Pastor's Column for March 2, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

         I want to clarify something for those joining me (in two weeks now!) for our Italy pilgrimage. We will be having a Zoom meeting this Tuesday, March 4th at 6:30pm. Eddie sent everyone the link through email. You can remain in the comfort of your home for this meeting. Feel free to ask him any and all questions you may have concerning the trip. And be sure to thank him for such an excellent spiritual leader (only if you truly believe that…but I’ll be taking notes). Then we have another optional in person meeting next Sunday, March 9th in the Parish Center at 6:30pm. This will just be a chance to see who else you will be traveling with and to again share any tips with others who may be joining us for the first time. I’ll be giving you your name tag which will be worn throughout the trip. I’ll have some light refreshments available as well. I ask all the parishioners to pray for us that this trip will be safe, enjoyable, and spiritual. 

This Tuesday is a day known as “Fat Tuesday” as the day after, March 5th, is Ash Wednesday— a day of fast and abstinence (a definition of these is available in this bulletin). So what do Catholics do the day before they need to fast & abstain from meat? We eat. A lot. Especially meat. It’s the Catholic way. So enjoy a really hardy meal on Shrove Tuesday, or even several meals. We will need our strength for the fasting and penance we will be doing during Lent. 

Our Ash Wednesday schedule will remain the same as in the past. You can join us for Mass at 8:30am with the school children or at 7pm. We will also have a Word Service with the distribution of ashes at 12 Noon. This will be a shorter service without Mass for the sake of those who are on their lunch break but want to receive ashes as a sign of their Lenten repentance. 

Of course on Friday this week we will have our first Fish Fry which is always a great treat. So prepare to join us for a wonderful but inexpensive meal (we are very competitive with our prices!) and invite others to join you. Of course we will have carry-out as well. Personally I’m looking forward to the first of two lobster tail dinners which will follow on March 14th (right before I leave for our trip…I don’t remember lobster tail fish fry’s in Italy). But I look forward to seeing you on Friday. And please don’t forget to join us for our Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 7pm. They will be lead by a parishioner when I am away the following two Fridays.

Finally I invite you this weekend to take home a little black book which contains Lenten reflections for each day of the holy season. We also have another little book (literally called “The Little Book on the Eucharist”) for you to take home as well this weekend. It’s orange and contains 30 short reflections on the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The introduction says that you can pray it every day for 30 days for even once a week for 30 weeks. Like all the Little Books, it has a variety of stories, quotes, information and thoughts to inspire your prayer time. 

I’ve never been a LEGO® user, but I found two LEGO sets that I thought the children of our school and Faith Formation might enjoy. One is called “Father Leopold Celebrates Mass” and includes an altar with hosts and chalice and cruets, along with a pulpit and tabernacle and presider’s chair. The other one is called “Father John Hears Confessions” and includes a confessional with both a screen and face to face option. It even has powered lights. The best part though is the penitent (a boy or a girl) has a reversible face to show “both the sorrow of sin and the joy of forgiveness.” I hope this is what Jesus meant when he said we must become like children.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for February 23, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

         Sorry that my column last week consisted of just information about Catholic Charities (as important as that is), but I had been ill with a cough for a couple of days & so wanted to get some rest to get rid of it as soon as possible, and that actually worked. I’ve caught another bug this week as I hear many have, but should feel well again by the time you read this. I’d rather get all this illness out of the way so that I’m well for our pilgrimage to Italy next month. We’re only 3 weeks away now so it’s good to look forward to that experience, especially as we’ll be visiting a few places I’ve never been to before, like the place where St. Padre Pio lived & the Amalfie Coast & other places south of Rome. I’m also hoping for some warmer weather which we had there a couple of years ago…it was sunny and in the 70’s and just a great place to get away from all the cold & snow we’ve had here in Cleveland this winter. I would like to invite all those who will be joining me to meet in the Parish Center on Sunday, March 9th at 6:30pm. We will have a FaceTime meeting with Eddie Abufarha so you can ask him any questions you may have but also so that we can offer travel reminders to each other as well. I’ll remind you of this that weekend as well. 

Through I was ill at the time, our Principal and Vice Principal and Business Manager attended a meeting last week with other pastors and school leadership. It was a Keeping the Faith initiative that involves encouraging parishes with Catholic Schools to work together in whatever ways they can in support of their common goal to provide an opportunity for children to receive a great education in a Catholic setting. I understand the meeting went very well and we are on board & in support of this initiative. Being able to visit the children in the school to spend a bit of time with them is one of my great joys here at St. Leo’s. We have a wonderful diverse community of children who remind me of the energy and joy of being young, something I had a very long time ago but still love to see in others. I continue to be grateful to Mr. Jones, Ms. Branner and the entire school staff for all they do in and for our school. 

I believe I mentioned that we are working on a revised website. It will go live on Monday, March 3rd. It will still contain the information you have found helpful online but will be more compact and streamlined. The most important information that people seek from our online presence will be upfront & center, like making an appointment, reading our bulletin, reading the latest news & events and the opportunity for online giving. And of course the ability to watch our livestream Masses. We have hundreds of people using our website every week and of course the young people use this tool especially to learn of Mass and confession times. But we want it to be customized to the information you are looking for so please don’t hesitate to let me or Nina Capone, our Office Manager, what you think is missing or needed. 

I also want to let you know about an important document that you can also now find on our website called “A Flourishing Apostolic Church”…a Pastoral Letter from Bishop Edward C. Malesic. An important role of the diocesan bishop is to communicate with the clergy and faithful of his diocese and our bishop is taking this seriously as a way to express his vision for the future of our parishes. So please take some time to read through this when you have a few minutes here and there. We will have discussion questions made available and opportunities for you to come together in a small group to discuss it with others if you are interested in that. And I would always be interested in hearing your thoughts about it or answering questions you may have. 

 Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for January 12, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

         I’m sad to tell you, if you have not already heard, that Father Ned Weist died this past week on Monday afternoon. Father Dan Schlegel (pastor of St. Raphael in Bay Village) and Father Jim Winnings (Parochial Vicar at St. Raphael) were visiting him when he died and so prayed the last rites for him. Father Dan has been friends with Father Ned since they both ministered here together at St. Leo’s. Father Weist has been helping out with Mass at St. Raphael for some time during his retirement and so his wake and funeral will take place there where all the parishioners know him. The wake and funeral will take place during this week in which I am writing this and so it will have already taken place by the time you read this. I have a funeral here on Friday, January 10th when Father Ned’s funeral is taking place so unfortunately I won’t be able to present for his but I will be attending the wake and Vespers service for him on Thursday. We still have a large stone with Father’s name on it over by the side entrance of our school and it has been there since he left here for his assignment at Our Lady Help of Christians in Litchfield. I’m glad that we have something here that will remind us to pray for him whenever we see it. Please keep Father Weist in your prayers. May he receive his reward after a lifetime of loving and gentle service to the Church.

While Deacon Pat’s health has not worsened since his time in the hospital, I’m also sad to report that his condition has not improved either. He is alert and able to communicate but his answers to questions are usually very short and sometimes incorrect. He does not initiate conversation but seems to be aware of his condition and is cooperative. His wife Joan is currently looking into other living conditions for him but needs to wait on availability. Deacon Pat will need some more therapy but does not show real signs of improvement. The muscle in his right eyelid will not work in keeping that eye open but he is reading well with his left eye, though his sight is somewhat blurry. He looks good and appears very content but it’s difficult to see him not being the more talkative or outgoing person that we know him to be. At this point, we must just accept that his future health and recovery is unknown to us and we must take it day by day or week by week. I really miss talking and laughing with him and having him at my side during Mass. And of course I feel especially concerned about Joan who carries the burden not only of caring for all of his needs but in finding a suitable place for him to live as she sees how his recovery is coming along. Plus of course she carries the burden of living without him at her side and of doing all that he did in the household. So please keep both of them in your prayers and let’s support Joan as well as we continue to pray in hope for Deacon Pat.

I’m very grateful to David Eller, a longtime parishioner along with his wife Denise, who took wonderful pictures in the church during our Christmas Eve Mass last year (last month!). He also put together a nice slideshow and you can view both on our website (leothegreat.org). We hope to have him take more pictures of parish events during the year that we’ll publish on our website so thanks to him for that gift to our parish.

I’m hearing lately of a number of people who are looking for affordable housing but I understand that prices have risen dramatically in recent months. If you are aware of more affordable homes either for sale or for rent in the area, please let me know so I can direct people to check them out. And let us all pray that everyone may find a suitable place to live as we remember how even Jesus said that he had no place to lay his head. 

 Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for January 5, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

Now that Christmas is behind us (though not really as Christ is always being born among us), I again want to thank all those who played a role in our liturgies during these last few days and even now as our Christmas celebration continues all the way through January 12th. Many people commented on how beautiful the church looks so we’re grateful for the time & energy put into that. I’m also grateful for the music which helped lift our minds & hearts to God. It’s especially good to hear the handbells being played. As always, thanks to the Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, the Ushers, the Altar Servers, the Mass Coordinators & Sacristans (am I missing anyone?) for their ministry throughout the year.

This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany and so our “missing” figures of the manger scene have once again returned. This feast has several meanings for us but I don’t want to get ahead of myself so I’ll let you think about that for a moment as you read this.

Last week I let you know that we’re including a QR code in our bulletin which will allow parishioners or visitors especially to make a donation to the parish very easily. You just scan it with your smartphone and it will open to a site which makes contributing very easy.

Well again we have another, but different QR code which will open up a letter written by Bishop Edward Malesic to all the people of our Diocese of Cleveland. It was issued on December 15th (and honestly, I have not had the chance to read it yet, but I will have done so by the time you read this column). The bishop’s goal is that every member of the diocese will embrace its message. If you don’t do smartphones, don’t worry…a copy of this letter will be included in the January/ February mailing of the Northeast Ohio Catholic Magazine which every Catholic receives free of charge at their home. This letter, titled, “A Flourishing, Apostolic Church” is also on the diocesan website and can be downloaded as a PDF, along with a glossary and a discussion guide. (Both are available in both English and Spanish). The Bishop also recorded a video message regarding the letter that you can view on our website (along with links to the letter itself). This letter focuses on three key areas of church life: worship, evangelization and service. These are at the heart of every parish ministry and are the primary reasons why a parish exists. I will be speaking more about this in my homilies and will write more about it here once I have prayerfully digested it myself. I look forward to sharing it with you and always welcome you to ask me questions about it or to just share your thoughts about the Bishop’s vision for the future of our local church here in Cleveland.

We welcome our school students back this week and I ask the Lord to bless each of you as we enter into this new Jubilee year of 2025 (more on the meaning of that to come soon too!).

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for December 1, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

         I really have to do something about our Office Manager, Nina Capone. She’s the only one who makes me work on my vacation. Yes, I am writing this on November 22nd, the last day of vacation, because she (or rather the bulletin company) needs all bulletins for this weekend submitted by this particular date. But since this is the only thing that Nina ever asks of me (at least while I’m on vacation) I’ll have to let it go. Besides, every other day that she works in our rectory office, she brings organization, leadership, gentleness, helpfulness and creativity to our rectory staff and to all the people who come into the rectory office. She works with a great team too…Mary Lynn Haldi, Amy Mackey, Marie Phillips, Mary LaGodney, and others who work so well and with a cheerful and helpful spirit. I am truly grateful for them all, and I thought I’d use this opportunity after Thanksgiving to say what I should say more frequently so that I practice what I preach. Please be sure to thank them when they offer you some assistance. 

I’ll make this announcement at weekend Masses but this is the last weekend for helping with our annual Adopt a Child for Christmas opportunity. As you know, Jeanne Sabol spearheads this wonderful holiday charity and we are very grateful for what she organizes for the sake of so many children who are the recipients of your generosity. We need gifts for about 150 children. So thank you to Jeanne and to all who help her with this annual event and thank all of you who make it possible because you think of others at this time of the year. 

Speaking of this time of year, Happy New Year to all of you! Don’t think me crazy for being a month too early. I know it’s only December 1st, not January 1st, but this is the first Sunday (or Saturday) of Advent, which begins a new liturgical year. So out comes the purple vestments and the Advent Wreath, which of course marks the 4 weeks of this holy season of preparation for the celebration of the Nativity, of the birth of Christ. Very soon, we will be receiving our two new (or rather old) stained glass windows which match the other windows in the church which used to be enjoyed by the people of Blessed Sacrament church. I recently had a former parishioner of that church who was visiting us comment on how wonderful it was to see those windows being used in our church. It brought back many wonderful memories for her. The two new windows we will be receiving are especially meaning for our church. One will be of St. Cecilia, the patron of musicians. Ironically, I am typing this column on her feast day, November 22nd! So she came to mind when I was praying the Divine Office this morning. This stained glass window of her will be in a box like the others in the church with lights to illuminate it. It will be placed on the wall behind the organ and piano, a perfect spot for our liturgical musicians. The other window will be of the Nativity, which will be placed on the larger wall directly behind the choir. It will be flanked by two smaller windows which originally adorned the larger one of Jesus, Mary & Joseph. This is also very meaningful for us because the first Masses celebrated in this “new” church (built in 1969), were celebrated on the feast of Christmas. I don’t recall now who it was that was sharing this story with me, but a parishioner (please remind me if it was you) was to be married just a few days before Christmas. This “new” church was ready for Mass to be celebrated in it, but Father Lux, the founding pastor and the one who was responsible for building this church, would not allow any Mass to be celebrated in it until after Christmas! But I hope you will all benefit from these reminders of the holy family and of the saints, whose example we all hope to follow, especially as we approach the season of our Lord’s birth. 

 Fr. James P Schmitz

Pastor's Column for November 24, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

         I have returned from my vacation so will be happy to see you all again. I had a wonderful 2 weeks, which included a drive down to North Carolina to visit a former parishioner who has moved there with her husband to follow in a few months. It was great to visit and to just take a long but enjoyable ride (about 8 hours). I stopped at Belmont Abbey where Benedictine monks live. It’s the only Catholic University in the state of North Carolina (which of course is pretty much a bible belt area). On Saturday I went to Mass at a church where they had pictures of parishioner’s loved ones who had died over the past year. It was very moving to see that as the parishioners prayed for them during this month of November. We will “steal” this idea & do the same next year. But while on vacation I remembered when I read & mentioned in a homily a few weeks back…that vacations are not only an opportunity to get away from work as they are a time to prepare for the work that is ahead. So I return to you now rested and ready to get back in the business of serving you the best I can. 

I look forward to joining some of my nieces & nephews and now great nieces & nephews for Thanksgiving at my sister’s house near Akron. She cooks a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner and this year when she invited me I asked if I could bring a guest. When she questioned who the guest would be, I told her that it would just be me coming but I wanted her to cook extra for a meal I could take home with me. It’s amazing to think that I currently have 6 great nieces & nephews and 2 more on the way! It’s wonderful to see the family growing, especially during a time when so few people are having children which will cause some problems if that trend does not turn around quickly. The Catholic Church of course has always encouraged married couples to have children for they are the fruit of love. From the very beginning, God told the human race to “be fruitful and multiply” and here we are now, many thousands of years later, living in a world with over 8 billion people. It boggles my mind. Of course so does the fact that an ant can carry up to 50 times their own body weight. 

This weekend we celebrate the last Sunday of Ordinary Time with the great feast of Christ the King. Recently we had the sign put over the head of Jesus on the crucifix with the letters “INRI” which stand for the Latin words that Pilate wrote to show the criminal act that caused Jesus’ crucifixion (as was customary): “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.” This is our King. A King whose throne is the cross, whose crown is thorns, whose kingly robes are blood and sweat. We are reminded that when Pilate had that sign placed on the cross, others complained that he should have wrote instead, “This man claimed to be the King of the Jews.” To which Pilate responded “Quod scripsi scripsi” which means, “What I have written, I have written.” It makes one wonder if he really believed in who Jesus said he was.

I invite you to join us for our Thanksgiving Day Mass which will be at 9am. I am always pleased to see that this holiday draws the most people to Mass, even though it is not a day of obligation. I believe that is due to the deep gratitude that you have for all that God has given to you and for the many blessings you have received. This is what our whole life must be about: being mindful of all that God has given to us and done for us. If we do this, we will complain far less. We will accept our difficulties much easier. We will be more joyful. We will grow in holiness. All of this and more for doing what? Just being grateful. 

 Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for September 29, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

       This Sunday, September 29th, is the “Michaelmas Day”. You may have never heard that before but it is celebrated on this date every year and commemorates the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, a statue of whom was recently moved from the chapel area to the right side of our sanctuary, where the tabernacle was previously. Here’s some information about this annual feast:

       Michaelmas has its roots in Christian tradition, particularly in the Western Church, where it became one of the four quarter days in the legal calendar of England, Ireland, and Wales. These were significant days for settling debts, hiring servants, and other legal and economic transactions. In Britain, Michaelmas was one of the major festivals of the year. It marked the end of the harvesting season and the beginning of the new farming year. 

A traditional food for Michaelmas is a goose, known as a "stubble-goose" because it was fed on the remains of the harvested fields. The saying "If you eat goose on Michaelmas Day, you will never want money all the year round" is associated with this tradition. Who will be eating goose today? Perhaps we should have had goose in place of our coffee & donuts today!

In some places, fairs and festivals are held. There might be special church services, particularly in places where Saint Michael is a patron saint.

St. Michael is often depicted as a warrior angel, defeating Satan in the form of a dragon. This imagery symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, making Michaelmas a day not just of celebration but also of spiritual significance. You can clearly see how Michael is holding the pointy end of his spear on the neck of Satan in our statue.

So this is another invitation to light a candle (or several if you choose) in front of our statue of St. Michael in the sanctuary. We have many candles in the stand there and they are relatively inexpensive so please feel free to light candles there often and as many as you like as there is no charge to do so. We’ll bless this statue at the end of all the Masses this weekend as I don’t believe it was blessed when first put up in the church.

There is the famous prayer to St. Michael on the back cover of the song book but it can’t be seen as that cover is placed in the sleeve of the song book holder so I’ll include the prayer here & then invite everyone to say it together after I have blessed the statue today. You may also want to cut this prayer out of the bulletin & keep it in your wallet or purse or place it on your refrigerator at home. I say this prayer myself at the beginning of each day. This prayer was composed by Pope Leo XIII in the late 19th century and has since become one of the most popular prayers invoking the protection of St. Michael against evil.

St. Michael the Archangel,  

defend us in battle.  

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;  

and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,  

by the Divine Power of God,  

cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits  

who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

 Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for September 22, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

It was great to hear the choir members lead us in our praise of God last Sunday at the 11am Mass. And we continue to appreciate the great liturgical music provided by Angela & Devin, incorporating the viola and the bells along with the beautiful sounds of the piano & organ. Devin repaired & cleaned the bell system & it was the first time I’ve seen them so I’m glad we are able to make good use of them again after they have been in storage for so many years. We even had parishioner Andrew Dobay play on his saxophone a few weeks ago. I know that Angela, our Music Director, would like to extend another invitation to those who would be interested in singing in the choir to come see her, and Devin as well to those who would be interested in learning how to play the bells. They are both willing to teach beginners so please don’t hesitate to speak to them. 

You’ll notice a new religious symbol that has been placed on our altar of repose (the tabernacle altar). It is the symbol of Christ as the victorious Lamb of God. It matches the wooden symbols we have of the 4 evangelists or gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) on front of the pulpit and the symbol of the pelican on the front of the altar of sacrifice. The pelican has long been a Christian symbol used for the Eucharist as it was believed that in time of famine, the mother would pierce her breast so as to feed her young with her own body and blood, an obvious reference to the Eucharistic Christ. And again, John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, for John was the son of a temple priest who was all too familiar with the priestly role of offering a lamb as a sacrifice on the temple altar. These symbols (also used on the altars and pulpit of the seminary and our cathedral downtown) will be highlighted with gold to bring out some of their details. 

The young adult ministry will have met for dinner for the 3rd time as you read this. These monthly gatherings at a nearby restaurant allow them the opportunity to meet and talk with others in their 20’s and 30’s and so we extend this invitation to anyone in this age group who would be interested in joining us. It’s a great way to be encouraged in faith and to get to know others who are serious about their relationship with the Lord.

It’s been wonderful to walk through the halls of our parish school again and to see the faces of so many children who are growing in body, mind and in the spirit of faith. We had our first all school Mass last Friday & I couldn’t believe how well behaved they were. The 8th graders join us for Mass on Friday mornings. The students are always asking me when we’re having church again so I know how much they look forward to that experience, which for many of them, is sadly few and far between. I will be reaching out to the 2nd and 8th grade parents to give them information about our sacramental program which takes place on Sunday mornings from 9:30am until 10:45am, after which they join us for the 11am Mass. This Faith Formation is for those preparing for the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation, as well as for all those who do not attend a Catholic School. My sincere thanks to Joanne Deranek and to all who assist her in catechizing our young people. 

 Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for September 15, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

         We express our sympathy to Scott & Art Yurek on the passing of their mother, Carole whose funeral Mass we celebrated last week. Carole was 84 and had a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she prayed the rosary often. She was also a very generous person, giving to organizations that she admired. She was someone who “put the needs of her family above her own and set an excellent example of how to be an awesome human being,” according to her obituary. As St. Irenaeus said, “the glory of God is a human being fully alive.” May Carole rest in peace as we pray for her and her late husband Arthur.

We also celebrated last week the funeral Mass for Patrick Mills, whom I met early on in my time here at St. Leo’s. He was devoted to his wife Lucile, whose funeral I celebrated 4 years ago. We extend our condolences to his son Scott and to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Pat. We are grateful for Pat’s service to our country as he was a Veteran of the US Marine Corps. I am glad that I had the opportunity to anoint Pat and give him Holy Communion (which was his “Viaticum” or last Communion) just days before he died. And then I was able to pray with his son and daughter-in-law as I administered the last rites to him. May Pat and all the faithful departed rest in God’s peace.

You can view pictures of those who labor in our parish and school community in the display case in the vestibule of the church, which of course is timely given our recent Labor Day holiday. As always, thanks to John & Jeanne Sabol who do a great job updating these pictures throughout the year.

After watching the first Presidential Debate this past week, I was reminded of something I read recently by Bishop Barron concerning the Church’s involvement in the political life of our  nation. It said, “Today we live in a nation with the fundamental right to religious freedom. The state is forbidden to establish or dis-establish any religion. This is the clear and simple meaning of what later came to be the ‘separation of church and state.’ But that is not what many say it means today. They say it means silencing the Church’s voice in the public and political sphere.” Again, we hear the voices of many say that the Church (which is called to amplify the voice of the Scriptures and of Christ himself) should stay out of politics. But nothing should be farther from the truth. Politics has to do with how we live with each other in society…how we communicate, make laws, live in harmony, freedom, etc. And all of that has to do with God…with God’s will for society. Again Barron says, “Christianity has some basic principles about politics, but it does not have a detailed political program…Christians have moral principles by which to judge states, but they are not principals that come from politics; they come to politics.” 

I share these words with you as I encourage you, not to vote for this candidate or for another, not to join this political party over another, but simply to stress the importance of forming your conscience and thereby your political opinions and decisions based on the will of God as you understand that will through Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Church. To that end, I’ll conclude with these further words from Barron: “And Catholic Christians know what their Lord says…by listening to what their Lord’s authorized Church teaches in his name—about everything: immigration, the poor, abortion, marriage, the environment, business, law, education, the arts, the media, everything. If he is not the Lord of everything, he is not the Lord of anything.”

Fr. James. P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for August 11, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

         I hope you all were safe during the storm that hit this past Tuesday. I saw a picture of a tornado in Parma & I was caught in our school building when the winds were blowing so hard & it sounded like a tornado was near. We had a couple of very large branches come down on a tree that covered the drive that connects the two parking lots on the east & west side of the church where our back vestibule is. A wire came down with it but surprisingly our power never went out here. As I type this on Wednesday, I can hear them sawing the tree branches so they can remove the debris. We had several other smaller branches come down as well. Of course the tree that is dead & completely bare is still standing tall by the west entrance of the rectory parking lot. Murphy’s law. I know that the power was out for a lot of people and as of Wednesday morning is still out in many places in the Cleveland area. Again I hope everyone was safe. 

On August 2nd I celebrated the funeral Mass for Margaret (Marge) Ballauer, a parishioner of great faith who would send me cards and notes of appreciation from time to time. She had such a pleasant demeanor & a gentle smile and she will be greatly missed. Her illness and death came rather suddenly and so we express our sympathy to her son Ed and daughter Wendy. I had the funeral for Marge’s husband Al two years ago almost to the day of Marge’s funeral Mass and they were married for 58 years. They were parishioners here at St. Leo’s since 1966 and were active members of the community. Marge also volunteered at the Parma Hunger Center and so served Christ for “whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers or sisters, you do for me.” May she know now the fullness of peace and receive her heavenly reward.

I also had a Memorial Mass on the same day for Dorothy Preuss who was also a member of our parish school for many years. She sent her two children to our parish school and worked in the school as a lunch mother. Dorothy was a member of our Senior’s group and enjoyed her visits with other seniors in the parish. She also had a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and prayed the rosary often, something you hear frequently about those who are elderly. We thank those who planned her Memorial Mass and as with all those who have died as faithful members of our parish, will continue to remember her in prayer, especially during the month of November which begins with the feast of All Saints and All Souls.

Thanks to all who worked to prepare for and clean up after our parish picnic, and of course to all who brought deserts and enjoyed a good meal and conversation with fellow parishioners. We had a cool gathering in the gym and it’s always great to see so many people. You can find some pictures of the event in this bulletin. 

This week we will be celebrating the feast of the Assumption of Mary on Thursday, August 15th. As always, Mass will be at 8:30am and at 7pm. Please remember that this is a holy day of obligation. We need to take seriously the sinfulness of not attending Mass on such holidays as confession is required before taking Holy Communion if you purposefully or neglectfully miss this obligation. This of course is true for all serious sins which we tend to dismiss so easily these days. But I try to make myself available for confession as often as possible and always encourage you to make use of this sacrament which joyfully and easily releases us from the guilt of our sins. St. Thomas Aquinas said that “just as it would be foolish to give medicine to a dead person, it would not make sense to offer the healing power of the Eucharist to one who is spiritually dead and in mortal sin.” Wise words to take to heart. 

Fr. James P. Schmitz