Pastor's Blog for January 27, 2019

Though we seemed to have our regular crowd at the 4pm Mass last weekend, we had so few people here for 8am & 11am on Sunday. I’m glad that most of you chose to stay home rather than risk driving on the unplowed streets. Of course, it is not a sin to stay away on such a weekend so don’t feel that you need to confess it, the same being true when you are ill or on vacation with no possible way to attend Mass. The best option under those circumstances is to take a little bit of time to pray at home and perhaps read the scriptures for that weekend (citations are included in our bulletin every week and can be found easily online). I often suggest that people who cannot attend Mass on the weekend due to their work schedules can always attend a Mass during the week. We have Mass at 7:30am Monday through Thursday & 8:30am on Fridays (as the parish school children attend that Mass twice a month). Other parishes might have a late afternoon or early evening Mass as well during the week. My only plea would be for you to either sign up for our online giving option called “WeShare” which can be done through our rectory office (stop in or give us a call) or online at our website (www.leothegreat.org). This allows us to receive your weekly donations even when you can’t be here. But for now, if you’re able to give what you would have given last weekend, it would be very much appreciated so that we can stay on budget.

As I type this on Tuesday, January 22nd, we commemorate the sad anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize abortion in our country. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have declared this to be a “National Day of Prayer and Penance for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.” Though the day will be passed by the time you read this, I ask that you take a moment to pray for a change in that unjust law, to pray for the unborn, and also to pray for those who are faced with an unplanned or unexpected pregnancy. On the website of the USCCB it wisely reminds us: “Decisions against human life are often influenced by feeling afraid, unsupported, pressured or alone. We need to love both the unborn children and their parents providing concrete support to help those in difficult pregnancy situations welcome their children before and after they are born.” Our love must be for all those involved.

I received the welcomed news that due to a cancellation, my surgery date was moved up from February 25th to February 11th which is 2 weeks away instead of 4. I am so grateful for the cards and pledges of your prayers. It makes me all the more conscious of our need to minister to the sick among us. May God bring health and wholeness to us all.

One of our school students came up to me last week and said, “You look just like that guy we see over in the church!” I just told him that I hope that guy is as nice as I am. He smiled & assured me he is.

Pastor's Blog for January 20, 2019

Congratulations to the parents of Thea & Carissa Harris and to the parents of Leo Seminitore, all of whom are being baptized this weekend. It’s always a joy to bring children into a relationship with Christ and the Church. May the parents be blessed too as they raise these children in the practice of the Faith.

From time to time I like to review the Church’s under- standing of the Sacrament of Anointing so that you and/or your loved ones can take full advantage of this gift of Christ to us. So often we do not hear from someone until their loved one is near death. This likely comes from an older under- standing of what was called “Extreme Unction” which is when a priest was called to anoint a Catholic when they were near death. In recent years, the Church began to refer to this Sacrament as the Anointing of the Sick in order to emphasize that it is meant to be offered to someone as soon as they ex- perience a serious illness, instead of waiting until a person’s illness is so far advanced that death may be imminent. Since this “Extreme Unction” (the word “unction” means to anoint) was given so close to death, it also became known as the “Last Rites” for indeed the anointing included final prayers of the Church for the one who was dying. So these two things were separated when the Church dropped the term “Extreme Unction” and so intended the Anointing of the Sick (a sacrament) for someone who is ill and the Last Rites (official prayers of the Church) for someone who is dying. Though someone can receive both the Anointing and the Last Rites at the same time, the preference is to separate these so that the Church may pray for the healing of a person who is ill and can offer final prayers for someone who is in the dying process. Therefore, we would encourage you to contact us for the Sacrament of the Sick when you first learn of someone’s serious illness so that we can accompany them with our prayers & support as we pray for their healing. Of course we also wish to pray for someone who is dying by giving them the last rites, but we hope to offer them our support long before that process begins, if possible. If you’re ever unsure what you should ask for or when, please don’t hesitate to call me or see me in church & ask. We want to reach out to those who are sick and to those who are dying so that we can offer to them the grace that comes from Christ through the Church.

I began watching a new show called “The Kids are Alright” which is about a Catholic family (of 8 boys) grow- ing up in the 1960’s. In one scene the children are hurriedly eating breakfast on a Sunday morning when the mother says “One hour until Communion...spit out whatever you haven’t swallowed.” That really made me LOL. If you lived in the 60’s, you’d get that “one hour fast before Communion” ref- erence. It’s good that we can laugh at ourselves.

Pastor's Blog for January 13, 2019

I met with our former Principal Sister Erin last weekand she gave me a tour of Cleveland Central Catholic High School where she is now Vice-Principal. It is on the campus of St. Stanislaus, but I wasn’t able to go into the church as it was locked, but hope to see the inside sometime because the outside of the building is beautiful. Sister Erin asked me to send her greetings to all of you. She is doing very well there and really enjoys her ministry to the high school students. Please keep her in your prayers.

All parishes received a letter from Bishop Perez regarding the St. Vincent de Paul Ministry in the Diocese, which as you know is very active here at St. Leo’s. He writes: “I remain grateful for the wonderful work the St. Vincent de Paul Society does in so many parishes to help those most in need. Through our common efforts, we faithfully respond to Christ's invitation to feed, love and tend His sheep. Thank you for all you do to attend to our brothers and sisters who are most in need. Your kindness, charity, love and respect for them manifests the Incarnation of Christ in a very real way.”So let me echo his words and take this opportunity to thank all of you for your generosity to this ministry at our parish, either through food or money donations, and let me thank especially those who work collecting the food, putting it in bags & dispensing it to those who come to us. They work behind the scenes but I want you all to know how much they do. Thanks to each of them!

I would also like to encourage your participation in our Gift Card Program. You can purchase gift cards for everyday purchases, gifts or as a simple thank you. The cards are available for purchase in the Rectory Office or at the Information Desk in the vestibule of the church after Mass. Your purchases are an excellent, easy and convenient way to help support our Parish.

I had my first appointment with the surgeon on January 4th. I have great confidence in him. He gave me the choice of having the surgery done at St. John Medical Center (formerly St. John Westshore) in Westlake or at the Main Campus of University Hospital in downtown Cleveland. I chose the former as it’s small and is a Catholic Hospital. The surgery will be on February 25th, which means I can take my planned vacation to Florida at the beginning of February.

I’m so grateful for the prayers and support & know it will help a lot in my healing. My thoughts turn especially to the ill members of our parish as I ask your prayers for them. May St. Peregrine, patron of cancer patients, pray for us.

Pastor's Blog for January 6, 2019

I anointed Dan Pisaneschi just a couple of days before he died on December 26th. We extend our sympathies to his wife Sandy and to his 3 children. While I was visiting Dan in his home, his children gave 3 pictures to their parents which were taken just a few weeks earlier by a professional photographer. One was a picture of Dan & Sandy, one was of their grandchildren, and the 3rd was a picture of the whole family with in-laws, etc. Those pictures will capture forever the love and joy that Dan & Sandy brought to each other and to so many others. May he rest in God’s peace.

We also celebrated the funeral of Diane Soler who was a longtime parishioner of St. Leo’s. I remember visiting her a couple of years ago when she was recovering from a fractured hip at Broadview Multicare. She was a regular at the 4pm Saturday Mass & I’m grateful to her sister Kathy for keeping me informed regarding her whereabouts and giving me updates on her health. I saw her in her home a couple of days before she died and she received the last rites of the Church. She offered her dialysis for the poor souls in purgatory so we can now offer our prayers for her that she may rest in the kingdom of heaven.

Congratulations to Gillian Halusker & Patrick Cooley as they are married in our church this weekend. May they be blessed with many years of happiness together.

After the 4pm Mass on Christmas Eve I could feel a certain strain in my voice but I enjoyed visiting with friends after that Mass. But then just minutes before the 10pm Mass on Christmas Eve, I heard Mickey Stitt playing a Christmas song on the organ that I liked so I started to sing along and nothing came out except squeaks & squeals. I knew immediately something was wrong: I got laryngitis right before the 10pm Christmas Mass! I couldn’t even preach (much to the delight of the congregation I’m sure) and as the Christmas song “The First Noel” says, “and so it continued both day and night”. But again, nothing happens by coincidence with God so again we were blessed by the presence of Deacon Pat who preached at the 11am Christmas morning Mass & then at the funeral I had a few days later and at the following weekend Masses as well. I finally got my voice back on New Year’s Day, just in time for the new year. So thanks to Deacon Pat for his generous availability & help when I was struck mute.

I told you that I was praying for a white Christmas when everyone else was praying for the weather we actually got. So you may be hesitant to ask me for prayers but I know I can depend on you for yours and thank you for your words of concern & for the pledge of your prayers. I should know more about the surgery by this weekend & will keep you in- formed. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.