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January 15 - Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

As we gather on this Lord’s Day to hear the word of God and offer Jesus’ Eucharistic sacrifice, we give praise and thanks to God who has revealed the Son to us as the Lamb of God.

9:00 AM (English)

11:00 AM (Polish)

 

January 22 - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

When Jonah preaches repentance, all the citizens of Nineveh respond by dramatic signs of conversion; when Jesus calls the first disciples, they abandon everything and follow him. “Deeds, not words!” is God’s message to us.

9:00 AM (English)

11:00 AM (Polish)

 

January 29 - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We come together at the table of God’s Word and the altar of Jesus’ sacrifice to hear him teach with authority the message by which we find fullness of life, and to experience, in this community and our own hearts, the spiritual healing he gladly imparts to all who come before him in faith.

9:00 AM (English)

11:00 AM (Polish)

 

February 5 - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

On this day, Mark’s Gospel represents Jesus’ life as the perfect pattern for disciples to follow. As he becomes also, in this Eucharist, our Bread of Life, let us open our hearts to the healing he imparts, that we might devote ourselves to the loving service he commands.

9:00 AM (English)

11:00 AM (Polish)

 

February 12 - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Let us ask that Jesus’ healing touch cleanse us of sin’s leprosy and “fashion us by his grace to become a dwelling place pleasing to God.”

9:00 AM (English)

11:00 AM (Polish)

 

February 19 - Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

As we make our final preparations for Lent, the prophet Isaiah promises that God will wash away our offenses and remember our sins no more.

9:00 AM (English)

11:00 AM (Polish)

 

February 22 - ASH WEDNESDAY

As we begin our journey of conversion, let us take courage from the Church’s scriptural proclamation of God’s mercy toward all. Let us find strength in God’s love for all creation and God’s willingness to overlook our sins and spare us, so that we may come to newness of life in the Father’s Risen Son.

6:00 PM (English)

7:30 PM (Polish)

January 1, 2011 - The first day of the New Year fell on a Saturday. Holy Masses were celebrated at 9:00AM and 11:00AM at Saint Peter the Apostle Church.

 

February 2011 - Black Heritage Month was an occasion not only for prayer, but also to recall the previous generations which helped shape the Parish of St. Peter here in Dallas.

 

February 2, 2011 - 25th Anniversary of the Polish Apostolate at St. Peter’s Church. A thanksgiving Mass was held on February 6th to mark the occasion.

 

February 13, 2011 - Members of the Catholic Daughters of America Court 1719 visited St. Peter’s Church.

 

March 12, 2011 - Confirmation candidates began the last phase of their preparation.

 

March 17, 2011 - The Director of Development for the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Des Plaines, Illinois, visited St. Peter’s Church.

 

April 10, 2011 - Father Jaroslaw Bilicki, S.Ch., joined us in prayer and stayed with us until Palm Sunday.

 

April 21, 2011 - On Holy Thursday, twelve parishioners (six from the English group, six from the Polish group) took roles in the ceremony of the Washing of the Disciples’ Feet.

 

April 24, 2011 - On Easter Sunday, we were joined in prayer by Rev. Zbigniew Rakiej, S.Ch., Superior of the Society of Christ Fathers in £omianki – Warsaw, Poland.

 

May 1, 2011 - Divine Mercy Sunday. The Mass was also held in thanksgiving for the beatification of John Paul II. A reporter from a local television station, Telemundo, covered the event and interviewed parishioners about their memories of John Paul II.

 

May 8, 2011 – On Mother’s Day, the community honored the Blessed Virgin Mary before the 9 o’clock Mass by celebrating her May crowning.  Following the 11 o’clock Mass, a Polish Festival was held.

 

May 22, 2011 - During the 11 o’clock Mass, twelve children received their First Holy Communion.

 

May 29, 2011 - We marked the official end of the catechetical year.

 

June 4-5, 2011 - The figure of St. Peter at the forefront of the church building was vandalized; it had originally been installed in 1957 after its arrival from Italy.

 

June 5, 2011 - Reverend Monsignor Milam Joseph presided over Mass with the Sacrament of Confirmation.

 

June 12, 2011 – We observed the Silver Jubilee of the ordination of Rev. Jan Michalski, S.Ch., who joined us in the celebration. He was the pastor of St. Peter’s Parish between 1990 and 1994.

 

June 26, 2011 - Corpus Christi Day was celebrated with a special benediction after the 9 o’clock Mass. A Eucharistic procession was held inside the church after the 11 o’clock Mass.

 

July 4, 2011 - A decent-sized group participated in the evening Independence Day Mass for “peace and justice and truth here and in every land.”

 

August 15, 2011 - The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated with two evening Masses in English and Polish, which included a blessing of fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs.

 

August 16-21, 2011 – World Youth Day was celebrated in Madrid, Spain. From our community, Veronica Joy attended the festivities.

 

August 26, 2011 - We celebrated the feast day of Our Lady of Czestochowa during a bilingual evening Mass; among the many attendees were the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth from Grand Prairie.

 

September 11, 2011 - The 2011-2012 catechetical year began with 8 students enrolled in the English program and 53 enrolled in the Polish program.

 

September 22, 2011 - Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel paid a pastoral visit to St. Peter’s Church. Representatives of the Parish Council and Finance Council were present: Dr. Myrna Dartson, George Jerzy Dabrowski, Robert Victor, and Mae Goffney. The representatives were involved in preparing a pastoral report for the bishop.

 

October 18, 2011 - On the feast day of St. Luke, patron saint of physicians, special prayers for physicians and health care workers were offered during the Mass. During the meeting after Mass, Ms. Marie Alberta Altidor spoke about faith, religious practice, and the professional duties of people in the health care industry today.

 

October 21-23, 2011 - Alumni of St. Peter School and older members of our community marked the 100th anniversary of the opening of St. Peter School in September of 1910. The festivities consisted of a tour of the school building, a cocktail mixer, dinner and dance, as well as a thanksgiving Mass on Sunday, October 23. The Reunion Committee members were as follows: Dr. Myrna Dartson, Linda Dugo, Richard Greagor, Marcella Savala-Hamilton, Sylvia Mendez, Winona Smith, and Maxine Willi. Rev. Dr. Giles Conwill was the guest speaker at the banquet and also presided over the Mass and delivered the homily. Fr. Stan prepared a publication about Mary C. Muse, the school’s first lay teacher – Mary Catherine Muse: Her Life at the School and Parish of Saint Peter in Dallas.

 

October 23, 2011 – The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops named the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time as America’s celebration of World Youth Day. The Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministries hosted a one-day event at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. Some of our young parishioners were in attendance under the direction of Marcella Hamilton.

 

October 30, 2011 - In our community, we observed National Priesthood Sunday. A special publication about the priests who have served at Saint Peter’s since the establishment of the parish was presented – Remembering the Priests at Saint Peter Church: Dallas, Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 17, 2011 - The Mass was offered for the beatification of Venerable Henriette DeLille (1812-1862), founder of The Sisters of the Holy Family, an order originally comprised of free women of color. A meeting held after Mass was an occasion for the catechesis and discussion on the “Making of a Saint.”

 

November 24, 2011 - Thanksgiving Day was celebrated with a Mass at 10 o’clock in the morning. YAM organized its annual Thanksgiving food drive in the weeks leading up to the holiday.

 

November 27, 2011 - On the First Sunday of Advent, the Roman Missal, Third Edition, the ritual text containing prayers and instructions for the celebration of the Mass, was implemented in the United States of America.  In our community, the new Missal was brought in a procession to the altar by Reginald Hamilton. Before the Mass, Father Stan blessed the Missal, so that the community could celebrate the liturgy with reverence and devotion.

 

December 6, 2011 - After many discussions and much consideration, a statue of Jesus with children was temporarily installed at the former place of the destroyed St. Peter statue. Near the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a figure of an angel – donated by a parishioner – was installed.

 

December 18, 2011 – A Christmas brunch was held for the participants of the 9 o’clock Mass.

 

Statistics for 2011

 

Baptism: 13                                                        

First Communion: 12                    

Confirmation: 5                   

The Sacrament of Marriage: 3                    

Funerals: 5

 

1905: Mary Jordan, an ex-slave (along with her husband, Valentine Jordan), observes the excellent instruction students receive from Ursuline Nuns. Although non-Catholics, they agree that it would be good to have a Catholic church and school in their community. Jordan meets with Bishop Edward Joseph Dunne and makes her request. At that time, construction of Sacred Heart Cathedral was complete. Bishop Dunne has the former procathedral structure rebuilt at the corner of Allen and Cochran (today, Woodall Rodgers) streets for St. Peter.

 

1905: Josephine Father John J. Ferdinand is the first pastor of St. Peter, which has a 1905 date on its cornerstone.

 

1907: Arrangements are made by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, who provided $2,500, and Bishop Dunne for the erection of an industrial school for “colored people.”

 

1908: With financial aid from Saint Katharine Drexel, the first Catholic school for black children in the Diocese of Dallas was established.

 

1910: On September 4, the Sister Servants of the Holy Ghost and Mary Immaculate of San Antonio arrive in Dallas to teach at the school. The Sisters Institute, later renamed St. Peter's Academy, was staffed by Holy Ghost nuns and Mary Catherine Muse, the first lay teacher of the school. Only three of the students are Catholic.

 

1922: A four-year high school program is added.

 

1927: Mary Jordan becomes a Catholic through baptism and profession of faith.

 

1930: The school name is changed to the

St. Peter Parochial School.

 

1939: St. Peter Parochial School becomes accredited and the name is changed to St. Peter Academy.

 

1954: The old structure of the school is demolished. A new building is established, and serves the community until present day (2009). The dedication is led by Bishop Thomas Gorman on December 5. The Hoblitzelle’s contribution of $100,000 as well as the contributions of Tom Braniff and Ed Maher make the completion possible.

 

1955: The old cathedral building is demolished and a new church is built.

 

1957: The new St. Peter church is dedicated by Bishop Thomas Gorman on June 22.

 

1960: A new highway, Woodall Rodgers Freeway, adjacent to St. Peter’s site, causes a displacement of the population.

 

1970: On July 27, the Josephites leave St. Peter and plans are made for a diocesan priest to be assigned. St. Peter’s Academy continues as a private school staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Spirit.

 

1986:  The Diocese, with the agreement of parishioners of St. Peter the Apostle, designates Saint Peter as a place of worship for Polish Catholics. On February 2, the Polish community celebrates its first Mass in Polish. Pastoral care of Saint Peter Parish was entrusted to the priest from Society of Christ Fathers. Father Czesław Domaszewicz was named the first pastor of St. Peter from that congregation.

 

1987: Representatives of Saint Peter’s parish participate in Holy Mass led by Pope John Paul II at Westover Hills in San Antonio, along with around 350,000 other faithful. His visit in Texas was part of his tour through the United States between September 10th and 19th.

 

1988: The beatification of Saint Katharine Drexel, founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People (1891) and benefactor of The Sisters Institute is held on November 20th (and led by Pope John Paul II).

 

1989: On December 9th, John Paul II appoints a Coadjutor Bishop in Dallas - Charles Victor Grahmann. He became Bishop of Dallas on July 14, 1990.

 

1990: On December 1st, Father John Michalski, S.Ch. is nominated as pastor of Saint Peter’s Parish after Fr. Czesław Domaszewicz, S.Ch.

 

1991: On May 17th, Bishop Charles Grahmann visited Saint Peter and confirmed 19 candidates.

 

1992: The Superior General of the Society of Christ Fathers, Fr. Bogusław Nadolski, S.Ch., visited the Saint Peter community on August 25-27.

 

1993: Several St. Peter parishioners attend the World Youth Day conference and an audience with Pope John Paul II in Denver, Colorado.

 

1994: On September 4th, the parish community welcomes its new pastor, Fr. Stanisław Michałek, S.Ch.

 

1995: In March, a lenten mission is led by Fr. Gerald Grupczynski, S.Ch. for both the African-American and Polish communities.

 

1996: A memorial plaque is dedicated in front of Saint Peter’s Church to commemorate its 90th anniversary on September 22nd.

 

1997: On May 16th, Bishop John W. Yanta, Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio (of Polish origin), confirms 20 candidates.  

 

1998: Between October 23rd and 25th, a multi-cultural parish festival is held.

 

1999: A second multi-cultural parish festival is held between October 22nd and 24th.

 

2000: In August, construction begins on the new church tower. On November 26th, repre-sentatives of the parish community participated in a symposium (organized by Bishop Grahmann and held at the Meyerson Symphony Center): The Jubilee Year and the Life of His Holiness Pope John Paul II.  

 

2001: Father Stan Michalek, S.Ch., introduces to the parish community his successor, Father Wojciech Baryski, S.Ch., on the weekend of September 30th.

 

To be continued…