Saint + Elizabeth + Ann + Seton + Parish

(July 3, 2021) Father Charles L. Persing, the fourth pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Mechanicsburg, offers personal thanks and a reflection on his commitment to serve as pastor to the parish he first served as parochial vicar in his initial assignment after his Ordination to the Priesthood.DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

(July 3, 2021) In his homily at the Mass of Installation, Bishop Gainer offered three "labels" to Father Persing: Father,  Shepherd, Teacher.  Bishop continued: "But I’m not just going to use those labels; the Church’s words in the Rite of Installation modifies each of those labels with an adjective to describe the label. I’m not just going to say, you must be a father; rather, a loving father.  And I’m not just going to say, be a shepherd; be a gentle shepherd.  And I’m not just going to say, be a teacher; be a wise teacher. "DOWNLOAD A PDF OF BISHOP'S HOMILY

(June 27, 2021) In introducing himself to the parish, Father Charles Persing, the new pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church,  said, "It is the duty and joy of every priest to carry out the mission of the Church, not for our own self glory, nor to satisfy our own particular needs and wants, but to bring Christ to all we meet, and to afford everyone the opportunity to experience God's love, forgiveness, and glory. Our call is to bring the living Christ to your heart.  Our call is the salvation of souls. Like John the Baptist, Elizabeth Ann Seton, and all our favorite saints, we are called to lead others to Jesus -- to invite everyone to accept the gift of eternal life which comes from knowing Jesus Christ."

(June 20, 2021) On Father's Day,  Monsignor William J. King  gave his last homily as pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish,  10 years to the day since he was appointed pastor here.  He concluded with a reminder that runs as a thread through many of his messages during his time at Saint Elizabeth's:  God's grace is sufficient.

(June 13, 2021) Father Logan Parrish, who served Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish as a Deacon during his studies at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, returned to celebrate Masses of Thanksgiving this weekend, sharing the story of a vision of priestly service that extends to four generations in his family.

(June 6, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois,  parochial vicar for the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reflects on the significance of Transubstantiation -- the change of ordinary bread and wine into the consecrated Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The beautiful words of consecration are both a means of our salvation and of reality; they are true Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, which we need to honor and give thanks to.  

(May 30, 2021) On the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Monsignor William J. King, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, considers belief and unbelief by exploring two musical excerpts by Johann Sebastian Bach.

(May 23, 2021)  Speaking to the students who received the sacrament of Confirmation at Masses on Pentecost,  Monsignor William J. King  urged them not be afraid to be disciples of Christ, “because that is what this world needs."

(May 16, 2021) Monsignor William J. King draws on today's Gospel reading and compares it to the world we live in. "We do not belong to this world," says Monsignor King, "our home is in Heaven. Let's start living as though we believe that."

(May 13, 2021) Monsignor King explores the mystery of Jesus's incarnation and life in human flesh, and His return to His Father in heaven.Monsignor says, "Jesus gave the Church to announce that Gospel forever. But, then, He promised: 'When I return to my Father, I will send you another, an advocate, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Guide, Who will speak to you all truth.'"We need to allow God to empty us so that we can follow the way of Jesus in total obedience to the Father's will. 

(May 9, 2021) Deacon David L. Hall, Pastoral Associate at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, said, "The standard for our life is love, but the idea of love is distorted by our world. We tend to think that love is warm, fuzzy feelings. We think love will make everything good for everybody.  Love, according to Jesus, is doing what is best for another when it is inconvenient––even painful or deadly––to ourselves. And the “others” we are to love are not merely those who love us; the real test of love is how we relate, not to gracious saints, but to rascals."DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

(May 9, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois relates the life story of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a Catholic priest who  freely chose to suffer death in place of a fellow prisoner in  a concentration camp during World War II.  "If we are to be like Christ," Father Dubois said,  "we have to be willing to carry the cross: the cross of indifference, the cross of apathy, the cross of the cruelty of others, so that we may be made worthy of the Resurrection, so that we may be raised to glory -- but, most of all -- so that our joy may be in Jesus, and in Him it may be complete."

(May 2, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us that, just as without April showers there would be no May flowers, so without the times of trial and disappointment in our lives, we might be tempted to choose the temporal over the eternal.

(April 25, 2021) On "Good Shepherd Sunday," in his final weekend at our parish  before his June ordination, Deacon Logan Parrish offered thoughts about how those who were listening to Jesus might have responded to His describing Himself as a shepherd. 

(April 18, 2021)  Deacon  David L. Hall says that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ invites us to discover the greatness of God’s love so that our heart is shaken by that love…. and shaken by the horror and weight of sin, so that we fear offending God, and shudder at the idea of being separated from him. DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

(April 18, 2021)  Father Samuel Dubois uses the example of "sleeping like a baby" to describe the type of peace that Jesus  offered to the disciples. When babies sleep, they sleep in true peace because they know that when they wake up, there will be someone there to comfort them or to meet their needs. 

(April 11, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois emphasizes that today's feast of Divine Mercy presents a great opportunity for us believers. "It is the best help for us to grow in holiness that we could ever ask for," adds Father Dubois."Jesus I trust in You" are the words of a short prayer Saint Faustina left us, and we should pray it whenever we can. The prayer entails leading us into the unknown while trusting in God's mercy, not of our own choosing. Father Dubois closes with an invitation to the beauty of today's feast through the words "Jesus, I trust in You" which "will make all the difference in our lives."

(April 11, 2021) Each one of us is on a path either to judgment or to healing, says Deacon David L. Hall, Pastoral Associate at Saint Elizabeth Ann SEton Parish. Our healing (and our holiness -- our sainthood) is possible because Jesus took upon Himself the righteous judgment of God. This is Divine Mercy.DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

(April 11, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois reminds us that only one thing lasts forever: God's love. Everything else fades away and falls apart, except for His grace.  Recalling  Saint Maria Goretti's martyrdom and the story of her murderer, who repented and eventually became a monk. Father  asks, "If God could transform a man with the past like that, what could He do with me?" It is transformation, rooted in the Mercy of God, that is a direct testimony to God's forgiveness and love. Saint Faustina left us a powerful invocation that we can always pray: "Jesus, I trust in You."  In closing, Father Dubois asks us, "How much room will you give God in your life to change, to transform you, to make you a saint? Trust in Jesus and all will be well."

(April 4, 2021)  Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia! Father Samuel Dubois, parochial vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, invites us to celebrate and live in the joy of the Resurrection.