Parish Mission Statement
Formed by the Word of God, and nourished by the Sacraments, we the servant community of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, blessed by our diversities, are bound in the Spirit by love, to reach out, respect, and embrace all people.

 

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Message from our Pastor
 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

August 15: this date is always dear to me because of two reasons. The first one is: India (my homeland) became independent on this day. I love this quote from Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, “…A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance…”(‘Awake to Freedom’: Jawaharlal Nehru August14, 1947)

The second reason is: the Assumption of Blessed Mother. I see the highest goal of our life in the assumption of the Blessed Mother.  It is the ultimate sign of love between a mother and a son. In this world of broken relationships, where there doesn’t exist a healthy bond between the parents and their
children, the Assumption of Blessed Mother stands inimitable, challenging our
values.

My perception of freedom links these two reasons into a single thought. 
August 15 was a day of great celebration both in my home parish and in our neighborhood schools. We got a lot of sweets from the church and from the school.  I didn’t know then much about “freedom” and “Assumption”. But in my heart I felt it was a great day, a day to be celebrated and shared with joy.

The truth is, we are concerned only about external freedom. Our ‘will/ conscience’ is enslaved to our ego.  Freedom is not my right to do whatever I please. If, all try to do whatever they please to do, there would be a conflict of egos, resulting in chaos. That is where we are now;  a demoralized society
killing each other for nothing; shooting at church, mosque, theater and street corners. Are we sharing joy or sorrow? Are we truly free? Maybe we are politically free, not spiritually free. We fail to see the invisible chain of sin that drags us to the ugly dungeon of immorality. Many concepts that we hold as “values” are not truly values. They are self reflections of our egos. The call of Assumption is to “wake”. Moment has come to admit: Our will is not the
supreme good. There is a “will” higher than ours: God’s.

We inherit the true freedom only when our will is elevated to the level of God’s will. It marks in us the reign of God’s kingdom. The Assumption of Blessed Mother happened, before her physical death, at the annunciation, when Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word.” She totally surrendered her will to God’s. As she surrendered herself to God, God filled her with His glory. Blessed Mother became full of grace. (Angel addressed her as ‘full of grace’.) The true freedom is in, we being filled with the glory of God.  To that freedom our Nation, our society, our family, has to rise. When you and I carry the presence of God within us the world will hear the new ‘utterance’ of freedom: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”

Father Sebastian

Previous column 2015

Queridas hermanas y hermanos en Jesucristo,

El 15 de Agosto: esta fecha siempre es querida para mí por dos razones.  La primera razón es: En la India (mi patria) se convirtió independiente en este día.  Me encanta esta cita de Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, el primer ministro de la India, “…Llega un momento, que viene raramente en la historia, cuando salimos de lo viejo a lo nuevo, cuando una era termina, y cuando el alma de una nación, reprimida durante mucho tiempo, encuentra libre expresión…”  (‘Despertar a la libertad’: Jawaharlal Nehru – 14 de agosto, 1947)

La segunda razón es: la Asunción de la Santísima Madre.  Veo la meta más alta de nuestra vida en la asunción de la Santísima Madre.  Es el último signo de amor entre una madre y un hijo.  En este mundo de relaciones rotas, donde no existe un vínculo sano entre padres y sus hijos, la Asunción de la Santísima Madre es inimitable, desafiando nuestros valores.

Mi percepción de la libertad enlaza estas dos razones en un solo pensamiento.  El 15 de agosto fue un día de gran celebración en mi parroquia y en nuestras escuelas del barrio.  Recibimos un montón de dulces de la Iglesia y de la escuela.  No sabía entonces mucho acerca de la “libertad” y de la “Asunción”.  Pero en mi corazón sentí que era un gran día, un día para ser celebrado y compartido con alegría.

La verdad es que estamos preocupados solo por la libertad.  Nuestra ‘voluntad/conciencia’ esta esclavizada en nuestro ego.  La libertad no es mi derecho de hacer lo que yo quiero.  Sí, todos tratan de hacer lo que quieren hacer, hubiera un conflicto en los egos, resultando en caos.  Ahí es que todos estamos ahora; una sociedad desmoralizada, matándose unos a otros para nada; tiroteando a las Iglesias, a las Mezquitas, a los teatros y en las esquinas de las calles.  ¿Estamos nosotros compartiendo alegría o tristeza?  ¿Somos verdaderamente libres?  Tal vez somos políticamente libre, pero no espiritualmente libre.  No vemos la cadena invisible del pecado que nos arrastra a la horrible mazmorra de inmortalidad.  Muchos conceptos que sostenemos como “valores” no son realmente valores.  Ellos son reflexiones del uno mismo de nuestro ego.  La llamada de la Asunción es el “despertar”.  El momento ha llegado de admitir: Nuestra voluntad no es el supremo bien.  Hay una “voluntad” superior a la nuestra; la de Dios.

Heredamos la verdadera libertad solo cuando nuestra voluntad es elevada al nivel de la voluntad de Dios.  Marca en nosotros el reinado del reino de Dios.  La Asunción de la Santísima Madre pasó, antes de su muerte física, en la Asunción, cuando María dijo, “Yo soy la esclava del Señor.  Sea hecho en mi según su palabra.”  Ella entregó totalmente su voluntad a la voluntad de Dios.  Según se entregó a Dios, Dios la lleno con su gloria.  La Santísima Madre se llenó de gracia.  (El Ángel la trató como ‘llena de gracia’.)  La verdadera libertad, en nosotros es, el estar llenos de la gloria de Dios.  A esa libertad nuestra Nación, nuestra sociedad, nuestra familia tiene que llegar.  Cuando usted y yo llevamos la presencia de Dios dentro de nosotros, el mundo escuchará la nueva ‘expresión’ de la libertad: “Hágase tu voluntad aquí en la tierra, como en el cielo…”

Padre Sebastián

Kindly check the parish blog, "This and That".

Masses

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday 11:00AM to Noon and 3:00 -4:00 pm.  You may schedule an appointment. 

 

Slide Show of Images of Mary

 

LPMI Year of Discernment Overview
 

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A Welcome Message from our Pastor, Father Sebastian

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ, 

We warmly welcome all of you to the first Catholic church in West Pasco County. Together with “Our Blessed Mother” we gather at the Table of her Son, Jesus to get nourished and to proclaim His message of love in words and deeds.

We invite you to be a part of our loving Community being present at our Eucharistic celebrations and other events. Every First Friday at 5.00 p.m. is our Family Dinner Time in the Parish Hall. We gather to know one another and to build up new friendships. This year we started the St. Lorenzo 5 Star Breakfast Buffet.  Dates are published in the bulletin.  You must try it as it is the "best in town".

Please visit this magnificent Church adorned with colorful stained glass entrance doors, windows, Carillon Tower, Stations of the Cross and the Doves of Peace; stay here in solitude to get blessings upon you and your family through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother.

We look forward to seeing you!  May God bless you.

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Fax: 727-849-4814