Pastor's Column for January 1, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

Happy New Year everyone! I say that with gratitude to God as this is the beginning of my 10th year as Pastor of St. Leo the Great. I can hardly believe that as I write it because it seems like it was yesterday when I first arrived here with dog & cat in tow (and both still living, gratefully). It’s been a wonderful time getting to know people of this parish and as time goes on, I have the opportunity to get to know even more people, and the ones I already know, I come to know even better. It is with that same gratitude that I thank you for your prayers, Christmas cards and support throughout the year. I am also very thankful for all who continue to bless us with a beautifully decorated church each year at Christmas and to Mickey & Mary & all the cantors & choir members who enhance our worship so much by their musical & vocal talent. I am especially grateful to those added musicians both from our parish and from other parishes who play for us at Christmas & Easter. As the psalms call for repeatedly, we need to praise God with every musical instrument at our disposal. This music lifts our hearts in union with the prayers that lift our minds to God in prayer and praise.

I have to confess that I struggle to find words to write from time to time in this column when I have to submit them to the publisher weeks in advance (due to the holidays) & when nothing too out of the ordinary is happening in the parish. So again I’m going to share some words that come from my spiritual reading. I try to read from a spiritual book every day & can’t get enough of what others have learned and shared regarding faith, the Catholic Church, and the incredible works of God. And since an important part of my ministry as a priest is to preach the Word of God to you, I am always grateful for the opportunity to share the words of others that have enriched me, whether I share them with you from the pulpit or here in this column. Right now I’m reading a book from my favorite author and evangelist, Bishop Robert Barron. It’s called “Light from Light” and he takes each line (& sometimes each word) from the Nicene Creed which we recite each Sunday at Mass & goes into its history & meaning. So I wanted to share a few thoughts from that book which really sheds light (excuse the pun) on this bold statement of our belief which we proudly proclaim each weekend. This Creed has developed over centuries and is the result of much debate, discussion, even arguments between those who have been faithful stewards of the Church’s teaching and those who have been found to be heretics (people who profess what the Church has proclaimed to be untrue). So much conversation and prayer has gone to make up this Creed that the Church insists it be recited in every solemn liturgy.

This Creed was developed from the Council of Nicaea (hence called the “Nicene” Creed) in the year 325 (so obviously, very ancient!). It was slightly elaborated at the Council of Constantinople in 381 (so sometimes also called the” Nicene Constaninopolitan Creed”…say that 3 times fast, or even once!). But while these statements about God as Father, Son & Holy Spirit are very precise and descriptive, we must remember that God is such a transcendent mystery that we struggle to find the right words to describe who God is. In fact, St. Augustine said, “Si comprehendis, non est Deus” which means, if you think you understand God, it is not God. But we can be confident in what we profess about God not just because of human reason but mainly because God has chosen to reveal Himself to us. All we must do then is believe what God has told us about Himself. And this we do when we say each Sunday, “I believe…”

Pastor's Column for December 4, 2022

Dear Parishioners,

I want to express the sympathy of the entire parish community to Richard & Mary Riccardi on the death of their son Russell, and to assure them, and their other son Rocco, of our prayers for Russell and for them during this difficult time. Russell graduated from our parish school and went on to graduate from St. Ignatius High School and then from the University of Toledo. He was gifted as a chemical engineer and enjoyed the esteem and friendship of his fellow workers. He spent time with his family & friends, especially enjoying the game of golf every Saturday. He watched Mass via livestream & also enjoyed reading daily meditations and had a devotion to St. Francis of Assisi, notably who loved animals as Russell himself did. Russell was also a gifted painter and I really admired some of his works which were displayed at the funeral home. We commended him to the love of God as we celebrated his funeral Mass on November 23rd. May he rest in God’s peace until his family and loved ones enjoy his company again in the kingdom of heaven.

Congratulations to the parents of Carver Davis who is being baptized this Sunday after the 11am Mass. May they raise him in the knowledge of God’s love and in the practice of the faith.

Congratulations, as well, go out to our Business Manager, Brenda Basalla and to her husband George as they proudly attend the marriage of their daughter Kathleen to her husband Nicholas Eaton this weekend. I am especially honored and grateful to witness Katie’s marriage as she worked here at St. Leo’s and I have enjoyed many family events with her parents and relatives. May Katie & Nick enjoy a long, happy & fruitful marriage.

This Thursday, December 8th, is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the patronal feast of our country. This is an acknowledgement and celebration of God’s gift to Mary in that she was conceived without sin and chose by the gift of free will to remain sinless throughout the course of her life. Mary is of course a central figure throughout the year but especially during this Advent Time as we reflect on her role in the God’s plan of salvation. So please remember to join us for the celebration of Mass (this is a holy day of obligation) either at 8:30am, along with our parish school children, or at 7pm.

After a long run here at St. Leo’s, today will be the last day for regular Blood Drives through the Red Cross. Unfortunately, we simply do not have enough people coming to donate blood to justify the number of workers who must be present during these drives. But I want to offer thanks to all those who have given blood in the past, and especially express my gratitude to Dan & Kim Roth who have so generously sacrificed their time and efforts to plan, setup and promote these blood drives over many years. I think of the many lives that were either saved or helped because of their goodness and because of those who willingly offered their blood for others. May God reward them and all of you who have imitated Christ whose Blood has saved us.

I’m happy to report that we have 48 people attending the trip to Italy in March of 2023! The only downside is that we have reached the limit for this trip; but, if you are still interested, I encourage you to submit your registration form so that you can be put on a waiting list in case someone is unable to go. We will not send in the form or cash any check until that availability becomes a reality.

Pastor's Column for November 20, 2022

Dear Parishioners,

Two people from the parish died while I was away. The first was Audrey Andrzejewski, who was 87 years old & beloved wife of the late Joseph. They had 4 children, 3 grandchildren & 2 greatgrandchildren. Her funeral was celebrated at St. Charles Borromeo. May she rest in God’s peace with her husband.

A funeral was celebrated at St. Leo’s for Armand Venditti, who died just 3 days shy of his 102nd birthday. I celebrated the funeral Mass for his wife Mary Lou several years ago, and have publicly announced Armand’s birthday when he turned 100 and then 101. He and Mary Lou had six children & several grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Armand was a World War II U.S. Army Air Corps Veteran. I’d like to add this information from his obituary since he and his wife were such active members of our parish for many years: “He had a smile for everyone, and when asked how he was doing, his response was “Never Better!”. He lived a life of deep and unshakable faith, which allowed him to lead his family through the best and worst of times. Armand was devoted in marriage to Mary Lou for almost 75 years. Together they built a life of enduring love and faith. They were long-time active parishioners of St. Leo the Great Church and made many cherished life-long friends there. He spent many years making the Easter Paschal candle and was chairman of many events and committees. Armand enjoyed gardening, golfing, building 3-D puzzles, spending time on his computer, and cooking for his family. His chicken livers were nearly world famous. He spent the past 18 months in independent living at Vitalia Rockside in Seven Hills and made many friendships with the staff and residents. Armand was a sales engineer and retired from SKRL Tool & Die at the age of 70.” May Armand and Mary Lou live forever in the joy of the resurrection.

This weekend we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, which is always on the last Sunday of the liturgical year. That means that next weekend, we begin a new liturgical year with the first Sunday of Advent, which of course prepares us for the 2nd coming of Christ at the end of our lives/world as well as for the celebration of Christ’s first coming when he was born among us. Let us wait for him actively, not passively, but doing all we can to work with his grace in accepting the gift of salvation God has offered to us.

There will be a holy hour this Sunday evening (November 20th) in memory of all the deceased from our parish, especially those who died since this time last year. Please join us in the church as we pray for these souls as they are purified by God to made worthy of a share in his heavenly kingdom. The prayer will begin at 6pm.

Please join us as well for our 9am Mass on Thanksgiving morning in preparation for our time spent with family and friends over a Thanksgiving meal. The rectory office will be closed not only on Thursday but Friday as well, though there will be an 8:30am Mass celebrated on Friday morning.

Unfortunately I was away during our celebration of our patronal feast of St. Leo the Great, which is held on November 10th each year. But I join with you in asking for him for his prayerful intercession on our parish community, especially as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary this year. Be sure to keep an eye on the display case in the vestibule of the church where we will keep rotating pictures taken on Sunday, October 9th, when the Bishop was here for the 11am Mass & for the reception in Lux Hall afterward.

Pastor's Column for November 6, 2022

Dear Parishioners,

We celebrated a funeral Mass for Louis Kazimer III on Friday, October 28th. Louie worked at KFC for 32 years & on his 30th anniversary there, received a bike that he enjoyed riding. He was a faithful Catholic who attended Mass while he was able, read the Bible & had a devotion to St. Christopher. As always, I expressed to his family, especially his mother, brother & sister, our sympathies & the assurances of our prayers and faith during this time. Let us remember him, as we do all the deceased in a special way, during this month of November. The basket on the altar holds the envelopes upon which you wrote the names of your deceased loved ones whom we pray for at every Mass during this month.

Last weekend I mentioned in my homily how much I enjoy the continuous opportunity to learn more about the scriptures & about our faith, which is based upon the Word of God revealed to us in the Bible. Much of what I learn comes from spiritual books that are written either by contemporary authors or which were written by or about the saints. The book I just finished contained 365 quotes from Fulton Sheen, an Archbishop who has not yet been canonized but who is in the process of being recognized as one of the official saints of the Church. He was an American bishop known for his preaching and was heard on radio & seen on television especially during the 1950s & 1960’s. I’m sure some of you will know who he is and will remember hearing & seeing him. Since there is nothing else pressing to report to you in this bulletin I thought I would share some of the quotes I found especially interesting in the book I just finished reading.

Here Sheen speaks of the uniqueness of the Christian faith: “In all other religions, one has to be good to come to God, but in Christianity one does not. Christianity is a ‘come as you are’ party. It bids us stop worrying about ourselves, stop concentrating on our faults and our feelings, and thrust them upon the Savior with the firm resolve of amendment.”

This is an interesting statement which would seem to speak especially about those today who have given up the practice of the faith intentionally: “In almost 9 cases out of 10, those who have once had the faith but now reject it, or claim that it does not make sense, are driven not by reasoning but by the way they are living.”

Even today, great evangelists (like Bishop Robert Barron), speak of the necessity of making a daily holy hour. Of course this is especially important for priests and something I strive to do at the beginning of each day, but everyone is called to be a person of prayer. Of course no one will just start making a holy hour every day if they have not done this in the past. It can begin very slowly, with even just a couple of minutes, which leads to 5 minutes, which leads to 10, which grows to 20, etc., until the time goes by so quickly that you find yourself praying for an hour. But this is not just an hour of talking to God. It is one of listening as well. For most people, this time of prayer is taken up with various types of speaking and listening: you can use the rosary, read part of the Bible, read a spiritual book, or just sit quietly in God’s presence. Whatever moves you to prayer is good. About this holy hour, Archbishop Sheen said, “I have never in 55 years missed spending an hour in the presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. That’s where sermons are born. That’s where every good thought is conceived….prayer begins by talking to God but it ends by listening to him.”

Pastor's Column for October 30, 2022

Dear Parishioners,

         Again I want to express my sincere thanks, on behalf of the whole parish, to everyone and anyone who worked before, during or after the parish festival. We had such great crowds, especially on Friday evening. The food and all the “accompanying treats” (the soft, salty pretzels, the cotton candy, the nachos & cheese, the ice cream, etc.) were really delicious. I tried as many as I could (except for the pickles…I like pickles with certain foods and in fact it seems a requirement to my palate with certain foods like grilled cheese or corned beef sandwiches…and the large pickles marinating in the big jar look so enticing, but I just can’t eat one alone without one of the aforementioned foods to accompany it. Am I alone here?) Anyway, it really was good to see so many children enjoying the games, people listening to the music (how could you not hear it?), and parishioners and visitors alike just spending time together after so much alone time during COVID. To everyone who was willing to be a part of that whole experience in any way, we thank you. Though my growing age prevents me from remaining at the festival for its duration (I’m at the age where bedtime begins earlier & earlier), I at least know that people are enjoying each other’s company when I am too tired to remain.

But mixed in with the fun of the festival was the reality of death that always looms over us but is the reason for our faith in the resurrection of Jesus and for the hope of our own rising to new life. I have celebrated four funerals in the last days with another one being scheduled. As happy as I am to see many people come together for something like our festival, I’m sad to see such good people pass from our midst through death. I already wrote about Anthony Arlia and Mildred Ancin so I would like to mention two other people whose funerals I celebrated recently. Jackie Nagy has been away from the parish for the last couple of years, living with her sister in North Olmsted. I got to know Jackie when she attended daily Mass in our chapel when I first arrived here. She was a devout woman of faith and would send cards and notes to me frequently in order to assure me of her prayers & support. She raised two daughters, one of whom (Shelly) is still a parishioner here at St. Leo’s and who has become our rectory housekeeper and cook. Both of her daughters have a living and active faith, something I’m sure that made Jackie very happy. Jackie was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary & to the Divine Mercy Chaplet. May she know now the fruits of her prayers to the Virgin Mary & to her Son as she is shown the Divine Mercy of Jesus in which she trusted.

I also celebrated the funeral Mass for Shirley Lazar, another woman of great faith who had been a long time member of our parish. She raised two children, Shelly & Jeffrey, and we express our sympathy especially to them for the sudden death of their mother. Shirley lived her faith both in and out of our parish community as she was a Eucharistic Minister here and she helped served food at St. Augustine. I always appreciated her smile and her optimistic way of seeing things. She served others with joy. Her daughter spoke lovingly of her mother’s love & faith at the funeral & as always, I extended to them our sympathy & the support of our prayers & faith. May she too rest in God’s peace.

This Tuesday is the feast of All Saints, a holy day of obligation. Mass will be at 8:30am (with the school children) & at 7pm. Wednesday is the feast of All Souls when we pray during the 8:30am Mass for all our loved ones who have died. 

Pastor's Column for October 23, 2022

We welcome Damian Mihuta into our Catholic family as he is baptized this weekend after the 11am Mass. May he know the joy of a relationship with his Creator.

We received a generous donation of $5,000.00 from the estate of Irene Venesky, a parishioner of St. Leo’s whose funeral Mass was in February of this year. We are grateful that she remembered us in her will and pray that God may reward her goodness to us.

I spoke with someone from the travel agency who is arranging the trip to Italy in March and he told me that the reservations received have been better than expected so he asked me to encourage you to get your reservations in as soon as possible if you have not done so yet so that they can make the necessary airline and hotel accommodations. Apparently many people are anxious to travel again due to the restrictions that COVID placed on people throughout the world so this is a good sign that things are returning to normal. There are no COVID vaccination or testing requirements so that is certainly good news as well. So thanks to all who have turned in their registration forms to us. If you’re on the fence, I’ll just say that I’m taking advantage of the opportunity to travel while I know I am healthy enough to do so since we never know what can block us from checking that off of our bucket list in the future. While there is no cut off date at this point, it does make it easier for the company to make the necessary arrangements if they have a good idea of how many seats & rooms to reserve so the sooner the better. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to me by calling the rectory office at 216-661-1006 or by sending me an email at jschmitz@leothegreat.org. I’m excited to join so many of you in a place that is so rich with both secular and church history. And of course there’s the pasta…never forget about the pasta!

My step mother fell last week & fractured her hip…something that the elderly & their loved ones always worry about. The good news is that she opted to have surgery which she came through just fine, which was a relief given her age. She is recovering at a nursing home and will hopefully be back with my dad at Vitalia in Strongsville by Thanksgiving.

We figured out a way to get us through those rare but frustrating times when the internet goes down, especially on a weekend while we’re live-streaming Mass. If that happens again, we should be able to use a phone and its cellular service to provide the live-stream. We’re also working to see if we can have our phone system…which also requires the internet…to automatically transfer all calls to a cell phone so that again, you won’t be inconvenienced by not being able to get a hold of us. Technology is great and extremely convenient when it works…but frustrating when it’s “out of order.” So hopefully we can remedy these two situations in the event our internet service goes down.

I’m sad to let you know that Mildred Ancin, Father Vesely’s sister, died this past Monday evening. You may recall that she fell & broke her hip after Father Vesely died & was in surgery during his funeral services so she was not able to be present for the wake or funeral Mass. While she recovered from the broken hip & surgery, she continued to decline physically & mentally. I visited with her at Mount Alverna just a couple of days before she died and was relieved to see that she was in no discomfort. She was very close to her brother and now they are together in death as they were in life. I do not know of the funeral arrangements yet but I ask that you keep her and her brother in your prayers. May they both rest in God’s peace.

Pastor's Column for October 16, 2022

Thanks to all who joined us for the 11am Mass with Bishop Malesic last Sunday as we began our year-long celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the Parish. I’m grateful especially to those who set up the luncheon in Lux Hall following the Mass. We will post some pictures of the event on our website and via our Instagram account. It was good to have the Bishop celebrate the Eucharist with us and visit our parish for the first time. We look forward to him coming again.

         This Friday I will be celebrating a funeral Mass for Anthony Arlia who died at the age of 87. I visited with him a couple weeks ago and anointed him at his home as he told me stories of his time in Italy when he was in the army. He built the house that he and his wife Rose have lived in for many years. They would have been married 50 years next month. I saw the great care that Rose had for Tony as she stood by his bedside, tending to all his needs. May she now have comfort and may her husband find peace in God’s presence.

Our annual Parish Festival will be next weekend, October 21st & 22nd. As always, I am very grateful to the many parishioners who spend a lot of time and energy planning, setting up, working at and then finally cleaning up for that two-day event. It’s a great opportunity to see people of the parish come together to enjoy each other’s company and to celebrate the faith that has sustained us for almost 75 years. Thank you especially to all those who sold raffle tickets. Per my custom, I will NOT be picking the winning tickets as it’s a sure way to make a couple of friends and a lot of enemies! Not really, but I’d still rather leave that task up to someone else. I look forward to seeing many of you here next weekend.

We have a good number of people signed up for the trip to Italy in March and I know that several others are in the process of submitting their registration forms. I’d like to encourage you to do that soon if you haven’t already & are planning on joining us. The company making the arrangements needs to know how many reservations to make for the hotels, events, etc. that they are setting up for us so while you still have time, sooner is better than later. 

Last weekend we had books available for you to take home called “Holy Moments.” It is written by Matthew Kelly who has written a number of the books we have given away at Christmas and Easter in past years and is an easy read. We wanted to offer something as we began our anniversary year so please be sure to take one home with you if you haven’t already. We’ll have another book for you at Christmas & hope you find them helpful in your spiritual journey.

I really like the idea of giving away these books to you from time to time as I find such spiritual reading so helpful for my own spiritual growth. I am always learning more about faith and it’s impact on my life, and am especially interested these days on how we understand and express faith in the Catholic Tradition. So many people do not realize the incredible treasury of wisdom that we have in the Catholic Church! And so much of that wisdom comes to us from both contemporary authors as well as canonized saints of the past. I continue to wonder how people in our world today survive without the faith and guidance that comes to us through the Church. Life is difficult enough with faith, and would seem impossible for me without faith. So thank you for the living faith that you continue to express by your presence here each weekend. 

Pastor's Column for October 2, 2022

Dear Parishioners,

I was able to visit Norma Janiak at Regina Health Care shortly before she died at the age of 98. Norma was such a delightful woman who would frequently come up to me with a smile & let me know what was going on in her life. She was a longtime member of St. Leo’s (70 years!) and a member of our choir. She was also a member of the knitting club here and active in Habitat for Humanity. Outside of St. Leo’s, she volunteered at Cornerstone of Hope (a bereavement ministry) and was active in the Cuyahoga Heights PTA. She was married for 42 years & raised 3 sons and had several grandchildren & greatgrandchildren. She was devoted to St. Francis of Assisi, St. Augustine & to the Blessed Virgin. May they now welcome her to her eternal home.

We also celebrated the funeral Mass for Daniel Szymanski last week. Dan was a kind, gentle and faithful soul who came to Mass regularly. He has 3 children and several grandchildren & greatgrandchildren. At 94 years old, he was blessed with many years to enjoy with his family, to whom he was very devoted. There were many pictures of him at the funeral home, showing the time he spent with his loved ones. We thank God for his life of faith and for all the people that he had touched in his 94 years of life. We trust that he will find true and lasting happiness in heaven, for the scriptures proclaimed at his funeral Mass assured us that such people will become like God for they shall shine like the stars forever. Dan lived the beatitudes Jesus taught us on the mountain and so we pray that he may receive the reward promised to those who are faithful.

This week I will be away with the rest of the priests in the Diocese of Cleveland for our Convocation with the Bishop which takes place every other year, though it has been four years since our last gathering due to…you guessed it…COVID. We will meet as usual at Sawmill Creek in Huron. This year we will hear speakers on the topic of “Priesthood in a Post Modern World.” The two speakers will focus on Evangelization and outreach to the People of God.

In the preface of the book that priests received from Bishop Malesic at Christmas, From Christendom to Apostolic Mission, there is a quote from Archbishop Fulton Sheen: “we are at the end of Christendom. Not of Christianity, not of the Church, but of Christendom. Now what is meant by Christendom? Christendom is economic, political, social life as inspired by Christian principles. That is ending— we’ve seen it die” But he went on to say, “These are great and wonderful days in which to be alive...It is not a gloomy picture— it is a picture of the Church in the midst of increasing opposition from the world. And therefore live your lives in the full consciousness of this hour of testing, and rally close to the heart of Christ.” These are both challenging & yet hopeful words. Please pray for all of us during this week.

Deacon Pat will preside at a Communion Service at 8:30am from Tuesday through Friday of this week. However, we have been notified by Bishop Malesic that after this week, Communion Services will no longer be permitted as “Daily Mass remains the norm for the life of every Catholic community.” So beginning the week of October 9th, we will no longer offer a Communion Service when I am away on Thursdays as the recent directive from the Bishop indicates that “Communion Services should not be scheduled at the parish for the priest’s day off or vacation. The faithful should be informed of the neighboring Mass schedule and encouraged to participate in the weekday mass at the closest neighboring parish.” This directive continues, “It should be made clear to the faithful that a communion service celebration is not the same as or of equal value to the celebration of the Mass in which the Eucharist is encountered as both Sacrifice and Sacrament.”

PASTOR'S COLUMN FOR SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

I had a funeral home service for Donald Novak on Saturday, September 17th. Don was the husband of Bette Novak, whose funeral Mass I celebrated last November. Don was not Catholic but would attend Mass with his wife Bette when he was well enough to do so. Unfortunately, Don suffered from dementia for many years and I remember talking to his wife about that a number of times when she would come for the 8am Sunday Mass. May they be together again and join in the praise of God in the heavenly kingdom.

Congratulations to Kristen Breitmeyer (from St. Leo’s) & Kyle Kadlec who are getting married this weekend. May they both enjoy a long and fruitful marriage.

We also welcome Sam Zint who is being baptized this Sunday. May the Lord bless him and his parents (married here at St. Leo’s) as they begin their family.

Next Saturday, October 1st, we will have our annual Pet Blessing at 11:30am (weather-permitting) at our outdoor Marian Shrine. May St. Francis of Assisi intercede for us as we enjoy these creatures that God has made for our enjoyment. 

I wanted to thank you for your patience if you have reached out to me via email or voicemail. These modern tools of technology are both a blessing and a curse! They are a blessing because they allow people to make contact with others, but they can also overwhelm at times. I do my best to return both emails and voicemails as quickly as possible, but I do prioritize so please know that I respond not “in the order that they are received” but according to priority. If I have an email where someone is sharing pictures they took on their vacation, I won’t  respond as quickly as I would to a voicemail that someone is in need of being anointed. I want you to know that I appreciate everyone’s attempt to make contact with me, but I apologize if I’m not able to respond to you in a timely manner due to the sometimes overwhelming number of calls and emails I receive (not to mention texts as well). At a pastor’s workshop I attended a number of years ago, I remember them saying that email is the work of the devil! And to some extent, I’m inclined to agree. But again, it’s a tool that enables people to reach out to us in ways they couldn’t before. I also want to let you know that if you don’t hear back from me, especially after calling, very often that is because I call the number back only to receive a message that “this voicemail box has not been set up yet” or “I’m sorry but this voicemail box is full and cannot accept any more messages.” It can be challenging especially for older people to know how to deal with the complexity of setting up voicemail on their cell phone or to know how to retrieve the messages. So if you don’t hear back from me, please don’t hesitate to give another call as that is likely the reason.  

I also want to let you know that when our livestreaming technology is not available, especially on a weekend, it is likely due to the fact that our internet service is down, and unfortunately our IT (“Internet technology”) company does not work on the weekend so we have to wait until Monday (at least) for the problem to be resolved. Our phone system is also driven by the internet, so if you can’t get through to us with a phone call, that is also likely the reason. However we figured out a way to continue to use livestreaming using a cell phone and a mobile hotspot should the internet go down, and we are going to try to have phone calls forwarded to my cell phone should our phone system go down as well so we’ll do our best to deal with these technology issues as best we can. 

Pastor's Column for September 18, 2022

I anointed Theresa Kowal, mother Anthony, Joe, & Kathy Kowal (Joe & Kathy are from our parish) back in July. We celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial for her on Friday, September 9th. I visited her in the home she lived in for many years. She was a very devout Catholic and proof of that was found in a letter she wrote to her grandson when he graduated from elementary school: “Don’t forget who you are—a Christian. Live up to those standards that you were brought up with. Christ is always there for you when you need him. Talk to him. I’m always talking to him and the saints.” We pray that Theresa will be able now to talk to Christ in person, and to her fellow saints. May she rest in God’s peace.

Our first Faith Formation Session last Sunday went very well for the young people in our parish who do not attend our parish school or who are preparing for the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation this year. We are grateful to their parents for living out the promise they made at the baptism of their children to raise them in the practice of the faith. They will be attending these conversational gatherings in the Parish Center three Sundays a month from 9:30am until 10:45am, and then will be joining us for the 11am Mass (unless they attend the 8am Mass instead). If you have children whom you would like to participate in these sessions, please call the rectory office. Since this is “Catechetical Sunday,” at the 11am Mass, we will be asking God’s blessings on those in our parish who teach and pass on our Catholic Faith to the young people of our parish. We are grateful for their response to the call of Jesus to “preach the gospel to all.” 

Congratulations to the parents of James Martini who will be baptized this weekend after the 11am Mass. May he too come to know the love of Christ through the parents who have given him life. 

Attempting to pick up the pieces of one’s life after the tragedy of divorce is an area that can impact a person’s relationship with God and the Church. One of the significant issues that a person faces is their place in the Church. Does the Church still care about me even though I am divorced? Am I allowed to go to Mass? Can I receive communion? How can the Church help me heal? If I decide to marry again, what do I have to do? The Tribunal of the Diocese of Cleveland offers its First Step Program to help individuals deal with these questions in order to renew and/or strengthen their relationship with God and the Church. The Tribunal is pleased to be able to assist those in need of a declaration of invalidity of a marriage. We now have specially-trained ministers, called Case Specialists, to assist people with their cases. The participants attend a general meeting and follow-up with a Case Specialist to submit the case. This program is offered to help everyone, especially those who have experienced divorce, learn more about Catholic teaching regarding marriage, divorce, and remarriage. In any endeavor, taking the “first step” is always the most difficult. The First Step Program helps individuals to navigate the path of healing and closure. The participants attend the general meeting, and follow-up with their procurator to submit the case. For more information see Tribunal website. Note that the Diocese of Cleveland no longer requires any fees for this process. The next First Step Program will be held on Tuesday, 27 September 2022, at St. Ambrose Parish, Brunswick, at 7:00 pm. For more information call Lynette Tait at the Tribunal: 216-696-6525/800-869-6525, ext. 4000.