Father Peter Van Lieshout welcomed at St. Patrick and Blessed Trinity Parishes

Father Peter Van Lieshout welcomed at St. Patrick and Blessed Trinity ParishesFather Peter Van Lieshout celebrates his first Sunday Mass at St. Margaret Mary’s in Apalachin, N.Y.
Father Peter Van Lieshout welcomed at St. Patrick and Blessed Trinity Parishes

Father Peter Van Lieshout celebrates his first Sunday Mass at St. Margaret Mary’s in Apalachin, N.Y.

Father Peter Van Lieshout is looking forward to serving the people of Tioga County as the new Parochial Vicar of St. Patrick’s and Blessed Trinity Parishes.

He replaces Father Brian Carpenter who is in Paris, France, for the month of July to train in his new ministry with the Society of Priests of St. Sulpice and relocating in August to St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore, Md.

Here’s some biographical information from Father Van Lieshout’s first write-up in Sunday, July 12 Parish bulletin.

A native son of the Diocese of Rochester, I was the oldest of four children. Parents still live in Livonia, N.Y., with my 13-year-old sister. Another sister is married and lives in Fairfax, Va. She is expecting her first child in August. My brother currently lives with his wife in Philadelphia. They are expecting their first child in November.

Growing up, always quite active in my home parish St. Matthew’s in Livonia, but never considered the priesthood until college. Attended the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. There experienced campus life which was thoroughly and unabashedly Catholic – from life in the dorms, to education in the classrooms.

I began praying more frequently, attending Holy Mass several times during the week, and engaging in frequent sacramental confession. Although I was majoring in mathematics and economics, I slowly began to be drawn to the idea of entering seminary in order to “test the call” of the priesthood.

Father Peter Van Lieshout welcomed at St. Patrick and Blessed Trinity Parishes

After celebrating his first Sunday Mass at St. Margaret Mary’s in Apalachin, Father Peter Van Lieshout greets Virginia Raftis.

Entered formation for the Diocese of Rochester at Becket Hall, which at that time was our Diocesan House of Discernment. A year later Bishop Matthew Clark sent me to begin my formal seminary training at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy.

After years of formation, prayer, and study, I was ordained a deacon in October of 2013 by James Cardinal Harvey in St. Peter’s Basillica, and then ordained a priest in June 2014 by Bishop Salvatore Matano at our own Sacred Heart Cathedral.

I was sent back to Rome by the Bishop for one more year in order to complete a Licentiate degree in Sacred Theology – specializing in dogmatics – which I received just a few weeks ago in mid-June.

Now I am honored to begin my first parochial assignment at St. Patrick’s and Blessed Trinity Parishes with our Administrator, Father Thomas Valenti. My hope is to be able to build upon the good work of priests who have served before me in these parishes.

I look forward to serving you as your priest, relying always on your prayers, and on the maternal intercession of our Immaculate Mother, Mary.