Pastor's Column for February 4, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

Last Saturday I celebrated the funeral Mass for Potenciana Carranza (nicknamed “Naty”) who was 99 years old. She and her husband Ven had 6 children, 19 grandchildren and even greatgreat children. She was “Auntie” to many nieces, nephews & friends. When she prayed for these members of her family, she would mention each of them by name, just as God calls each of us by name, according to Scripture. She ran a family business in the Philippines before coming to the United States in 1978. She was faithful to attending Mass & had a devotion to St. Anthony of Padua. Let us intercede for her that she may join with St. Anthony in the praise of God.

This Saturday, February 3rd, is the feast of St. Blase. As is our custom, we will have the blessing of throats after each of the Masses this weekend. Please come up the center aisle in 2 lines during the closing song if you would like to be blessed. Here is some information about St. Blase which can be found at catholic.org:

Saint Blaise was the bishop of Sebastea and a doctor. The first known record of the saint's life comes from the medical writings of Aëtius Amidenus, where he is recorded as helping with patients suffering from objects stuck in their throat. Many of the miraculous aspects of St. Blaise's life are written of 400 years after his martyrdom in the "Acts of St. Blaise."

Saint Blaise is believed to begin as a healer then, eventually, became a "physician of souls." He then retired to a cave, where he remained in prayer. People often turned to Saint Blaise for healing miracles.

In 316, the governor of Cappadocia and of Lesser Armenia, Agricola, arrested then-bishop Blaise for being a Christian. On their way to the jail, a woman set her only son, who was chocking to death on a fish bone, at his feet.

Blaise cured the child, and though Agricola was amazed, he could not get Blaise to renounce his faith. Therefore, Agricola beat Blaise with a stick and tore at his flesh with iron combs before beheading him.

Congratulations to Lucas Russell who is being baptized this Sunday. We welcome him into the family of God’s Church. May he and his family know the love of God through each other.

I’m currently reading a book I bought when I was at the Evangelization gathering this past summer in West Virginia. It’s called “Friendship and the Fathers” (referring to the early Church Fathers) and speaks about how the Church grew in the first few centuries from the friendships that Christians made with others. But the book begins by pointing out why this is important for us to know today. It says that in 1985, Americans could name 3 people they considered to be close friends and confidants. But by 2005, one in four Americans could not name one close friend with whom they could discuss their thoughts or struggles. In 2018, the British government announced that it was going to treat loneliness as a public health crisis. We are more connected to more people than in any other time in human history, but we don’t feel connected at all. We may have hundreds of friends on Facebook but still feel lonely. Social media has trivialized the very meaning of friendship. When Christianity was an illegal underground movement it spread from friend to friend because that was the only way it could spread. Friendship takes work. Especially friendship with God because it requires prayer and presence. Thank God for the friends in your life today & ask yourself how good of a friend you are to God.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for January 28, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

While being on vacation is still fresh on my mind, I thought I’d let those interested know that the website for our trip to Italy next year (March 17-28, 2025) is now updated with the final price which is $4800. You can reserve your spot now with a $300 deposit. Please note that 1 out of the 5 available single rooms is already reserved so if you prefer to room by yourself, be aware that there is limited availability (and there is an additional charge as the $4800 is for double occupancy). The link to that website is on our parish website (leothegreat.org). This is also a 12 day trip vs. the 10 day one we took last year. Viva la Roma.

We were able to celebrate my sister’s gentle entry into her 6 th decade of life with fun and memories. My other two sisters decorated her cabin with balloons, signs, a gift basket & lots of pictures detailing the blessings of her life. I also learned that I could have saved myself that $14.16 I spent on a glass of wine that I needed for Mass by just taking the almost emptied bottle of wine that my two brother-in-laws shared at dinner (which I did for the Mass I celebrated a week later). But the money spent on a glass of wine is literally a few drops in the ocean of money that one spends on a vacation these days. But it was such a good time that we’re planning on spending New Year’s Eve next year on another cruise. Never too early to plan ahead. I also made a trip up the stairs to see the little chapel that was on the highest floor of the ship (closest to God perhaps?). It was a nice little space that was non-denominational but also prepared for the celebration of Mass as I noticed a Roman Missal available there (the book Catholic priests use during Mass). As I was wondering to myself how many come into that space out of a few thousand people on board, a couple came up to offer some prayers. My sister also told me that she was in there as well. Glad to see that people still remember God when on vacation.

We welcome Caleb Friebel into our Catholic Family this weekend as he is baptized into the Faith on Saturday. May God who has begun the good work in him and his family carry it through to completion.

This Sunday evening I will be having a Mass at the home of a couple who were good friends of mine at St. Ladislaus in Lorain. I believe I mentioned that they both passed away last year. Two of their grandchildren and some of their cousins asked me at the grandmother’s funeral luncheon if I would help them receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. I was thrilled that they would be so moved by their grandparent’s faith that they would ask for this sacrament for themselves. So please say a little prayer for these 5 young adults that they may practice the faith that was so important to their family members.

I wanted to remind you that it’s very easy to make an appointment with myself, Deacon Pat or Joan Berigan through our website. We are always here to serve you and want to make ourselves available to you. In that same vain, we will be working with Luke Brown from Sacred Heart Counseling (which we advertise in our bulletin & on our website) to help offset some of the expense involved in counseling. They provide therapy through a faith-based background so we are glad to be partnering with them to make this available to you. More information about this will be forthcoming next month.

As we enter into the month of February this week, I hope and pray that you are safe in your travels, especially when we have icy and/or snowy roads. Please stay home if the weather presents the possibility of unsafe travel for you. But as always, I look forward to seeing you.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for January 21, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

I am able to send this to Nina, our Office Manager, who in turn will send it off to the bulletin company, due to the WiFi that is available on the ship so it’s good to be able to remain connected though I am far away. We’re actually on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, not in the Bahamas as I previously and mistakenly wrote last week. I’m waiting to take a little excursion on St. Thomas island, and from there to St. John’s. I was all signed up for an excursion with my sisters to go horseback riding yesterday but they called to get my weight as there is a limit (the horses can only take so much, after all). I won’t tell you what the limit was, but I missed it by 5 pounds. One of my sisters said she understood why as she said, “I would laugh if I just pictured you on a horse” to which another said, “I would laugh by picturing the horse!” But in response I’ll just say that I was called to give last rites to those horses after my sisters rode them. I sure hope my sisters don’t mistakenly fall overboard. That’s all I can say for now.

I used to take cruises for free as I would be invited by the cruise lines to be the ship’s chaplain. I would celebrate Mass on Sunday, along with having a Protestant service (where I had to remember not to make the sign of the cross) and even a service for the Jewish people (where I only used scriptures from the Old Testament.) Those were great ecumenical experiences. But they don’t have a Catholic chaplain on board this ship and so only have a Shabbat service, no Mass. So I celebrated Mass in my cabin last Sunday. It was the most expensive Mass I’ve every celebrated as I had to order a glass of wine which cost me $14.16 (gratuity included). But I was happy to be able to pray with you even though we were many miles apart.

I wanted to acknowledge Kathleen Schmidt whose funeral Mass was celebrated while I was away. Here is some information about her from her obituary: KATHLEEN A. SCHMIDT (nee Faulhaber), age 81. Beloved wife of the late Leonard Schmidt. Devoted mother of Laurie Mathis, Sheila Zemek (Rocky); loving grandmother of Devin Zemek and Amber Bilinovich (Garrett); dear sister of Don Faulhaber (deceased), Mary Gamble (Ben, deceased) and Frank Faulhaber (Michele); cherished aunt and friend of many. Passed away on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Funeral Mass at St. Leo The Great, 4940 Broadview Rd, Cleveland, on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Please keep her and all our beloved deceased in your prayers.

During this month of January, the Diocese of Cleveland celebrates Catholic Schools Week. We are very fortunate to still have a school as part of our parish here at St. Leo’s. I ask that you keep our school’s staff and students in your prayers. I am grateful to Mrs. Denise Burns, our Principal, and to all of our teachers for their commitment to the education of our children in the atmosphere of faith. They work hard and long hours. It has been a joy for me to get to know many of the students better this year as I try to spend time with them during their lunch period in the school cafeteria. The little ones especially come up to give me a big hug & you just sense that they need the affection and attention of adults. I am grateful that their parents have chosen to entrust their children to us and to support their education at a Catholic school, irrespective of their own faith background. The 8th graders come to Mass every Friday morning and we have a Mass with the whole school community about once a month. The children say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning and pray together before and after lunch. There are so many staff members who tend to these students throughout the day and we are very grateful to all of them. Jesus told his disciples that “their angels always behold the face of God in heaven.”

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastors Column for January 14, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

I know that many of you will remember Eileen Gabel as she had been involved in the parish for many years. Sadly she passed away at the age of 86 on Friday, January 5th. Since I had just left for vacation, Fr. Dan Schlegel celebrated her funeral Mass, and would have anyway as they had been good friends for many, many years, since he had been at St. Leo’s himself. I still remember Eileen’s husband Jim who passed away several years ago. They had 5 children and several grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. Eileen had worked in the sacristy for many years, ordering candles and helping in many ways to keep the church stocked and in good order. She had a wonderful smile and a pleasant disposition whenever I saw her. May she rest in peace.

I also remember Mary Ann Zupancic, wife of the late Norman. Mary Ann had struggled with Alzheimer’s for several years and so I have not seen her for quite some time as she was being cared for elsewhere. But we thank God for the time she spent at St. Leo’s. She and Norman had 2 children and 3 grandchildren. Mary Ann was 84. I also remember her wonderful smile and her devotion to Norman. I’m grateful to Fr. JohnPaul Cafiero who will be celebrating a Mass of Christian Burial for her at St. Leo’s while I am away. May she and Norman now be reunited in the kingdom of the Lord whom they served.

I want to be sure to thank all of you who sent me or the parish staff a Christmas card or some other holiday gift. We are very grateful for your thoughtfulness. Thanks as well to all those who helped take the Christmas decorations down as we enter once again briefly into the “Ordinary Time” of the church year.

The next liturgical season, Ash Wednesday, will be February 14th (as I’m sure you’ll remember from the Announcement of the moveable feast days in 2024 that Deacon Pat made after the gospel last weekend). The feast of the Baptism of the Lord, after which we begin this Ordinary Time again until Lent begins, was not celebrated on a Sunday this year but on the Monday right after the feast of the Epiphany which of course was last weekend.

You may now visit the website where we have information about the trip to Southern Italy which I’ll be taking with parishioners in March of 2025, which is a Jubilee Year of the Church. This will be a 12 day journey (March 17-28, 2025) and so will be a little more expensive than our trip last year. The price is not yet on the website but should be there soon. It is expected to be about $4500 per person, which includes hotel taxes and gratuities (which were not included in our trip price last year). Please visit our parish website (leothegreat.org) for the URL (too long to put here) where you can get more information. You should be able to reserve your spot there soon with a deposit. As always, please reach out to me with any questions you may have. Space is limited but you have plenty of time to sign up and I’ll let you know when we are getting close to being filled.

I will not be with you this weekend or next as I am beginning the new year with a vacation to celebrate my sister Janet’s 60th Birthday. She and my other two sisters and their husbands and I are taking a cruise to the Bahamas out of Miami. I really hate going away from Cleveland during its beautiful snowy days of winter but fraternal charity forces me to be present for my family obligations so I surrender to this burden. But of course I will continue to think of you and keep you in my prayers, and I am grateful to the visiting priests who will be covering for me during my regrettable absence. I will do my best to submit a bulletin column for next weekend as long as I have access to the internet and I have not become lost at sea.

Pastor's Column for January 7, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

Speaking of blessings…(I spoke of them in last week’s bulletin which I’m sure you’ll remember)…I have a large book called the “Book of Blessings” which I use on occasion for the blessing of our Nativity scene, the blessing of Mothers & Fathers on Mother’s & Father’s Day (respectively), etc. But there are so many blessings that the Church offers for so many different occasions. Here’s a description of it: “The Book of Blessings contains the blessings of the Roman Ritual for the Universal Church as well as additional proper blessings for use in the United States. This liturgical book includes blessings pertaining to persons, to objects, and to various occasions, as well as blessings and services connected with official parish events.” I thought that in this new year of 2024, I would try to make better use of the many blessings the Church offers us. Blessings remind us of God’s goodness, generosity, and desire that we enjoy his many graces and gifts. They also remind us that we need God’s help. If January 1st had been a holy day of obligation this year, we would have heard these words from the Old Testament book of Numbers for our first reading: 

The Lord said to Moses: “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

So the blessing of others has a very long history. May God bless each of you in this New Year!

On Christmas I also spoke about angels, specifically about how they were seen as God’s army sent to protect us in spiritual battle & to remind us of God’s power and strength. I also pointed out the wonderful statue of St. Michael the Archangel that we have in our church in the chapel area. Again you’ll notice the military clothing & footwear on him, but also the long, pointy spear that rests on the chin of the devil. I was thinking about how Father Vesely used to say the prayer to St. Michael at every Mass. This prayer was first introduced in 1886 by Pope Leo XIII. The prayer was initially part of the "Leonine Prayers,” (so named after Pope Leo, but not OUR Pope Leo who was the First & the Great Saint Leo). These were a series of prayers recited after Mass. The prayer was later removed from the Mass in 1964 but is still widely used by many Catholics today. Here is the prayer that you may want to use when needing the power of God, especially when faced with temptation and evil:

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Congratulations to Brandon Robinson & Nichole Kirk who are being married this weekend. Some of you will know them as the faithful young couple who attend either the 8am or 11am Masses. Nicole was received into the Catholic Church about a year ago and received the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation. They both have become lectors in recent months. I am so happy to celebrate their wedding and ask you to pray for God’s continued blessings on them. May they live a long and prosperous life together. 

 Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for December 31, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

A parishioner by the name of Lily Santiago experienced a great loss recently in the death of her husband Ernie whose funeral Mass we celebrated on December 22nd. Lily and Ernie were married for 52 years and had 2 children, Carl & Lorna, as well as 2 grandchildren. Ernie was a medical doctor who helped others in their illness. Sadly, he had experienced years of physical and mental decline himself, but his wife Lily stood by his side & took such great care of him, expressing incredible sacrificial love. I anointed him many times over the years in their home, but also remember the two of them sitting together in church for Mass before Ernie became too ill to leave home. May Ernie now rest in heavenly peace.

If you’ve had any contact with the outside world recently, you would know that there has been much controversy over a Vatican document (a “declaration”) entitled Fiducia Supplicans, which is translated as “On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings.” It was submitted to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, who approved it with his signature. This document has caused much consternation from both Catholics and non-Catholics alike as it concerns the blessing of those couples who are in a same-sex or irregular relationship. An “irregular” relationship would be a couple who are cohabiting outside of marriage, or couples who have been civilly married but not married in the Church. I have not seen such debate about a Vatican declaration for many years, if ever during my years as a priest.

I have thoroughly read the document in question (which I encourage all to do if you are curious about exactly what was said) and it can be found on the Vatican website as well as many other places on the internet and is published in several languages.

The first thing that the document makes clear is this: that the Church’s traditional teaching on marriage (that it is only between a man and a woman) has not changed. Secondly, it seeks to clarify that a priest may not give a blessing or celebrate a liturgical rite that can sow confusion or imply that the Church is approving of a same-sexed or irregular relationship. It then goes on to describe how the blessing of a priest can contribute to the pastoral outreach a priest is expected to have toward all people.

The problem, it seems to me, concerns how a priest can bless a “couple” who are in a same-sex or irregular relationship. What exactly is the priest blessing? Two individuals who are seeking to follow the will of God, or a couple who is living in a sinful relationship? Even as I try diligently to be as precise and accurate as possible in communicating this issue to you here, I find it challenging to use language that will not confuse or complicate the matter. And of course, I always advise in such cases not to trust the media who have rightly been severely criticized for their biased interpretation of the matter.

Though you are always welcomed to ask me personally about this issue, perhaps the best I could do in this limited space is to quote from the statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: “The Declaration issued today by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) articulated a distinction between liturgical (sacramental) blessings, and pastoral blessings, which may be given to persons who desire God’s loving grace in their lives. The Church’s teaching on marriage has not changed, and this declaration affirms that, while also making an effort to accompany people through the imparting of pastoral blessings because each of us needs God’s healing love and mercy in our lives.”

Fr. James Schmitz

Pastor's Column for December 24, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

Though most of you will be reading this on December 24th, this bulletin is for both the 4th Sunday of Advent as well as for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day. So let me begin by welcoming all of you here with us this weekend, regardless of the day. We especially are happy to have visitors to our parish for the great feast of the Nativity of the Lord, but of course we are always happy to have our “regular” parishioners as well. 

If you’re reading this on Saturday or Sunday morning when we are celebrating the 4th Sunday of Advent,  we have a very short time to prepare for Christmas. But the whole Advent season that we enter each year, reminds us of that life-long fact: our time is short. I am experiencing what so many others have told me over the years: the older you get, the faster life seems to go. I say “seems” because of course time is time and it’s not in fact going by faster, but it certainly seems that way. I don’t know why that is exactly. Perhaps it’s because we get busier as time goes on and so we’re not as attentive to time. I also know that, as I’ve said here recently, it will be my first Christmas without my dad and his wife Mildred. It’s still hard to believe that their passing took place earlier this year. This makes me sensitive to the fact that many of you too have lost people you love…either this past year or over the years that have passed…and that is always hard to get used to. As a priest I know used to say, we get used to it but we never really get over it when we lose people close to us. But in all truth, we should also be content and hopeful, believing they are with the Lord in a way we can only imagine on this side of life. 

I recognize that I drifted into a reflection on those who have left us, but I really want this to be a time for us to think about who has come into our life. And that of course is God, in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. He came into our world, onto our earth, and into our human nature many centuries ago. But the God who is without limitation also comes into our life every day, really in every moment. That is the reason for our joy, if only we take the time to think about what that means. God is always coming after us…not in a way that should make us run in fear, but he chases us, like the “Hound of Heaven” says, in a way that seeks our acknowledgement, our friendship, and our love. This is what Christmas is all about. God is always reaching out to enter our lives in new ways. God is always hoping to be born again among us. We must not use these words just in pious ways of speaking about Christmas. They must be words that express the reality of our every day life. How do we make Christmas something new this year, without just going through the motions? It’s wonderful to send and receive cards, to see lighted trees and beautiful decorations, and to enjoy good meals. But there must be something more to what we do at this time every year. And in order to understand that, we must take time. To think, to pray, to worship, to listen, and to keep hoping that we will get the message a little more clearly this year than we did last year. 

So now that I’ve given something of a Christmas homily, I’ll get practical for a moment. We will have one Mass on Sunday evening, December 24th, at 4pm. This will be our Christmas Eve Mass. And yes, you need to still join us for the 4th Sunday of Advent, either earlier on Christmas Eve for the 8am or 11am Mass, or on Saturday, December 23rd at the 4pm Mass. Then on Christmas Day, we will have our usual holy day Masses at 8am and 11am. The rectory office will be closed and there will be no 8:30am Mass on Tuesday, December 26th, and the same will be true for both January 1st and 2nd. January 1st is not a holy day of obligation this year. 

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for December 17, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

On December 9th I celebrated a Funeral Mass for Zofia Chyla, the mother of George & John, to whom we extend our sympathies and our prayers. Zofia was 95 years old and still living in her own home at the time of her death. She had been married for 52 years. Her two children went to school here at St. Leo’s and the family has been parishioners since 1967, two years before our present church was built. Zofia had a devotion to the Holy Family and attended Mass regularly until she was unable to do so. May she rest in peace now and enjoy the rewards of a life of faith.

Through our new cameras that have been installed in the school, I was able to see how many gifts were dropped over in the school cafeteria last weekend in support of our annual Adopt a Child program, so thank you for your generosity and kindness to the many children who will benefit from your loving compassion. And of course thanks to Jeannie Sabol & all those who assist her in organizing this effort and distributing these gifts each year. May it please not only the children but the Lord Himself who is seen so clearly in the children among us.

I’m grateful for your cooperation as I or others like John Sabol lead the congregation through a cappella singing at those Masses when our Associate Musician, Mary Piechowski, is unable to play organ or piano for us. We are grateful for Mary’s extra time as well as we continue to search for another musician, hopefully someone who might be able to work with a choir as well. As I mentioned once before, another musician in the Diocese said several parishes are searching for such talented musicians but they are hard to come by these days. Honestly, I appreciate the opportunity to sing without the accompaniment of a musical instrument (“a cappella”) from time to time, and even to have a little more silence in our liturgy, as much as I also appreciate the importance and beauty of such instruments like the piano and organ. Either way, we are still praising God in song which raises the heart along with the mind to our Creator. I’m also grateful to Ruth Novak and to Matt Bobby who have been assisting us with our funeral liturgies. Please continue to pray that God may spare you from my voice and provide us with someone who is talented and available to join us in the ministry.

We had stopped renting out the Parish Community Center for a few months except to active parishioners and parents of our school children since some were not respecting either our property or our rules, such as not using alcohol or not taping things to the ceiling tiles which easily damages them. But this became challenging due to those who claim to be a parishioner but who are not active or regular in their Mass attendance any more. So I’ve decided to allow the Parish Center to be rented again to anyone as we have so many requests for the use of that space. It has proven to be quite convenient to many who need such a space for larger family gatherings and celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc. But we are going to raise the cost a bit to cover the expenses we incur for the maintenance of those rooms and for the coordination of the rentals. However, I’ll let you who are reading this know, that if you are looking to rent the Parish Center, if you see me in church (which means you’re an active parishioner or at least a supporting visitor) & let me know you’re renting that space, I’ll give you a special discount. I believe that people who support the parish with their contributions and especially by their presence here at Mass should be shown a special courtesy. So thank you for your generosity and your presence…both are always appreciated.

Pastor's Column for December 3, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

I was sad to have missed the Mass of Christian Burial for Barbara Pavlick while I was away at the Good News Conference in Florida, but I was able to see her at Holy Family Hospice before I left, while one of her sons and her husband was there. Barb’s funeral was celebrated on November 17th and Deacon Pat preached while Fr. Jim Roach (from St. John Cantius) presided at the Mass. Barb and her husband Alex, both very faithful Catholics, joined us for our trip to Italy this past March, and I’m glad that they were able to do so before Barb passed away. Barb was a gentle and humble soul and I trust she is now enjoying the eternal peace that comes not only from the absence of sickness but from the presence of our loving God. We extend our sympathy to her husband Alex and to their sons Joe & Jermaine. May she rest in peace.

While away at the evangelization conference in Orlando, I was able to meet Bishop Barron in person & thank him for his great work as he signed one of his books for me, “Pivotal Players.” In the book, he lists 12 people who have had a pivotal role in the evangelization of the world. So I asked him to write “#13” in the book for me as I consider him to be one of the great pivotal players of evangelization today. He did so, though I’m not sure he understood why. I enjoyed his talks and the Mass he celebrated for the hundreds of people who were in attendance. I also enjoyed the conversation that took place between the bishop, Dr. Jordan Peterson & Fr. Mike Schmitz on stage. I bought even more books while there, knowing that I have so many unread books here at home. But I love to read and to learn more about how others are proclaiming the gospel today in a world that is so often devoid of faith and understanding.

You will be reading this after we have all celebrated Thanksgiving with good food, family and friends, but I do hope you all enjoyed the holiday. This time of year always calls for some traditional ravioli and soup noodle making, so my sister & I plan on doing that the day before Thanksgiving. With my dad & Mildred now gone, and the sister who usually hosts the Thanksgiving Dinner is away this year, that leaves my sister Judy & I to fend for ourselves. We plan on eating at a local restaurant for our holiday meal and we are nonetheless grateful for the opportunity to do so. But life certainly changes as we get older and our immediate families shrink and our friends of many years pass away. In fact I am waiting to hear about the imminent passing of a dear friend from St. Ladislaus where I was pastor. I celebrated her husband’s funeral just a few months ago in June, and so I gave the anointing, Viaticum (one’s last Holy Communion) and last rites to his wife over the last few days. I have been involved in so many of their family events such as the baptism of their grandchildren, then their graduation from high school, and so on. It is at this time of year when the Church reminds us of “the last things” so that by keeping death always on our minds, we may do well to live this short life as best we can with the help of God’s grace.

This weekend we even bring the Church’s liturgical year to a close with the celebration of the feast of Christ the King. With the dying of nature around us at this time of year, we trust that the spring of new life will undoubtedly come in a few months. A reminder that this Friday, December 8th, is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, a holy day of obligation. Mass as usual will be celebrated with our school students at 8:30am and then again at 7pm. Let us remember how God prepared Mary to be the tabernacle of His Son by gracing her with the absence of original sin at her conception by the Holy Spirit. May she be our inspiration as we soon prepare for the celebration of her Son’s birth.

Pastor's Column for November 26, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

As previously mentioned in last week’s Pastor’s Column, I would be (was) in attendance at the Good News Conference in Orlando, FL the weekend before Thanksgiving. Provided below are the names of the presenters themselves in case you are interested in researching some their work for yourself if you're not already familiar.

      Q&A with Bishop Robert Barron:

Understanding ‘the reality and importance of God’

Article by America Magazine | November 10, 2023

What is an event from your childhood that helped you understand who God is?

When I was 5 or 6 years old, I saw my father, whom I considered the most powerful force in the world, kneeling in devout prayer, invoking someone that he considered more powerful than himself. That moment permanently shaped my sense of the reality and importance of God.

What is your favorite movie/book/play/musical/art/sport/ etc. right now?

“Mrs. Davis” is an impossibly quirky and theologically very questionable show, but I absolutely love the idea of a committed nun, who regularly communes with Jesus, taking on the soulless A.I. algorithm to which the whole world has surrendered. Everyone refers to Mrs. Davis as “she,” but Sister Simone knows that the correct term is “it.”

What’s something that people might not know about you?

When I was a doctoral student in Paris, I used to give tours every Wednesday at noon at Notre Dame Cathedral.

If you had not become a priest, what other job/vocation/ career could you see yourself in?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional baseball player. When I was in high school, I thought I would be a lawyer/politician.

What’s a lesson you’ve learned from the life of your favorite saint that is most applicable to your life today?

My favorite saint is Thomas Aquinas. He’s a touchstone figure for me, both intellectually and spiritually. The most important lesson I’ve learned from him is to make a prayerful relationship with Jesus the foundation for everything I do or say.

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