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Saints Peter & Paul
Ukrainian Catholic Church

404 6th Street, Ambridge, PA 15003

Fr. Mike Polosky - Pastor
Canon Walter J. Wysochansky - In Residence
Deacon Mark Prokopovich  
email address: sspandpchurch@gmail.com
Website: www.sspeter-paul.com 

Rectory phone: 724-266-2262                                     Pirohi/School Hall phone: 724-266-5059

Church event pictures

click this link to see church pictures made in the last 17 years or so.  https://photo-observer.smugmug.com/ChurchEvents

A PILGRIMAGE OF A LIFETIME

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I recently went on a 13 day trip that was more of a pilgrimage than a vacation. I had some amazing experiences and I would like to share some of them with you.
Our first stop was Fatima in Portugal, an approved Marian apparition site where in 1917, Our Blessed Mother appeared to 3 peasant children Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia. A great Miracle of the Sun occurred at this site. I was there where the Blessed Mother appeared. I was in the village and saw where the children slept. To be there, you sensed something different and amazing and spiritual occurred.
A few days later I went to Lourdes in France which is another Marian apparition site. In 1858, Our Blessed Mother appeared to a 14-year-old peasant girl Bernadette Soubiros. I was there for the feast of our Lady of Lourdes, and attended mass along with 14,000 participants in an underground Bascilica. I was able to visit the grotto where Our Lady appeared. The spring where our Lady instructed Bernadette to dig is still in existence. I witnessed people drinking and bathing in the miraculous water. It was another incredible experience.
Our Lady always chose to appear to peasants, the poor, the humble, and innocent. She did not appear to the rich and famous.
I went to a small town in Portugal called Santarem. In the 13th century, a wife was angry with her unfaithful husband. She stole a consecrated host to present to a witch so she could punish her husband. As she fled from church with the host, it turned bloody. She and her husband had a complete conversion and turned the host over to their priest. That Eucharistic host is still present 900 years later. It is on display in the church in a ciborium. You can climb a ladder to see it and almost touch it, and realize something miraculous happened. I was in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord.
In Montserrat, Spain we visited a monastery on the top of a mountain. Our bus climbed up and up this mountain for 25 minutes. It was petrifying. We were able to attend vespers at the monastery where the Escolonia boys choir sang. It was just absolutely beautiful and wonderful. You can find videos of this choir on YouTube.
This trip was fantastic and extremely rewarding, but it was not without issues. I was with a group of 22 very devout and wonderful Roman Catholics who had no idea what a Byzantine Ukrainian Catholic priest was. They were curious and asked a lot of questions
about what I was permitted to do and if I was for real. That was very frustrating and I gave up after a while. I also went through a myriad of emotions. At times, I experienced great loneliness, sadness, and even anger. When we make a pilgrimage, or retreat, or even when we come to church, our experiences are not always perfect. We may encounter difficulties. There are always obstacles to climb. All these things are part of a journey, and we have to get through them. So when we get to church and overcome some of the issues that bring us here, when we come in spite of these obstacles, then maybe especially the doors of the holy sacred will be a little more open to us. Despite the difficulties that I incurred on my pilgrimage, there were many moving and spiritual experiences. If we have these encounters in life and don’t do something with them, they mean very little. I returned with a couple of take-home points that were impressed upon me. I think they are very important to share.
1. I took home the Faith of other people. Sometimes when obstacles appear, we get a little frustrated and discouraged. All you have to do is go to one of these places and you will see great faith. I was very moved to see pilgrims, crawling on their hands and knees for a half a mile, pilgrims, drinking water from the blessed spring, Catholic people from all over the world, expressing their amazing faith. If you ever need rejuvenation, I encourage you to take a pilgrimage to one of these places. You will see the Catholic faith alive and well. Of course there are issues, but there is also the incredible faith of all these people who come great distances to have this spiritual experience. The rejuvenation, the Catholic faith is alive and well.
2. Halfway through the pilgrimage I had a very strong feeling and I will share that with you. Despite this amazing experience of a lifetime I terribly missed Saints, Peter and Paul, my home now for many years. I lit a candle for the parish and prayed everywhere I went. I felt this great need, longing and hunger to be back home. I missed all of you terribly. I feel very blessed and happy to be back.
The faith of the people and longing and desire to be home with you are two of the most important things I took home with me from my 13 days at Fatima, Lourdes, Portugal, France and Spain.
As we begin this season of the Great Fast, may the presence of Our Eucharistic Lord and the support of His Blessed Mother be with each and every one of you!
Fr. Mike