physical Commitment Card you received in the mail. We invite you to participate in this time of reflection together as a Parish Community. The Commitment Card serves as a tangible reminder of your stewardship commitment and, hopefully, helps you put that commitment into practice throughout the year. 

Stewardship, at its heart, is about being responsible for the gifts God has given us. The parish itself is one of those gifts! So, as we take responsibility for our parish, we give back to God through our time, talent, and treasure. 

Treasure is what we often think of when we hear the word “tithe”—10% of our income (before taxes) given to the parish, diocese, and charities. Our treasure helps take care of the temporal needs of the Church. But the tithe goes much deeper than that. 

Time, for example, has many applications. It is often paired with Talent when we volunteer at parish events or serve in various ministries—whether as an acolyte, helping with church cleaning, or in one of the many other ways our parish needs to be served. But Time is also a gift from God. We give time back to Him in prayer as an act of gratitude for that gift and as a reminder to trust that He has our day under control. 

So, our hope with this Renewal is to help you discern the best way to serve God and His Church with your time, talent, and treasure this year. 

May we all be one this year as we abide in Christ and build His Kingdom. 

God Bless! 

Fr. Stoley  

The Rock- August 14, 2026

Happy Friday!

Our Gospel for this Sunday is famous – the institution of Peter as head of the College of Apostles. Simon gains the nickname “Peter,” meaning the Rock. I used to be rather indifferent to this nickname until my spiritual director mentioned it in one of our sessions. He had been reading a rabbinic commentary on this episode and learned something that absolutely floored me.

There is a rabbinic tradition that says that at the creation of the world, the earth was a trackless waste, which of course, was water: “The Spirit breathed over the waters.” The tradition states that the waters came from an eternal fountain in the heart of the earth, erupting from an immense geyser. To separate the land from the water, God took a stone from his throne, plugged the geyser, and founded the earth on that stone. From there he creates the rest of what we see, finally ending with the creation of man to whom he gives authority over creation.

Fast forward to this conversation with Peter, the rock/stone. Jesus tells Peter that upon this rock he would build his Church. The Church is the new creation, as we know from Scripture: the new people of God, a new earth, a new day, a saved world. Just as the first creation was founded on the rock from God’s throne, the new creation, established in the Pascal Mystery, was founded on the Rock of Peter. Peter became an integral part in the new creation! And as God gave Adam authority over every creature, so Jesus gave authority over all creation to Peter: Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.  

In a parable, Jesus tells us of the fool who built his house on sand and the wise man who built his on rock. Clearly, Jesus’ wisdom included building his Church on rock – Peter. Whenever we find ourselves doubting the Church or her leaders, let us always remember that Jesus knows what he is doing. When he calls us to mission, he takes our weakness into account, just as he took Peter’s into account. We are an integral part of the new creation. So let us ask for the grace to trust in the Lord’s plan for us!

God Bless!

Fr. Stoley

Parents as Primary Teachers- August 9, 2026

Brothers and sisters,

We often lament the priesthood crisis, namely that there aren’t enough and are being stretched thin, that there aren’t enough who are trained as administrators, etc. And it is true that we are in a priest crisis. But that spawned from a more primitive cause – the crisis of the family. I don’t mean the crisis of broken homes, necessarily, because I believe that is a symptom more than a cause. The cause I am thinking of is more basic than that: worldwide, we have forgotten the esteemed place of the family.

The home is the first school, and the primary educators are the parents. Schools are supplementary education. We live in a world now where schools have become the primary educators, and in many ways are raising our kids for us. Not to say that parents are doing a poor job, but dependence on the education system can lead to a sort of complacence at home. That is part of the crisis.

Parents don’t have to know everything, of course. “I don’t know” is a perfectly acceptable answer. But reliance on the education system to form our kids carries ramifications. If they are taught that stealing is okay, for example, when they come home they would need the formation given by the parents to expose that error. Conversely, if they are taught the Lord loves them or that 2+2=4, the parents confirm that truth. A huge part of the crisis (though maybe not the biggest) is the amnesia regarding the high place of parenting. It is time to reclaim the dignity of being the primary educators for your children! Trust the school to supplement home formation but remember it’s only a supplement!

School is right around the corner, and I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of, and encourage you in, the high dignity of family life. Especially as it pertains to school life itself. This school year, let’s pray with our children and allow the Holy Spirit to guide your home formation! We don’t need to be anxious about it, because Jesus promised the Spirit will give us the words we need.

You’re doing great, parents! Thank you for your vocation!

God Bless!

Fr. Stoley

Incense - July 24, 2026

Happy weekend!

I was thinking about the physicality of the liturgy recently and thought I would share a reflection with you, particularly on the incense.

God created us to be a body-soul composite, meaning that we are not body with a soul, nor a soul with a body, but rather an ensouled body or an embodied soul. We need both to be fully human. When the two separate at death, for a time we are only half human – then we get our bodies back and can fully worship again. This is important in the liturgy since we come to know things through our physical experience with the world around us, and everything that enters the body through the senses is “stored” in the soul.

In the context of the liturgy, we use the senses not to encounter the world we see, but the world we do not. Thus, the Sacraments contain a physical element: you hear the words of absolution, you feel the waters of baptism, etc. At Mass, everything we do has its purpose: stand, sit, kneel, candles, incense. Everything we hear, see, smell, touch, and taste in the Mass setting is an encounter with eternity. Mass is a sacrifice, as our senses remind us. Candles burn and evaporate, spending themselves in service to God, and the bees that produce the wax offer it as their own worship.

Incense is a prime example. When the scent hits your nose and you see the smoke swirl in the air, it is a sign that our prayers and sacrifices are rising to God. It moves mysteriously in the air, carried by the various currents, reminding us of the mysterious movements of the Spirit who “prays for us with inexpressible groanings, because we do not know how to pray as we ought.” The sacrifice of incense is integral to worship; hence the prophets always scolded the Israelites for burning incense to the gods, not just for praying to them. Incense is a sign that our prayers, worship, sacrifices, hopes and families are given over to God for his care. Burning it to other gods is a complete slap in the face to the God who gives us these good things.  

As we worship this weekend, let’s intentionally unite our offerings to the incense, and remember that Mass isn’t about what we get out of it, but what we put into it.

God Bless!

Fr. Stoley

Perseverance in Prayer- July 17, 2026

Greetings,

If you find prayer rather burdensome or difficult, or you just find yourself frustrated because you don’t know what you’re doing, rejoice! You are in good company.

In my youth, I always thought priests were these spiritual gurus who were experts of deep prayer.  Imagine my frustration when I got ordained and still had no idea what I was doing…some could argue that 11 years in I still don’t know what I’m doing. But I think that therein lies the beauty – no one knows what they’re doing. That’s why we need to have such a good relationship with the Holy Spirit, because as St. Paul tells us this weekend, “we do not know how to pray as we ought.”

You’ll have noticed Paul says “we,” not “you.” Which means that even St. Paul, a master of being in relationship with the Lord, is stuck sometimes. More contemporary saints, like John of the Cross, Ignatius of Loyola, and Therese of Lisieux, also struggled hard with prayer, but through that struggle they became known for their piety and prayerful demeanor. If you read anything they have written, it is full of frustrations with the spiritual life. The struggle is part and parcel with the Christian lifestyle.

A relationship with the Holy Spirit is essential to a life of prayer, because “we do not know how to pray as we ought” due to our own human weakness and the sinful environment in which we live. He has to teach us! And once we learn some method or something comes to us that boosts our prayer life, we can share that with others on their journey, as they are probably experiencing the same thing. When people come to me for prayer advice, any advice I give comes either from the Holy Spirit directly in my own prayer, or indirectly through others who have given me the advice. Though honestly, sometimes I just have to shrug and say, “good luck.”

If you are struggling to pray, you’re in good company. Ask the Holy Spirit for help. Discern if you’re in desolation. Ask others for ideas on what has worked for them. But above all, have the humility to know that “we do not know how to pray as we ought” and that we need the Divine Assistance to make any meaningful headway. Holy Spirit, teach us how to pray! Amen!

God Bless!

Fr. Stoley

Not So Ordinary Time- July 10, 2026

Happy weekend!

I was recently reflecting on the seasons of the Church Calendar and realized that perhaps I should explain a couple of things regarding Ordinary Time, because it’s interesting! Or at least I think it’s interesting. Since we are a little less than halfway through Ordinary Time, here’s how this works:

Ordinary Time is not called ordinary simply because we are going through the daily happenings of Jesus’ life, which cannot be called ordinary by any stretch of the imagination. It is true that we are contemplating the ordinary activity of Jesus during this time, but even more so Ordinary Time acts as a countdown. Ordinary Time is called ordinary because it follows the ordinal numbers system (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.). There are 34 weeks in Ordinary time, which is roughly 66% of the year. Despite being the majority of the liturgical year, it acts as a preparation for the principle seasons of the year, namely Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter.

Ordinary Time counts the weeks between these seasons. This weekend is the 15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, meaning that we have 19 weeks until the end of the liturgical year and the beginning of Advent. Advent is itself a countdown to Christmas, but is considered a principle season. After the Christmas Season, we roll through the first 6-8 weeks of Ordinary time until Lent begins, which is itself a countdown to the Easter Season. After Easter, we go through the next 26-28 weeks of Ordinary Time. And the cycle repeats! Through the weeks of Ordinary Time there are various celebrations like feasts and solemnities to remind us where we are going, sanctifying the year even outside the principle seasons of the year.

To confuse us even more, the Sunday Cycle is a 3-year Cycle (A, B, C) and the Weekday Cycle is a 2-year Cycle (I, II). The cycles renew every First Sunday of Advent. Right now, we are in year A-II, meaning that we read the A readings on Sundays and the II readings during the week. On the First Sunday of Advent we will change to B-I. The following year is C-II, then A-I, etc.

So there you go! More than you ever thought you would need to know about the Liturgical Year! I hope you enjoyed it!

God Bless!

Fr. Stoley

Freedom - July 3, 2026

Greetings to all! And happy Fourth of July!

As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s independence this weekend, I would be remiss to not reflect on the true meaning of freedom, which comes to us not from any governmental system or kingdom, but from our very nature. Made in the image and likeness of God, we were created to be free – hence the constant battle between Israel his oppressors throughout the Scriptures.

What then is freedom? According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, freedom is “the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility…. As long as freedom has not bound itself definitively to its ultimate good which is God, there is the possibility of choosing good and evil…Freedom makes man responsible for his acts to the extent that they are voluntary.” (#1731, 1732, and 1734) In other words, freedom is the ability to perform our obligations and choose between goods (real or perceived) without outside interference or force.

Even within the political sphere this seems to be the case (seemed, depending on your perspective). If you have not read the Gettysburg address, Abraham Lincoln beautifully and somberly gives a treatise on the true origin of freedom and the attacks waged upon that freedom. It’s certainly worth the read! He essentially defines freedom as based on the fact that man has inherent rights that cannot be taken away from us. The Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and especially the Declaration of Independence specifically describe inalienable rights flowing from our humanity, and the various civil rights that flow from them. Those rights are inherently dependent on our freedom, our ability to carry out obligations and to choose the good without any sort of outside force or influence.

This is the freedom the Lord desires for us. A freedom to choose Him that comes from our union with Christ in His humanity, not from a governmental ideal. As we celebrate our independence this weekend, and the liberty that it brings, let us thank God for the gifts we have received from His goodness and our freedom to enjoy them!

God Bless!

Fr. Stoley

Good bye - June 12, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

It has been a true blessing to serve you as pastor these past 6 years. Eight seconds on the back of a 2,000 lb rodeo bull seems like an eternity and 6 years as your pastor went by in a blink of an eye. Here are my top 10 memories of my time as your pastor at St. Peter Church.

1. Celebrating eternal life as I baptized 154 babies
2. Witnessing 44 adult converts at Easter vigil and three deathbed conversions
3. Joyfully receiving the vows of 35 weddings
4. Mourning with and for you at 64 funerals
5. Kicking off perpetual Eucharist adoration in September 2024
6. The excitement of seeing our parish children and having meals at school with them
7. Fellowship at parish fundraiser, Trunk-or-Treat, Fall Festival, and going to parishioner’s homes
8. Watching the snow outside while celebrating the 2023 Christmas Mass in Bishop Vasa Hall
9. Church remodel and dedication spring 2024
10. Working daily in the vineyard of the Lord with incredible and dedicated staff and volunteers

I will hold all these memories and you in my heart as we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus today. I praise God for the gift that you have been to me. Thank you!

I leave you with a quote from St. Faustina that was on my ordination card (May 24, 2014): “When the moment of the elevation approached, Jesus took the Host in His hands, looking up to heaven, and a moment later I again saw the priest. I asked Jesus where the priest had been during that time I had not seen him, Jesus answered, IN MY HEART.”

If we live out the St. Peter Church vision statement to “Abide in Christ and Build His Kingdom”, we will always be together in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join us after Mass this weekend for Mass refreshments

Manna--What is it? - June 5, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A few months ago, I was making my daily communion rounds at one of our assisted living facilities. As I entered Harbor House to visit one of our longtime parishioners, Margaret, I noticed a therapy dog making its rounds. The beautiful Husky came to Margaret’s wheelchair while I knelt beside her with the communion pyx. Eventually, the dog moved to my side, looked intently at Holy Communion, and then lowered itself onto all four legs—almost like an act of worship before Jesus in the host.

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ. In the Old Testament, the Israelites wandered the desert for forty years and were near starvation. God rained down manna from heaven to feed them. It looked like bread and tasted like bread, but it was not made by human hands, so they called it “manna,” meaning, “What is it?”

Since the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, Christians have debated that same question. Some believe communion is only a symbol or a memorial. Catholics and Orthodox Christians, however, profess that Holy Communion truly becomes the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

A 20th-century Catholic novelist once attended a tea where Protestant friends insisted the Eucharist was merely symbolic. She famously replied, “Well, if it’s just a symbol, then to hell with it.” Her point was simple: if the Eucharist is not truly Jesus, then Catholics would be guilty of idolatry. But if it is truly Him, then nothing on earth is more sacred.

Even a therapy dog seemed to recognize something holy that day.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

St. Paul VI - May 29, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

"Every night about midnight I open my mail of the day. Almost every letter has a thorn in it. When I put my head on my pillow at night, I really lay it on a crown of thorns." said Pope St. Paul VI to Archbishop Fulton Sheen. 

Today is the feast day of St. Paul VI (+1978).  He was pope in a turbulent time of society and the Church. He was a pope reformer of the liturgy and ecclesial structure of the Church. He was an advocate for peace and social justice in a world of turmoil. All these advancements brought praise by many inside and outside the Church, so what were the ‘thorns’ he was referring to? It was the rejection of his encyclical, Humanae Vitae (On Human Life) in which he prophetically warned the world about the dangers of contraception. This document was rejected by many U.S. Bishops, priests, faculty at esteemed Jesuit colleges, Notre Dame and Catholic University of America. The sexual revolution of the 60’s was the “Smoke of Satan that has entered the temple of God.”

The openness to life in the marital act “is based on the inseparable connection, established by God, which man on his own initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage act. ...a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, reducing her to being a mere instrument for the enjoyment of his own desires, he may no longer consider her as his respected and beloved companion" (St. Paul VI).

“The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator” (St. Paul VI). Parents, I thank you for your witness and openness to life and to work together with God!

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please click here for tickets to our annual parish fellowship and fundraiser SADDLE UP AND SIP

St. Rita the Suffering Servant - May 22, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Suffering is a gift to participate in the love of Christ (Col. 1:24). I recently read a clever analogy for this. Suffering is like boiling water. It has a different effect on people, depending on how they choose to react. 

If you put carrots in boiling water, they get soft. That's like the person who has made comfort and pleasure the goal of life. When suffering comes his way, it drains him of all his zest for living.

If you put an egg in boiling water, it gets hard. You get a hard-boiled egg. That's what happens to the arrogant and self-centered. When life gets hard, they also get hard. They clench their fists and lose their smile. They become angry and cynical.

If you put coffee in boiling water, the water releases the coffee's hidden flavor. It fills the room with a delightful aroma and makes the water delicious. The soul that courageously trusts God amid suffering, clinging to Christ's cross and staying faithful, learns to love like Christ, to be humble, to persevere in what is right. That person's life lets off the aroma of mature joy and is filled with the robust flavor of purpose and wisdom.

St. Rita of Cascia (+1457), whose feast day is today is a great example of suffering. Her full name is Margarita (Rita for short) which means pearl. She grieved immensely throughout her life and this is why she is invoked as the patron saint impossible causes, abuse and couples with marital problems. 

She wanted to become a religious sister, but her parents married her off at age 12 to a man known for his violent temper. She put up with his abusive nature for 18 years before he finally converted. But soon after that he was tragically murdered.

Her two sons wanted to avenge their father’s death. Fearing for their mortal souls, Rita prayed that God would take her sons before they could commit murder. Within a year, both boys died of natural causes—their hands and souls unstained by revenge. 

She wanted to join the local Augustinian religious sisters, but she was initially rejected because she was a widow and some sisters had ties to the rival feuding families. Through fervent prayer and her efforts, she was finally accepted at age 36 and received the stigmata (wound of Christ) on her head at age 60. 

St. Rita truly let the world smell the aroma of Christ through the powerful witness of her suffering in unison with her Beloved, Jesus. 

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

The Work of the Lord - May 15, 2026

Mothers- Anchors of Hope - May 8, 2026

Work- May 1, 2026

Turning it Around- April 24, 2026

Dear brothers and sisters,

One of the most remarkable stories this past season was Indiana football winning the National Championship. Who would have thought that Husker basketball would make it to the Sweet 16 and the Hoosiers (a traditional basketball school) would hoist the trophy this year? When the Indiana coach, Curt Cignitti was asked by an ESPN reporter how he turned the program around in a short time, he responded, “It’s all about the people, plan and process.” 

I echo his words for the amazing accomplishments at St. Peter Church. It’s about the people, plan and process. I have been so blessed to be your pastor and work with so many amazing staff members and ministry leaders. Our 2021 strategic plan was the work of the Holy Spirit and a dozen parishioners who are true witnesses to the love of God and His Church. Last year we implemented the Clear Path of Discipleship as our process to implement our plan. 

Since I have been installed as a shepherd at St. Peter, we have implemented perpetual adoration, extra daily Mass and confessions, evangelization, nursing homes, CGS, and Communio Marriage ministry.

Below are the objective results:

Sunday Mass Attendance: 2020                            2025

Of total population                30%                          53%

Sacraments:                          2020                            2025

Baptism                                   35                                76

Marriages                                8                                  32       

Adult converts                        7                                  29

Financial:                               2020                            2025

Offertory                                 $1,747,221                  $2,446,332 (40% increase)

Net Ordinary Income           -$64,941                      $269,578              

Campaigns (2022; 2026)                                            $10.5 million                        

This Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and leader who had people, plan and process. He called His people by name (John 10:3). He had a plan to walk ahead of the sheep to follow Him (John 10:4). His process was to save the flock so they may have an abundant life in the verdant pastures of heaven (John 10:10). 

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

The Rising Road- April 17, 2026

Dear brothers and sisters,

A few years ago, I read “Rising Road: A True tale of love, race and religion in America” by Sharon Davies. If you enjoy courtroom stories, you will love this book. This historically true story sets place in Birmingham, AL in the early 1900’s and tells the story of a dynamic Catholic missionary Fr. James Coyle who was shot and killed on the front door steps of his parish after Mass. The assailant was a Methodist minister who was working with the KKK. I will not divulge how the trial ends. 

So, what prompted the crazy Rev. Stephenson to pull the trigger in broad daylight? He found out that his teenage daughter, Ruth, had converted to become a Roman Catholic and Fr. Coyle was the one who brought her into the Church. But before Fr. Coyle and Ruth had met, she was taken by the witnesses of the Catholics who would be going into the parish church early in the morning. One day she snuck into the back of the church and witnessed her first Mass. She later said that her eyes were opened and she recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. 

This weekend, we hear about the two disciples who met the Risen Lord on the road to Emmaus.  They too had their eyes opened are realized Jesus was in their midst in the breaking of the bread. It was the original sin in which Adam and Eve’s eyes were closed to seeing God. Fortunately for us, Jesus comes to take away sin and open our eyes so that we can see Him by faith in the Eucharist. 

Every Mass is an Emmaus event. We get the chance to hear the Word of God in scripture and we can exclaim like these two disciples, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Lk. 24:32). Secondly, we have the liturgy of the Eucharist and our eyes are opened to recognize Jesus (Lk. 24:31). What a great gift for us to participate in this wonderous exchange of love. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday on the road to Emmaus!

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Pastor Change Mission Remains- April 10, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Six years ago, I received one of the most life-changing phone calls of my priesthood. Archbishop Lucas, in Bishop Conley's absence, had assigned me as pastor of St. Peter Church. I was stunned — I had never served as a pastor before, and it felt like being called up to the major leagues. 

Like the prophet Amos, I cannot claim the pedigree of more distinguished priests in the Diocese. I am simply a shepherd from a clan of shepherds (Amos 7:14). Yet over these years, I have learned what it means to shepherd a flock: to lead with wisdom (Num. 27:17; Jer. 3:15), to seek the lost (Lk. 15), to admonish and teach (Sir. 18:12), to feed those in my care (Is. 40:11), to heal the wounded (Ez. 34:16), and to lay down one's life without fear for the sake of the flock (Jn. 10:12). 

When I arrived, my directives from the Diocese were clear: organize the parish, balance the budget, and evangelize. By God's grace — and through the tireless effort of our parishioners and staff — we have accomplished those goals together. And now, the time has come for me to leave you. 

In February, Bishop Conley informed me that he is reassigning me as pastor of All Saints Parish in Holdrege. This news came as a genuine surprise to me, as I had not requested a change, nor has there been any disciplinary reason or complaints from parishioners or staff to prompt it. Bishop Conley knows the needs of the Diocese, and I trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding him — even when I find myself at a loss to understand it fully. 

My deepest pastoral concern is that this transition may unsettle some among the flock, as it would mean five pastors in fewer than ten years (Zech. 13:7). So, I urge you: remain faithful to the work we have built together these past six years. Through our strategic plan and the Clear Path of Discipleship, St. Peter has become one of the strongest parishes in the Diocese. Members of the Diocese's own strategic planning committee have pointed to us as a leader in carrying out the mission to make disciples. That is not my achievement — it is yours.  

It has been one of the great blessings of my life to serve as your pastor. I praise God for the gift that each of you is to me and to one another. I trust deeply in His plan, even when the path is unclear, and I send you forward with the very prayer Christ offered on the night of the Last Supper: "Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may all be one" (Jn. 17:11). 

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Join us for the “State of the Parish” Tuesday April 14th at 7PM in St. John Paul II Hall