On Sunday, June 7, St. Peter Catholic Church celebrated the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). Three events highlighted this year’s celebration.
First among these was the Eucharistic Procession, a “public witness of faith and devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament.” Our pastor, the Rev. Kevin J. Beres, led the procession to the high point of the parish grounds, just yards away from Route 211. There, he blessed all present with the monstrance containing the Eucharist, the Body of Christ.
Normally, the second event for St. Peter’s on Corpus Christi is the annual parish picnic hosted by Knights of Columbus Council 14755. This year, however, another event took precedence. Having learned that Father Beres had been reassigned to St. Patrick Parish in Fredericksburg, the entire parish turned out to offer Father Beres a fond farewell. There were some short speeches and some presentations, which were immediately followed by the picnic.
During his eight years at St. Peter’s, Father Beres has shown himself to be a master builder. For example, he was responsible for doubling the size of our cemetery. Most recently, he had an imposing statue of St. Peter installed directly in front of the church.
Perhaps his most significant achievement was the complete renovation of the church interior with emphasis on the sanctuary. Full focus is placed on the tabernacle and the Blessed Sacrament. Directly above is a painting featuring Christ giving the keys to St. Peter, painted by parishioner Henry Wingate.
In recognition of all that Father Beres has done for St. Peter’s, the Knights presented him with the original painting that was the model for the larger painting above the tabernacle. It was the council’s way of saying that while a large part of what was built over eight years may have been material, the true building Father Beres accomplished was spiritual. Everything was built with the purpose of the salvation of souls.
(Article as published in the Rappahannock News on June 13, 2026)