Pastor's Column, July 23, 2017

Please keep in your prayers Frank, Kathy, & Mary Kay who have recently been anointed, and all those who are in need of God’s healing. If you are facing surgery or have a health condition that is serious or has gotten progressively worse, please do not hesitate to ask me for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. I can anoint you right after Mass or any other time that is convenient for you. Most hospitals and nursing facilities have chaplains who anoint the Catholic residents, but please let me know if you have not been anointed there and I will be happy to come to anoint you. We have several Eucharistic Ministers who bring Holy Com- munion to the sick, so if you are homebound or unable to come to church, please let us know so that we can make those arrangements for you.

I spent more time this week going over the costs for our heater repairs. I know you probably don’t want to hear about boilers in the heat of the summer months, but since the amount of money we will need to spend is significant, I want to offer you some of the information that has led to this financial decision.

The actual boilers that are used for the church and rectory (installed in 1969) seem to be in good working order for now, though this can change at any time and we will not know their exact condition until they begin to look inside of them and begin to clean them. However what needs to be replaced are the heating and cooling pumps and the control system (the computer that runs the system). We also need to remove asbestos from around the pipes and replace the current valves and pumps. It is also highly recommended that we add dehu- midification units for the church boiler room and rectory basement. In addition, we need to repair and replace all the steam traps in the school building, repair a leaking pipe on the back of the boiler and install a water meter. All of the heat emitters in the school need to be repaired and cleaned and again we need to replace the control system in the school and remove the asbestos in the school boiler room. In the fu- ture, new boilers will be needed for the church and the Parish Community Center and possibly a backup boiler for the school, but all of this adds up to an additional $200,000 and is not necessary at this time. We have not even gotten into the air conditioning system so keep your fingers crossed...

I’ve learned more about heating and cooling systems that I ever cared to know, but the information is important if we are to make good financial decisions and keep the church comfortably heated and air conditioned and our school chil- dren warm in the winter. I thought it only fair to share some of this information with you so that you are aware of how we are spending the money you generously donate throughout the years.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Parish Picnic today. Let’s soak up the free heat of the sun. 

Pastor's Column, July 16, 2017

The news just broke this Tuesday morning as I type this...we have a bishop! Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Nelson Perez as the 11th Bishop of Cleveland. Bishop Perez was born in Miami, Florida in 1961 and was ordained in 1989 in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He was named a Monsignor in 1998. (A Monsignor is an honorary title given to some priests to acknowledge some special work they have done in and for the Church (many used to call me Monsignor when I was in the seminary...either to acknowledge my unique giftedness or just to make fun of me...I’m not sure which but I suspect it was the latter).

In June 2012, Bishop Perez became the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York and received episcopal ordination (was made a bishop) at that time. Our Apostolic Administrator (acting and temporary) Bishop Daniel Thomas said that “the Diocese of Cleveland is receiving a faithful, enthusiastic and joyful shepherd for Christ and His Church. With his warm personality, Bishop Perez will endear himself to all who meet him.”

When the news was officially released this past Tuesday morning, Bishop Perez said, “I am so very happy to be with you, to learn from you, grow with you, and serve you with pastoral devotion. Please don’t hesitate to say hello, if you see me as I venture out, eager to experience my new home. God bless you all!”

The Diocese of Cleveland includes eight counties with 677,219 Catholics, which is 24% of the population. We warmly welcome Bishop Perez and will pray that he will walk with us in the journey of Catholic faith.

I spoke this past week with someone highly recommended by the Diocese regarding our boiler situation. While I’ll give more details to the members of our Parish Finance Council, I’ll let you know that we’re looking at about $200,000 to replace our church/rectory boiler, including the cleaning and repair of our HVAC system in the church, school & Parish Community Center. When we first started to discuss the need to replace our original boilers at our last Finance Council meeting, the question was raised as to whether we should have a fund raiser or special collections for this very large expense. It was wisely suggested that we use the money set aside for such expenses in our Capital Improvement Fund which people have been donating to for many years. I agree wholeheartedly with that recommendation. We thank you for your generous contributions to that fund over the years and are grateful that we have the funds necessary for what is arguably one of or the biggest expenses that a parish would have in regards to maintenance. Please continue to support us financially so that we may provide the necessary services that help us all grow in faith, love and service to God & others.