Fifth Sunday of Easter (2026)

 In the almost two years I’ve been here, I’ve learned something about these three parish communities.

If there’s ever a need… it doesn’t stay a need for very long.
Somebody steps up… and before you know it, something good is happening.

And when you stop and think about it, that’s exactly what has happened again and again in our parish communities.

In Peru, those two houses across from the church—Rogers House, where furniture, books, and household items are made available to those who need them… and St. Vincent de Paul, providing clothing for individuals and families.

The former school building—now a place where a community meal is served every week… and now even a disaster hub.

In Morrisonville, when St. Joseph’s Church in Treadwells Mill closed… it didn’t just disappear. It became St. Joseph’s Outreach Center.

And St. James in Cadyville has been right there in the middle of it all—supporting, giving, and making this work possible in ways that often go unseen.

None of that just happened.

At some point, someone saw a need.

Someone noticed: people are hurting… people are struggling… something needs to be done.

And instead of walking away… they stepped forward.

That’s exactly what we hear in today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

The early Church had a problem.

Widows were being overlooked.
People in need were slipping through the cracks.

And what’s striking is this:
they didn’t ignore it.
They didn’t get defensive.
They didn’t say, “Well, that’s just how things are.”

They said: we need to do something about this.

They gathered the community.
They called forth people.
They entrusted them with the work.

And the result?

The Church didn’t fall apart… it grew.

The same thing has been happening right here.

Think about it:

• Someone saw the need for basic household items → Rogers House

• Someone saw families who needed clothing → St. Vincent de Paul

• Someone saw hunger → the community meal

• Someone saw the need for disaster response → the disaster hub

• Someone said, “We can’t just close a church and walk away” → St. Joseph’s Outreach Center

And all three of our parish communities—Peru, Morrisonville, and Cadyville—have been part of making that happen.

Because just like in the early Church… not everyone does the same thing, but everyone has a role.

St. Peter reminds us today that we are “living stones.”

Those buildings are important.
But they are not the Church.

You are the Church.

The Church is made up of people who say:
“I’ll help.”
“I’ll serve.”
“I’ll be part of the solution.”

And that’s why this weekend is so important for us.

As part of our stewardship campaign, we’ve been using the phrase: “Grateful Hearts, Giving Hands.”

And when you think about it… that’s exactly what we’ve been talking about.

It starts with a grateful heart—recognizing all that God has given to us.

And that gratitude naturally leads to giving hands—reaching out to serve others.

That’s what built Rogers House.
That’s what sustains St. Vincent de Paul.
That’s what feeds people at the community meal.
That’s what made the Outreach Center possible.
That’s what’s building the disaster hub.

Grateful hearts… and giving hands.

That’s how it started in the early Church.
And that’s how it continues today.

And in these past couple of years, I’ve seen it—
again and again…
when there’s a need… this community steps up.

Maybe that’s not just something to be proud of.
Maybe that’s something to listen for.

Because God is still placing needs in front of us.
Still calling us forward.

Still building his Church…
one “yes” at a time.