Pastor's Column for May 27, 2018

Terry Wamser, whose funeral Mass was celebrated here last Saturday, was the father of Terry, Tammy & Tracey and the grandfather of 5. He has one surviving sister named Eileen and three deceased brothers. Terry is remembered for being quite a jokester who always spoke his mind. We extend our sympathies to his family.

We welcomed Alexis Madej into our Catholic family through the Sacrament of Baptism last Sunday and this Sunday we will be baptizing Amelia Mendez & Joshua Kindry. We joyfully celebrate their entrance into the Church.

At the 8am Mass this Sunday, I will receive Susan Rausch, baptized in another denomination, into the Catholic Church as she makes her Profession of Faith. She will also receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. Next Saturday Deacon Pat will celebrate her marriage to Chip Meitin so we congratulate them and pray they may have many happy years together.

This Monday during our Memorial Day Mass at 9am, the collection taken up will be for the ministry of our St. Vincent de Paul Society which continues to do good work in helping those in need in our parish and neighborhood. We pray for them as we remember on this special day all those who have given their life in the service of our country. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for others.”

Last weekend during the petitions we prayed for Fr. Neil Crosby who passed away. Fr. Crosby was a Parochial Vicar (formerly known as an “Associate Pastor”) here at St. Leo’s in the late 1980s & early 1990’s. May he receive the reward of a good and faithful servant.

We plan to have Fr. Vesely celebrate the 4pm Mass next Saturday, June 2nd. I’m sure you will be happy to see him as he will be to see you.

As our parish school children had their last day of school this past Wednesday, we said goodbye to them as they enjoy the summer months. I continue to be very grateful for the great work of our Principal, Mrs. Denise Burns & of the en- tire faculty and staff. What gifted people they are!

Last Sunday Deacon Pat introduced himself and his wife Joan during the 11am Mass. He will do the same at the 4pm & 8am Masses the weekend of June 9th & 10th. As we welcome them and their ministry at St. Leo’s, I also want to welcome Nathan Noga who comes with their recommendation. Nathan will be our Parish Life Coordinator which means he will have a hand in many of the ministries and activities of our parish. Though he will be working part-time, you will have the chance to meet him at various parish events. I am happy to have these three gifted people join me in the Pastoral Care of the Parish and ask that you pray for us that we may serve you well. Michaela continues to remain second in charge and is responsible for the protection of all who work in our rectory office. She has proved her competence over the years.

Pastor's Column for May 20, 2018

We welcome and congratulate the 8th grade students of our Parish School who will be graduating after the 4pm Mass this weekend. They frequently attended the 8:30am Mass on Fridays and I would spend a few minutes with them after those Masses to answer questions they had or to discuss something I thought was important. I enjoyed this time with them and will miss seeing them walking our halls. We’re happy that 19 out of the 21 students will be going on to a Catholic High School, and proud of that commitment to a religious atmosphere following their time at St. Leo’s. May God bless each one of these graduates as they begin this new chapter in their lives.

We’re also very pleased that our enrollment is increasing again for next year. I’ll let you know the final numbers as they are more firm in the summer months but I’m very grateful to our teachers and staff in the school who have had a wonderful year under the leadership of our new Principal, Mrs. Denise Burns. This Wednesday is the last day of school and so the halls will be empty again for a few months but not for long. We are very blessed to have a Parish School (and Preschool) which are doing so well. These are an important part of our history but also of our present and future as well.

Today we welcome the Knights of Columbus who will be present at the 11am Mass. And joining us will be their chaplain, Deacon Pat Berigan. I’m very happy to let you know that Deacon Pat and his wife Joan have joined our parish (along with Joan’s mother) and have offered to minister here. Deacon Pat has just retired from his place of employ- ment and from his diaconal ministry but like retired priests, can still choose to exercise their ministry with a parish and pastor of their choosing. We are thrilled that they have chosen us and I look forward to them working with me as we form a Pastoral Staff here at St. Leo’s. They both have many years of formation and experience in ministry and so their gifts will be very welcomed here. I’ll let Deacon Pat intro- duce himself to you at the 11am Mass this weekend (and at the 4pm & 8am Masses the weekend of June 9th & 10th). It is perfect timing for him to be with us today as he is celebrating his 30th Anniversary of Ordination this Sunday. So please be sure to congratulate him and welcome him and his wife as warmly as you welcomed me. On this Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit which was given when the Church first began. May that Spirit help each of us to use the gifts we are given for the building up of our faith, our parish and our world.

Pastor's Column for May 13, 2018

Next Saturday, May 19th, our 8th grade students will be processing into the church at the 4pm Mass as they graduate from our parish school. They will receive their diplomas after Mass has ended so we will wait for everyone to leave the church before we begin that brief ceremony. We are always sad to see our students move on but are grateful for the opportunity to have given them a great education in the atmosphere of faith. May God guide their journey through high school.

We welcome Joshua Kindry into our Catholic Faith through the Holy Sacrament of Baptism this Sunday. May God bless those who have taken upon themselves the respon- sibility of “training him in the practice of the faith.”

Please bare with me as I call upon your generosity this weekend for two very worthy causes. The Knights of Columbus have asked my permission to ask for donations at the doors of the church after Mass for their annual “Measure Up” campaign which donates money for mentally challenged adults and children organizations. Please consider offering them something for this good purpose.

This weekend we will also have our Catholic Charities Follow-up Appeal. You may remember that in the last couple of years, this follow-up appeal was made for the sake of those who may not have been present during the first appeal back in February. However it has taken a new direction so that this particular appeal is made on behalf of a specific need in the Catholic Charities organization. This year, all funds raised this weekend will be used to expand addiction treatment services across our diocese. The news is filled with stories of increasing opioid addiction (and deaths) and so the need for such treatment services has never been higher. I ask you to please consider making some kind of donation to this, especially if you did not already make a pledge to Catholic Charities earlier. Thank you in advance for reaching out to help those who are addicted. “Whatsoever you do...”

We moved Fr. Vesely into his apartment at Mount Alverna this past Wednesday. This assisted living wing will be different from what he’s had in skilled nursing as he will have his own space with more privacy, and will eat with fellow residents in a beautiful dining room which provides a menu of options for each meal. Though he is no longer in residence here at St. Leo’s, he will always be considered an important part of our parish community. We have plans for him to celebrate Mass here soon.

Finally, at each Mass I will ask God’s blessing on all the women of our parish who act as mother, grandmother or god- mother. Though we take our mothers seriously, we can also smile as we think of them. Maybe this will help: Mom No. 1: How do you get your sleepy-head son up in the morning? Mom No. 2: I just put the cat on the bed. Mom No. 1: How does that help? Mom No. 2: The dog’s already there.

Pastor's Column for May 6, 2018

Michele Lombardo is a parishioner who lectors (proclaims the Scripture readings) at weekend Mass & does so very well. Sadly we had a funeral Mass for her husband Joey last Saturday. Michele and Joe have two daughters, Kelly and Jamie, and we extend our sympathies to them as well as to Michele. Michele and Joey were married for 30 years and their daughters were “the apple of his eye.” May he rest with all the saints in God’s kingdom.

Last Sunday we baptized Xander Geither and Ryleigh Hartley. We welcome them into God’s family and pray for God’s blessings on them and their families. We also congratulate Tom & Chris Bauhof on their 45th Wedding Anniversary, Jerry & Linda DeBaltzo who celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary as well as Joe & Joan Krakora who also celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary last weekend. And again we congratulate all of the children who will be making their First Holy Communion this Saturday (May 5th) at the 4pm Mass. We look forward to them joining us every week at the Table of the Lord. We give thanks to God for all these joyful occasions which sustain us in our faith.

It seems that Fr. Vesely will be moving into an apartment at Mount Alverna very soon as one just became open for him. We had lunch last week and his walking is very much improved! He continues to appreciate the many cards & visits he receives. Let us continue our prayers for him as he settles in and continues to be such a welcome priestly minister to the people of that community.

You may have felt a bit cool in the church last weekend as the temperatures dropped outside for the weekend and we were still waiting on a faulty computer part to be replaced. Hopefully we won’t need any more heat now until the Fall! Even Michaela is not wearing her winter coat anymore.

Some were asking about that odd looking contraption in the yard by the rectory and offices. That is a gas meter which had to be wrapped during the winter months due to freezing in the lines (which would shut off our gas supply). Now that we’re all thawed out, the wrapping has been removed and it’s not so unsightly. Hopefully we’ll see the grass get greener, the flowers start blooming and the trees grow their leaves. Then we can start to complain about the heat!

For those who attended Mass on Saturday last weekend, perhaps you saw the beautiful religious items made out of olive wood which were on display and for sale in the vestibule of the church. I mentioned on Sunday that this family from Bethlehem started a travel agency with tours to the Holy Land & so expressed my interest. I’m looking at early 2020 for that to happen. If you haven’t done so already, let me know if you’re interested & I’ll put you on the “I’m interested” list.