In the coming days, Merchantville’s Saint Peter Parish will engage in what its pastor, Father Tim Byerley, calls “a time of immense grace” for the community, starting this Saturday.
“It all begins with our parish consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary (during) the 5 p.m. Mass, Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary,” he wrote in a message to parishioners.
This consecration, in which one makes themselves a gift to Jesus through Mary, is “a habitual attitude of complete dependence on Mary in one’s whole life and activity,” he continued.
The next day, the parish’s Forty Hours devotion will commence, with guest preacher Father Jack Stefanski, STD speaking on Marian spirituality each night from Sunday, Oct. 8-Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Father Stefanski, formerly a priest of the Diocese of Camden, ordained in 1994, has since 2000 served in Poland, where he is now a priest of the Diocese of Elk in northeastern Poland, and serves as Director of Spiritual Formation and Retreat Master in Wigry.
The week will conclude on Friday, Oct. 13 with a tribute to Our Lady of Fatima, 100 years to the day when Mary made her last visit to Fatima’s villagers in Portugal, who were present for the Miracle of the Sun.
The Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima will be present in the church for the entire day, and a candlelight rosary and benediction will begin that evening.
Msgr. James Turro, Ph.D., a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, will be the guest speaker for this evening.
These four days next week include Eucharistic adoration, and morning and evening prayer each night, in addition to other planned events.
For a full schedule of this weekend, and next week’s events, visit www.saintpetermerchantville.com