Pastor's Blog for December 30, 2018

Fr. Vesely, Deacon Berigan and myself wish you all a very Happy & Blessed New Year. Appropriately, we begin the new year by celebrating the feast of Mary, the Mother of God. Mass for the Holy Day of Obligation will be at 4pm on Monday, December 31st and Mass on New Year’s Day at 11am. These are different times for our usual holy day Mass- es but given the circumstances of new year’s celebrations, I believe they will work better for most.

A week before Christmas we had a funeral Mass for Dolores Maras. She was a woman of faith who always carried the rosary and had a devotion to Mary. She had 5 children, 7 grandchildren & 2 great-grandchildren. Though confined to a wheelchair for several years, her family knows that in the glorified body God will give to us in the resurrec- tion, she will no longer be restricted in any way. We trust that she who had much faith will walk the halls of heaven.

A word of thanks for all the cards, cookies & other Christmas treats we received over the holidays. I guess people like to have a plump priest. No worries here.

It was on January 1st five years ago that I began as Pas- tor here at St. Leo’s. It’s unbelievable to me that that much time has passed already! But because of your support and faith, it has been a most joyful five years. So I will trust in your continuing support and prayers especially during the month of January. I learned a couple of weeks ago that I have prostate cancer. I have heard it said many times that prostrate cancer is very slow growing, but unfortunately I have the fast growing kind. But after a CT scan and a bone scan, it appears that mine has not yet metastasized. Because there is always the risk that it will spread however, the doctor has recommended that I have surgery as soon as possible to have it removed so that will likely be in January. I have a consultation with the surgeon on Friday of this week so I will learn more then. I don’t know how long the recovery period will be but it will be at least for a couple of weeks. Even in my Advent homilies, I have tried in my preaching to focus on the joy and peace we can experience even during challenging times, so now is the time for me to practice what I preach. I can tell you that already, God has given me the grace to receive support from many people and things have happened in such a timely way that I know it is more than coincidence. As St. John Paul II said, “In the designs of Providence, there are no mere coincidences”. I can see the hand of God behind all of this and I remain hopeful that I can let faith lead me. My biggest hope is that I can use this experience to become more understanding and compassion- ate to all those who are afflicted with illness of any kind. May the Divine Physician heal us all.

Pastor's Blog for December 23, 2018

Since we don’t have a separate bulletin for Christmas Day, allow this Fourth Sunday of Advent bulletin to double as our Christmas bulletin. With that in mind, I want to welcome all who will be with us on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Whether you are a regular at St. Leo’s or not, we are so glad you are here! God’s love and mercy is extended to all. Indeed, that is the very message of this great feast. As the priest pours a drop of water into the wine that has been poured into the chalice at the Preparation of the Gifts (the “offertory”) at every Mass, he prays “Through the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled him- self to share in our humanity.” So we remember this great mystery of the “Incarnation,” God’s coming in the flesh to share fully in our human nature. On behalf of Deacon Pat & Joan Berigan and in the name of Fr. Vesely, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. And the parish wishes Fr. Vesely a happy belated 64th Anniversary of his ordination which we celebrated on December 18th.

As I type this on the Monday of the week before Christmas, I am preparing to watch the Nativity Play put on by the Kindergarten children of our Parish School. There is such joy in watching them act out this incredible story as they show in such a simple way the profound mystery of this feast. I also look forward to the School Christmas concert where we can enjoy the sacred music of this season.

What I do not enjoy, however, is the blue sky and warm weather that is evident outside of my office window right now. I know that some of you Grinches will rejoice in the absence of the white stuff that usually falls from the heavens at this time of year. But not me. While I am done with winter by February or March at the latest, I still remember the snowy days of my childhood which meant we stayed home from school, went sledding down hills & got away with throwing snowballs at our enemies under the ruse of just having some innocent winter fun. Of course I have no idea if we will be blessed with a white Christmas when you read this, but you can be sure that I’ll be praying hard for one while you pray for spring. We’ll see who’s prayers the Lord listens too!

Once again we want you to go home on Christmas with the gift of a book that I’ve read & enjoyed. I’m sure that God will speak to you through it too so read it with your eyes & listen to it with your heart.

Pastor's Blog for December 16, 2018

Our St. Leo’s Seniors really know how to party. They had their annual Christmas Party at Copper Stone Catering & Event Center & it was a wonderful meal accompanied by a DJ who provided the expected Christmas music. Everyone seemed to be enjoying each other’s company and I was happy to be a part of it. If you are a Senior, you may want to consider joining them. They meet twice a month in our Parish Community Center and it’s a time for companionship and mutual support. And of course every gathering includes food to enjoy. They have guest speakers and entertainers from time to time & seem to have a lot of fun. Please call Barb Mudrey if you’re interested (216-398-7709) or the Rectory Office (216-661-1006).

Several people have been coming to the video series on Monday evenings during Advent where Bishop Robert Barron explains the parts of the Mass. It really helps us to engage more in this central act of Catholic Worship when we grow in our understanding of what it’s all about. We’ll have our last viewing this Monday at 7pm so feel free to join us even if you haven’t seen the other 2 videos. This one will be on the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the 2nd part of the Mass. If you would like to view the videos at home, you’re more than welcome to come to the Rectory Office & request them (they’re DVD’s). We’d be very happy to have people watch them on their own time & perhaps can even invite some others over to view them with you.

This week my cousin Father Dan Schlegel will be joining my sister and I in making homemade ravioli & soup noodles, the staple of the Schmitz Christmas (& Easter) family meals. My mom was the real expert at these Italian dishes though & even though she taught us how to make it before she died, we still can’t get them to taste exactly like hers. Of course her recipe was typically Italian which means they don’t use measuring cups or worry about ounces or and of those details. It’s pretty much “a dash of this & a dash of that.” Maybe it doesn’t call for a bottle of wine but we’re trying to be as creative as she was. Better to just stick to the ingredi- ents she gave us, even if we’re not sure of their exact measurements. But I’m glad that the recipe and the tradition has stayed with the family all these years & that my cousin wants in. We should probably charge him for the privilege since it is proprietary information but it is Christmas after all. Of course he’ll have to do the kneading and the more tedious parts like forking the raviolis after the cheese has been placed between the layers of dough. But that’s the cost of being included in secret family recipes. Hope he’s up to the task.

Our 4th week of Advent this year will be very short since the final week of Advent which begins with our Masses next weekend is interrupted by Christmas Eve next Monday. That also means we have less time to get our Christmas shopping done. I’m glad I have a lot of elves to help with mine.

Pastor's Blog for December 9, 2018

Back in October, parishioner John Sabol did a presentation on the history of our parish which was very interesting. John was kind enough to make a short video (about 20 minutes long) of the presentation so that you can watch it at your leisure. It can be found (with all sorts of other useful information) at our website (leothegreat.org). Our thanks to him for all the work he put into that & to him and his wife Jeanne for the great work they did with the display of old pictures (currently from Christmas past at St. Leo’s) during our 70th Parish Anniversary.

Just a reminder that we started selling the new Great Sweepstakes raffle tickets on December 1st. We have a $100 weekly winner (and again, you can win more than once in the year!). We will have $200 winners on New Year’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and 4th of July and we will still have a $1000.00 winner on the feast of St. Leo. Many people love to play this raffle & they make wonderful gifts, especially as stocking stuffers at Christmas.

I had hoped that Fr. Vesely would be able to celebrate one of our Christmas Eve Masses but he is already “booked” for 3 Christmas Masses at Mount Alverna! We will try to have him here again soon but it depends on several sched- ules working together. In the mean time, do keep him in your prayers especially as we celebrate Christmas soon.

As I type this, our maintenance people are putting up Christmas decorations in the rectory. This is my favorite time of the year. But it can also be a very sad time for those who are ill or for those experiencing a loss around the holidays. So while we welcome the joy of the season in our celebration of the Lord’s birth, it is also important to remember those who are having a hard time around the holidays. I mentioned some “CareNotes” that we have made available in the vestibule of the church, in the rectory office and in the Parish Community Center. We have recently ordered ones that have to do with grief, especially around the holidays. Please feel free to take one of these for yourself or give it to someone whom you think may find it helpful.

Please keep in your prayers William Wachenschwanz and Joanne Marsik, both parishioners of St. Leo’s, whose funeral services were held this past Wednesday. Geraldine Piotrowski’s Funeral Service will be held this Wednesday. May they rest in peace until the Lord comes again.

This week my step mother turns 99. I had Thanksgiving with her and my dad and they both look great and are doing quite well. I’m just glad that their Christmas tree decorating days are over. I remember when Santa used to decorate our tree when we were young. He used quite a bit of tinsel (remember that?) that would stick all over you. But I’m sure my dad was glad he didn’t have to do the work himself. The good old days.

Pastor's Blog for December 2, 2018

We have had 4 funerals since Thanksgiving. How hardit is for the families to experience the loss of a loved one at the first holiday, especially Thanksgiving & Christmas, fol- lowing their death. But God’s grace helps us to retain our gratitude for the life of those we love and to live in hope of their resurrection.

So first we remember Charles Rooks & extend our sym- pathy to his family. One of Chuck’s children (also named Chuck) lost his wife in December of last year so this is an especially difficult time for him. May they rest in peace.

Robert Treska had been ill for 1 1⁄2 years but persevered in his prayer and his hope. He was devoted to his wife of 46 years, Dianne, and to his 3 children & 4 grandchildren. They had made a blanket with the pictures of the grandchildren on it so that he could look at them when in the hospital. May Bob find freedom from illness & death in God’s kingdom.

Bernice Kilcoyne was a very active parishioner of St. Leo’s. She was a sacristan, and she was involved in Bereave- ment ministry, among other things. She had a kind and gentle disposition and was at Mass whenever she was able. I was amazed to see her walking around at our parish festival with her walker, accompanied by her son Chris. We extend our sympathy to Chris and pledge our prayers for her.

Carolyn Geniusz was a teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel and was named “Teacher of the Year” in 1996-97. She found her joy not only in teaching for over 33 years but also in being with her husband Ken of 54 years & her 3 grandchildren. May she rest in God’s peace.

As we begin the joyful season of Advent this weekend, please remember that there will be a wonderful video on the Mass shown on 3 Monday evenings from 7-8pm in the Parish Community Center starting this Monday, December 3rd. These videos will really help you to better understand and appreciate this prayer that is so central to our Catholic life. Questions about the Mass will be welcomed. Come spend just one hour for 3 weeks learning more about our great faith.

Next Saturday, December 8th, is the feast of the Immac- ulate Conception of Mary, a holy day of obligation (even though it falls on a Saturday as she is the Patroness of our country under this title). Mass will be at 7pm on Friday, December 7th and at 8:30am on Saturday, December 8th. Our normal 4pm Saturday Mass will still be celebrated on December 8th but that will not fulfill the holy day obligation.

I know we just finished our Thanksgiving holiday but want to offer you the times of our Christmas Masses so that you can plan ahead as you make plans with your family & friends to celebrate this great feast. As we had last year, we will have a 4pm, 7pm & 10pm Mass on Christmas Eve and one Mass at 11am on Christmas Day. Yes, our “Midnight Mass” is at 10pm. Yes, we still get calls asking if our Midnight Mass is at 10pm. Catholics can be a funny lot.