Pastor's Column for February 28, 2021

Again I want to thank you for your continued generosity and faithfulness in making your contributions to the parish during the last 12 months of the pandemic. Though our collection income has been down as a result of the decreased attendance at Mass, we are doing relatively well compared to other parishes who have suffered much worse financially. Of course there is fear that the Catholic Charities Appeal will suffer as well this year as it did last year due to the pandemic, so again I thank you for doing what you can to alleviate that according to your financial abilities at this time. Again since I didn’t have time to go over the Appeal instructions for Catholic Charities at the 4pm Mass last weekend, I will do that this weekend. There are many ways that you can make a pledge or donation so please see our website (leothegreat.org) or call the rectory office if you need help with this. 

Our take-out only Lenten fish fry has gone very well so far, and many people are taking advantage of the option to pay by credit card, so we hope you can continue to enjoy our good food & reasonable prices this year. The menu along with prices are on our website. 

Each day during Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful of the Diocese. If you go to the diocesan website (dioceseofcleveland.org), there are links where you can follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. There is also a page there which speaks briefly about Lent in the Modern World, as well as other Lenten resources. We will put links to these on our parish website as well. 

Also on our website is information regarding our annual parish “Have a Heart, Lend a Hand” program which is another important opportunity to fulfill the Lenten discipline of almsgiving, especially in helping children in our own Cleveland area. You have always been exceptionally generous with this effort and once again we appreciate your thoughtfulness in helping our young ones.

Since I’m writing so much about our website and the vast amount of information available to you there, I’ll also announce that we have a new website dedicated to our parish school here at St. Leo’s, and that can be accessed by clicking the “School” link at the top of the homepage. It is there where parents of our school children as well as prospective parents can find much useful information about our parish school. You can schedule a tour, make payments, get information about our athletic programs, see pictures of and contact school staff, sign up for information through Flocknote, access the parent portal and more. This website also includes much information about our Preschool as well. At nearly 300 students in our day school alone, we are thriving in the academic and spiritual formation of our young people. I am very grateful to all the staff members who make this possible under the leadership of our Principal, Mrs. Burns. 

I was able to get my first COVID vaccine shot with the next one scheduled at the same time in 3 weeks (you get another really short homily!). While I’m grateful that such a vaccine is available, I continue to be mindful of those in our world who will still wait a long time before getting it, and especially mindful of those who have already died from COVID...a half million in the US alone. Mary, Help of the Sick, pray for us. 

Pastor's Column for February 21, 2021

Chris Rath is a long time parishioner who attends daily Mass & who served the parish many years by preparing everything for the 8am Sunday Mass. Chris’s husband Ralph died last week after struggling with several health problems this past year. I had a Funeral Service for Ralph this past Thursday and recalled the way that he provided so well for Chris and for their son Jeremy and how he was a good & loving husband and father to them. Many have been praying for Ralph and for Chris and we thank the Lord that he died peacefully at Holy Family Hospice where they also ministered well to his physical and spiritual needs. We extend our sympathy to Chris and to Jeremy & ask God to let their gratitude soothe their grief. 

This weekend we have our Annual Catholic Charities Appeal. This practice has become more & more meaningful to me over the years, most especially when it comes during Lent, as it does this year. On Ash Wednesday, we heard the gospel where Jesus speaks of the importance of what has come to be known as the three disciplines of Lent: prayer, fasting & almsgiving. And Catholic Charities is all about almsgiving! It is not enough that we pray more for ourselves & for others during Lent, or even that we fast from meat or other food, as good and necessary as both of these are. For Lent is really about charity, about recognizing the needs of our brothers & sisters in Christ and making a decision to help them as practically and concretely as we can. This is what Catholic Charities does for us: it gives us that opportunity to directly help people who are hungry, who lack clothing and shelter and so many of the other basic necessities that you & I take for granted every day. What better way to begin this Lent than by making a real difference in the lives of others by giving just a small portion of our income to those who need our help? You have always been generous in this way and I have every confidence that you will continue to give what you can so that the gospel we just heard may come alive for you.

Now that I have mentioned almsgiving, I must also speak of prayer & fasting, which for us as Catholics includes abstaining from meat on Fridays of Lent. So again we provide opportunities for you to address these two other Lenten practices. First, you can join us prayerfully for the Stations of the Cross which will be held in the church at 7pm every Friday of Lent. Again it will be nice to see our beautiful mosaic stations with the new lights we had installed on them last year. This will be live-streamed in case you can’t join us physically in the church. We also make it easy for you to abstain from meat on Fridays of Lent by providing you with a delicious meal through our Fish Fry’s. Of course the pandemic prevents us from enjoying each other’s company while we eat, but last year we ramped up our ability to offer take-out and this will be the (only) option for you again this year. Same great food, same great prices, but you’ll eat at home with your family. Credit cards accepted. We could livestream this for you too but it probably wouldn’t be the same. 

Finally, the homily at the 4pm Mass this weekend will be short. I am scheduled to receive my vaccination shot at 4:45pm on Rockside Road, and if I’m late, I’ll miss it. So I have to pray quickly (but always sincerely). You pray too that I won’t get a speeding ticket. 

Pastor's Column for February 14, 2021

Joe Gorney came to see me last August to tell me that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer & learned of this back in April of last year, just a couple of weeks after he turned 60 (I had turned 60 just a few days before he came to see me). Sadly, Joe passed away last month & we celebrated his funeral Mass February 6th. He has 2 sons, Steve & Joe, who possess his same gentleness and kindness. I had anointed Joe & prayed with him, so I know he was ready to meet the Lord. I thank God for knowing him, even for just a short time, and pray he may rest in God’s peace.

We also extend our sympathies to Chris Barhof, whose husband Tom passed away suddenly while I was on vacation. Fr. Brown was able to celebrate his funeral Mass at Mary, Queen of Peace and I’m grateful for him doing so while I was away. We pray for Tom and Chris and ask the Lord to fill them both with his peace.

This weekend we welcome Bishop Martin Amos to St. Leo’s as he celebrates the Sacrament of Confirmation for our young people at the 4pm Saturday Mass. I have known Bishop Amos since I started the high school seminary in 1974, where he was assigned. He was my first spiritual director and confessor, and I since I always referred to him as my “model priest,” I predicted to him at that time that he would become a bishop some day. And so he did! I’m so happy to have him come to St. Leo’s this weekend. I understand that he grew up in this area so I’ll be asking him about that after Mass. We welcome him and congratulate our confirmandi as the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to them sacramentally. 

While I was in the high school seminary, we saw some changes in the practice of our Catholic faith which were the result of the Second Vatican Council that took place in the early 1960’s. I remember receiving Holy Communion in the hand which became an option at that time & is now a common practice among most Catholics. I also remember going to confession “face to face” which was quite a change from the previous anonymous confessions behind the screen. You will notice another very small change as of Ash Wednesday as we begin on that day to conclude our prayers by saying, “We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.” Did you notice what was missing? The word “one” before “God.” This is a more accurate translation of the Latin and is meant to clarify that we are speaking here of Christ’s divinity, and so call him “God.” We are not speaking of the Oneness of the Trinity, which is implied. Other languages besides English already have the correct translation. 

Lent begins this week with Ash Wednesday. Mass will be celebrated at 8:30am (live-streamed for the school students & of course those at home) & at 7pm. Deacon Pat will have a service with ashes at Noon. Again, a small change due to the pandemic: ashes will not be placed on the forehead but sprinkled on top of your head in silence (seriously). Here is what the Diocese instructs: “This method of distributing ashes by sprinkling is a common practice in other countries, but is not well known in the United States...there is no requirement to physically receive ashes, but they (the faithful) may come forward if they so choose in order to receive them in the manner described above. I’ll speak more about this at Mass this Wednesday.

Pastor's Column for February 7, 2021

Many were saddened to hear of the passing of Ralph Mlady, husband of Loretta for 58 years. They have 2 children, Ralph Jr. & Lisa, and 2 grandchildren, Jason & Zak. Ralph had been a very active member of our parish, and had served as an usher and as a member of our St. Vincent de Paul Society. He also belonged to the Holy Name Society where he was active in their social events and had organized the softball team. When younger, Ralph was a talented athlete and so later he coached football at Blessed Sacrament parish and at St. Leo the Great, where he also coached basketball. I anointed Ralph shortly before his death and as we prayed the last rites for him, we called upon the saints to intercede for him, esp. his favorite, St. Francis of Assisi. I always admired the way that Ralph was a gentle and humble man who was devoted to his family and to his God. May the Lord now reward him for a life of faith, love & service.

While I was away, Fr. Jack Carlin celebrated the funeral Mass for Harriet Watson who lived 91 years of faith. Though Harriet had been living elsewhere recently, I remember her well as another gentle and kind woman of our parish. She was the mother of 6 children, grandmother of 16 and great-grandmother of 17. We extend our sympathy to all of them and to her brother. May Harriet join with all of our departed parishioners in the praise of God in his heavenly kingdom.

I recently heard the confessions of our eighth grade students who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation next Saturday, February 13th, during the 4pm Saturday Mass. Please keep them in your prayers as they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit sacramentally. 

The pilgrimage to the Holy Land that we had planned for May of this year had to be postponed of course due to the pandemic. Now that everyone should be receiving the vaccine in the next few weeks, I have chosen a new date for 2022 along with Eddie Abufarha from Trinity Tour Travels whom many of you have met while looking at the olive wood pieces he sells for those living in Bethlehem where he was born. We have set aside May 16-25, 2022 for our trip to the Holy Land. Please mark that in your calendar if you were one of the people interested in going. By then the whole pandemic should be well behind us and we can include prayers of thanksgiving for that while in the place where Jesus lived. I will continue now to keep a list of all those interested so if you have not yet expressed your interest in joining us, please let me know so that I can keep you informed. 

I continue to appreciate all that our Principal, Mrs. Burns, and our parish school teachers and staff have done during this year to meet the challenges of the pandemic. Along with the students, they have all made many sacrifices to get through this time with courage and faith. Our school enrollment is now at 291, an increase of almost 100 students from when I first came to St. Leo’s, and the only credit I can take for that is hiring gifted and committed principals and teachers who have given their all to Catholic education and Christian formation at our parish. We should be proud and grateful to have a thriving school community.