Next Saturday, May 19th, our 8th grade students will be processing into the church at the 4pm Mass as they graduate from our parish school. They will receive their diplomas after Mass has ended so we will wait for everyone to leave the church before we begin that brief ceremony. We are always sad to see our students move on but are grateful for the opportunity to have given them a great education in the atmosphere of faith. May God guide their journey through high school.
We welcome Joshua Kindry into our Catholic Faith through the Holy Sacrament of Baptism this Sunday. May God bless those who have taken upon themselves the respon- sibility of “training him in the practice of the faith.”
Please bare with me as I call upon your generosity this weekend for two very worthy causes. The Knights of Columbus have asked my permission to ask for donations at the doors of the church after Mass for their annual “Measure Up” campaign which donates money for mentally challenged adults and children organizations. Please consider offering them something for this good purpose.
This weekend we will also have our Catholic Charities Follow-up Appeal. You may remember that in the last couple of years, this follow-up appeal was made for the sake of those who may not have been present during the first appeal back in February. However it has taken a new direction so that this particular appeal is made on behalf of a specific need in the Catholic Charities organization. This year, all funds raised this weekend will be used to expand addiction treatment services across our diocese. The news is filled with stories of increasing opioid addiction (and deaths) and so the need for such treatment services has never been higher. I ask you to please consider making some kind of donation to this, especially if you did not already make a pledge to Catholic Charities earlier. Thank you in advance for reaching out to help those who are addicted. “Whatsoever you do...”
We moved Fr. Vesely into his apartment at Mount Alverna this past Wednesday. This assisted living wing will be different from what he’s had in skilled nursing as he will have his own space with more privacy, and will eat with fellow residents in a beautiful dining room which provides a menu of options for each meal. Though he is no longer in residence here at St. Leo’s, he will always be considered an important part of our parish community. We have plans for him to celebrate Mass here soon.
Finally, at each Mass I will ask God’s blessing on all the women of our parish who act as mother, grandmother or god- mother. Though we take our mothers seriously, we can also smile as we think of them. Maybe this will help: Mom No. 1: How do you get your sleepy-head son up in the morning? Mom No. 2: I just put the cat on the bed. Mom No. 1: How does that help? Mom No. 2: The dog’s already there.