Liturgical Calendar

THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 17, 2024
  • Friday, 11/15 - Saint Albert the Great
  • Saturday, 11/16 - Saint Gertrude; Saint Margaret of Scotland
  • Sunday, 11/17 - Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
  • Monday, 11/18 - The Dedication of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul; Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne
  • Tuesday, 11/19 - Weekday
  • Wednesday, 11/20 - Weekday
  • Thursday, 11/21 - The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • Friday, 11/22 - Saint Cecilia

Potomac Highlands Parishes

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

545 Walnut Street
Franklin, WV 26807

304-358-7012

Liturgy Schedule

Celebrant: Father Arul

  • Sunday, 11/17 - 12:00PM Mass
  • First Tuesday of the Month - 11:00AM Mass

**Reconciliation available before/after Mass

St. Mary

4 Grant Street
Petersburg, WV 26847

304-257-1057

Liturgy Schedule

Celebrant: Father Arul

  • Sunday, 11/17 - 10:00AM Mass
  • Wednesday, 11/20 - 12:00PM Mass
  • Thursday, 11/21 - 12:00PM Mass
  • Friday, 11/22 - 12:00PM Mass

**Reconciliation available before/after Mass

Epiphany of the Lord

2029 State Road 55
Moorefield, WV 26836

304-434-2547

Liturgy Schedule

Celebrant: Father Escalante

  • Saturday (Summer) - 5:00PM Mass (English)
  • Sunday, 11/17 - 8:00AM Mass (English); 12:00PM Mass (Spanish)
  • Tuesday, 11/19 - 12:00PM Mass (English)
  • Wednesday, 11/20 - 12:00PM Mass (English)
  • Thursday, 11/21 - 12:00PM Mass (English)
  • Friday, 11/22 - 5PM Hispanic Ministry Program

**Reconciliation available before/after Mass


Welcome Visitors!

Welcome to the Potomac Highlands area Catholic community! Our parish families are small but our faith is strong. We warmly invite you to join us for Mass or Eucharistic service should you find yourself in the vicinity of Franklin, Petersburg, or Moorefield, West Virginia.


Reflection on Sunday's Gospel

Gospel_image

Mark 13:24-32

This Sunday is the second to last Sunday of our liturgical year. As we approach the end of the Church year, our Gospel invites us to consider Jesus’ predictions and teaching about the end of the world. In the context of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus’ words about this are spoken to his disciples as he prepares them for his passion and death.

Before we consider Jesus’ words, it is important to note the political backdrop against which many think Mark’s Gospel was written. Most scholars concur that Mark wrote his Gospel for Christians living in or near Rome about 30 to 40 years after the death of Jesus. This was a time of political turmoil in Rome. Some Christians experienced persecution by the Romans during the reign of the emperor Nero (about 64 A.D.). Jewish revolutionaries rebelled against the Romans, which led the Romans to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. In this time of political turmoil and persecution, many in Mark’s community might have wondered if the end times predicted by Jesus were in fact quite near.

Last Sunday we heard Jesus’ observation about the contributions being made to the temple treasury and the example of sacrificial giving that he saw in the poor widow’s offering. If we had been reading Mark’s Gospel continuously, we would have heard Jesus predict the destruction of the Temple, his teaching about the costs of discipleship, and the woes that will accompany the end times. Finally, we would have heard Jesus instruct his disciples about the need for watchfulness so that they will not be caught unprepared for this final day of judgment.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues this teaching by offering his disciples signs to look for that will indicate that the coming of the Son of Man is near. His words and images draw upon Old Testament imagery, especially images found in the Book of Daniel. Next, Jesus offers the lesson of the fig tree, a parable that teaches that if one knows how to read the signs, one can be prepared for the end times. Jesus also teaches, however, that no one knows when the end time will come, except the Father. In the verses that follow this reading in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus continues to warn his disciples to be on watch for this end time.

Jesus’ words are not spoken to frighten his disciples, nor should they frighten us. Rather, they are offered to prepare us for the changes we will experience during our lifetimes and at the end times. Our consolation and hope is found in the lasting nature of Jesus’ words and God’s never-ending love for us.

(Courtesy of Loyola Press Sunday Connection)


Parish Staff

Pastor (Residing at St. Mary, Petersburg): Father Arul Anthony

Parochial Vicar (Residing at Epiphany, Moorefield): Father Jose Manuel Escalante

Priest in attendance (Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton): Father Mario Claro


Support Our Parishes

CSA Donation

To continue offering financial support to any of our three parishes, simply click on the image above. After being re-directed to the diocesan Catholic Sharing Appeal page, scroll to the donation form and enter your gift amount, personal information, and parish name.


Spiritual Resources

Below are some spiritual resources as outlined by the DWC. Resources like these - and many others - are invaluable tools for the faithful to remain connected to the sacramental Church and the universal Body of Christ.


Faith in WV

The Catholic Spirit

Dept of Catholic Schools