Pastor's Column for January 30, 2022

     Though a couple of months late, today the new awnings we ordered last summer were finally installed. I believe they will be a great help in identifying buildings & their proper entrances while at the same time blending in with our current architecture. One is located at the Broadview Road entrance of the school building & says “Main Entrance.” We already have a sign to the right of these doors which identify the building as our Parish School. There is also an awning on the parking lot entrance of the school building by the cafeteria & Junior High wing which says, “School Entrance.” The one on the Parish Center (the old convent building) says “PreSchool” and “Community Center” as it serves both of these purposes. A corner awning on our gym entrance says “Lux Hall” on one side and “Gym Entrance” on the side facing the parking lot. Finally, the one on the building where I am currently working says, “Rectory Office.” Each of these has our parish logo (the blue & gold cross surrounded by an oval of the same colors) in the middle. I hope you also believe they serve a needed purpose while enhancing the appearance of our parish buildings. 
     Unfortunately our Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, scheduled for last Sunday evening, needed to be cancelled due to the inclement weather. The purpose of this time of prayer was to pray for the minds & hearts of pro-abortionists to be converted and to pray for the women who are expecting and in need of financial, emotional and spiritual help during a difficult time. Please remember to include this intention in your personal prayer today.                                                 

      When there is bad weather, usually due to a snowstorm which makes driving both difficult and unsafe, I strongly encourage you not to risk your life (or that of others) when you otherwise would have planned to drive to church. This would be true for either weekend or weekday Mass. Better to join us via livestream when the weather (or your personal health) would call for you to remain home. We will try to let you know via our website when it would be wise for you to remain at home due to bad weather, as we did this past week when the parking lot was not yet plowed before the 8:30am Mass on Monday as it had just started snowing early that morning before the snow plows were able to clear our parking lots. So please remember that the first place to look for the most current and timely information would be on our website (leothegreat.org). If you are technically challenged, please feel free to call the rectory office to inquire about morning Mass, but you may not be able to reach us if the rectory office is closed. We may be able to provide a number for you to call for such inquiries and I’ll let you know about that in this space soon. The most important rule is: do not risk your life or health in coming to Mass, as much as you would like to be here or we would like to have you here. 
     I feel it necessary, when encouraging you to use our livestream technology, to also caution you about using that technology irresponsibly. I have frequently encouraged you to join us via livestream if the weather or your health demands it, however my fear (which is shared by several priests and bishops during this time), is that people will depend on such technology  while at the same time still going out in public. Of course going to a doctor’s appointment is understandable, but the presumption is that if you are trying to stay safe by watching Mass at home, neither are you visiting other public places unnecessarily. It’s like the rule my mom had when we were young: if you’re too sick to go to school, you’re too sick to go out to play. Only you can judge your own personal circumstances, but I do need to caution you that it may become too easy to think that live-streaming is a suitable substitute for attending Mass in person, as you are lacking the presence of the Church community while at home as well as the sacramental presence of Christ in the Eucharist. So please take this into prayerful and serious consideration. By all means use live-streaming when necessary, but know the importance of being with your fellow parishioners to receive Holy Communion whenever possible.

Pastor's Column for January 23, 2022

On January 12th, we celebrated the funeral Mass for Thomas Simonski. Tom worked as a laborer for General Motors for 30 years. He was remembered for his generosity, helping strangers to buy food and offering his help to others who needed him. He also served his country in the army. His wife feels blessed to have shared her life with him. We remember him in prayer as we ask for God’s mercy on all our beloved dead.

     On January 15th, we celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial for Patrick Crean who was the oldest of 10 children. He had 4 children himself and 6 grandchildren. Pat was remembered as a joyful, grateful person who was dedicated to his Catholic faith, serving as a Lector, Usher and Eucharistic Minister at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Macedonia, as well as at his parish in Florida. He had a devotion to St. Jude and was generous to the Church. May the Lord welcome him home.              

     We also express our deepest sympathy to the Henry family on the unexpected death of Daniel. He attended our parish school and then discovered a love for photography and won several awards for his artwork. Daniel made lifelong friendships through the process of recovery and made a difference in the lives of others who shared his struggle. He was a skilled tradesman and welder and enjoyed many hobbies. We pray especially for his fiancé Mary, for his children and parents and for his siblings Amy & Kelly. May Daniel and all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.       

     This weekend we sadly commemorate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade as the United States Bishops declare Saturday, January 22nd, the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. This yearly anniversary should bring deep sadness to all of us of the Catholic Faith, as it does with many others throughout the world of different faiths and even those of no faith. For this is when we pray for the victims of abortion and for those who have had abortions. We pray also for national leaders, many of whom praise the “freedom” that this law gives to kill the unborn (and even those who are already born). Since the first century the Church has proclaimed the moral evil of every abortion and this teaching has not changed and cannot change because of the sacredness of life which begins at conception. As someone tweeted, “If you are a devout Catholic, then you do not support abortion, If you support abortion, then you are not a devout Catholic.” This applies even to politicians who claim to be Catholic while at the same time supporting pro-abortion views.            

     I agree that we as members of the clergy do not preach on this important topic enough, perhaps only using this once a year anniversary to do so. For me, it seems so abundantly clear that abortion is morally and mortally sinful according to our long-standing Catholic belief that it would seem that we are preaching to the choir when we preach against it. But sadly, there are some Catholics who feel that this issue is up for debate. So allow me, in the strongest possible way, to express my own personal belief in the sacredness of all human life from the moment of conception and beg you who may not have the same belief to exam carefully your thoughts and hearts, for God will not allow the injustice of abortion to be argued for in the presence of His Divine Life, regardless of political affiliation or calls for liberty. We are never free to do what is gravely wrong in the sight of God. May we pray always for an end to this holocaust. 

Pastor's Column for January 16, 2022

A few months ago, we were informed that the company which used to handle our HVAC throughout all our parish buildings was reducing the number of clients they had so we moved to another company that we have been very happy with. I asked them why it’s always cold in the church vestibule and they looked into it & saw that a belt was on backwards on the blower near the vents. The good news is that it’s fixed & so we now have heat in the vestibule of the church and in the cry room. That means that we can once again open up our Information Desk located in the old baptismal font area. So starting this weekend, after all of the Masses, you can see Amy there who can save you a trip to the rectory office which forces you out into the cold. You can schedule Mass intentions, buy Sweepstakes tickets, purchase gift cards (the more popular ones like Giant Eagle, Speedway & Marc’s), and pick up things like sponsor certificates which have already been prepared for you. We also have some free cookbooks that were sold at one time from the PTC committee which you are welcome to take home. Feel free to let Amy know what else we can make available to you back there which would save you a trip to the rectory office. I’ll remind you about this information desk after Mass from time to time & hope it will be convenient for you to have someone there to assist you.       

     At this time of year, we have many people who request a Contribution Statement which they can use when filing their taxes. If you have already requested one, you can pick that up from the Information Desk as well. To have a statement prepared for you, you can call the rectory office or email us at info@leothegreat.org and we will be happy to get that ready for you to pick up in the rectory office or in the vestibule of the church. We can also send it to you via email or snail mail. You can also request this right from the homepage of our website, leothegreat.org.                                                   

     A couple more reminders (if you’re like me, it’s always helpful to have reminders of things that are easily forgotten)…I am in the confessional which is through the door by the tabernacle in the church on Saturdays from 3pm until about 3:40pm, and on Sunday from 10:15am until about 10:40am. I’m always available by request as well. Also know that I’m happy to anoint you as I’m walking around the church before all the Masses (though I need to start vesting for Mass about 5 minutes before Mass begins).                                                                    

     I just spoke with Eddie Abufarha from Trinity Tours who is coordinating the trip to the Holy Land this May. He informed me that Israel is open for tourism and has removed limitations that had been in place due to COVID so that is great news. We currently have 36 pilgrims signed up for the trip and can take 4 more so if you were waiting to see if the trip is still on (it is!) and thinking about joining us, this is the time to get onboard! Their November trip was very successful. So please reach out to me or to Eddie (I can give you his phone number) if you’d like more information or would like to sign up. I am really looking forward to walking in the same place where the Son of God walked among us and to seeing the holy sites that have been revered for 2,000 years.                                                     

     Our students have returned to school and all is going very well in this new year for them. Please keep them and our teachers (many of them are new to St. Leo’s this year) in your prayers. May God grant us all a healthy and happy new year.

Pastor's Column for January 9, 2022

Last Tuesday we celebrated the funeral Mass for Kevin Austin, and I expressed the support of our prayers and faith to the family members as I always do, especially to Kevin’s sisters Vivienne & Eileen and to his twin brother Keith. Kevin was a quiet man who enjoyed time fishing especially with his dad and brother. As the Word of God assures us, the just are in the hands of God and they are in peace. We pray for Kevin and for all those hit by the sadness of a deceased loved one in this new year.                                                            

     The total of our at Mass Christmas collection last month was $24,309.00 compared to $20,709.00 a year ago (more donations come through the mail). Our total Sunday collection for 2021 was $408,206 compared to $388,410 in 2020, an increase of about $20,000. This is incredible, given that we had the fewest people in attendance for Christmas Mass in the 35 years I’ve been celebrating Christmas Masses, due of course to the pandemic. Your generosity continues to inspire me and to make me ever more grateful for your support of our parish. Thank you for the sacrifices you make, especially in light of the Coronavirus. I pray only that the Berigan’s and I and all of our parish staff will serve you to the best of our abilities.                                                     

     The priests of the Diocese received an update from Bishop Malesic as we face the Omicron variant of COVID. This is causing the Diocese to review and adjust some of the diocesan events planned for the coming months. My cousin, Fr. Dan Schlegel, has been working overtime trying to coordinate coverage for the number of priests who have come down with the new strain and so are unable to celebrate weekend Masses. The Bishop is asking us once again to encourage you to wear a mask when in church and to be vaccinated if you are medically able to do so for the common good.                                                 

     Again, we are asked to inform you that “those who are ill, have significant health risk factors or care for someone who is immune-compromised or ill, as well as those who have significant fear or anxiety about contracting the coronavirus in a large group of persons are not obliged to attend Mass.”                                                                                           

     This email from the Bishop also included a briefing on the surge in COVID cases in Northeast Ohio from Paul M. Shaniuk, MD, FACP, President of the Archbishop Sheen Catholic Medical Associate Guild of Northeast Ohio. He notes what you probably already know, but summarizes it this way: “Northeast Ohio is currently experiencing one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 in the entire country. This is due mostly to the Omicron variant, which is likely to hit hard and fast. Health care workers are also getting sick in high numbers. Even if their illnesses are mild, they are unable to work while sick with COVID-19 to avoid the risk of spreading the virus to their vulnerable patients. Prior to this surge, there had already been a growing shortage in health care workers as approximately 20% have left the field since 2020 for a variety of reasons, of which burnout and moral injury are high and vaccine mandates make only a very small percentage. The health care workers who are still providing front line care are exhausted and demoralized.” This document encourages us to pray publicly at Masses for an end to the Pandemic but also for patients suffering from the virus, those who have lost loved ones, and for the exhausted healthcare workers who care for them. I believe we can all acknowledge the need to pray. So let us do that, individually and communally, as we ask God to give us the strength we need to struggle through this pandemic and to help each other according to God’s will.