My Most Sincere Gratitude for this Beautiful Celebration!
But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. -1 Timothy 6:11-12
Thank you to all who prepared and took part in the Mass and reception last weekend for my installation as pastor. It was a beautiful celebration, and very humbling to be entrusted with this pastoral ministry by the Bishop, and to be warmly received by all of you, the parish family of San Pedro.
Today’s second reading strikes me as particularly personal. Paul reminds Timothy of his “noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.” And last Sunday, I stood with you all to profess our faith, and to pledge in your presence my fidelity to the Church and her pastors – the Holy Father and the Bishops united with him, to Bishop Frank, who is the shepherd and pastor of our local Church of the Diocese of Venice. You are the “many witnesses” who shared the “noble confession” of our faith, renewed each Sunday. This faith, entrusted to us at our Baptism, unites us with the apostles (including our own patron, St. Peter) – eyewitnesses of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It also unites us with all believers throughout time and throughout the world, from St. Paul and Timothy down to the present day.
Through this faith in Jesus Christ, we “lay hold of eternal life.” That is why it is so important that I made an oath to hold, expound and hand on this faith as pastor of this parish community. This faith unites us with God and one another. It is the source and foundation of everything we do as a parish community and as Catholic Christians in every aspect of our lives.
Again, thank you for witnessing to this faith with me. Let us help one another to “compete well for the faith” by our prayers and mutual support, so that we may “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness,” as men and women of God, inviting all to come to know Jesus Christ, and through faith in him, to lay hold of eternal life.
-Fr. Tom
24-Hour Adoration, Traveling Rosary Congress
San Pedro Parish is taking part in the Traveling Rosary Congress this year. There will be 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the main Church from the 8:30 am Mass on Thursday, October 6 to 12:00 noon on Friday, October 7, with the recitation of the Rosary each hour, and an opportunity for the Sacrament of Confession.
To sign up for an hour of adoration, or to lead the Rosary please call or write the parish office at 941-426-2500 or office@sanpedrocc.org
Thursday, October 6
8:30 am Mass
9:00 am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
9:00-10:00 am Confessions
*Rosary recited each hour
6:00 pm Evening Prayer and Rosary
Friday, October 7
7:00 am First Friday Mass
7:30-8:30 am Confessions
8:30 am Mass
12:00 pm Benediction
