Pastor's Column for August 27, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

We celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial for William Magesi last Saturday, August 19th. Bill was a man of faith who attended Mass regularly and had a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to St. Anthony & to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He had 5 children: Billy, Jennifer, Becky, Keith & Brad, and 9 grandchildren which includes one named Francis who is yet to be born. Bill was involved with his children’s school events & enjoyed traveling with them. He helped his neighbors and served 4 years in the Army in Vietnam. Bill worked for 30 years in the airline industry. His obituary said that anyone who knew him, loved him. We pray that Bill’s family will imitate his life of faith, love and service as they place their trust in God as he did.

I offered prayers for Donald Donelon at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery on Wednesday, August 23rd. Don was married to his wife Joanne for 64 years and I remember how faithful they were to attending Mass before Don became too ill to join us. I am inspired by the love of his wife and children who took such loving care of him during his long illness. Don and Joanne have 3 sons, Terry, Michael & Patrick, 3 grandchildren, Jacob, Kaitlyn & Bryan and one great grandchild, Rylynn. We keep them in prayer as well as his sister Laureen. Don was a US Army Veteran and we are grateful for his service to our country. May he rest in God’s peace.

Finally, I offered a funeral Mass for Ronald Larson this past Thursday. Ron was married to Beverly for 66 years and was the father of Ronald, Kimberly & Jill, and the grandfather and great-grandfather of several children. Ron had a devotion to St. Joseph, the patron for a happy death. His son Ron spoke lovingly of him at his funeral Mass and I expressed our sympathy to his family on your behalf. The closing song for his funeral Mass was “Going Home,” a song that always reminds me of Father Vesely as he would sing that by request at funeral Masses. Indeed we pray that Ron may now go home to our Heavenly Father.

It was recently announced that we are beginning to take Mass intentions for 2024. Just a reminder that you are limited to 2 Masses— one on the weekend & one on the weekday, or 2 weekday Masses. We have many people requesting Mass intentions but we can only take 2 intentions for each weekend (a total of about 100) as one weekend Mass must be offered by the Pastor “Pro Populo” or “for all the people of the parish” according to Canon Law. We can only have 4 intentions a week for weekday Masses as we do not have Mass here on Thursday mornings. We also offer all Masses for the People of the Parish on days like Christmas and Easter. It’s wonderful that so many wish to have Mass offered for themself or on behalf of another (living or deceased) but we only have so many Masses per year and so must limit how many intentions you can have. And of course several people may want Mass to be offered on a particular day because it someone’s anniversary of birth or death or for some other reason, but we must understand that there is only 1 intention per day (except possibly on Sunday when there may be 2). Though it’s important for us to remember a person prayerfully on a particular day for sentimental reasons, God is beyond time and so will hear our prayers whenever they are offered. We must all accept the limitations of time and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Just a reminder that you may cover the cost of our sanctuary lamp (the candle in the red holder which burns 24/7 as a sign and reminder of the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle). This $10 offering will allow the candle to burn for 14 days in memory of a loved one.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for August 20, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

I want to express our sympathy to the family of Ruth Frolich, whose Mass of Christian Burial we celebrated last Monday. She was married to the late Kenneth Macy and had 3 sons with him: Michael, Timothy & David. Then she had a stepson named John Frohlich when she married his father, the late John Frohlich. Ruth was a woman of faith, whom I remember sitting faithfully in the pews when she was able to attend Mass. She had a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary & prayed the rosary often, and also to St. Faustina, to whom Jesus spoke about his Divine Mercy. Ruth was of service to others as a Den Mother for scouts here at St. Leo’s and when she worked in the gift shop at Marymount Hospital. She sent her 3 sons to our parish school and worked here as a librarian. She was a caregiver for her parents and was generous to her children and grandchildren, whom she loved dearly by putting them before herself. May the Divine Mercy of Jesus be shown to her now so that she may join Our Lady and St. Faustina in the praise of God forever.

My sincere thanks to everyone who gave of their time toward the parish picnic last Sunday…those who setup, cleaned up and cooked. And thanks to the many people who came over to enjoy some good food and fellowship. It was a great turnout & I’m glad that you were able to get some relief from the new air conditioning we just had installed in the cafeteria. You probably didn’t notice but the new windows in the cafeteria are matched with the new windows throughout the whole school building and I’m sure they will help with the efficiency of our heat and air conditioning in that building. Pictures from the event can be seen now on our website and on our Instagram account (leothegreatorg) so feel free to see if you were captured eating your meal.

A Eucharistic Miracles Display is a traveling museum-like exhibition featuring the Eucharistic Miracles as chronicled by Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991-2006). Blessed Carlo was a teenager from Italy who developed a website dedicated to the documented and scientifically scrutinized occasions when the Holy Eucharist changed in its physical appearance, reminding us that the bread and wine of the Mass truly become the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. I was able to visit his glass casket which is in a church in Assisi in Italy, when we visited there earlier this year. There will be a Eucharistic Miracles Display from August 18-25, 2023 at St. Cyprian Parish in Perry, Ohio (here in the Diocese of Cleveland). It would be an interesting exhibit to see! Dates and times are as follows. Please contact St. Cyprian parish if you have any questions at (440) 259-2344. Saturday, August 19, 6:00 – 7:30 pm; Sunday, August 20, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm; Monday – Thursday, August 21-24, 9:00 – 11:00 am & 5:30 – 7:30 pm; Friday, August 25, 9:00 – 11:00 am. Visit their website here: https://www.stcypriansparish.com/

Here is prayer asking for the Intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis:

O Father, who have given us the ardent witness of the young Venerable Carlo Acutis, who made the Eucharist the center of his life and the strength of his daily commitments so that others may love You above all else, may he soon be numbered among the Blessed and the Saints of Your Church. Confirm my faith, nurture my hope, strengthen my charity, in the image of young Carlo, who, growing in these virtues, now lives with You. Grant me the grace that I need….I trust in You, Father, and your Beloved Son Jesus, in the Virgin Mary, our Dearest Mother, and in the intercession of Your Venerable Carlo Acutis. Amen.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for August 13, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

I was saddened to hear of the unexpected death of Richard Ferraro, whose funeral I celebrated last Monday. I remember saying hello to him and shaking his hand…a weekly routine… when he was at Mass the previous weekend. He was married to Shirley for 57 years, and she too passed away suddenly in January of last year (2022). Both of them were faithful to each other, to God, and to their family of 3 daughters and several grandchildren. His family will remember their Sunday family dinners with him, which he always enjoyed, along with walks in the park. He served in the Army for 4 years and so we are grateful for his service to our country. Both Rich and Shirley were gentle people who always smiled with kindness in their hearts and they will be missed. Please keep them both in your prayers as well as their grieving family.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our parish picnic this Sunday which will take place in the shrine area (weatherpermitting) or in our gym (Lux Hall) in case of inclement weather. Remember our large and juicy hamburgers & hot dogs are on us, so feel free to bring something to share, but this is not required. We just want you to enjoy spending time with your fellow parishioners. It will begin at Noon (or after the 11am Mass) & end at 2pm. Please join us.

Speaking of the gym, we are having a handicap accessible ramp built into the steps where you enter Lux Hall from outside, as it was cumbersome to take a long trip through the side entrance of the school, through the cafeteria & the 2 hallways of the school building in order to get access to the gym, so we hope you will find this helpful. A little wall will be built in as well in order to sit down there. New sidewalks will be installed and the crumbled curbs will be replaced as well.

I haven’t forgotten about the planned trip to Italy, but I believe it will be better to wait until 2025 to make our presence known again there as it will give many more people time to save up for the trip. But 2025 is also a Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church so that would be a great time to visit Italy again. Normally they are held every 25 years but Pope Francis had one celebrated 10 years ago in 2015 in order to celebrate God’s mercy. A Jubilee Year is a special time of grace when the Church offers a plenary indulgence or the remission of sins for oneself or for a deceased relative. The importance of a Jubilee Year is also recognized and respected by other faiths throughout the world. It begins just before Christmas and lasts just a little over a year as it ends on Epiphany the following year. It is celebrated by opening a holy door on each of the 4 major basilicas in Rome. So I would like anyone who is interested to meet with me on Sunday, September 3 rd after the 11am Mass in the Parish Center. We’ll just spend a few minutes reviewing 2 possible itineraries given to me by the two travel agencies I’ve used most recently, Trinity Tours (Holy Land Pilgrimage in 2022) & NAWAS International (Italy Tour in 2023). No commitment is being asked…this is just for those who may be interested in more information. Planning ahead will be necessary due to the increased demand to be in Italy during the Jubilee Year and it would behoove us (I love using that word) to plan early so they can book the best hotels, etc. Again, I am looking at going to the city of Rome but also take a look at some places south of Rome as well. But it’s really all up to you and I am open to suggestions, so please mark the date & join me on September 3rd at Noon.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for August 6, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

On July 28th, I celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial for Veronica Nagel, known more commonly as “Ronnie.” She and her husband Jimmy were married for 19 years and we are grateful for their loving relationship which St. Paul says is a reminder to us of the faithful love of Christ for his Bride, the Church. Ronnie enjoyed praying the rosary and so had the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “now and at the hour of her death.” Ronnie and Jimmy would always sit on the tabernacle side of the church by the stained glass window which depicts the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. They both always wore a smile and had a friendly disposition. Ronnie loved the color pink which is symbolic of joy, just as the Church uses the similar color of rose during Advent to signify our joy at the nearness of Christ’s coming. Ronnie enjoyed her work at an accounting firm and grew in her skills there. She will be missed by many so we commend her to the mercy of God and pray that we may see her again in God’s kingdom.

I’d like to remind you that The 135th General Assembly approved a special election to be held this Tuesday, August 8th, for the citizens of Ohio to vote on Issue 1. Issue 1 asks voters if Ohio should “Require that any proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio receive the approval of at least 60 percent of eligible voters voting on the proposed amendment.” Raising the threshold to amend the Ohio Constitution does not have any direct moral content, therefore the bishops of Ohio are maintaining a neutral position. While not taking a position, the bishops are asking all Catholic churches in Ohio to inform parishioners about this election and encourage voter registration and participation in the special election. Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship states, “In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.” Just a reminder that our Parish Center here at St. Leo’s is a polling location which makes it very convenient to vote for many of us.

Some of you would remember Mildred Ancin, the sister of Father Vesely who was a parishioner here at St. Leo’s and who sadly died shortly after her brother last year. Mildred would have been 99 years old today, August 6th. She shared a birthday with several other people I know, but that would not be of interest to you. May she and Father Vesely rest in peace as we pray they may celebrate the life of God in heaven.

I received a letter from Bishop Malesic this past week thanking me for helping the parish reach its goal for the 2023 Annual Catholic Charities Appeal we held earlier this year. But in reality I did very little in that regard…you were responsible for allowing us to do that again this year as in years past. Please know how grateful I am to you for your continued generosity not only to Catholic Charities which helps thousands of people here in the Cleveland area, but also of your contributions to the parish every week which allow us to do what we can in proclaiming the gospel to those in our parish and neighborhood community. Your donations to our capital improvement fund also help us to keep up with the repair and maintenance of our buildings and grounds and so I appreciate your assistance in that as well.

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration. This is celebrated every year on August 6th and is not a holy day but when it falls on a Sunday, we celebrate it as a feast instead of a Sunday of Ordinary Time. Of course you will hear the story in the gospel of how Jesus was transfigured before 3 of his Apostles and what it meant for them and hopefully in our preaching, you can hear what it means for us.

Fr. James P. Schmitz