Jim & Geraldine Tisch have been parishioners of St. Leo’s for a long time…in fact, they met at our parish as both were members of our choir! They were then married here 39 years ago and served our parish generously. Both of them were active not only in the choir but helped with our parish festival and were members of our St. Vincent de Paul Society. I had the opportunity to visit with them very recently where they were in assisted living. I celebrated the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick with both of them (separately as Geraldine was in the memory care unit) and gave them both Holy Communion. It was Geraldine’s last Communion, known as “Viaticum,” a Latin word which means “Food for the journey (home).” May she now truly go home to God, carrying the virtuous acts of her life into the kingdom.
Congratulations to the parents of Parker Ginter, who was baptized last Sunday by Father Walt Jenny, a friend of the family. May Parker know the light of Christ as he makes his way through this world.
I was happy to see so many of you at our parish picnic last Sunday…held in Lux Hall (the gym) due to the rainy weather. It was cool & dry there so I’m glad we had a place to gather before the work started on replacing the old, original, cracked & inefficient windows on the north side of the gym with glass block windows. Thanks to our cooks, our organizer’s, our DJ & to all who came for some good food (I told you the hamburgers were bigger than the bun! The hot dogs were the largest I’ve seen too). It’s always great to see so many gather from our parish.
You’ll have the opportunity to gather again if you’re at Mass on Sunday this weekend as we’re having our end-of-the-month coffee & donuts. So again, thanks to all who made the donuts (Jack Frost) & to those setting everything up for us to enjoy them.
A little birdie told me (no, it was not Twitter), that it’s someone’s 70th birthday this Tuesday, August 30th. I don’t like to announce how old people are (especially when they’re going over their 4th hill) so I won’t mention that it’s Joan Berigan’s birthday. But I will tell you that I am very grateful for her friendship and ministry here at St. Leo’s (I suppose I should say I’m grateful for her husband too but it’s not the Deacon’s birthday). Joan does a great job in her ministry here, especially in helping people plan for the funeral Mass of a loved one. She does so with compassion and competence and it’s a great help not only to them but to me as I prepare a homily for the Mass. Joan does many other things as well, like working with Deacon Pat in helping people prepare for baptism & marriage. And I am especially grateful for her as our chief “camerawoman” for she is the one who aims the live-streaming camera in just the right places, and she does this at EVERY Mass…weekday, all 3 weekend Masses, Funeral Masses (if they are live-streamed), etc. I would be lost without her doing that and would be fumbling around at the altar, even more than I do now. So a big thank you to Joan & a very big wish for many happy days from all of us as she celebrates this milestone of a birthday.
I believe there is an announcement in this bulletin that we will soon be opening up the books to accept Mass intentions for 2023. I was asked to explain why we have a Mass “For the People of the Parish” every week. It states in canon law that each Pastor is to offer one of the weekend Masses “Pro Populo” (or “for the people”) of the parish every weekend. So once we have an intention for 2 of the weekend Masses, the third Mass automatically is offered Pro Populo. There’s your lesson in canon law for the week. Now go & impress someone with that knowledge.