Matthew 16: 15-19 – He (Jesus) said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona!  For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Dear Parishioners and Friends,
When Catholic pilgrims go to Rome, they look forward to visiting the tomb of St. Peter, which is under the high altar of St. Peter Basilica.  Excavations since the 1940’s have definitively proved that the tomb of St. Peter is actually where we have always thought it was.  Since the days of St. Peter only two churches have been built over the tomb; one by the Emperor Constantine after the legal recognition of Christianity and the present basilica in all its splendor. The original church was built over the humble burying place of St. Peter in what originally was a Roman cemetery in the Vatican section of ancient Rome. With the excavations complete, scholars and special groups can walk the streets of the ancient cemetery beneath the current basilica, passing by pagan burial places still undisturbed, and then approach the original simple tomb of St. Peter.
On the main level of the basilica pilgrims are invited to kneel at what is called the Confessio (from I believe or confess or profess) and renew in prayer the ancient Apostles’ Creed, which is printed on cards in the major languages of the world. For it is near this very spot that the earthly remains of St. Peter have been venerated from the beginning of Christianity.  It is here that papal Masses continue to be celebrated at the High Altar, and, until recently, the Masses of simple priests were celebrated at the many minor altars, including one in the Clementine chapel in the crypt beneath the pope’s altar. Catholics renew the profession of faith St. Peter made in our Lord and accept all that the Lord has to offer, especially His precious gift of the one, holy, catholic, apostolic, Church, built on the rock of St. Peter’s faith.  We are heirs of that one true Church. The popes are the successors of St. Peter by the mandate of Christ Himself. The Lord gave St. Peter and his successors the authority to teach, rule, and sanctify in His name. The mandate of the Pope is to preserve the Faith of All times and confirm the Faithful in that same, unchanging, unchangeable Faith.  

Yours in the Lord,
Fr. Mark G. Mazza, Pastor