Pastor's Blog for May 31, 2020

For those of you who are able to come back to church today, welcome back! To those who are being cautious due to age or medical conditions or just out of prudence, we welcome you back whenever you feel it is the right time for you. Again, the dispensation from the Bishops of Ohio from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in effect until further notice. In the mean time, we hope that you can join us in spirit through our new live streaming service, available on our website (as well as through our YouTube channel, Facebook page and Twitter account). Every weekend Mass will be live streamed so tune in at 4pm on Saturday, 8am or 11am on Sundays. Even weekday Mass will be live streamed (Monday through Friday at 8:30, with Deacon Pat doing a Communion Service on Thursdays). All of our live streamed Masses will also be available “on demand” meaning you can watch them any time at your convenience, though we hope you can join us at the same time we are actually celebrating the liturgy together. On the homepage of our website (leothegreat.org), you will see a countdown timer to our next Mass. At the time the Mass begins, a large “play” arrow will appear which you can click in order to begin viewing. Below this will be a link that takes you to all the Masses that you can watch on demand, again, at a time of your choosing. I may also include a link on the homepage which allows you to view just the homily portion of the video for when you cannot watch the whole liturgy but want a short message to (hopefully) inspire you during the day. Please note that the audio quality will improve with a new camera system when this become available for purchase again. For now, it may help to wear headphones to reduce the echo. We may also be able to provide closed caption which would allow you to read what is being said. While it’s always best to be physically present for Mass, this technology allows us to have the next best option. If you need help accessing any of these videos, please feel free to email (info@leothegreat.org) or call the rectory office and we will be happy to help you.

We are now permitted to have funerals again in the church as long as different households practice social distancing and masks are worn. We have also re-opened our Parish Community Center for meetings and for people to rent out, as long as the number present does not exceed 50% capacity (the large room in the Parish Center can comfortably hold about 75 people so that would be about 30-35 people). Please call the rectory office for more information.

Another reminder too that our rectory office is now open again with new temporary hours. Please see the notice in this bulletin.

Since the stay-at-home order happened in the middle of Lent when we were in the midst of our annual Have a Heart, Lend a Hand charity, we needed to make some adjustments to that program so please see this bulletin for what to do with items that you may have already purchased.

While we’re still doing some work on the church floor, hopefully you’ll notice how clean and shiny it is now that it’s been stripped & re-waxed. Perhaps you’ll also notice the brighter lights. But having many of you back is the brightest light for me. Welcome home.

New at St. Leo's: Live and On Demand Masses

I am happy to announce that starting on Saturday, May 23, you will be able to view and remotely participate in the Mass as it is being celebrated live here in our church. You will also be able to view Masses that have already been celebrated “on demand,” meaning that you can view past liturgies at any time, much as you would watch a pre-recorded television show.

We are using a service called Boxcast, which is also in use by some other parishes in the Diocese, including the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. At first we will be using an iPhone to stream the Mass but we plan on purchasing a camera that will be installed in the church when they become more available (they are sold out due to the increased demand during this pandemic). Either way they will be streamed in high definition. The audio will also be improved once we are able to purchase the currently unavailable microphone intended for this purpose.

When you go to our website on your computer, phone or tablet, you will see a picture with a countdown timer on it, showing you when the next Mass will be celebrated. If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you will also receive a notification on your device when Mass is being live-streamed and you can watch it live through any of these apps.

We will be live streaming both weekend and weekday Masses.

Of course it is always better to be physically present at Mass so that the real presence of Christ can be experienced in the minister, the Word, the assembly and especially in the Eucharist itself. But when that is not possible, especially during this pandemic, technology provides us with this opportunity for the next best option.

Pastor's Blog for May 24, 2020

Though the rectory office has been closed and my ministry has been confined to what I am able to do here in the office and church, many staff members have continued to spend a lot of time trying to deal with the effects of the pandemic, including discussing and planning ways we can begin to welcome people back to Mass. It can feel quite overwhelming at times, but I’m so grateful for the dedicated and sincere rectory and school staff who have worked hard despite not always being able to be present on the property during this time.

I am especially grateful to the Principal, Mrs. Denise Burns, who works very hard, either here in the school office or at home, for the good of our teachers and students. I am also grateful to all of our school teachers who continue to teach using the technology available to them to reach into the homes of our school children. It hasn’t been easy for them but they have persevered and have adapted so well. I miss seeing our school children and am especially saddened to know that I will not see them again until the fall, at the earliest, though I hope to see some of them in church during the summer. The eighth graders will be here this week to receive their diplomas but without the normal fanfare and social gathering that celebrates their time with us at St. Leo’s. They will be photographed and put on a video that will be shared with their families but it certainly will not be the same. I congratulate them and wish them well as they begin their high school journeys. 

A reminder that our first public Mass will be on Monday, May 25th, as we celebrate Memorial Day. Mass will be at 9am but please feel free to come early as we try to give everyone directions for Mass. Everyone will need to wear a mask which we are providing and we ask that you keep 6 feet between you/your family and the next persons or family in front of or behind you, and to your right & left. Please follow the directions of our maintenance staff who will all be wearing masks & gloves. I will review procedures before Mass begins. We will have daily Mass (or a Communion Service on Thursdays) at 8:30am instead of 7:30am to give us the time we need to adjust to these new directives. Every parish household will be receiving a letter from me this week offering more information for our first weekend liturgies May 30th & 31st. 

Our rectory office will re-open Monday through Friday this week from 9am until 3pm and will be open Saturday & Sunday (but the information desk in the church vestibule will be closed). Please feel free to call us with any questions or concerns. I look forward to seeing many of you again, but please know that the dispensation from Mass remains in effect until further notice. 

As we all became more conscious of the need to remain healthy during this pandemic, I have especially needed to put more effort into trying to control my diabetes which has worsened over the years. So I started a regimen of increased walking, ”intermittent fasting” and increased medications from my endocrinologist. Being able to lose 35 pounds since the beginning of the year has put me back in control of this progressive disease. I’m still 60 pounds heavier than I was when ordained but much healthier than last year. Still waiting for the return of our coffee & donuts though. 

Letter from the Pastor to the Parishioners of St. Leo's →

Letter from the Pastor to all the Parishioners of St. Leo’s.

Pastor's Blog for May 17, 2020

This past Monday I received directives from the Diocese of Cleveland with regard to the return of our public worship, which of course we are all looking forward to. We will have much more detailed information in the coming days and weeks with regard to how this will be done but I wanted to share a few of those details with you now.

First, the Bishops of Ohio, and Fr. Don Oleksiak, the administrator for the Diocese of Cleveland during this time without our own diocesan bishop, have agreed to begin a “soft opening” for the public celebration of weekday Mass in preparation for the public celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost the weekend of May 30th & 31st. Weekday Mass may resume on Monday, May 25th here in the Diocese of Cleveland. However the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in effect until further notice. Since Monday, May 25th is Memorial Day, that Mass will be at 9:00am instead of 7:30am.

Here at St. Leo’s, we will likely be using the church area instead of the chapel for daily Mass, which is at 7:30am Monday through Thursday & at 8:30am on Fridays (again, except for May 25th as Mass will be at 9:00am).

When we do begin to celebrate Mass publicly, whether for daily or Sunday Mass, we will continue to follow the directives of the Governor of Ohio as well as of the Bishops of Ohio and in particular the Administrator of the Cleveland Diocese regarding procedures for such public gatherings. For example, pews will be marked for 6 feet of distance between worshippers, masks will be required for all the faithful, hymnals will be removed, holy water fonts will remain empty, and people will be given instructions for how to receive Holy Communion. These and many more details will be made available to you shortly so please continue to monitor our website or refer to the bulletin for more information. We hope to have masks available for everyone when you come into the church. We also plan to disseminate information to you by way of a phone message you can listen to and by way of letters sent to the parishioners.

The parish staff will be meeting in the days ahead to discuss these directives and the best ways for us to implement them here at St. Leo the Great. Our first concern is for the safety and health of all those who come onto our property and worship in our church. So we will be faithful to the directives as much as possible and I ask that you pray for us as we do our best to practice safe ways of gathering together again.

My sincere thanks again for being so faithful to your contributions to this time. I am amazed that our collection amounts are the same or even greater than usual. Your generosity is so very much appreciated!

As I write this on Wednesday, March 13th, the forecast calls for warm weather (finally!) in the days ahead...it is supposed to reach 70 degrees. It’s about time. You remain daily in my prayers. Please pray for us during this time as well that we may serve you to the best of our ability.

Update on the return of Public Worship...

I received directives this morning from the Diocese of Cleveland with regard to the return of our public worship, which of course we are all looking forward to. We will have much more detailed information in the coming days and weeks with regard to how this will be done but I wanted to share a few of those details with you now.

First, the Bishops of Ohio, and Fr. Don Oleksiak, the administrator for the Diocese of Cleveland during this time without our own diocesan bishop, have agreed to begin a “soft opening” for the public celebration of weekday Mass in preparation for the public celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost the weekend of May 30th & 31st. Weekday Mass may resume on Monday, May 25th here in the Diocese of Cleveland. However the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in effect until further notice.

Here at St. Leo’s, we will likely be using the church area instead of the chapel for daily Mass, which is at 7:30am Monday through Thursday & at 8:30am on Fridays.

When we do begin to celebrate Mass publicly, whether for daily or Sunday Mass, we will continue to follow the directives of the Governor of Ohio as well as of the Bishops of Ohio and in particular the Administrator of the Cleveland Diocese regarding procedures for such public gatherings. For example, pews will be marked for 6 feet of distance between worshippers, masks will be required for all the faithful, hymnals will be removed, holy water fonts will remain empty, and people will be given instructions for how to receive Holy Communion. These and many more details will be made available to you shortly so please continue to monitor this website for more information. We also plan to disseminate information to you by way of a phone message you can listen to and by way of letters sent to the parishioners.

The parish staff will be meeting in the days ahead to discuss these directives and the best ways for us to implement them here at St. Leo the Great. Our first concern is for the safety and health of all those who come onto our property and worship in our church. So we will be faithful to the directives as much as possible and I ask that you pray for us as we do our best to practice safe ways of gathering together again.

You remain daily in my prayers. Please pray for us during this time as well that we may serve you to the best of our ability.

Happy 45th Anniversary to Deacon Pat & Joan Berigan!

Deacon Pat preached for our YouTube Mass as he and his wife Joan are celebrating their 45th Wedding Anniversary on May 10th (Mother’s Day). The first reading also speaks about the first Deacons in the Church so it was a perfect opportunity for him to share the Word of God with us. They were married at St. Leo the Great so that makes their anniversary and their ministry here all that much more special. Congratulations to them both. Hopefully you can thank them in person soon.

Pastor's Blog for May 10, 2020

What a shame that on this Mother’s Day, most will not be able to take their mom out to eat as restaurants are still closed. Perhaps this is a time to practice cooking for your mom though, just as I practiced cutting my hair when my barbershop was closed. Hopefully your meal turns out better than my haircut. In whatever way you can, let your mom know how much you care about her, especially if this quarantine prevents you from being with her. And if your mom has already gone to the other side of life as mine has, pray that she may know the joy of heaven. But to all the women of our parish, Happy Mother’s Day to you.

thMy sister Judy’s tripletsth(my nieces) are celebrating their 29 birthdays today (May 10 ), and one of them is also able to celebrate Mother’s Day herself after having given birth to her first child (and my first great niece) just a few months ago. My sister, now a proud grandmother, is helping babysit her grandchild. Perhaps some of you who have grandchildren of school age are doing the same to give their parents a break now that the school children will be off of school for several months. Our Principal and our teachers have been wonderful during this time, having Zoom meetings with the students and preparing packets for them to take home for homework. It’s actually been a more challenging time for these teachers to be working from home than it would have been for them to be in their classrooms so I thank them all for their hard work and for their ability to adjust to these different circumstanc- es.

This is the day when Deacon Pat & Joan Berigan are celebrating their 45th Wedding Anniversary so congratulations to them! I asked Deacon Pat to preach at the Mass we will be putting on YouTube & which you can watch on our website (leothe great.org). The first reading also speaks about the first deacons in the Church so it’s an especially good time for Deacon Pat to share his wisdom with us. They are the only ones I see daily as they celebrate Mass privately with me and I continue to appreciate their presence and ministry in the parish. Please be sure to pray for them and for all those celebrating a wedding anniversary at this time of the year.

Our prayers also go out to the family of Richard Grzelecki who passed away on April 27th. I had a funeral service with a small number of people (due to COVID19 precautions) and as always, expressed to them the prayerful support of the parish. Richard was a retired Police Chief from Brooklyn Heights and also a veteran of the US Marine Corp. So we are especially grateful for his years of service.

I will also be having a private burial service this week for Dorothy Forister, also a member of our parish who had been in the nursing home. We extend our condolences to her daughter Judy Ladaika and to all the members of Dorothy’s family. May she too rest in God’s peace.

It’s time for me to give myself another haircut and I want to do it so there’s enough time for it to grow back before I see you again, hopefully at the end of the month. Just because I was lucky the first time doesn’t mean I’ll be consistent so don’t laugh if you see me wearing a hat in my next YouTube Mass.

Pastor's Blog for May 3, 2020

I want to express our sympathy to Eleanor Tanner and to her two daughters Chris and Cindy on the death of their husband/ father, James Tanner, who had been in the nursing home for some time. I also want to ask your prayers for Dorothy Forester, mother of Judy Ladaika, who also died recently. Because of COVID19, both families have decided to have funeral services at a later time, but I wanted to acknowledge their loss and assure them of our prayers.

You will notice on our website that besides the opportunity to ask me to light a vigil candle for you at one of our shrines in the church, you may also purchase a Great Sweepstakes Raffle ticket as well, using a credit or debit card. We can have it ready for you to pick up in the rectory office (when we reopen) or we can mail it to you, or you can give us the information for it over the phone. And besides the ability to configure your online contributions through WeShare, you can also make a one-time donation to the parish as well by choosing the menu item called “Online Commerce” at the top right of our website. We are attempting to make online information and services more available to you, especially during this time when our rectory office and church needs to be closed. Please feel free to suggest other products or services we can offer on our website for your convenience.

I also wanted to point out that there is a search function on our website which makes it very easy for you to find anything you’re looking for, past or present. For example, you can search for “online Mass” or “raffle”, and within seconds, it will present you with a list of items you can choose from. It will even search inside for past pastor and news blogs.

Our thanks to Phil Bukovsky for his donation of several holy water bottles. We planned on handing these out to you on Holy Saturday but we had to cancel the blessing of food baskets. But we’ll be sure to make good use of them in the future so thanks to Phil for his thoughtful donation.

We also received a generous donation in the amount of $5,000 from a parishioner at Easter but we did not include that in the Easter collection in our bulletin so I wanted to offer our gratitude to this parishioner for that very kind contribution. Again, thanks to all of you for dropping your contribution envelopes inside the rectory office door slot or for mailing them in. I’m just amazed at how many of you are so conscientious about that during a time when so many churches are suffering financially because of the quarantine. So please accept my appreciation to you for supporting us in that way during this time.

Like you, I’m anxiously awaiting for further news from the Governor (and from the Diocese) on when and how we will be gathering together again. Of course I will let you know as soon as I hear anything. If we didn’t have the internet technology we have today, how different (& difficult) it would be to keep everyone informed. So I’m glad that so many of you have been able to watch the online Masses from our website or elsewhere, and I look forward to celebrating the Eucharist with you in again in person.