Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful; enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created.

And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Dearly Beloved,

Greetings in the power of our ever-present God! As each day unfolds, we move closer to our physical reunion in the celebration of Holy Mass and the Sacraments, while continuing to be united spiritually in prayer through Christ who dwells within us.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore's guidelines that we follow in reopening our Mountain Maryland parishes are for our safety, and I assure you, we will do all in our power as St. Peter staff members and volunteers, to provide a safe environment and joyful celebration of the Holy Eucharist at Mass - when all is ready. The dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass has been extended by Archbishop Lori until further notice.

We have already begun celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation at 4:30PM on Wednesdays (in the chapel) and by appointment anytime by calling me at 301-334-2202. Prayer and Adoration are now being held on Wednesdays from 5:00PM - 8:00PM, also in the chapel. We are taking every precaution possible to ensure a safe environment as we carefully move through the phases of reopening.

Please click here to view the Archbishop's video on what to expect when you return to Mass, if you haven't already done so, and click here to view the message from May 22nd to all Catholics in Allegany and Garrett counties. Please use all the resources that are available on our website and the Archdiocese's website to gain traction in preparing for an optimistic future amidst all of the distractions.

We know that optimism is the belief that things WILL get better. We are also blessed with hope, which is the faith that together we can MAKE things better. What can each of us do to make our lives and our Church what we want it to be? St. James, in his super powerful letter, Chapter 1, encourages us when he says, "You know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." This crisis journey we have been on has certainly tested our faith and has revealed what is inside each of us. As there is meaning in every journey, we faith-filled people are persevering, and choose not to be whiners, but winners, as we GO and grow, each day.

Life at present, and in the foreseeable future, is not, as we know, business as usual. But as I learned in Afghanistan and Iraq, and throughout my Air Force career, "flexibility is the key to air power" and so it is in our present state of life. We pray we will all come out if this better than before as we have all had the chance to see ourselves in perhaps a previously undiscovered way.

There is joy in discovering the power of our faith and confidence in God. So let us be defined by our unity in Christ in our Catholic Church as we prepare to celebrate Mass and the Sacraments together, for where there is faith in the future, there is power for today.

I am looking forward to being together with you soon!

With all the blessings of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Father Tom Gills