Pastor: Rev. Thomas A. Sebastian C.S.T.
Permanent Deacon: Deacon Lawrence V. Hammel
Secretary: Ms. Teresa McGee

We the members of Our Lady of Grace Parish are a Catholic Christian, ecumenical community under the auspices of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.

We are dedicated to providing an environment for ourselves and for others in which we can grow in a spirit of thanksgiving , worship, and love.  We wish to deepen our individual and collective faith in God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in the Sacraments of the Church, Particularly the Eucharist, and in Mary, Mother of Grace.

We gather together as a community of Faith, based on love, acceptance, interdependence, compassion, and service.

Our purpose as a parish family is to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ by word and example. We use our God-given talents to bring ourselves and others close to God. We accept our Baptismal call to make the faith of the Church known to all people by taking our personal part in evangelization.

Sunday Message:  August 9, 2026

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The dramatic episode on the Sea of Galilee reveals Peter’s character more clearly than many other events in the Gospel account (Mt 14:22–33). Here we see his impulsiveness—his tendency to act before fully considering what he is doing. Again and again, this lack of reflection leads him to failure and distress. In contrast, Jesus consistently reminds His disciples to recognize the cost of discipleship before setting out on the path He invites them to follow. Much of the failure in the Christian life arises from acting on impulse or emotional fervor without first counting the cost. Yet Peter, in the very moment of his failure, reached out and clung to Jesus. Every time he fell, he rose again. His failures did not drive him away from the Lord; rather, they taught him to love Him more deeply and trust Him
more completely.

The Lord watches over us at all times, and especially in our moments of temptation and trial. Jesus assures us that we need not be afraid if we place our trust in Him and in His boundless love. When calamity strikes or suffering threatens to overwhelm us, when illness and the fear of death draw near, how do we respond? Do we answer with faith and hope in God’s loving care and abiding presence?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help me to trust You always and never to doubt Your presence or Your power to save. In moments of weakness and uncertainty, may I cling to You as Peter did. Strengthen my faith, that I may walk faithfully along the path You have set before me, neither turning to the left nor to the right.