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 February 16, 2025

Pastor's Column for February 9, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

         I’d like to start with an update on Deacon Pat, and I’d like to do so by quoting part of an update that his wife Joan will give to the members of the Diaconate on February 22nd, which will be his 72nd birthday: “It’s amazing how in a heartbeat your world and life can be turned upside down and forever changed. On November 8, 2024 that’s what happened to Pat and I as he suffered his first stroke. Since then he has had two subsequent strokes, each one worse than the previous. The second one came on December 14th which left his right eye permanently shut and the left eye with blurred vision. We learned that his strokes are the result of a genetic blood clotting disorder. Each day presents a new set of problems and challenges. I have gone from seeing Pat as a strong man who opened jars that I can’t, to being weak and unable to see, walk or speak. He’s confused much of the time, often unable to express himself. His speech is often difficult to understand. But his demeanor is calm and peaceful! His sense of humor is intact. One day when I walked into his room to visit him he was dressed in clothes that weren’t his. I told him that and without skipping a beat he said, ‘They are now! I’m wearing them!’ 

To that I would add that along with Joan, it’s still hard for me to believe that all this has happened, and so suddenly. I miss talking to my friend and I miss our Deacon assisting at Mass. I am proud of Joan not only for taking such good care of Pat and adjusting her life according to the new circumstances, but also for carrying on with her work and ministry here at St. Leo’s. Let us continue to pray for Deacon Pat, for Joan and for their 4 children. 

John and Jeanne Sabol have changed the display in the vestibule of the church and made it into a tribute to Fr. Ned Weist, former pastor of St. Leo’s, who recently passed away. Doris Neylon, Father’s very good friend, contributed a number of the photos they were able to use. We thank her and the Sabol’s for honoring him in this way.

I recently trained a number of school students to be altar servers. You may not see many of them since they do not come to church here at St. Leo’s so they mostly serve at our weekly 8th grader Masses on Friday, at school Masses and at funerals when school is in session. But I’m happy to see so many of them interested in this ministry. 

The school children had a bulletin board contest. Each classroom was responsible for designing a board based on the life of a saint…but here’s the twist…the saints were all of black and Hispanic descent. Too often we fail to point out the great diversity in the communion of saints, not just in terms of their age, life’s work, marital status, etc., but even of their race. These included such holy men and women as St. Augustine and his mother St. Monica who were from Africa, St. Martin de Porres and St. Thea Bowman, St. Kizito, Venerable Pierre Toussaint and St. Charles Lwanga. The school and rectory staff will be voting on the best board.

We also had the 8th graders over to the rectory for a pizza party. They wanted to know how much rent I paid. When I told them that “food & board” are included as part of my salary, I think we had some interest in priestly vocations! God will accept any means of motivation as he usually deals with that after they have been hooked. As I have said from the beginning, it’s a great blessing for our parish to (still) have a school where we offer a great education in the atmosphere of faith. I trust it will be used by God to do great things for the future Church and world. 

 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 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 November 17, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

         I am enjoying my vacation so far. It’s good to have the time to get things done without having to rush or be on a timeline. Of course I still do a bit of work on vacation (like this column for example), but it gives me pause to think of you as I continue to remember you in my prayers daily. 

         Before I actually started my time away last Monday, I did celebrate the funeral Mass for Francine Simonski. I had her husband’s funeral about 3 years ago. They were married for 51 years and had 2 daughters & a son. Fran was a person of faith who attended Mass regularly until she became ill in 2020. Her daughters attended Catholic school and she was a playground monitor & was active in PTU. So please say a prayer for her and also one for the students from St. Ignatius High School who were there to act as pall bearers.

I have been keeping in touch with Deacon Pat and Joan and they are both grateful for your prayers and concern. Deacon Pat will continue with his therapy and again we are thankful that there does not seem to be any permanent damage as a result of the stroke. Hopefully you will see him soon so you can express your prayerful support personally.

I’m afraid there is not good news to share with you however concerning one of our former pastors, Father Ned Weist. He recently learned that he has cancer. I spoke with him to assure him of our prayers for him as well and of course he is very grateful for that. Fr. Ned was a great pastor whose kindness continues to be remembered by those who were here under his leadership. I would get a phone call from him (and he would call other priests as well), letting me know what a great job I am doing, telling me that he watched our livestream Masses or read our bulletin. He is so good about building people up and that encourages me to try to do the same, especially since that is something I don’t do often enough. Father retains his sense of humor and continues to live with acceptance of his fate through his ever constant faith. If you don’t know him, I’m sure that others who do will tell you the same. So please keep him in prayer as often as you can. Let us express our deep gratitude to him for all he has done for our parish and our Church. I will continue to let you know how he is doing and we will provide a way for you to send him a card or a note if you wish to do so. 

There are several parishioners who are also affected by cancer. I have their names on the lock screen of my phone so that I can remember to pray for them throughout the day. I don’t want to share their names with you due to privacy but I do ask that you keep them in prayer as well. I would even encourage you, when you read the bulletin each week (which I hope you do, either when you come to Mass or online at our website) to pause for a moment when you see the list of the names of people who have asked for our prayers. Pause and say a Hail Mary or even just a short prayer such as, “Divine Physician, heal everyone on this list in the manner you will.” I know that this column is full of requests for your prayers but so many are in need of them, and someday we all will be in need of the prayers of others so give that moment of your time as we hope others will do that for us. Of course this month we add to that long list our prayers for those who have died, especially parishioners who have died this past year and whose names are displayed on the table in front of the baptismal font. There is also the list of people whose names are on envelopes in the basket on the altar during Mass. We join our prayers to those of the saints who continue to intercede for us until that day when prayers will no longer be needed.

 Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for October 27, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

       I believe it is important for me to share with you a letter from Bishop Malesic to all the faithful in the Diocese of Cleveland as we come closer to Election Day. Here is what he writes:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     In the Catholic Tradition of responsible citizenship, we are morally obligated to participate and educate yourself on the candidates' positions on the critical issues that will affect us all, both now and in the future.

     Before we are members of any political party, we must be faithful followers of Jesus, who told us "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 3:35). So, it is incumbent on us who are believers to live our Catholic faith outside the walls of our Churches, putting Christ at the center of our public lives as citizens. Our consciences must be well informed through prayer and fidelity to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Then we must vote our consciences, which I urge you to do, so that your Catholic faith will impact the moral and social fabric of our society.

      In the Introductory Note to Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the document issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to help guide us on our political responsibilities, we bishops again said that the defense of unborn life remains our pre-eminent priority because abortion is a direct attack on the most vulnerable among us. We also recognize that other grave threats to the life and dignity of the human person include euthanasia, gun violence, terrorism, the death penalty, human trafficking, the redefinition of marriage and gender, threats to religious freedom, lack of justice for the poor, the suffering of migrants and refugees, racism, and the lack of care for our common home. All these issues must be considered when voting for the person who will best represent us, placing the interests of the most vulnerable first among others.

      At a time when our nation is so polarized by partisanship and ideology, and the issues are so serious and complex, it is of the utmost importance that we persevere in hope, remembering the words found in the Book of Micah, who said, "You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do justice and love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).

     Please join me in praying for all those who are running for office in the upcoming election. May the Lord inspire and guide them to lift up the dignity of all persons they will serve if chosen by the electorate. May the Lord guide us in these important decisions at this critical time in our history, heal our divisions, and unite us one nation, under God.

May God bless you and those you love.

Your brother in Christ,

Most Reverend Edward C. Malesic, JCL

Bishop of Cleveland

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for October 20, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

         I really enjoyed the 4 day Convocation I attended with the other priests of the Diocese. It’s always great to have the opportunity to visit with fellow priests whom we don’t get a chance to see throughout the year and even to meet new priests who have been ordained in recent years but whom we may not know as we older priests are so far removed from their time in the seminary. Thank you for your prayers for us and please continue to keep us in prayer.

         Last weekend we asked God’s blessings on Ed & Betty Rospotynsky who were celebrating their 65th Wedding Anniversary. Again, congratulations to them! I also want to extend our congratulations to Ken & Mary Ann Perry who celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary this past Friday. May they see their 65th Anniversary like Ed & Betty!

I’m anxious to see many of you at our annual Parish Festival this weekend. Again, so many people work very hard for a very long time to plan and prepare for this opportunity for us to come together & enjoy each other’s company, and to welcome those in the neighborhood who also join us for this yearly event. So again in advance I want to thank those of you who have donated hours of your time and your energy, those who have planned and help prepare, and those of you who have just been present to enjoy this two-day event. It’s a great blessing that we still have so many people willing to be a part of this fundraiser and who are still able to come & enjoy time with people you may not see the rest of the year. Of course I see you all most weekends of the year but I sometimes forget that because most people go to weekend Mass on the same day & at the same time, those from the 4pm Mass on Saturday may never see those from the 11am Mass on Sunday. So this is a chance for you to see and hopefully meet others who belong to our community but may not be known to you. I’m grateful to every single person who in any way will make this gathering a “success”…not only financially but most especially spiritually as our time together as a community of faith is always a “successful” way of being a Church. And as Nancy Zola announced last weekend, we thought that it would be helpful for you to know that the profits we collect as a result of the festival this year will be donated to those students in our school who need our financial support (and there are many of them). So on their behalf and especially in the name of their parents, we thank you for contributing to their welfare. 

I celebrated an all school Mass this past Wednesday (which was the middle of the month of October) during which I spoke to the children about the prayer of the rosary. Since we dedicate this month to Our Lady (and also appropriately to the gift of life), I wanted to show the children how to use the rosary to ask for our Blessed Mother’s intercession and to be reminded of her example. Each student will be receiving a rosary and I encouraged them to carry it in their pocket so that at any time of the day, when they have a few minutes, they can pray even just part of the rosary. One of the students asked me an interesting question (and I admit I could not give them an immediate answer as I wanted to give it some thought). The question was this: Can we wear a rosary around our neck? On the one hand, it is a powerful symbol of Catholic faith and devotion and as such can be an expression of their faith, much like wearing a crucifix or a medal of a saint. On the other hand, in some contemporary fashion trends, rosaries have been used as accessories without necessarily a religious intention which of course could been seen as disrespectful. So let me know what you think & how you would respond to this student’s question. 

 Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for October 13, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

         As you can see, the Holy Family has returned from their journey to Egypt (just a joke referencing the biblical story) and hopefully will stand out much more now that they are painted in color. I will not see them myself until Saturday as I will have been gone at the Clergy Convocation in Huron this week but I trust that we will like their new appearance. I will bless these statues during the weekend Masses. 

         You also noticed, I’m sure, that the corpus has been removed from the cross in the sanctuary. Like the statues of the Holy Family, it is being painted so as to draw out more of the details in this wooden image of our Lord’s crucifixion, much of which are hidden by it’s brown appearance in front of the brown & tan bricks behind it. Perhaps you are already aware of the fact that most Protestant churches have a cross in their sanctuary while most Catholic churches have a crucifix (a cross with the corpus or dead body of Christ on it). First, many people ask what exactly we mean when we speak of “Protestant” churches. This is something of an umbrella  term which is used to group together those Christian denominations which are not Catholic. Back in the 16th century, Martin Luther (after whom the Lutheran Church or denomination is named), and some others protested against certain practices and beliefs of the Catholic Church. To be fair, Martin Luther and others had some valid concerns. But this created no little amount of argument and even battles. Thus the Protestant Reformation was born, which sought to reform the Church of it’s alleged errant beliefs and practices. Then came the Catholic Reformation, which fought back against the protestors, and which clarified the Church’s beliefs which were often misunderstood and even made changes to either correct or double down on some of the Church’s teachings & practices. The result was the birth of what has come to be thousands of individual Protestant denominations, with some of the bigger or well known ones being called Lutherans, Calvinists, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. My church history professor would say that while the Protestants had some valid concerns, they unfortunately “threw the baby out with the bath water.” 

But getting back to the cross vs. crucifix issue…the empty cross (minus the corpus) stresses the resurrection for those of the Protestant denominations. It emphasizes Christ’s victory over death. But Catholics prefer the crucifix because without the sacrificial death of Jesus, there would be no resurrection. Also, the Mass is the “unbloody sacrifice of Jesus” which means that as Christ becomes present through the words of institution (“This is My Body…This is My Blood”), we unite ourselves with the sacrifice of Jesus as we offer ourselves with Him to the Father. Every Mass is a celebration of Christ’s sacrificial death and of his Resurrection. 

Gratefully today we have put aside many of the battles that have been fought between Catholics and Protestants over the last 500 years (battles of words and battles of real fighting) as we work and pray together for the coming of God’s kingdom (sadly, this is not so true in Ireland). But Christ prayed for unity in the Church so for this we must continue to work and pray. For us as Catholics, our disagreements with those of the Protestant faith have allowed us to become more precise in our understanding and expression of our Catholic faith. And we continue to hold that while all religions and Christian denominations have some truth as revealed by God, the fullness of God’s truth and the fullness of grace that comes through the sacraments resides in the Catholic Church founded by Christ. Feel free to ask questions!

 Fr. James P. Schmitz