I celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial for Michael Litteria on January 20th. Mike served his country while in the army as a cook in Germany. He attended Mass every Sunday & enjoyed family gatherings, especially Thanksgiving & Christmas. He was described as a kind & giving man who enjoyed being with others. Being single, he was able to be a father-figure to many and so will be missed by those who loved him. May he rest in God’s peace.
Leonor (“Helen”) Sauza had a short life but a fulfilling one. She was married to her husband Philip and they have two children, Janelle & Jayden. Janelle proclaimed one of the scripture readings at the funeral Mass. Helen was an organized person who also enjoyed cooking. Though unable to attend Mass because of her illness, she joined with us prayerfully through the live-stream of our weekend liturgies. Though her time on earth was short, we pray that she may live forever in God, enjoying the perfect happiness of heaven.
Deacon Pat had a service at the funeral home for Sandra Sparenga. We pray that she too may rest in God’s peace and know the joy of eternal life.
I had a service at the funeral home for Kenneth Delewski and remember giving him Holy Communion when he would visit with his neighbors and our parishioners, Tom & Peggy Vetrick. We ask God to receive him in the arms of his mercy and to give him the love that comes to all those who receive the Holy Eucharist.
Though I will not be with you this weekend, you will have the pleasure of praying with a neighboring priest. Father Rob Ramser will have the 4pm Mass here on Saturday (he attended our parish school), Father Josh Cochran from St. Charles parish in Parma will celebrate the 8am Mass on Sunday and Father Christopher Cox , also from St. Charles, will have the 11am Mass. I’m grateful to each of them for helping out while I take a little respite before Lent begins.
This Tuesday is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also called “Candlemas Day” as we bless the candles that will be used in our liturgy, reminding us of Christ who has entered the darkness of our world with his divine light. If you attend the 8:30 Communion Service presided at by Deacon Pat (who will have a Communion Service each day this week at 8:30 as I will be away), you can bring candles with you to have them included in the blessing. The priests celebrating Mass this weekend, following the recommendation of the Diocese, will give a general blessing of throats at the end of Mass instead of the individual blessings we normally give near the feast of St. Blaise which is on Wednesday, February 3rd. Deacon Pat will do the same at the Communion Service this Wednesday.
Our eighth graders will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation in a couple of weeks and our second and third graders (who should have received their First Communion last year but due to COVID-19...) will be celebrating their First Eucharist in May. So please keep them and all of our day school and PSR students in your prayers, as well as their teachers who have had a hard time of it during this pandemic year.