We welcome Liam Durell into the Church as he is baptized today (Sunday) after the 11am Mass. I had the wedding of his parents when I was pastor of St. Stephen in West Salem and they now live in the area & are members of St. Leo’s. We are happy to have all of them as part of our parish community.
Next Saturday, Bishop Gries will be having the 4pm Mass to help Raymond & Nancy Kikta celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary. We welcome the Bishop and congratulate Raymond & Nancy on their Golden Anniversary. May they have many more.
Our new Principal, Denise Burns, and our new PreSchool Director, Jennifer Robinson, have been hard at work prepar- ing for the beginning of the new school year in less than two weeks. We are expecting a pretty full house again in terms of enrollment and look forward to welcoming back our dedicated teachers and staff. With new smart-boards in each class- room and new computers in the computer lab, the students will have the best technology available to aid them in their learning. I come from the days when they used chalk that would squeak on the blackboards (which were always green but for some reason we called them blackboards). The only technology I remember being available was the ability of the Principal to make announcements over the classroom speak- ers, and the use of the electronic bells that signaled the end of a class period and finally the end of an agonizing day of school. I remember the nuns (the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters) who used clickers in church to signal when we were to kneel and who blew into these black round “instruments” that were intended to help us begin singing in the right key. Sorry for this little trip down memory lane but I was reminded of advice someone gave our school children: “Respect your elders. They made it through school without Google or Wikipedia.” How did we do it?
We are very grateful to those who have started using our online contribution option called WeShare. This alternative to envelopes or cash is beneficial to both you and the parish. It is helpful to you as you don’t need to worry about bringing (or filling) an envelope with you each weekend, nor do you need to search your wallet or purse for cash when the basket comes around. It’s a benefit to the parish because it means that you’ll be able to contribute even when you’re visiting another parish such as when you’re on vacation, and it saves us money since it costs thousands of dollars each year for us to have envelopes sent to you. It couldn’t be easier to do and we’re happy to help you get set up. It takes only a few minutes. So please click the WeShare icon on our website & help us while helping yourself.