Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 12, 2026
A few weeks ago, we had the annual Peter's Pence second collection. This collection is always taken on the Sunday nearest June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Peter's Pence supports the ministry of the Pope and it demonstrates a sense of belonging to the Church and of love and trust in the Holy Father. It is also a concrete sign of communion with him as the successor of Peter, and of concern for the neediest. It allows the Pope to make charitable donations when appropriate.
According to the Peter's Pence website, the collection has two purposes. The first is "to support the mission of the Holy Father, which extends to the entire world through the proclamation of the Gospel, the promotion of integral human development, education, peace, and fraternity among peoples."
A second purpose is "to support numerous charitable works benefiting individuals, families in difficulty, and populations affected by natural disasters and wars, or those in need of assistance or development aid.
Peter's Pence, as a donation to the pope, began to take place on a regular basis in the 7th century with the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons. Over time, more European peoples joined the practice. In the Middle Ages, the term was used to designate the annual contribution made by states to the Holy See, a custom that eventually fell out of use.
In modern times, specifically around 1870, following the end of the Papal States, the practice of making material contributions to the Vatican picked up again across Europe. Because of Peter's Pence, the pope was able to provide aid to the needy, such as those affected by an earthquake in Croatia in 1881. Peter's Pence also allows the Pope in his own name to make donations for important needs.
To learn more about this collection, see the Peter's Pence Vatican website at https://www.obolodisanpietro.va/en.html. The website reports on the use of the funds raised. In 2024, for example, donations totaled 58.5 million euros ($66.5 million) of which 13.3 million euros ($15.1 million) were used to help those most in need, funding 239 charitable projects across 66 countries.
The remaining funds—the majority of the collection—supported the broader apostolic mission of the Holy Father and the Holy See. Specifically, 61.2 million euros helped cover essential activities carried out by Vatican dicasteries and offices, including evangelization efforts, support for local churches in difficulty, formation of priests and seminarians, diplomatic work through apostolic nunciatures, education, and the promotion of integral human development and peace.
If you did not make a donation at Saint John's on June 28 when the collection was taken, you can still donate by putting an envelope with money in the Sunday or weekday offertory collection. Please write on the envelope that the donation is for Peter's Pence. You can also donate online through the Vatican Peter's Pence website.
Regardless of your support for Peter's Pence, one Catholic cause among others, it is important for your own spiritual life that you support generously the work of the Catholic Church, both locally and internationally.
Saint John Church is worth supporting. Saint John's is a haven of peace and prayer in the midst of Center City. Saint John's friars provide pastoral care to hundreds of sick patients and their families at Thomas Jefferson Hospital. Please continue to be generous to our church. Your support makes it possible for Saint John's to continue to be a ministry of prayer and charity.
In the gospels, Jesus says several times that how we deal with money is an indicator of the sincerity of our spiritual lives. Jesus urges us not to be attached to money and he tells us to be generous. Catholics support their parish churches. Catholics also support other Catholic works of mercy.
In addition to supporting Saint John's, I encourage you to form a relationship with one or more Catholic charitable agencies. There are local and international high quality Catholic works of charity that are worth supporting.
The Philadelphia Archdiocese, through the Catholic Charities Appeal, supports more than 100 ministries and programs, funds about 50 parish food cupboards and emergency food sites, provides millions of meals each year, assists 22 mission parishes, and helps provide special education for more than 140 special needs students.
Although Catholic Charities supports many worthwhile works of mercy in the Philadelphia region, you may prefer to support and build a relationship with one Catholic agency. In that case, you can visit what you support and see for yourself the good work being done. In our neighborhood, Saint John's Hospice, Mercy Hospice and Women of Hope help our homeless and needy neighbors.
The Catholic Church does amazing work throughout the world. Catholic Relief Services is a first rate international agency that helps poor people. It is especially known for its effective and rapid responses to natural disasters and wars. CRS is worth supporting. This week we will have a second collection to help CRS to respond to the devastating earthquake in Venezuela. In the name of the Catholic Church, CRS has a remarkable record of helping people during man made and natural disasters.
Following the teachings of Jesus, I urge you to be generous to the Church. First, be generous to Saint John the Evangelist Church and then choose one or more Catholic programs to help the poor and make regular contributions. Let's keep our Catholic Church vibrant and relevant by our support.
