Prince of Peace Parish

  Dear Parishioners, Lent is now over, and it is time to celebrate Easter.   Even with restrictions in place, it was amazing to see so many people continued to make Lent a time of deepening prayer and spirituality.   Now that these forty days are completed, we look forward to the next 50 days of Easter to celebrate and rejoice.   As we see signs of relief from the pandemic, of warmer weather and of spring, it is a bit easier to celebrate the new life that Christ brought us in Easter.   Many people have carried heavy crosses this last year.   Hopefully Easter is a time of great resurrections for them and for all of us.   In some ways, it will never be like it was before the great shutdown last March, but that is not all bad if we come through this year long experience stronger and wiser.   That is certainly my prayer. There has been much discussion about how many people will return to the faith after this pandemic.   I tend to be in the mo...

  “Compassion: The Gift of God’s Healing Presence” in Biddeford on April 23-25 Come away for a weekend to be quiet, to be loved, to be healed, and to bask in the intimate presence of a gentle, understanding, non-judgmental, nourishing, and life-giving God. “Compassion: The Gift of God’s Healing Presence” will be held at the Marie Joseph Spiritual Center in Biddeford on April 23-25. The retreat is $250 for those staying the weekend and $130 for commuters. For more information or to register, visit www.mariejosephspiritual.org or call (207) 284-5671.

  “Seeking God in All Things” in Biddeford on April 9-11 “Seeking God in All Things,” presented by Beverly Fournier, MA, M.Div., MTS, will be offered at the Marie Joseph Spiritual Center in Biddeford on April 9-11. This quiet and reflective weekend is an opportunity to experience different ways of opening our contemplative hearts so that we can encounter God’s loving presence in all things. Join us as we awaken our contemplative spirits through Lectio Divina, centering prayer, quiet reflection, and song. The cost is $250 to stay for the weekend, and $130 for those who will commute. For more information or to register, visit www.mariejosephspiritual.org or call (207) 284-5671.

  Prince of Peace Parish would like to welcome you all to join us for Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday. We are now able to increase our numbers in the Churches and we are so happy to see all of you! https://www.princeofpeace.me/holy-week-schedule

  Dear Parishioners, As we celebrate Palm Sunday, I am so hoping that this letter is being read by the larger number of people who came to Mass.   The COVID restrictions are easing up and now we can have 50% capacity.   We are still following all the same protocols of mask wearing, contact tracing, no missals in the pews, no choir, and social distancing so we will most likely run out of spots for people before we reach the capacity.   Regardless, it is still a step in the right direction.   Please be patient with us because we are used to only handling 50 people in the Church and 50 people in the overflow.   It has been a year since we celebrated Holy Mass with a larger number of people so it will feel great to see some of you. Palm Sunday starts Holy Week, the highest and holiest week of the year for us.   Hopefully you will take advantage of the many services we have to celebrate the last days of Jesus’ life on this earth.   We will have Hol...

  Knights of Columbus Council # 12652 is hosting an ongoing preserves sale. Contact Ivan or Norm to get your jam in time for Easter!

  Please join us at 7:30pm on Wednesday, March 31st on the front porch of the Basilica for an outdoor Tenebrae service to help us prepare for the Triduum which will start the following day. Tenebrae, a Latin word meaning “darkness fell”, was traditionally that part of the Liturgy of the Hours that was celebrated in the evenings during the Sacred Triduum of Holy Week. The distinctive feature is the gradual extinction of all the lights in the church as we contemplate the temporary triumph of the Prince of Darkness over the Light of the world. The service consists of a series of prayers, psalms and responses, and songs sung by members of the St. Cecilia Schola Cantorum.  

  The Sabattus Knights of Columbus Council. #13181 would like to thank everyone who participated in our first 'Take-Out' bean supper. It was great to see so many familiar faces and some new ones too. We learned a lot from the first one and will make some tweaks for our next one. Since the first Saturday of April is Holy Saturday, we will have our next Take-Out Bean Supper on on April 10th at Our Lady of the Rosary Church Hall. Keep an eye out for updates and we look forward to seeing you then.  For more info contact Robert Michaud - Grand Knight - gk@sabattuskofc.org  

  A blood drive sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 10019 will be held on Wednesday, April 14th at the parish hall of Holy Family church 607 Sabattus St. Lewiston Maine from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM. Call 1-800 red-cross ( 1-800-733-2767 ) to make an appointment or redcrossblood.org You may contact Ray Laplume for more information.

  Check it out! What a great way to listen to Fr. Daniel's homilies! https://frdan1966.podomatic.com/?utm_source=web-player...

  Dear Parishioners, I am a big fan of Bishop Robert Barron and the work he does online to reconnect people to the faith.   He often speaks of the group of people who have left the church, called the “none’s.”   They are the mostly young people who check off “none” for religious preference when asked on a survey.   Unfortunately, the number has grown significantly and a great number of them are former Catholics, many in our own families.   Bishop Barron has studied the phenomenon and there are a few different reasons for this belief that science is in opposition to faith.   If and when there is a perceived contradiction, they choose science.    The Bishop says that they believe in scientism or scientific materialism.   I believe that we need to clearly understand our faith on this position and be able to discuss intelligently with our spouse, children, friends, and coworkers.   We owe it to ourselves, them and to God to know our faith....

  Join us for a Live Streamed lecture with Dr. Stephen Barr sponsored by the Center of Faith and Spirituality at St. Joseph's College on Tuesday, March 23rd at 7:00 PM. Click here for more information on our parish website and to find the links needed to participate. https://www.princeofpeace.me/dr-stephen-barr

  Prince of Peace Parish would like to welcome you all to join us for Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday. We are now able to increase our numbers in the Churches and we are so happy to see all of you!

  Come join Prince of Peace Youth Ministry Sunday at 6 for a game night! Apples to Apples, Guess Who? Saints Edition and so much more! We're mixing it up, getting social, and having some fun! 6 to 7:30 at Holy Family Hall, right after the 5 o'clock Mass.

  Litany of St. Joseph Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us. Illustrious son of David, pray for us. Light of patriarchs, pray for us. Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us. Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us. Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us. Watchful defender of Christ, pray for us. Head of the Holy Family, pray for us. Joseph most just, pray for us. Joseph most chaste, pray for us. Joseph most prudent, pray for us. Joseph most valiant, pray for us. Joseph most obedient, pray for us. Joseph most faithful, pray for us. Mirror of patience,...

  Attention all plant lovers! To help raise money for our organ restoration fund, we will be hosting a festive, welcome-to-spring HOUSEPLANT SALE in the Basilica's front lobby on Sunday, April 11, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. (between the 8:30 & 10:30 masses). Featured will be a special collection of Bible-themed plants such as Angel Wing Begonias, Prayer Plants, Moses-in-the-Cradle and Christmas Cactus, as well as Swedish Ivy, German Ivy, Wandering Zebrina, Kalanchoe, Pothos, Arrowhead Plants and more. This event is being held in collaboration with the Maine Folque Co-op, a local grassroots non-profit whose youth music program will share in the proceeds.

  -All are invited to gather for a healing prayer service at Holy Family Church, located on 607 Sabattus Street in Lewiston, on Friday, March 26, at 7 p.m.  with Fr. Michael Sevigny, OFM Cap.  The theme of the entire mass is healing, from the celebrant to the music to the participants to prayer teams. Pam Vaillancourt will offer the music at the service. 

  Irish Blessing Prayer May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Join us for a Live Streamed lecture with Dr. Stephen Barr sponsored by the Center of Faith and Spirituality at St. Joseph's College on Tuesday, March 23rd at 7:00 PM. Click here for more information on our parish website and to find the links needed to participate. https://www.princeofpeace.me/dr-stephen-barr

  We turn toward the cross, walking toward it resolutely with Jesus. Come encounter the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament at the Hour of Power, on Friday, March 19 at 6:30 PM, at Holy Family Church (607 Sabattus St., Lewiston). •POP parishioner Brian Labrecque will share his experience of what it looks like to forgive. •Fr. Patrick Finn will then expose the Blessed Sacrament and offer a brief homily, which will lead to a time of sung praise and worship. •After this, there will be a time to listen to the Lord in a sustained time of silence, before we conclude the evening with the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Sponsored by POP Youth Ministry & the POP-IHM ACTS Core

  Dear Parishioners, As I write this note, I am on day one of my retreat at Marie Joseph Spiritual Center in Biddeford.   The church expects the priests to make a retreat once a year for five days.   Given these COVID days, I skipped last year, but thanks to Fr. Michael, I am able to go on one this year at this special time.   Usually Lent is a devotional and     prayerful time in the parish, and priests do not leave the parish.    However, like everything else, this year is different.   As I start my   retreat, I am thinking of so many things of which I am thankful.   There are many that I will not bore you with the list.   I would like to share two with you.   The first is the priests in the house with whom I live.   Fr. Michael is so generous with helping the parish and the priests, which allows us to do more for you.   Fr. John and Fr. Patrick are very attentive to the spiritual life of the parish and ...

  A Great Resource For Maine Catholic Families! Here is a 1 minute sneak peek at a longer, 6 minute video that encourages children to practice their faith by helping others! There is even an activity kids and families can download and work on together. This teaching tool is from Catholic Charities Maine Parish Social Ministry and is suitable for kids age 3 to 103! https://vimeo.com/497015792

  Dear Parishioners, Pope Francis declared this year, the Year of St. Joseph.    In order to mark the occasion of the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19, the priests in the area will pray a novena leading up to the feast day.   It will be live streamed as a way to get as many people as possible to join us in the novena.   You will find the links on the home page of our website and on our parish app.   We have a link available for you to download the prayer aid.   Please consider joining us at 8:00 PM each night from March 11 to March 19 and pray with the priests in this vicariate.   It is always a tradition that Catholics go to the Sacrament of Confession during Lent.   Given that we are hearing confessions Monday through Thursday and for 3 hours on Saturday, we are hoping that everyone who wants to go will not all appear on the last week before Holy Week.   Please consider going to confession early in Lent so that you do not have to wa...

  Maine Catholic Women Encouraged to Gather Virtually on March 20 for Special Event in Place of Women’s Conference ---Sadly, due to the pandemic, the Maine Catholic Women’s Conference will not be held in person for the second consecutive year. The event, which drew close to 400 participants in 2019, is simply too large to ensure safety at this time. However, that doesn’t mean Catholic women in Maine won’t have the chance to gather, reenergize, inspire each other, and share their faith together. The empowering event will move online for 2021. On Saturday, March 20, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., a virtual gathering will be held for all Maine Catholic women to participate in faith-sustaining prayer, reflection, and hopeful conversation. The 90-minute program, which will be available via Zoom, will feature prayer, a live greeting from Bishop Robert Deeley, inspiration from award-winning author Liz Kelly, and opportunities to meet new friends through conversations in interactive b...

  JUST A REMINDER: Today Only: 5:00 PM Stations of the Cross and 5:30 PM Daily Mass will be held at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul Church (122 Ash Street, Lewiston). Thank you!

  Sung Evening Prayer Sunday evenings during Lent, after the 5 PM Mass at Holy Family “The mystery of Christ, his Incarnation and Passover, which we celebrate in the Eucharist especially at the Sunday assembly, permeates and transfigures the time of each day, through the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours. …The Liturgy of the Hours … is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the Father.’” – Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1174 POP will offer Sung Evening Prayer after the 5 PM Mass on Sundays at Holy Family Church. Scott Vaillancourt, our parish music director, will lead the music (and will provide handouts), and Fr. Patrick will preside. Come join us and lift your voices to the Lord!

  "The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving" All are invited to participate in this online reflection on the Eucharist, especially those who distribute Communion at Mass or to the homebound and those in nursing homes. Deacon Frank Daggett will lead this interactive reflection and discussion of the ways in which the Eucharist is a celebration of praise, thanksgiving, and sacrifice. Thursday, March 11, 7 - 8 pm. https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MzhjN2IyZmMtYjlkOC00MTdlLWEyNTktNzUwMTEzNTcxY2Y3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22ff58981c-5676-4051-b9e4-6314a9d7a5d9%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2213717633-2f12-46c5-8365-a961930d3e52%22%7d