I am especially mindful in this New Year of 2022 of those who still carry grief due to the death of a loved one in the past year, especially those who died shortly before the holidays. I think especially of someone like Dawn Burcham whose husband Douglas died unexpectedly in December. We had a funeral Mass for him on December 15th and remember how good he was to his wife Dawn of 25 years and to his two children, Eddie & Callie. Doug was a joyful, giving person whom we pray now rejoices in the One who gave himself up for us all.
Beverly Habrat’s funeral was celebrated on December 17th and she was a person who enjoyed the holidays, especially as she hosted them and cooked for her family members. She was a 6th grade teacher at Thoreau Park in Parma. She enjoyed her nieces & nephews and was a kind person who liked having fun. She had a devotion to Mary & to the rosary and so we ask Mary to pray for her now as we believe she also prayed for Beverly at the hour of her death.
We also celebrated the funeral of Deborah Semancik on December 17th and remembered how faithful she was to attending Mass except for when she was ill. She had a devotion to Joseph & Mary whom we all honored during the Feast of the Holy Family last Sunday. Debbie enjoyed her family & was especially close to her brothers. A quiet person who enjoyed solitude like many of the saints, Debbie lived in Diamond, Ohio because of the peace & tranquility she found there. May she now know the eternal peace of God’s heavenly kingdom.
In the name of Jeannie Sabol, I want to thank you all for your continued generosity during the Advent season toward our Adopt a Child program. We sent 3 car or truck loads of about 400 gifts for the Santa Shop at St. Aloysius School where there are about 300 children enrolled. Another 200 gifts went to our own parish families through our St. Vincent de Paul Outreach Ministry, and to families at Malachi Center & Zelie’s Home. The donations totaled $3,690, a bit more than last year. And we are grateful to the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association for their additional donation of $600. We also received $100 in gift cards. So once again, thank you for making the lives of many children a little bit happier this Christmas and know that what you did for them, you did for the Lord himself.
We received another letter from Bishop Malesic, asking us to remind you that “those who are ill, have significant health risk factors or care for someone who is immune-compromised or ill, as well as those who have significant fear or anxiety about contracting the coronavirus in a large group of persons, are not obliged to attend Mass.” He reminded us that those who distribute Holy Communion at Mass are mandated to wear a mask until the current danger has subsided.
I know of many people who have become ill with the virus over the holidays and so understand that many will continue to participate in Mass by watching us via livestream at home, and we are glad that they can join us in that way. Though I am writing this column on Christmas Eve, I trust that we will have a prayerful and joyful celebration of the Lord’s Nativity, despite the continued pandemic that we all hoped and prayed would be behind us by now. But let us remember that God is always with us, in good days and bad, in sickness and in health, as married couples commit to each other at all times. Let us strengthen one another with prayer and encouragement and support until we can finally put the pandemic to rest.