Welcome to St. John's

Business Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday 8 AM - 12:30 PM

Bulletin Deadline: Wednesday, 12 NOON

 

WELCOME TO FATHER ANTHONY CHANDLER!

PARISHIONERS ARE INVITED TO JOIN US AFTER MASS ON SUNDAY, JULY 6 FOR AN ICE CREAM SOCIAL AND TIME TO MEET AND GREET FATHER CHANDLER.

PARISH PICNIC - - SUNDAY, JULY 13 - - BEGINNING AT NOON!! BRING THE FAMILY - ENJOY CORN HOLE, KIDS GAMES AND ACTIVITIES, AND A DELICIOUS MEAL!!

Father Paul's Weekly Homily

Religious Education Registration Form

Parish Council Minutes

FAREWELL FATHER PAUL: (see pictures below)

With this being my final weekend with you here in Meade County as your pastor, I could scarcely think of a more appropriate feast to celebrate: St. Peter and St. Paul. First of all, today is a special day for me as the feast of one of my patron saints: St. Paul. And secondly, it’s an opportunity to recall what is a fond memory for me from my time here with you. For it was this very Mass we celebrated on pilgrimage at the tomb of St. Paul this past year. To join with so many parishioners on this special pilgrimage to Italy, and to celebrate Mass at the tombs of both St. Peter and St. Paul, will be one of my favorite memories of my short four years with you.

Today is the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, two great preachers of the Word who carried the gospel of Jesus to all parts and all people of the world. Peter and Paul overcame fantastic obstacles to live up to the mission that God had given them. Through persecution, imprisonment, and ultimately martyrdom. Their faith, and the faith that you and I have, are inextricably linked to one another. For what would the faith be if there had been no one to preach it? What would Jesus be if there hadn’t been anyone to speak of Him? It is due in large part to St.’s Peter and Paul, and many others throughout history, that you and I are even here today. Had they not accepted the call to preach the gospel then Jesus may have ended up being only an obscure figure of history, assigned to history books and mentioned only in passing in history classes as a mysterious miracle worker from the murky past. But you and I know different. We know Jesus. We have faith in Him. We struggle to live out His gospel message in our lives. Our faith didn’t appear out of nowhere, we stand on the shoulders of countless generations of faithful people.

Peter and Paul are some of the giants of the faith. But they were not perfect. Far from it. These two had their faults and failings. Peter often struggled to understand Jesus’ teachings. He denied Jesus three times. He fled in fear, abandoning the Lord during his arrest and crucifixion. Paul persecuted Christians, even participating in the murder of St. Stephen. It wasn’t until his conversion on the road to Damascus that Paul had anything to do with Jesus other than to persecute His followers.

It’s easy, I think, for you and I to place ourselves in their shoes. For you and I are called in much the same way, to preach the gospel in our world. Are you and I perfect? No! We have faults and failures, and sometimes we fall in significant ways. But like Peter and Paul, we are called to follow Jesus not based on our personal worthiness, but upon our faith. God calls you and I to be his followers, not because we are perfect, but because to serve God is a part of fulfilling who we fundamentally are. We were created, the catechism reminds us, to know, love, and serve God in this life, and to be happy with Him forever in the next. In this, in following the example of St. Peter and St. Paul, can we find true happiness and satisfaction in our life.

As I spend my last weekend here in Meade County this weekend, these words are particularly meaningful, I think. If anyone remembers only one message that I have preached in the last four years, I’d be happy if this was it. That God calls each and every one of us here to follow Him. We don’t have to be perfect to accept this invitation. We don’t have to be the best speaker, administrator, or whatever else to accept this invitation. And it is only through accepting this invitation that we can find the true and lasting happiness that we seek. If God is calling you to be a faithful wife and mother, follow Him! If God is calling you to be a faithful husband and father, follow Him! If God is calling you to serve Him as a priest or religious, follow Him! For it will only be in following what God calls us to do that we will ever be truly happy.

There is a story involving St. Peter. Peter was in Rome during the heated persecutions of the Christians. He had decided to give up. To walk away. That is exactly what he was doing, walking down the Appian Way out of the city, when he came across someone who he thought he recognized. It was Jesus, and He was headed the opposite direction, into the city. Peter asked Him: "Lord, where are you going?" "I am going to Rome to suffer and die once more," the Lord said. "Where are you going Peter?" Immediately, Peter turned around and walked with Jesus back into the city.

"Where are you going, Peter?" Where are you going? What would be your answer if Jesus were to ask you that question? Hopefully, like Peter, we are walking with the Lord, wherever He may be leading.

Maybe He is leading us to spend more time with our spouse and children. Maybe He is leading us to be more charitable with my co-workers. Maybe He is leading us to onsider a life as a priest or religious. Maybe He is leading us back to school…

Wherever the Lord leads, let’s pray that, like Peter and Paul, we might follow Him.

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May 9, 2008

Dear Parishioners of St. Martin’s and St. John’s,

Springtime is a tense time for us priests. It is the time of year when our assignments are made, and each time the phone rings you wonder what it could lead to. The last time my phone rang was four years ago when I was an assistant at a parish in Louisville, and the voice on the other end of the line asked me to accept an assignment as your pastor. I packed my bags and drove down Dixie Highway. Well, about a week ago my phone rang again. This time the voice on the other end was Archbishop Kurtz, asking me to come to Louisville that afternoon for a meeting. He informed me that after much thought and prayer he wanted me to return to school to obtain a degree in Canon Law.

Why? You might ask. Well, to sum it up, the effective administration of the archdiocese requires that a certain number of priests have such backgrounds. They assist in various capacities in the archdiocese, most often in the annulment process but also in other important processes that enable our Church to more effectively serve God’s people. While I have assisted in a limited capacity with this in the past, the time has come to deepen my involvement, he said. The time has come, therefore, for me to pack that suitcase once again.

In all honesty, it is difficult to sum up my feelings right now at having to inform you that I will be leaving St. John’s and St. Martin’s. Over the course of the past four years I have quickly grown to love my assignment with you here in Meade County. While I am grateful to our Archbishop for his confidence in asking me to return to school, and grateful as well to have the opportunity to further serve our Church here in the archdiocese, at the same time I am sad to be leaving. It has been a tremendous privilege to be with people who place such a value on faith, family, and their parish community. I will always be grateful for the past four years and how you have helped me to grow as a priest and a pastor. Has it always been a smooth path we have traveled these past four years? No. I will always carry a sadness in my heart that we had to walk the painful journey of closing the school at St. John’s. It certainly wasn’t the start that I wanted or envisioned. The saying goes, however, that "time heals all wounds." Well, as I’m sure you will agree, time thus far has offered only so much healing. As our faith reminds us, however, with death also comes new opportunities for life. We have had the opportunity to witness this as our parish family continues to grow and new faces have become familiar faces. Marriages and baptisms, first holy communions and RCIA classes have symbolized the growth of our community in the faith. It has been my special honor to have been a part of these celebrations. Ask any priest about his first parish he served as pastor and he will remember it fondly. This will always be the case for me. Years from now I will remember affectionately my time with you.

I want to take this opportunity to offer you my heartfelt thanks for your countless expressions of support and encouragement these past four years. Your kindness is a testament to your deep faith. After all, who else would have had the nerve to try and turn me into a hunter? I want to also thank you for your challenges. I want to thank you for having endured my many faults and failings. As I leave Meade County, I leave a better person and priest as a result.

With my departure, I want to welcome Fr. Anthony Chandler who will be assigned as our new pastor at the beginning of July. Fr. Chandler is a capable and experienced riest who will serve the needs of our two parishes well. I have spoken with him and he is looking forward to his arrival. With his assignment, St. Martin’s and St. John’s will continue their relationship of sharing a pastor.

So with every end there is a new beginning. With every death there is new life. This is the cycle of our existence and what is necessary for our growth. Faith assures us that all of it is controlled by the providence of God. Trusting in Him I ask for your prayers, as I promise you mine. May God continue to bless us all.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Paul Beach

Updated on Friday, July 11, 2008