Parish Happenings – Prince of Peace

Sunday, May 2

Fifth Sunday of Easter

“I am the way and the truth and the life.”

As we continue our joyful journey through Easter season, today’s Gospel (John 13:1-2) bring us into the intimacy of the Last Supper, where Jesus speaks words of profound comfort to His disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” The Lord knows that His disciples are anxious. He has spoken of His coming Passion, Death, and departure, and their hearts are filled with uncertainty. Yet Jesus does not leave them in fear. He offers them hope. Jesus assures them that He is going to prepare a place for them in the Father’s house. These words are meant for us as well.

In every age, hearts are troubled by suffering, loss, confusion, and the many uncertainties of life. We search for direction, for truth, and for peace. Jesus responds to that deepest longing with one of the most powerful declarations in all of Scripture: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Jesus does not merely show us a path. He is the path. He does not simply teach the truth. He is Truth itself. He does not only promise life. He is the source of eternal life. To know Jesus is to know the Father. To follow Jesus is to walk toward Heaven. To trust Jesus is to find peace even amid life’s trials.

This Gospel invites us to examine whether we truly trust Christ enough to follow Him, not only when life is clear, but also when it is difficult. As Catholics, we are reminded that faith in the risen Lord should shape every part of our lives. If Christ is truly the Way, then we must follow Him. If He is the Truth, then we must believe Him. If He is the Life, then we must live in Him.

In this Easter season, may we bring our troubled hearts to Jesus with renewed confidence. He has not abandoned us. He prepares a place for us, walks beside us, and remains with us in His Church, His Word, and the Holy Eucharist. May we ask for the grace to trust more deeply in Christ, especially when the road ahead seems uncertain and to live with the confidence that wherever He leads for He leads us home.

Father Matthew R. Larlick, Pastor

First Holy Communion

Prince of Peace Parish-Assumption of the BVM Church will celebrate First Holy Communion at our 10:30am Mass on Sunday, May 10th. We will have May Crowning to follow the Mass at our Queen of Peace Grotto, weather permiting.

We invite all of our children who have received their First Holy Communion at our other Parishes in the Diocese to participate in our Communion and May Crowning Service.

Please contact the Parish Office at 717-985-1330 if you have any questions.

What Does It Mean to Be Catholic?

What Does It Mean To Be Catholic?

The Catholic Church was founded by Christ and his Apostles. There are four marks or characteristics of the Church, and we are reminded of them each time we pray the Nicene Creed at Mass.

One: Means all members are united as the Body of Christ, given life by the one Spirit. We acknowledge one Lord, one faith, one Baptism.

Holy: Means the Church is centered on God. It is Christ who, by his sacrifice, makes the Church holy.

Catholic: Means universal. The Church is for all times and all people. The Church is “the fullness” of the means of salvation”. (CCC830)

Apostolic: Means the Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles. We teach the doctrine of Jesus as it has been handed down through the apostles and their successors, the pope and bishops.

Each Catholic is called to full and active participation in the life of the Church and has the right and responsibility to:

1.) Attend Mass on Sundays and on Holy Days of Obligation.

2. Confess your sins, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a least once a year.

3. Receive the Eucharist.

4. Observe the days of fasting Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstinence on Ash Wednesday in Lent established by the Church.

5. Help to provide for the needs of the Church

Encountering Christ and being a witness to his love means we are called to live like Jesus and work for justice and peace in this world by living the 10 commandments, the Beatitudes, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

We are called to stand for the: Life and dignity of the Human Person, Call to Family, Community and Participation, Rights and Responsibilities of the Human Person, Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, Dignity of Work and Rights of workers, Solidarity of the Human Family, Care for God’s Creatures.

Infant of Prague

It was a little painted statue and stood a foot and a half high, was dressed in exquisite court dress, and cherished as an heirloom wedding gift. It came from Spain during an early spread of devotion to the Christ Child.

In the 17th century, a Spanish noblewoman named Isabel Manrique gave this little statue to her daughter Marie when Marie married a Czech noble. Marie gave it, in turn, to her own daughter Polyxena when the later married.

Polyxena treasured it for many years, but at last gifted it to the Carmelite monastery of Our Lady of Victory.

Shortly afterward the Czech kingdom was invaded by the Saxons, forcing the Carmelites to flee their monastery. The statue of the Christ Child, damaged and tattered was left behind in the ruins of the church.

Ten years later in 1638, a Carmelite priest found it. He took it to his church in Prague and displayed it by the altar.

Suddenly, as he knelt in prayer before it, the statue spoke, saying: “Have mercy on me and I will have mercy on you. Give Me My hands and I will give you peace. The more you honor Me the more I will bless you.”

After this, many miracles were reported to have been wrought through the statue and devotion to the Christ Child increased all the more.

Many saints, such as Therese of Lisieux and Francis of Assisi, were greatly devoted to the Infant Jesus. Nurture love for the Child Jesus in your own home.

The Catholic Company: Bite-Sized Faith

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

Spiritual Communion:

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.

Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Blessed Virgin Mary Grotto

Dear Friends

Visit our Grotto at Prince of Peace Parish-Assumption of the BVM Church. Pray to our Blessed Mother for peace in our country and the world and ask her assistance to bring friends and families who are not practicing their faith to return to her Son, Our Lord Jesus.

Our Blessed Virgin Mary Grotto is the Queen of Peace.

Sacrifice of the Mass

The Sign of the Cross and the Greeting tells us who we are as we gather to enter into the Mystery of Our Lord’s Death and Resurrection.

The Penitential Rite gives us the opportunity to acknowledge our sinfulness as we approach the Sacrifice of Christ that destroys sin and bring us back into a relationship with God.

The Gloria is a hymn that leads us to praise glorify, adore, thank and ask our Triune God for all we, His sons and daughter, need as we beg His mercy.

The Opening Prayer or “Collect” collects the intentions of the people assembled and presents them to God by the priest who stands in persona Christi (in the person of Christ).

In the Reading of the Old Testament we hear the story of God’s covenant with His chosen people Israel and the revelation of Himself that speaks of His mercy and desire for their salvation.

The Responsorial Psalm is the faithful’s response of praise and thanksgiving to God’s Word in the First Reading . It reminds us that we are not passive listeners to the Word; we are in a relationship of love with the Word of God.

The Second Reading from the New Testament tells us of God’s New and Eternal Covenant forged in the Blood of His Son who is the Word Made Flesh.

The Gospel is a proclamation of an event from the life of Our Savior. In the readings from Holy Scripture that are not taken from the Gospel, it is God who speaks to His people. But when the Gospel is proclaimed, it is specifically Christ Jesus, true God and true man, who speaks to us.

The Homily is a vital part of the liturgy of the Mass that explains the Holy Scriptures and instructs us in the Faith.

The Profession of Faith (the Nicene Creed) is the ancient formula of beliefs that unites the people assembled with the Universal Church of all ages in their expression of their Faith in Christ.

General Intercessions or Prayer of the Faithful offers prayers to God for the Church the world, and the need of people both living and dead.

The Preparation Rite is the offering of the bread and wine brought to His altar by the priest on behalf of the people of God assembled. The people participate in the offering by virtue of their baptism into the priestly people of God.

The Eucharistic Prayer makes present the Mystery of Our Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. Christ’s Sacrifice of the Cross, His offering to the Faith of Himself for the salvation of the world is represented on the altar. At the words of consecration the bread and wine brought to the altar become the Body Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The baptized are called to participate in the sacrifice of Christ that is made present through the ministry of the ordained priest.

The Our Father begins the Rite of Communion. We are faithful to Jesus’ command to pray in the words He taught us. The priest prays for deliverance from evil, peace, and freedom from anxiety as we wait for the coming of Christ Our Savior in glory. The priest extends a greeting of Christ’s peace to all present in the assembly. The faithful share a sign of peace with one another. The priest comingles a portion of the Sacred Host that he has broken in the chalice of the Precious Blood. The faithful sing the Agnus Dei. “Lamb of God You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, grant us peace.”

Communion has arrived. The faithful go forward to receive His Sacred Body. This reception of the Holy Eucharist effects communion between the individual and God and among the individual members of the Body of Christ.

The priest then blesses the people in the name of the Holy Trinity and dismisses all to go forth to witness to Christ in the world.

No One is a mere spectator at Mass. All of the baptized are invited to participate in the sacred Mysteries by full, conscious and active participation. This participation is not limited to eternal expression. It must also be an external expression of faith and devotion. The mass is an awesome treasure! It is Christ’s work of salvation active in our midst!

Upcoming Parish Liturgical & Social Events

Confessions are scheduled every Saturday in our Parish Church from 3 pm to 3:30 pm. Our Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 pm and Sunday Mass at 8:30 am and 10:30 am will be celebrated in our Parish Church and the doors will open 1/2 hour prior to the start of Mass.

Croatian Masses are scheduled the first Sunday of each month at 5:00pm celebrated by Fr. Maurus Dolcic, TOR. Confessions in the Croatian language will begin at 4:00pm. This schedule may change periodically due to Fr. Dolcic’s other liturgical responsibilities.

Mass will be live streamed every Sunday morning at 10:30 am on our Facebook page, MyParish App and on our webpage (popsteelton.org). For those of you who do not have a computer, you may listen to the Mass on your phone by calling the below toll free number: 1-855-635-1965

You may tune your radio station to 90.7 FM and listen to the Mass in your car in the back parking lot. You would need to come into our Parish Church to receive the Holy Eucharist.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Son of Man: Come, let us adore him, alleluia!

LITURGICAL SERVICES AND PARISH ACTIVITIES 2026:

NOTE: During the month of May we will pray the Rosary, to honor our Blessed Virgin Mary, 1/2 hour prior to all Masses

Tuesday, May 5, 2026: Religious Ed Class at 6:00pm in the Library of the Parish Center.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026: Knights of Columbus Meeting in the Knights Room of the Parish Center at 7:00pm

Wednesday, May 6, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Thursday, May 7, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Thursday, May 7, 2026: Holy Hour-Queen of Peace in our Parish Church with Benediction at 6:00pm

Friday, May 8, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Saturday, May 9, 2026: Vigil Mass at 4:00pm for Sixth Sunday of Easter

Sunday, May 10, 2026: Sixth Sunday of Easter: Mass at 8:30 and 10:30am

Sunday, May 10, 2026: Happy Mother’s Day. May God Bless our mothers both living and deceased.

Sunday, May 10, 2026: First Holy Communion will be celebrated at our 10:30am Mass followed by May Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary at our Queen of Peace Grotto. All children are invited to participate in the our May Crowning procession.

Monday, May 11, 2026: No Morning Mass

Tuesday, May 12, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Tuesday, May 12, 2026: Mary’s Helpers Pantry from 10:00am to 12 noon

Tuesday, May 12, 2026: Religious Ed Class at 6:00pm in Library of Parish Center

Wednesday, May 13, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Wednesday, May 13, 2026: Vigil Mass at 5:30pm for Ascension of the Lord

Thursday, May 14, 2026: Holyday of Obligation. ASCENSION THURSDAY: Mass at 9:00am. Evening Mass will be celebrated at 6 :00pm.

Thursday, May 14, 2026: Picnic Meeting at 6:00pm in the GYM of the Parish Center.

Friday, May 15, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Saturday, May 16, 2026: Vigil Mass Mass at 4:00-pm Seventh Sunday of Easter

Sunday, May 17, 2026: Seventh Sunday of Easter. Mass at 8:30 and 10:30am

Sunday, May 17, 2026: “All You Can Eat Breakfast” sponsored by our Knights in the Parish Center from 9:00am to 12 noon. All are invited to attend.

Sunday, May 17, 2026: Adult Confirmation at Cathedral of St. Patrick at 3:00pm

Monday, May 18, 2026: No Morning Mass

Tuesday, May 19, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Tuesday, May 19, 2026: Mary’s Helpers Pantry from 10:am to 12 noon

Tuesday, May 19, 2026: Religious Ed Class at 6:00pm in Library of Parish Center

Wednesday, May 20, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Wednesday, May 20, 2026: McDevitt Baccalaureate at 7:00pm

Thursday, May 21, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Thursday, May 21, 2026: Pastoral Council Meeting at 6:00pm in Parish Office

Friday, May 22, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Saturday, May 23, 2026: Vigil Mass for Pentecost Sunday at 4:00pm

Sunday, May 24, 2026: Pentecost Sunday. Masses at 8:30 and 10:30am

Monday, May 25, 2026: Happy Memorial Day. Mass will be celebrated at 9:00am

Tuesday, May 26, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Tuesday, May 26, 2026: Mary’s Helpers Pantry from 4:00pm to 6:00pm

Wednesday, May 27, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Thursday, May 28, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Friday, May 29, 2026: Morning Mass at 7:00am

Saturday, May 30, 2026: Vigil Mass at 4:00pm: The Most Holy Trinity

Sunday, May 31, 2026: Most Holy Trinity. Mass at 8:30 and 10:30am

Mary’s Helpers Food Pantry

Mary’s Helpers was established in 2008 under the supervision of Sister Sue Ann Steves. Over the years the Food Pantry has established relationships with PA State Medical Center, and other charitable organizations.

The Food Pantry, Mary’s Helpers, purchases their food supplies from the Central PA Food Bank and receives donations from Prince of Peace Parishioners, Matthew-25 Grants via the Diocese of Harrisburg and the United Way. PA State Medical Center and the Central PA Food Bank hold classes to assist the needy in the area with dietary needs, blood pressure screenings and “Flu” shots. We rely on our dedicated volunteers to give assistance to the Food Pantry and to our Chairpersons. Our volunteers are dedicated to the Food Pantry which Sr. Sue Ann Steves established and will continue to be of service to our local community.

Mary’s Helpers Food Pantry and Clothing Store

will be open on the following dates in

We are asking for donations of canned soups and canned vegetables for the month of February!!

MAY 2026

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 from 10am to 12 Noon

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 from 10am to 12 Noon

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm

Please contact the office of Prince of Peace Parish at

717-985-1330 with any questions.

SCRIP Program

TREAT YOURSELF TO A DAY OF SHOPPING

GIFT CARDS ARE THE BEST FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS!

Our SCRIP program to purchase “gift cards” is available to all of our Parishioners. The cards are great for Birthday, Anniversary, Thank you, Baptism, Graduation and many more occasions or for your day to day shopping. The SCRIP profits benefit our children’s education and other Outreach Programs in our Parish.

A list of gift cards available for purchasing is in the back of Church. You can order gift cards for as little as $5.00 and up. Giant, Weis, Target, CVS, Panera Bread, Texas Roadhouse, Walmart, Karns and loads of other local stores.

Call us today at 717-985-1330 or email pop.parish@comcast.net and place your order. Your participation in this program is appreciated.