News from the Pews - St. Leo the Great

Diocesan Wide Confessions March 19, 2025 from 5p-8p

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:00:17 GMT

While we will not host the annual night of confession this lent...

Please note that this Sacrament will be available March 19, 2025 from 5p-8p at Mary Queen of Peace (4423 Pearl Road, Cleveland, OH 44109), St. Columbkille (6740 Broadview Road Parma, Ohio 44134) and St. Charles Borromeo (5891 Ridge Rd, Parma, OH 44129)

Rest In Peace Bennie Maulorico Jr.

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 03:05:00 GMT

Visitation

Tuesday, December 9, 2024 4:00pm-8:00pm

Parlor Service

wednesday, December 10, 2024 @ 10:00a.m.

hopko funeral home

6020 broadview rd. parma, OH 44134

Interment

BROOKLYN HTS Cemetery

VIEW OBITUARY HERE

Pastor's Column for December 8, 2024

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 16:49:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

The first thing I want to share with you is my deep gratitude to two parishioners who (anonymously) donated the beautiful new signs that are now in place on our property. We were badly in need of them and it’s been on my to do list for a long time to have them replaced but it’s a big expense and a lot of work as each sign needs to be designed (kind of a pun there) and I honestly didn’t feel competent enough to do that. So longtime parishioners asked what I thought of the idea of having new signs put up and of course I was thrilled with the idea…especially when they said that they would be happy to design them (a talent of theirs) and even donate them (again, a very large expense). We discussed it as it was in progress but then they just appeared this week and I couldn’t be happier with them. The largest one is seen very clearly when you drive in the parking lot off of Broadview Rd. and is so much brighter & easier to read. It also includes our parish logo which is another big plus. It clearly directs the way to the church (of course the most obvious building) but also to the rectory, office, parish center, Marian shrine, and parish school (which also indicates that we offer Pre-school through 8th grade. It stands out with our parish colors as well and is just simply but nicely designed. There is also a sign by the Parish Center and soon (if not there already) by the Marian Shrine. There is a sign by the Rectory office and again soon (if not there already) by the West 25th entrance to the rectory parking lot. I speak on behalf of all our parishioners and visitors when I thank sincerely those who donated these marvelous signs and who did the great work of designing them. We are indebted to you!

OK, next up is just to let you know that you may hear our peal bells ringing before, during or after Mass this weekend as the Catholic Bishops of the United States are asking churches across the country to celebrate the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Parish. I’m sure you recall the sad and tragic fire that destroyed part of this iconic symbol of our Catholic faith 5 years ago. Thanks to the hard work and generous support of so many throughout the world, it is finally re-opening on December 7th & 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Of course this medieval cathedral is named after “Our Lady” ( Notre Dame in French) and so it’s appropriately restored on this great feast. The First Mass & consecration of the new altar will take place on Sunday, December 8th and will draw some 170 bishops from around the world. Of course you’ll be able to watch this great celebration on TV or the internet. This celebration is dedicated to honoring those who saved and rebuilt the cathedral. I have not been there myself yet, but it certainly is on my bucket list! So if you hear our bells ringing this weekend, say a Hail Mary in thanksgiving for those who saved & rebuilt this world-wide symbol of our Catholic Faith and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Speaking of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, this may be a bit confusing but here it is: normally this feast is a holy day of obligation for us in the United States except when it falls on a Friday or Sunday (as it does this year with Sunday being December 8th). However, because Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of our country, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has made this holiday one of obligation for us in the United States this year, even though it falls on a Sunday. So, long and short of it is that Mass will be at 8:30a this Monday, December 9th (it will be an all school Mass but all are welcome) and then again at 7p.

I also asked that you say a Hail Mary for Vincent & Elizabeth Rongone who lost a child through miscarriage. We celebrated a funeral Mass for their son, Charles Antonio last week.

Parish Bulletin for December 8, 2024

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 16:44:00 GMT

read bulletin here

REST IN PEACE MARTHA BOZEK

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 16:27:00 GMT

Visitation

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from 9:30a.m. until 10:00a.m.

St. Leo the Great Church — Back Vestibule

4940 Broadview Cleveland, OH 44109

Mass of Christian Burial

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 @ 10:00a.m.

St. Leo the Great

4940 Broadview Rd.

Cleveland, OH 44109

Interment

All Saints Cemetery

view obituary here

Parish Bulletin for December 1, 2024

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 20:22:00 GMT

view bulletin here

Pastor's Column for December 1, 2024

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 20:19:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

I really have to do something about our Office Manager, Nina Capone. She’s the only one who makes me work on my vacation. Yes, I am writing this on November 22nd, the last day of vacation, because she (or rather the bulletin company) needs all bulletins for this weekend submitted by this particular date. But since this is the only thing that Nina ever asks of me (at least while I’m on vacation) I’ll have to let it go. Besides, every other day that she works in our rectory office, she brings organization, leadership, gentleness, helpfulness and creativity to our rectory staff and to all the people who come into the rectory office. She works with a great team too…Mary Lynn Haldi, Amy Mackey, Marie Phillips, Mary LaGodney, and others who work so well and with a cheerful and helpful spirit. I am truly grateful for them all, and I thought I’d use this opportunity after Thanksgiving to say what I should say more frequently so that I practice what I preach. Please be sure to thank them when they offer you some assistance.

I’ll make this announcement at weekend Masses but this is the last weekend for helping with our annual Adopt a Child for Christmas opportunity. As you know, Jeanne Sabol spearheads this wonderful holiday charity and we are very grateful for what she organizes for the sake of so many children who are the recipients of your generosity. We need gifts for about 150 children. So thank you to Jeanne and to all who help her with this annual event and thank all of you who make it possible because you think of others at this time of the year.

Speaking of this time of year, Happy New Year to all of you! Don’t think me crazy for being a month too early. I know it’s only December 1st, not January 1st, but this is the first Sunday (or Saturday) of Advent, which begins a new liturgical year. So out comes the purple vestments and the Advent Wreath, which of course marks the 4 weeks of this holy season of preparation for the celebration of the Nativity, of the birth of Christ. Very soon, we will be receiving our two new (or rather old) stained glass windows which match the other windows in the church which used to be enjoyed by the people of Blessed Sacrament church. I recently had a former parishioner of that church who was visiting us comment on how wonderful it was to see those windows being used in our church. It brought back many wonderful memories for her. The two new windows we will be receiving are especially meaning for our church. One will be of St. Cecilia, the patron of musicians. Ironically, I am typing this column on her feast day, November 22nd! So she came to mind when I was praying the Divine Office this morning. This stained glass window of her will be in a box like the others in the church with lights to illuminate it. It will be placed on the wall behind the organ and piano, a perfect spot for our liturgical musicians. The other window will be of the Nativity, which will be placed on the larger wall directly behind the choir. It will be flanked by two smaller windows which originally adorned the larger one of Jesus, Mary & Joseph. This is also very meaningful for us because the first Masses celebrated in this “new” church (built in 1969), were celebrated on the feast of Christmas. I don’t recall now who it was that was sharing this story with me, but a parishioner (please remind me if it was you) was to be married just a few days before Christmas. This “new” church was ready for Mass to be celebrated in it, but Father Lux, the founding pastor and the one who was responsible for building this church, would not allow any Mass to be celebrated in it until after Christmas! But I hope you will all benefit from these reminders of the holy family and of the saints, whose example we all hope to follow, especially as we approach the season of our Lord’s birth.

Fr. James P Schmitz

Pastor's Column for November 24, 2024

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 15:07:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

I have returned from my vacation so will be happy to see you all again. I had a wonderful 2 weeks, which included a drive down to North Carolina to visit a former parishioner who has moved there with her husband to follow in a few months. It was great to visit and to just take a long but enjoyable ride (about 8 hours). I stopped at Belmont Abbey where Benedictine monks live. It’s the only Catholic University in the state of North Carolina (which of course is pretty much a bible belt area). On Saturday I went to Mass at a church where they had pictures of parishioner’s loved ones who had died over the past year. It was very moving to see that as the parishioners prayed for them during this month of November. We will “steal” this idea & do the same next year. But while on vacation I remembered when I read & mentioned in a homily a few weeks back…that vacations are not only an opportunity to get away from work as they are a time to prepare for the work that is ahead. So I return to you now rested and ready to get back in the business of serving you the best I can.

I look forward to joining some of my nieces & nephews and now great nieces & nephews for Thanksgiving at my sister’s house near Akron. She cooks a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner and this year when she invited me I asked if I could bring a guest. When she questioned who the guest would be, I told her that it would just be me coming but I wanted her to cook extra for a meal I could take home with me. It’s amazing to think that I currently have 6 great nieces & nephews and 2 more on the way! It’s wonderful to see the family growing, especially during a time when so few people are having children which will cause some problems if that trend does not turn around quickly. The Catholic Church of course has always encouraged married couples to have children for they are the fruit of love. From the very beginning, God told the human race to “be fruitful and multiply” and here we are now, many thousands of years later, living in a world with over 8 billion people. It boggles my mind. Of course so does the fact that an ant can carry up to 50 times their own body weight.

This weekend we celebrate the last Sunday of Ordinary Time with the great feast of Christ the King. Recently we had the sign put over the head of Jesus on the crucifix with the letters “INRI” which stand for the Latin words that Pilate wrote to show the criminal act that caused Jesus’ crucifixion (as was customary): “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.” This is our King. A King whose throne is the cross, whose crown is thorns, whose kingly robes are blood and sweat. We are reminded that when Pilate had that sign placed on the cross, others complained that he should have wrote instead, “This man claimed to be the King of the Jews.” To which Pilate responded “Quod scripsi scripsi” which means, “What I have written, I have written.” It makes one wonder if he really believed in who Jesus said he was.

I invite you to join us for our Thanksgiving Day Mass which will be at 9am. I am always pleased to see that this holiday draws the most people to Mass, even though it is not a day of obligation. I believe that is due to the deep gratitude that you have for all that God has given to you and for the many blessings you have received. This is what our whole life must be about: being mindful of all that God has given to us and done for us. If we do this, we will complain far less. We will accept our difficulties much easier. We will be more joyful. We will grow in holiness. All of this and more for doing what? Just being grateful.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Welcome, Fr. Lormeus!

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 17:19:00 GMT

Please welcome Fr. Lormeus, who will speak at all the Masses on behalf of Cross Catholic Outreach, which was founded to forge a stronger and more supportive link between parishes in America and the priests and nuns serving the poor in the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America. Please be generous in your response to Fr. Lormeus’s appeal. Brochures will be provided if you wish to support this worthy Catholic ministry.

Parish Bulletin for November 17, 2024

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 17:12:00 GMT

read bulletin here

Pastor's Column for November 17, 2024

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 17:10:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

I am enjoying my vacation so far. It’s good to have the time to get things done without having to rush or be on a timeline. Of course I still do a bit of work on vacation (like this column for example), but it gives me pause to think of you as I continue to remember you in my prayers daily.

Before I actually started my time away last Monday, I did celebrate the funeral Mass for Francine Simonski. I had her husband’s funeral about 3 years ago. They were married for 51 years and had 2 daughters & a son. Fran was a person of faith who attended Mass regularly until she became ill in 2020. Her daughters attended Catholic school and she was a playground monitor & was active in PTU. So please say a prayer for her and also one for the students from St. Ignatius High School who were there to act as pall bearers.

I have been keeping in touch with Deacon Pat and Joan and they are both grateful for your prayers and concern. Deacon Pat will continue with his therapy and again we are thankful that there does not seem to be any permanent damage as a result of the stroke. Hopefully you will see him soon so you can express your prayerful support personally.

I’m afraid there is not good news to share with you however concerning one of our former pastors, Father Ned Weist. He recently learned that he has cancer. I spoke with him to assure him of our prayers for him as well and of course he is very grateful for that. Fr. Ned was a great pastor whose kindness continues to be remembered by those who were here under his leadership. I would get a phone call from him (and he would call other priests as well), letting me know what a great job I am doing, telling me that he watched our livestream Masses or read our bulletin. He is so good about building people up and that encourages me to try to do the same, especially since that is something I don’t do often enough. Father retains his sense of humor and continues to live with acceptance of his fate through his ever constant faith. If you don’t know him, I’m sure that others who do will tell you the same. So please keep him in prayer as often as you can. Let us express our deep gratitude to him for all he has done for our parish and our Church. I will continue to let you know how he is doing and we will provide a way for you to send him a card or a note if you wish to do so.

There are several parishioners who are also affected by cancer. I have their names on the lock screen of my phone so that I can remember to pray for them throughout the day. I don’t want to share their names with you due to privacy but I do ask that you keep them in prayer as well. I would even encourage you, when you read the bulletin each week (which I hope you do, either when you come to Mass or online at our website) to pause for a moment when you see the list of the names of people who have asked for our prayers. Pause and say a Hail Mary or even just a short prayer such as, “Divine Physician, heal everyone on this list in the manner you will.” I know that this column is full of requests for your prayers but so many are in need of them, and someday we all will be in need of the prayers of others so give that moment of your time as we hope others will do that for us. Of course this month we add to that long list our prayers for those who have died, especially parishioners who have died this past year and whose names are displayed on the table in front of the baptismal font. There is also the list of people whose names are on envelopes in the basket on the altar during Mass. We join our prayers to those of the saints who continue to intercede for us until that day when prayers will no longer be needed.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Thank you letters from our students to you

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 20:24:00 GMT

Our students have been practicing and reciting the prayers of the rosary in school. All grades are participating using the generous and unique rosaries our parishioners donated at the start of the school year. Learning different forms of prayer and growing closer in their understanding of the faith is our greatest hope for our students as they grow and face a world that can use the power of prayer. May they carry it with them always.

Read their thank you letters here

Adopt a Child Program

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 19:36:00 GMT

click here for more information

Parish Bulletin for November 10, 2024

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 17:14:00 GMT

read bulletin here

Pastor's Column for November 10, 2024

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 17:07:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

Last Saturday, November 2nd, I celebrated the funeral Mass for Roman Semproch, and so we extend our sympathies to his wife Geraldine of 67 years and to their 3 children, Debbie, Karen, & Raymond. Roman actually didn’t care for his given name and so went by Ray. What was very interesting to learn was that Ray and Geraldine’s 3 children all shared the same birthday, but were all born in different years! I had to figure that out so I discovered that the probability is 1 in 48,627,125! But the other coincidence for Ray was that his funeral Mass was celebrated on November 2nd, the feast of All Souls, or the feast of All the Faithful Departed, a day when we remember and pray in a special way for our loved ones who have died as God prepares and purifies them for life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Ray and Geraldine were also blessed with 7 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren (and these were all girls…with a 5th girl on the way!). Ray had 8 siblings and was the last of them to pass away at the honorable age of 93, so he had many blessings in his life. Ray was a professional baseball player (a pitcher) for the Phillies and was a member of the military police in the Marines. He attended Mass regularly until COVID, prayed the rosary, and enjoyed his family greatly. May he be reunited now with his siblings and share with them in the joys of heaven.

This weekend, we are celebrating (non-liturgically) the feast of our patron, St. Leo the Great, which is celebrated every year on November 10th, which is the date of his death in the year 461. He was born in the year 400. Sunday always takes precedence over the feast of a saint, so while the readings and prayers of our Mass will not be the ones we would normally hear on St. Leo’s feast day, we can still remember him during our weekend Masses. In the great basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome (inside Vatican City), there is an altar to his memory. He was pope from 440-461 and was the first pope to be buried in this basilica (there are many popes buried there, including Pope Benedict and Pope St. John Paul II). You can see a picture of this altar in this bulletin. Above and behind the altar is a great carved high-relief marble portrait by Alessandro Algardi in the 17th century, which shows the meeting of Pope Leo the Great with Attila, King of the Huns. Pope Leo succeeded in halting Attila from sacking Rome in 452 (I have a picture of this in my office, which was painted by another artist with the original also being at the Vatican). Attila told his troops that when the Pope spoke, he saw the threatening figures of Peter & Paul with drawn swords before him, and this can be seen on the top of this marble relief. We have many sermons and writings of Pope Leo I, and they are read by priests and others who pray the breviary or “Divine Office,” a set of prayers prayed daily. Pope Leo is called “Magnum” or Great because of his great influence in the life of the Church due to his courage and his writings, and was the first pope to be called “the Great”. He is also a Doctor of the Church as he was the source of great wisdom to the Church.

As you know, we have a wonderful statue of St. Leo the Great in a shrine in the back of the church where the old confessionals used to be. There is also a relic of St. Leo there (a small piece of his bone), and I have a relic of him as well. So let us thank God for his example and his wisdom, which continues to guide us today, and ask for him to intercede on our behalf as we live the Catholic Faith today with courage and wisdom.

I will be away for the next couple of weeks on vacation, so there will be no weekday Mass during that time. I hope to return refreshed and ready to celebrate Thanksgiving!

Fr. James Schmitz

REST IN PEACE FRANCINE SIMONSKI

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:09:00 GMT

Visitation

Sunday, November 10, 2025 2:00pm-6:00pm

Ripepi Funeral Home

5762 Pearl Rd. Parma, OH 44129

Mass of Christian Burial

Monday, November 11, 2025 @ 10:00am

Church of St. Leo the Great

4940 Broadview Rd. Cleveland, OH 44109

Interment

Brooklyn Hts. Cemetery

VIEW OBITUARY HERE

Pastor's Column for November 3, 2024

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 13:12:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

We welcomed Athena Harte into our Faith last Sunday through the Sacrament of Baptism. We congratulate her parents and ask God to bless them all with a faith that will sustain them throughout life.

Last Saturday (October 26th), I celebrated a funeral Mass for Bernadine Hill. Bernie was a long time parishioner here at St. Leo’s and was one of 8 children, and the last one to die at the age of 98. I celebrated the funeral of her sister, Mildred Mach about 4 ½ years ago and the two of them would come to the 4pm Mass on Saturday so faithfully. Bernie was married to Louis for 50 years and had 5 children (one is now deceased) and several grandchildren including great-great grandchildren. She had a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary & prayed the rosary regularly. We commend her now to God and I ask you to say a prayer for her that she may be reunited with all those she loved as she enters the presence of God.

We also extend our sympathies to the Vesely family on the death of Raymond Vesely, the nephew of Father James Vesely. I prayed with the family for him this past Tuesday and so again ask you to remember him and his uncle, Father Vesely, in your prayers.

As you can see, the corpus of our crucifix has been painted and returned to us so I am very grateful for the great work done by the painter from Henninger’s Religious Goods store on W. 137th off of Brookpark Road. They are also the ones who painted the statues of the Holy Family and will be installing two more stained glass window shadowboxes soon. I also asked them to put up a railing in the vestibule by the steps leading down to the Information Desk as it presents a hazard to those who may be in that area. While re-installing the corpus on the cross, I asked them to place a small crucifix there which we had in the sacristy and which contained a very small relic of the True Cross. I don’t know where it came from nor did I know how we could place it in a place of honor until I got the idea to have it placed on our sanctuary crucifix so that we will know that it is there. We will bless our newly painted crucifix this weekend & ask God to allow it to remind us constantly of the great Sacrifice that Jesus offered to the Father so that sin, death, hell and Satan might be overcome.

Of course this is the week that our presidential election takes place, a time that has produced much anxiety and uncertainty for so many people in our country. It has also given birth to so much animosity toward one another, to the point that we are not even able to talk to many people with a calmness that is respectful of other’s opinions. This is precisely the hope and work of the devil who is associated with division and hatred. So let us increase our prayer. We pray for ourselves. We pray for our enemies. We pray for our civil leaders, whomever they may be, in accord with the command of scripture. We pray for God’s kingdom to come, and His will to be done, regardless of who wins this race. We pray that we may trust, despite our fears. We pray that we will live one day at a time, as Jesus taught us, for we are not to worry about tomorrow. And finally we pray that all Christians may follow not a donkey or an elephant, but a Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Parish Bulletin for November 3, 2024

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 13:04:00 GMT

read bulletin here

Rest in Peace Roman "Ray" Semproch

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 12:32:00 GMT

Morning Prayers

November 2, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. -10:30a.m.

Vodrazka Funeral Home

6505 Brecksville Rd Independence, OH 44131

Mass of Christian Burial

November 2, 2024 at 11:00a.m.

St. Leo the Great Church

4940 Broadview Rd. Cleveland, OH 44109

Interment

November 4, 2024 from 1:15pm-1:45pm

Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery

10175 Rawiga Road Seville, OH 44273

VIEW OBITUARY HERE

Rest in Peace Bernadine Hill

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:31:00 GMT

Visitation

Friday, October 25, 2024 from 2p-8p

Zabor Funeral Home

5680 Pearl Rd.

Cleveland, OH 44129

Mass of Christian Burial

Saturday, October 26, 2024 @ 11:00a.m.

St. Leo the Great

4940 Broadview Rd.

Cleveland, OH 44109

Interment

Holy Cross Cemetery

view obituary here

Parish Bulletin for October 27, 2024

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:30:00 GMT

read bulletin here

Pastor's Column for October 20, 2024

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:36:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

I really enjoyed the 4 day Convocation I attended with the other priests of the Diocese. It’s always great to have the opportunity to visit with fellow priests whom we don’t get a chance to see throughout the year and even to meet new priests who have been ordained in recent years but whom we may not know as we older priests are so far removed from their time in the seminary. Thank you for your prayers for us and please continue to keep us in prayer.

Last weekend we asked God’s blessings on Ed & Betty Rospotynsky who were celebrating their 65th Wedding Anniversary. Again, congratulations to them! I also want to extend our congratulations to Ken & Mary Ann Perry who celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary this past Friday. May they see their 65th Anniversary like Ed & Betty!

I’m anxious to see many of you at our annual Parish Festival this weekend. Again, so many people work very hard for a very long time to plan and prepare for this opportunity for us to come together & enjoy each other’s company, and to welcome those in the neighborhood who also join us for this yearly event. So again in advance I want to thank those of you who have donated hours of your time and your energy, those who have planned and help prepare, and those of you who have just been present to enjoy this two-day event. It’s a great blessing that we still have so many people willing to be a part of this fundraiser and who are still able to come & enjoy time with people you may not see the rest of the year. Of course I see you all most weekends of the year but I sometimes forget that because most people go to weekend Mass on the same day & at the same time, those from the 4pm Mass on Saturday may never see those from the 11am Mass on Sunday. So this is a chance for you to see and hopefully meet others who belong to our community but may not be known to you. I’m grateful to every single person who in any way will make this gathering a “success”…not only financially but most especially spiritually as our time together as a community of faith is always a “successful” way of being a Church. And as Nancy Zola announced last weekend, we thought that it would be helpful for you to know that the profits we collect as a result of the festival this year will be donated to those students in our school who need our financial support (and there are many of them). So on their behalf and especially in the name of their parents, we thank you for contributing to their welfare.

I celebrated an all school Mass this past Wednesday (which was the middle of the month of October) during which I spoke to the children about the prayer of the rosary. Since we dedicate this month to Our Lady (and also appropriately to the gift of life), I wanted to show the children how to use the rosary to ask for our Blessed Mother’s intercession and to be reminded of her example. Each student will be receiving a rosary and I encouraged them to carry it in their pocket so that at any time of the day, when they have a few minutes, they can pray even just part of the rosary. One of the students asked me an interesting question (and I admit I could not give them an immediate answer as I wanted to give it some thought). The question was this: Can we wear a rosary around our neck? On the one hand, it is a powerful symbol of Catholic faith and devotion and as such can be an expression of their faith, much like wearing a crucifix or a medal of a saint. On the other hand, in some contemporary fashion trends, rosaries have been used as accessories without necessarily a religious intention which of course could been seen as disrespectful. So let me know what you think & how you would respond to this student’s question.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

All Souls Holy Hour

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:50:00 GMT

Parish Bulletin for October 13, 2024

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:45:00 GMT

READ BULLETIN HERE

Pastor's Column for October 13, 2024

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 12:32:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

As you can see, the Holy Family has returned from their journey to Egypt (just a joke referencing the biblical story) and hopefully will stand out much more now that they are painted in color. I will not see them myself until Saturday as I will have been gone at the Clergy Convocation in Huron this week but I trust that we will like their new appearance. I will bless these statues during the weekend Masses.

You also noticed, I’m sure, that the corpus has been removed from the cross in the sanctuary. Like the statues of the Holy Family, it is being painted so as to draw out more of the details in this wooden image of our Lord’s crucifixion, much of which are hidden by it’s brown appearance in front of the brown & tan bricks behind it. Perhaps you are already aware of the fact that most Protestant churches have a cross in their sanctuary while most Catholic churches have a crucifix (a cross with the corpus or dead body of Christ on it). First, many people ask what exactly we mean when we speak of “Protestant” churches. This is something of an umbrella term which is used to group together those Christian denominations which are not Catholic. Back in the 16th century, Martin Luther (after whom the Lutheran Church or denomination is named), and some others protested against certain practices and beliefs of the Catholic Church. To be fair, Martin Luther and others had some valid concerns. But this created no little amount of argument and even battles. Thus the Protestant Reformation was born, which sought to reform the Church of it’s alleged errant beliefs and practices. Then came the Catholic Reformation, which fought back against the protestors, and which clarified the Church’s beliefs which were often misunderstood and even made changes to either correct or double down on some of the Church’s teachings & practices. The result was the birth of what has come to be thousands of individual Protestant denominations, with some of the bigger or well known ones being called Lutherans, Calvinists, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. My church history professor would say that while the Protestants had some valid concerns, they unfortunately “threw the baby out with the bath water.”

But getting back to the cross vs. crucifix issue…the empty cross (minus the corpus) stresses the resurrection for those of the Protestant denominations. It emphasizes Christ’s victory over death. But Catholics prefer the crucifix because without the sacrificial death of Jesus, there would be no resurrection. Also, the Mass is the “unbloody sacrifice of Jesus” which means that as Christ becomes present through the words of institution (“This is My Body…This is My Blood”), we unite ourselves with the sacrifice of Jesus as we offer ourselves with Him to the Father. Every Mass is a celebration of Christ’s sacrificial death and of his Resurrection.

Gratefully today we have put aside many of the battles that have been fought between Catholics and Protestants over the last 500 years (battles of words and battles of real fighting) as we work and pray together for the coming of God’s kingdom (sadly, this is not so true in Ireland). But Christ prayed for unity in the Church so for this we must continue to work and pray. For us as Catholics, our disagreements with those of the Protestant faith have allowed us to become more precise in our understanding and expression of our Catholic faith. And we continue to hold that while all religions and Christian denominations have some truth as revealed by God, the fullness of God’s truth and the fullness of grace that comes through the sacraments resides in the Catholic Church founded by Christ. Feel free to ask questions!

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Support Hurricane Helene Relief

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 15:25:00 GMT

Catholic Charities USA, the official domestic disaster relief agency of the Catholic Church in the United States, is currently providing support and assistance to its Diocesan Catholic Charities member agencies throughout the regions that are being impacted by Hurricane Helene. Catholic Charities USA is accepting donations via this form to provide humanitarian relief to those in need through the good work of Catholic Charities agencies

Hurricane Relief

St. Leo Parish Festival

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 14:48:00 GMT

Blessing of the Animals

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 14:46:00 GMT

Parish Bulletin for October 6, 2024

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 14:41:00 GMT

read bulletin here

Pastor's Column for October 6, 2024

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 14:35:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

I want to express our sympathy to Mickey Stitt on the passing of her sister, Loretta Gorney. Loretta was Mickey’s only sibling and the two of them have been close friends over the years. Loretta and her husband Richard of 62 years had the same strong faith as Mickey has always had, and the family was comforted in the fact that Loretta had received the anointing and Apostolic Pardon before her death. She and her husband have 6 children. Mickey has been coming back to play at funerals and we are very happy to have her continue to share her passion for music with families who are grieving. May Loretta know eternal peace.

Our congratulations to the Heidenreich family on the baptism of Leo this Sunday. May our parish patron, St. Leo the Great, pray for him as he becomes part of the Mystical Body of Christ, a member of the Catholic Church, and a parishioner of St. Leo’s.

This week I will be away (from Tuesday through Friday) at Sawmill Creek Resort in Huron, Ohio for our every-other-year Clergy Convocation, a gathering of all the priests with the Bishop for a week long series of conferences. We also celebrate Mass each day of course and have the opportunity to share meals and fellowship with each other. We will be discussing items related to our ministry as priests of course and the title of this year’s convocation is, “Jesus: the same Yesterday, Today & Forever” (taken from scripture). I ask that you pray for us throughout the week that we may have the grace to serve you well. I will be celebrating Mass at the parish on Monday & Tuesday but Deacon Pat will have a Communion Service on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I will be back to celebrate the weekend Masses.

Congratulations to Ed and Betty Rospotynsky who are celebrating 65 years of marriage! That’s more years than I’ve been alive and I’m happy to be asking God’s blessing on them during the 4pm Mass this weekend. May God bless them with health and happiness and more years together.

I want to share with you something else I read that really struck me that speaks about listening to God’s Word (through Scripture & the Church) concerning all the realities of our public and political lives. Sometimes we think God is speaking to us only about “religious” things but God is Lord of our entire lives, not just what we may consider to be spiritual or religious:

Catholic Christians know what their Lord says by listening to what their Lord's authorized Church teaches in his name—about everything: immigration, the poor, abortion, marriage, the environment, business, law, education, the arts, the media, everything. If Christ is the Lord, he must be the Lord of everything. If he is not the Lord of everything, he is not the Lord of anything.

This cosmic Christocentrism, this universal Lordship of Christ, is omnipresent in the writings of St. Paul—so much so that we do not even notice it anymore, like the air we breathe. Look at how many times Paul brings everything back to Christ, or, as he says in his conclusion to one of his letters, sums up all things in Christ, all things on earth as well as all things in heaven.

—Peter Kreeft in “Food for the Soul”

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for September 29, 2024

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 16:00:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday, September 29th, is the “Michaelmas Day”. You may have never heard that before but it is celebrated on this date every year and commemorates the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, a statue of whom was recently moved from the chapel area to the right side of our sanctuary, where the tabernacle was previously. Here’s some information about this annual feast:

Michaelmas has its roots in Christian tradition, particularly in the Western Church, where it became one of the four quarter days in the legal calendar of England, Ireland, and Wales. These were significant days for settling debts, hiring servants, and other legal and economic transactions. In Britain, Michaelmas was one of the major festivals of the year. It marked the end of the harvesting season and the beginning of the new farming year.

A traditional food for Michaelmas is a goose, known as a "stubble-goose" because it was fed on the remains of the harvested fields. The saying "If you eat goose on Michaelmas Day, you will never want money all the year round" is associated with this tradition. Who will be eating goose today? Perhaps we should have had goose in place of our coffee & donuts today!

In some places, fairs and festivals are held. There might be special church services, particularly in places where Saint Michael is a patron saint.

St. Michael is often depicted as a warrior angel, defeating Satan in the form of a dragon. This imagery symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, making Michaelmas a day not just of celebration but also of spiritual significance. You can clearly see how Michael is holding the pointy end of his spear on the neck of Satan in our statue.

So this is another invitation to light a candle (or several if you choose) in front of our statue of St. Michael in the sanctuary. We have many candles in the stand there and they are relatively inexpensive so please feel free to light candles there often and as many as you like as there is no charge to do so. We’ll bless this statue at the end of all the Masses this weekend as I don’t believe it was blessed when first put up in the church.

There is the famous prayer to St. Michael on the back cover of the song book but it can’t be seen as that cover is placed in the sleeve of the song book holder so I’ll include the prayer here & then invite everyone to say it together after I have blessed the statue today. You may also want to cut this prayer out of the bulletin & keep it in your wallet or purse or place it on your refrigerator at home. I say this prayer myself at the beginning of each day. This prayer was composed by Pope Leo XIII in the late 19th century and has since become one of the most popular prayers invoking the protection of St. Michael against evil.

St. 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 Divine Power of God,

cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits

who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for September 22, 2024

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 15:04:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

It was great to hear the choir members lead us in our praise of God last Sunday at the 11am Mass. And we continue to appreciate the great liturgical music provided by Angela & Devin, incorporating the viola and the bells along with the beautiful sounds of the piano & organ. Devin repaired & cleaned the bell system & it was the first time I’ve seen them so I’m glad we are able to make good use of them again after they have been in storage for so many years. We even had parishioner Andrew Dobay play on his saxophone a few weeks ago. I know that Angela, our Music Director, would like to extend another invitation to those who would be interested in singing in the choir to come see her, and Devin as well to those who would be interested in learning how to play the bells. They are both willing to teach beginners so please don’t hesitate to speak to them.

You’ll notice a new religious symbol that has been placed on our altar of repose (the tabernacle altar). It is the symbol of Christ as the victorious Lamb of God. It matches the wooden symbols we have of the 4 evangelists or gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) on front of the pulpit and the symbol of the pelican on the front of the altar of sacrifice. The pelican has long been a Christian symbol used for the Eucharist as it was believed that in time of famine, the mother would pierce her breast so as to feed her young with her own body and blood, an obvious reference to the Eucharistic Christ. And again, John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, for John was the son of a temple priest who was all too familiar with the priestly role of offering a lamb as a sacrifice on the temple altar. These symbols (also used on the altars and pulpit of the seminary and our cathedral downtown) will be highlighted with gold to bring out some of their details.

The young adult ministry will have met for dinner for the 3rd time as you read this. These monthly gatherings at a nearby restaurant allow them the opportunity to meet and talk with others in their 20’s and 30’s and so we extend this invitation to anyone in this age group who would be interested in joining us. It’s a great way to be encouraged in faith and to get to know others who are serious about their relationship with the Lord.

It’s been wonderful to walk through the halls of our parish school again and to see the faces of so many children who are growing in body, mind and in the spirit of faith. We had our first all school Mass last Friday & I couldn’t believe how well behaved they were. The 8th graders join us for Mass on Friday mornings. The students are always asking me when we’re having church again so I know how much they look forward to that experience, which for many of them, is sadly few and far between. I will be reaching out to the 2nd and 8th grade parents to give them information about our sacramental program which takes place on Sunday mornings from 9:30am until 10:45am, after which they join us for the 11am Mass. This Faith Formation is for those preparing for the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation, as well as for all those who do not attend a Catholic School. My sincere thanks to Joanne Deranek and to all who assist her in catechizing our young people.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for September 15, 2024

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 18:10:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

We express our sympathy to Scott & Art Yurek on the passing of their mother, Carole whose funeral Mass we celebrated last week. Carole was 84 and had a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she prayed the rosary often. She was also a very generous person, giving to organizations that she admired. She was someone who “put the needs of her family above her own and set an excellent example of how to be an awesome human being,” according to her obituary. As St. Irenaeus said, “the glory of God is a human being fully alive.” May Carole rest in peace as we pray for her and her late husband Arthur.

We also celebrated last week the funeral Mass for Patrick Mills, whom I met early on in my time here at St. Leo’s. He was devoted to his wife Lucile, whose funeral I celebrated 4 years ago. We extend our condolences to his son Scott and to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Pat. We are grateful for Pat’s service to our country as he was a Veteran of the US Marine Corps. I am glad that I had the opportunity to anoint Pat and give him Holy Communion (which was his “Viaticum” or last Communion) just days before he died. And then I was able to pray with his son and daughter-in-law as I administered the last rites to him. May Pat and all the faithful departed rest in God’s peace.

You can view pictures of those who labor in our parish and school community in the display case in the vestibule of the church, which of course is timely given our recent Labor Day holiday. As always, thanks to John & Jeanne Sabol who do a great job updating these pictures throughout the year.

After watching the first Presidential Debate this past week, I was reminded of something I read recently by Bishop Barron concerning the Church’s involvement in the political life of our nation. It said, “Today we live in a nation with the fundamental right to religious freedom. The state is forbidden to establish or dis-establish any religion. This is the clear and simple meaning of what later came to be the ‘separation of church and state.’ But that is not what many say it means today. They say it means silencing the Church’s voice in the public and political sphere.” Again, we hear the voices of many say that the Church (which is called to amplify the voice of the Scriptures and of Christ himself) should stay out of politics. But nothing should be farther from the truth. Politics has to do with how we live with each other in society…how we communicate, make laws, live in harmony, freedom, etc. And all of that has to do with God…with God’s will for society. Again Barron says, “Christianity has some basic principles about politics, but it does not have a detailed political program…Christians have moral principles by which to judge states, but they are not principals that come from politics; they come to politics.”

I share these words with you as I encourage you, not to vote for this candidate or for another, not to join this political party over another, but simply to stress the importance of forming your conscience and thereby your political opinions and decisions based on the will of God as you understand that will through Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Church. To that end, I’ll conclude with these further words from Barron: “And Catholic Christians know what their Lord says…by listening to what their Lord’s authorized Church teaches in his name—about everything: immigration, the poor, abortion, marriage, the environment, business, law, education, the arts, the media, everything. If he is not the Lord of everything, he is not the Lord of anything.”

Fr. James. P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for September 8, 2024

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 16:00:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

At the shrine of St. Leo the Great in the back of the church, we have placed the hand-carved wooden statues made out of olive wood by Christians living in the Holy Land (a very small percentage of Christians live there now…only about 2%). These crucifixes and statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be placed in the classrooms of our parish school. If September 8th had not fallen on a Sunday this year, we would be celebrating the feast of the Nativity or Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Next Saturday, September 14th, is the feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross. So the timing of receiving these statues is perfect as we display them between these 2 feasts. This Friday I will be blessing these statues and crucifixes at our first all school Mass for this year. Then the children will process with them to their classrooms where they will be displayed and where they will learn about the holiness of our Blessed Mother and also of the salvation offered to us by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We have received so many donations from you for these items and so I cannot thank you enough for your willingness to completely cover the cost for these. By doing so, you are not only “blessing” the students of our school but you are also financially supporting the Christians in the Holy Land who made them! So again, please accept my gratitude for making this possible. The older statues and crosses have been donated so they will continue to be put to good use.

This would also be the perfect time to let you know that we have a new processional cross which is used at the beginning and end of each weekend Mass. Though I’ve been wanting to replace the beautiful but older one we have used here for many years, I also wanted to purchase another one that had a more distinctive style and I just happened to come upon it when looking at the colors used for our statues of the Holy Family as they are being painted. I thought it was a beautiful mix of both the western and eastern rites of the church as it is both statue-like but also has the paintings of Mary & John in icon form on each side of the horizontal beam. Mary & John are often portrayed on either side of a crucifix as they both were present at the crucifixion (remember that Jesus told John, his beloved disciple, that Mary was now his Mother (to take care of) and he told his Mother that John was now her son. We will make use of the older processional cross in the parish center & in the school so it will remain a part of our prayer.

I also wanted to let you know that we are able to pay for these renovations in the church due to the many generous donations we have received from you over the years. Not infrequently, someone will leave money to the parish in their will, or living parishioners will give me a donation to use at my discretion. Since this fund has been building up for many years, I thought these new items would be the perfect use for them so once again, let me acknowledge and thank you for your wonderful generosity that allows us to enhance the beauty of our church and our worship. Know that your donations have been put to very good use.

Finally I want to tell you that I could not be happier with how our school year began this past Tuesday, the day after Labor Day. As you know, we have a new Principal, Mr. Lorenzo Jones, and several new teachers and staff members, including Ms. DeAndre Branner, our new Assistant Principal. I was so pleased with the number of returning and new students, and our enrollment continues to rise because of such strong and competent leadership. It's an exciting time for our parish school as it faces new challenges which we are meeting through the gifts of so many people.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for September 1, 2024

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 19:00:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

Many people were here on August 23rd to pray for Cathryne Figas whose funeral we celebrated. Cathyrne was struck with illness while on vacation with her husband Aaron and a couple of friends from the parish. She was 61. Cathy and her husband are the parents of a son, Danny and daughter, Allison and the aunt of many nieces & nephews. She was very much loved by all as evidenced by the people at her funeral Mass. Death came unexpectedly for her but she lived her life of daily service, love and faith. Her children attended our parish school and Cathy served at St. Augustine’s Hunger Center and helped with our Adopt-a-Child program, among many other things. She was described as a “creative visionary” and used her gifts for others. May her husband Aaron and her children be comforted by their faith and may Cathy receive her reward in heaven.

I also celebrated the funeral Mass for Regina Rose Parle, who died in April of this year. Regina or “Jean” had a daughter, Theresa or “Terri” with whom Jean lived for the last 10 years after her husband James of almost 60 years passed away in 2012. We are glad that Terri returned to St. Leo’s for her mother’s funeral liturgy where Jean had been a parishioner for 45 years. Jean was very proud of her Slovak heritage and all four of her grandparents emigrated here from Slovakia. Jean and her mother were able to visit family in Slovakia in 1977. Jean had a devotion to St. Padre Pio, as she was born on his feast day, and to Our Lady of Fatima. She prayed the rosary often due to her devotion to our Blessed Mother. Jean has 2 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. May she be welcomed to the kingdom by the Virgin Mary, who prayed for her in life and in death.

Congratulations to Sean Mahon and to Lauren Daunch who were wedded here last Saturday, August 24th. May they be blessed in every way as they begin their married life.

So many of you have expressed your pleasure at seeing the tabernacle moved to the center of the sanctuary and I’m glad to hear of your great devotion to the Eucharistic Presence of Christ. The statues of the Holy Family should be returned soon as they are being carefully painted to bring out the beautiful details in the wood out of which they are carved. If you approve of their appearance when returned, I believe that the corpus (body) of the crucifix would also benefit from some new paint which would bring out the details of our Lord’s crucified body and remind us in a more striking way of what he suffered.

We now have candles in front of the statue of St. Michael the Archangel which burn for 10 hours. These cost less than a dollar a piece so we will not ask for any donation for them and you may light as many as you wish since there are many candles available. If you wish to throw a dollar or some change into the collection basket for these that would be fine but again feel free to light as many as you wish as often as you wish. These candles serve as a symbol that our prayers and those of St. Michael continue to rise to heaven even when we are not present in the church. St. Michael is the patron of police officers, paramedics, fire fighters and those in the military. And of course he intercedes for all those who need protection against evil of any kind.

This Monday, Mass will be celebrated at the Shrine (weather-permitting) for the Labor Day holiday and will be at 9am. I am excited for our children to return to school this Tuesday under new leadership. Please pray for them and for the teachers & staff.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for August 25, 2024

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 19:27:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

We express our sympathy to Rick, the husband of Kathy Svoboda, whose funeral Mass we celebrated this past Tuesday, and also to Kathy's mother, Roberta, and to Kathy's many siblings. Some of them have already passed, so we pray that they may be united with one another in God's presence. Kathy very much enjoyed the presence of her family. May the Word of God, which I pray offered comfort and hope to those in sadness and grief, continue to guide us through the difficult times of life.

I was happy with the many positive responses I received concerning the move of the tabernacle, which I trust actually took place as I type this on Tuesday, August 20th. If all goes well, you will also notice that the statue of St. Michael the Archangel has moved from the chapel area to the space previously occupied by the tabernacle and its "altar of repose." I thought about moving the statue because it's currently placed in an area that hasn't been used for daily Mass since we shifted to the church. This change was made to accommodate the live-streaming camera and to allow for more space between congregants when we resumed Mass after the COVID shutdown. But perhaps more importantly, I feel that we are facing a time of spiritual battle. Many of us, even with different political opinions, are feeling angry about the division in our country and all that is happening in our world: wars are being fought, faith is being mocked, and people are expressing hatred for one another. I sense we all struggle to make sense of it all and wonder when (and even if) it will all be sorted out. I fear for our children and for their children. We need wisdom, clarity, peace, unity, courage, and especially love. All of these can only come from God. So what better time to realize that in this material and spiritual battle(s), we need God's guidance, protection, strength, and the power that comes from those whom God has placed in our world to provide these for us. We need the help of St. Michael and all the angels and saints.

I spoke of St. Michael last year at Christmas (I don’t expect you to remember, so I’m reminding you here!) and of how Jesus came to fight a battle against sin and evil. St. Michael is the leader of God's army of angels sent to enter this fight for us. We need to call upon him in these present times. We will have small votive candles placed in front of the statue so that our prayers may be offered when we are not present in the church.

You may have noticed that the statues of the Holy Family are missing, but only for a time. They are beautiful, wooden statues. I would like them to stand out a bit more from the tan & brown bricks behind them and believe that some fresh paint and color may allow them to come to life. They will be returned to the same place as soon as that process is complete.

Finally, I learned that a stained glass window of St. Cecilia, the patron of music, is available, which matches the other windows you see on the back wall of the sanctuary (now flanking the tabernacle), as well as the windows depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary on both sides of the nave and the windows on and above the back doors of the church. So, I thought we should have that window also encased in a wooden box like the others with lights behind it and placed in the music area of the church.

If you would like to offer flowers for the tabernacle altar, please call the rectory office and let us know so we can coordinate that. May God be praised by the beauty of this house of worship.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for August 18, 2024

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 03:20:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

We express our deepest sympathy to Paulette Prokop on the passing of her daughter, Emily. I celebrated a Funeral Mass for Emily at St. Malachi church last week where Emily had been a member and music minister. Father Ned Weist, former pastor of St. Leo the Great who knew Emily well during his time here, gave a fitting homily for this young woman of 44 years who had suffered from Huntington’s Disease. Her sister Cara and father Dennis also succumbed to this same disease in recent years. She is survived by a sister, Julie, and by a brother, Joseph. Before the onset of symptoms, Emily was a cheerful, athletic, intelligent and beautiful woman who brought joy to many. I anointed her this past February at Broadview MultiCare and prayed for her there with her mother and Aunt Mary. I spoke of her last weekend in my homily and will continue to believe in the reward she will receive in God’s kingdom. Her mother Paulette, a devout person of deep faith and parishioner here, has suffered much from this disease which has afflicted her family. She has carried her cross courageously and with much love. May Paulette and her children receive much peace as they continue to place Emily and themselves in God’s loving hands.

From time to time our church building has received updates to both the interior and exterior in order to deal with both maintenance issues as well as to enhance it’s beauty. Last year we painted the exterior sloping roof which had become rusted. A few years ago we had leaks repaired in this same roof and then had the entire interior ceiling painted (both covered by insurance). I see we have some major peeling going on now toward the back of the church and we also need to have the area above the pulpit repainted again after some water damage. The floor has been stripped of its wax several times over the last couple of weeks which is why it looked so dull compared to before. We are trying a different technique for the church floor which will hopefully bring back the beauty of the terrazzo floor without having to wax it so that is being worked on now and hopefully will look good for this weekend’s Masses.

Beyond these repairs and maintenance projects, we have installed shrines for St. Vincent de Paul and St. Leo the Great where the old confessionals used to be, have installed a more permanent baptismal font with flowing water and have added lights to the Stations of the Cross. I like to make “tweaks” to our current worship space only if I think these might enable our devotions to be more effective or the space more beautiful. Bishop Barron has opined that in recent years, following the trend of modern architecture, our churches have become rather “beige” with the emphasis on functionality and simplicity, often to the detriment of beauty and art, both of which are meant to glorify God as they remind us of Him who is Eternal Beauty.

So to this end, I have asked the Bishop for permission to move our tabernacle (and it’s “altar of repose”) from it’s present location on the right side of the sanctuary back to the center of the sanctuary under the crucifix, and he has granted that request. I will speak more of this at Mass next weekend when you will see this change, but my hope is to refocus the Eucharistic Presence of Christ, which needs to be at the center of our attention. The chairs for the Presider and the Deacon will be moved to the same level as the altar and pulpit and will be on the right of the altar. These changes will reflect the current trend of other churches that are being built or renovated, as well as a renewed emphasis on the gift and centrality of the Eucharist. Again, I’ll speak more of this and of a couple others changes next weekend. I trust you will be pleased.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for August 11, 2024

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 16:00:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

I hope you all were safe during the storm that hit this past Tuesday. I saw a picture of a tornado in Parma & I was caught in our school building when the winds were blowing so hard & it sounded like a tornado was near. We had a couple of very large branches come down on a tree that covered the drive that connects the two parking lots on the east & west side of the church where our back vestibule is. A wire came down with it but surprisingly our power never went out here. As I type this on Wednesday, I can hear them sawing the tree branches so they can remove the debris. We had several other smaller branches come down as well. Of course the tree that is dead & completely bare is still standing tall by the west entrance of the rectory parking lot. Murphy’s law. I know that the power was out for a lot of people and as of Wednesday morning is still out in many places in the Cleveland area. Again I hope everyone was safe.

On August 2nd I celebrated the funeral Mass for Margaret (Marge) Ballauer, a parishioner of great faith who would send me cards and notes of appreciation from time to time. She had such a pleasant demeanor & a gentle smile and she will be greatly missed. Her illness and death came rather suddenly and so we express our sympathy to her son Ed and daughter Wendy. I had the funeral for Marge’s husband Al two years ago almost to the day of Marge’s funeral Mass and they were married for 58 years. They were parishioners here at St. Leo’s since 1966 and were active members of the community. Marge also volunteered at the Parma Hunger Center and so served Christ for “whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers or sisters, you do for me.” May she know now the fullness of peace and receive her heavenly reward.

I also had a Memorial Mass on the same day for Dorothy Preuss who was also a member of our parish school for many years. She sent her two children to our parish school and worked in the school as a lunch mother. Dorothy was a member of our Senior’s group and enjoyed her visits with other seniors in the parish. She also had a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and prayed the rosary often, something you hear frequently about those who are elderly. We thank those who planned her Memorial Mass and as with all those who have died as faithful members of our parish, will continue to remember her in prayer, especially during the month of November which begins with the feast of All Saints and All Souls.

Thanks to all who worked to prepare for and clean up after our parish picnic, and of course to all who brought deserts and enjoyed a good meal and conversation with fellow parishioners. We had a cool gathering in the gym and it’s always great to see so many people. You can find some pictures of the event in this bulletin.

This week we will be celebrating the feast of the Assumption of Mary on Thursday, August 15th. As always, Mass will be at 8:30am and at 7pm. Please remember that this is a holy day of obligation. We need to take seriously the sinfulness of not attending Mass on such holidays as confession is required before taking Holy Communion if you purposefully or neglectfully miss this obligation. This of course is true for all serious sins which we tend to dismiss so easily these days. But I try to make myself available for confession as often as possible and always encourage you to make use of this sacrament which joyfully and easily releases us from the guilt of our sins. St. Thomas Aquinas said that “just as it would be foolish to give medicine to a dead person, it would not make sense to offer the healing power of the Eucharist to one who is spiritually dead and in mortal sin.” Wise words to take to heart.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for August 4, 2024

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:13:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

I noticed that it was a bit chilly in the church last weekend so I turned the thermostat up by a couple of degrees. Of course everybody has their own preference with regard to temperature. Personally I tend to like it colder but those who do not have as much insulation on their body as I do may like it on the warmer side. I remember my dad always complaining to my grandfather that it was so hot in his house so my dad would turn down the heat (even though it wasn’t his home!). But then as my dad aged, his house was so warm that I thought I died & didn’t make it to heaven. I want to make as many people as comfortable as possible when in the church so please don’t hesitate to let me know if you find it too warm or too cold. I’ll do my best to find a happy medium but I know you can’t please everyone. And if more people like it warmer in the church, I will accept the suffering that comes from sweating underneath my vestments and the warm lights in the sanctuary. But I warn you…I do tend to preach longer when I’m warm.

Besides our parish picnic this Sunday which will be from after the 11am Mass until about 2pm (we’ll be inside with the air conditioning if it’s raining or too hot or humid outside), we have our 4th episode of The Chosen this Monday in the Parish Center. We’ve had great turnouts so come and join us if you haven’t seen it yet. It really helps you to feel what it must have been like to listen to Jesus and to see his miracles.

Mr. Jones, our new Principal, and Ms. DeAndre Branner, our new Assistant Principal, are working hard to get everything ready for the beginning of school which will begin the day after Labor Day, September 3rd. We have all of teachers in place, registrations are coming in from both new and returning students, and the school has been cleaned thoroughly. Even the school office has been given a new arrangement. We should all feel very fortunate and blessed to have a parish school that is still open, educating children and doing so in the atmosphere of our Catholic Faith, even though many of the students are not Catholic themselves. Our school allows us to evangelize, to let these students and their parents know who we are as a Catholic community. And so many of you have made donations for the new crucifixes and statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary that we will be getting for the classrooms so thank you again for your generosity for these images are also a form of evangelization as they show both the mystery of the Incarnation through the cooperation of the Blessed Virgin and the mystery of Redemption through the cross of Jesus.

I was in a store at Southpark Mall which does engraving. They had there a small piece of granite on which you can have something engraved & it’s weatherproof so I had them put this on it: “In Memoriam…Father Russell Lowe & Father James Vesely” both of whom died within weeks of each other two years ago. Since both had a devotion to the Blessed Mother, I thought a small memorial stone in their memory should be placed by the shrine of Our Lady. The lady at the counter asked if I wanted a dolly so that I could roll it out of the mall to my car. Since I consider myself a strong man, I gratefully declined. Then I walked a long distance through the mall hunched over as the weight of this granite brought pain to my back. I thought that surely some strong gentleman would see my suffering and help me carry it to my car, but I thought wrong. I had to sit down 3 times. But I’m proud I didn’t drop it & break it. I hope my small penance, which I offered for these two fine priests, will help them to heaven.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for July 28, 2024

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 19:00:00 GMT

Dear Parishioners,

Last week our phone system was receiving voicemails that people may have left us but it was not notifying us that a voicemail had been left. We don’t know how long this was happening…at least for a few days but it could have been for a couple of weeks or more. So if you left a voicemail and the call was not returned to you, please give us another call. This would be true at any time…if for some reason (usually technological), a phone call or email is not returned promptly, please do not hesitate to call us back or send another email. Technology is prone to more & more failures (as we witnessed this past week with the “CrowdStrike” failure which affected millions of computers throughout the world & stranded people at airports). We benefit greatly from technology but we also suffer because of it. I do want to emphasize again that if you reach out to me via voicemail or email, please know that I do my best to respond to the most urgent requests first, and again, sometimes I may not see a request that is timely due to the number of emails & voicemails I receive (some of which need to be sorted out due to spam or “junk” mail). Right now, I have over 50 emails that I need to sort through, some of which (mostly from the Diocese!) have been there since March! I remember someone telling us at a pastor’s workshop that email is a tool of the devil, and to some degree I believe that. Anyway, I just want to let you know that we and I always try to respond as best we can but if there is something that is timely, please don’t hesitate to call or email again. Thanks for your understanding.

My thanks to the many people who volunteered to bring Holy Communion to the sick & homebound and who attended our meeting after Mass last weekend. Please let us know if you did not receive a pyx and/or card with the prayers on it and we’ll be happy to give you one. Now comes the work of matching up ministers with those who have called to let us know they would like to receive Holy Communion at home. So I’ll be making an announcement this weekend to those who are watching us via livestream & asking them to please reach out to us if they are not currently receiving Holy Communion so that we can have someone bring it to them. You can even let us know if you would like a quick or longer visit…some would like to chat for a little bit while others need their rest and we want to respect that. We want to accommodate you to the best of our ability so please give us a call and let us know when it would be good for someone to bring you the Eucharist at home. Most ministers would find it most convenient to bring it to you after one of our weekend Masses but some are available to bring it on another day & time that is better for you so let us know what works best for you.

Our summer maintenance crew has been working hard on stripping & waxing the floor in the church. They may have only certain sections done by the time we have Mass this weekend but I wanted to let you know that if parts of the floor don’t look right, that is the reason. I’m grateful for the great job our maintenance people do throughout the year, especially during the summer months when we have many projects to complete. We just brought on a couple of more full time maintenance people to help us keep our property…both inside and outside…well ordered & maintained. And thanks to our landscaper who does a great job with the task of caring for our large outdoor property.

Next weekend is our parish picnic after the 11am Mass so remember to come hungry for both food and fellowship with fellow parishioners.

Fr. James P. Schmitz