Tour of St. Peter's - Introduction

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

These tour pages are about our church, the Church of St. Peter the Apostle in River Edge. They have been taken from a booklet written to celebrate the Rededication of our church, after the renovation and construction of an addition to the building that have taken place between 1999 and 2000.

For our parishioners who view these pages, I hope it serves to heighten your awareness of the rich symbolism that surrounds us as we gather here for worship. I hope it also arouses in you the healthy sense of pride that comes from looking at the results of a job well done. Your generosity in the Forward In Faith Campaign made possible all that you see around you. You have completed the dreams of those who went before us, enhancing the beauty of our church and at the same time making it capable of supporting the expanding ministries of our parish.

For those who come to our website as guests, may I first say "Welcome!" There is no church exactly like ours, so we hope you find these web pages helpful in explaining it. Our church design owes its artistic inspiration to Catholic architectural tradition that stretches back 2000 years. We Catholics make much use of visible elements of God's creation and human artistry to create a symbolic language that expresses our faith in what is invisible.

If you are Christian, explanations of Catholic symbolism may help reduce the strangeness of the surroundings. When you understand the symbols, you'll see that what unites us in faith is more extensive than what divides us. To those who come from a faith tradition that is not Christian, please see around you the work of a community that, like your own, is sincerely searching for God and trying to follow God's ways. Let us all be united in understanding and love.

To all who are taking this virtual tour, please understand that the building of brick and concrete, stone and wood, only points the way to the Church that is being built up by Jesus Christ, made of "living stones" (1Pt. 2:5), the members of this parish. May we who call this our spiritual home, grow to resemble more and more the symbols that surround us. May our guests find here the peace that Jesus offered when he said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you ... Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." (Jn.14:27)

Please click on the links on the bottom of each page to take our virtual tour.

Sincerely in the peace of Christ,
Monsignor Robert H. Slipe
Pastor (1994-2009)

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