Pastor's Column

     I am grateful to Macrina Dodson, a member of our school staff and a Pastoral Minister here at St. Leo’s, for her willingness to play the guitar for the 8am Mass until we bring an Associate Musician on board. I realize that some people don’t like guitar music, especially at Mass. Some don’t like organ music or piano music. Some people don’t like music at all. In 1 Chronicles 13:7 it says, “David and all Israel danced before God with all their might, with singing, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.” (See also the movie “Footloose.”) A lyre is a stringed instrument, like a guitar. The point is, we all have our preferences, but we are here to worship God, not to look for what pleases us. Sorry for the second homily. But you only have to pay for one.

    Since the bulletin (and this column) needs to be submitted by Tuesday, I am sometimes behind a bit in the news I offer here. So my apologies for not letting you know earlier that we celebrated the funerals of James Krilosky & Anna Lubera recently. James was married for 45 years to his wife Delores, and was a very devoted father to his children. He was proud to be Catholic and let others know it. He suffered from his illness during the last 9 months of his life, but is now free from all that could harm him. Anna Lubera went every night with her husband to the State Road Park to watch the baseball games. She finally admitted that she hated baseball, but went because her husband enjoyed watching the games so much. She was a member of our St. Leo’s Seniors and was almost 95 when she died. May God receive them and all our faithful departed into his kingdom.

    You know those surveys or questionnaires where you have to choose which age group you belong to? Well, I’ll just say that this past week, there was a day that moved me from the 45-54 age group to the 55-64 age group. And I now qualify for the Ohio Buckeye Card. I hate to see those digits move so quickly…it’s like watching the reels spin on a casino slot machine. But there is one consolation…I’m still watching the reels spin. As long as their spinning, I’m OK.

    August 15th, the feast of the Assumption of Mary, is on a Saturday this year which means the Bishops have dispensed from the obligation to attend Mass on that day. But we can still celebrate this glorious event in the life of Mary by praying the rosary. And don’t forget about “The Feast” in Little Italy. There’s more pasta there than you can shake a rigatoni at.