Pastor's Column for April 14, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

This past Monday, The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a document called “Dignitas Infinita” which is translated, “Infinite Dignity.” I spoke about this at the 8:30 Mass I celebrated this morning (Wednesday, April 10th) because ironically (or maybe not), the opening prayer for Mass spoke about the “original dignity of human nature.” Our prayer reflects what we believe, and this document, which took five years to complete, emphasizes the equal dignity of all people. It address a wide range of issues that face us in our culture today, from war and poverty to gender theory and digital violence.

The document also reaffirms the Church’s opposition to gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy, as well as abortion and euthanasia, while also discussing the sanctity of marriage as a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman. I find it important to also share with you Bishop Robert Barron’s thoughts on this document, as one who is known as a great evangelist in the Church today. He warns that the Church’s release of Dignitas Infinita must not categorize the faith as “left” or “right.” He says that this document aims to outline many of the most pressing threats to human dignity in the modern world. "In the light of Revelation, the Church resolutely reiterates and confirms the ontological dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God and redeemed in Jesus Christ," the document states in its beginning. The document criticizes gender ideology & surrogacy as bioethical crimes against the human person. Barron said "Catholic social teaching transcends the left/right split in western politics…Notice how this document emphasizes a number of issues dear to the left — migration, poverty, opposition to war, violence against women — and a number of issues of importance to the right — abortion, euthanasia, gender ideology — and still others that both sides would advocate: opposing human trafficking, care for people with disabilities, sexual abuse."

The document also says, "Regarding gender theory, whose scientific coherence is the subject of considerable debate among experts, the Church recalls that human life in all its dimensions, both physical and spiritual, is a gift from God…This gift is to be accepted with gratitude and placed at the service of the good. Desiring a personal self-determination, as gender theory prescribes, apart from this fundamental truth that human life is a gift, amounts to a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God, entering into competition with the true God of love revealed to us in the Gospel.”

Regarding surrogacy, the document says: First and foremost, the practice of surrogacy violates the dignity of the child. Indeed, every child possesses an intangible dignity that is clearly expressed – albeit in a unique and differentiated way – at every stage of his or her life: from the moment of conception, at birth, growing up as a boy or girl, and becoming an adult," the dicastery wrote in the document. "Because of this unalienable dignity, the child has the right to have a fully human (and not artificially induced) origin and to receive the gift of a life that manifests both the dignity of the giver and that of the receiver.”

There is so much more I could add to what I have included here but of course space and time is limited. But I ask that you seriously and prayerfully read about this important document on your own, using media from the Church that will accurately portray its contents. Feel free to ask me any questions that you may have about the statements made public in the Church on these important and relevant issues.

Fr. James. P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for April 7, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

I mentioned in last week’s column that I would tell you just a little bit about the 3 people who were formerly “catechumens” or those preparing to receive the Easter Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at our Easter Vigil this year. I’ve included a picture of them below along with their sponsors. On the left is Debra (Debbie) Bunosky, wife of Mark Bunosky. Next to her (in the pink) is her sponsor Eva Bunosky, an active parishioner and of course the mother of Mark and mother-in-law of Debbie. The lady on the other side of Eva is Leslie Bierschwal who is the sister of Debbie. Eva was also Leslie’s sponsor. Standing behind Leslie is Philip Rogers and his sponsor (to his left) is his father-in-law, Joseph Ratka. All three of the newly baptized are wearing a white baptismal garment which they put on during the rite of Baptism at the Easter Vigil. They were also confirmed & received their First Holy Communion.

During my homily at the Easter Vigil, I spoke of how each of them came to the decision to enter the Catholic Church because of the example of other Catholics in their families. Debbie & her sister Leslie had the example of their sponsor, Eva Bunosky, as well as the example of Debbie’s husband Mark, also a faithful Catholic of our parish. And Phil had the example of his father-in-law, Joe, whom Phil would drive to Mass each week. This is how our faith is spread. This is how powerful our example is. And I encouraged each of these 3 newly baptized to now be open to God using them as God used these others in their lives. We may not even be aware that God is using us to bring others to faith. Our example alone suffices. Our prayers are heard. So let us welcome these 3 new family members of St. Leo’s into the Church and into our parish and thank their sponsors for their living faith. Remember to pray for them all today.

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday, a commemoration instituted on this 2 nd Sunday of Easter by Pope St. John Paul II. I look forward to sharing with you a little story I heard that really helped me to understand how God’s mercy works

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for March 31, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

To all who are with us today, whether parishioners or visitors, we welcome you and thank you for joining us as we celebrate this greatest of all feasts, the Resurrection of our Lord. Nothing is more important to the faith of a follower of Jesus than what we have reflected on during this past week…the suffering, death and rising of Jesus. What Christ has done for us has to do with our eternal salvation, so what could possibly be more important? Today, let us joyfully praise God for all He has done for us, especially through the Passion & Resurrection of His Son.

The climax of our liturgies is the Easter Vigil which takes place on the night before Easter Day. This is not only a celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection, but a time for us to Baptize, Confirm and give the Holy Eucharist to those who desire a participation in the life of Jesus and a place in the Church. We are blessed this year to welcome three people into our Catholic Family: Phillip Rogers, Debra (Debbie) Bunosky, and Leslie Bierschwal. All three have been meeting with Deacon Pat and Joan Berigan over the last few months to prepare themselves for these three Sacraments of Initiation which are celebrated at the Easter Vigil. We will have their pictures and a little bit about each of them in next week’s bulletin. Thousands throughout the world are being washed clean at the Easter Vigil through baptism, anointed with the Spirit and fed with the Holy Eucharist. So they join this great crowd of new members of the Church as we celebrate their new life in Christ here at St. Leo the Great. It’s important for you to know that each of them were influenced strongly to consider becoming Catholic through the people in their lives, their family members especially, who have lived lives of faith and who have given them an example of what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ. What a gift it is when God uses us to witness, to inspire, to draw others to possess what we already possess ourselves! May we all continue to give an example of faith to others that God may use us to draw them to Himself.

I also want to congratulate Daulton Dehil, a young man who was confirmed this past Wednesday during the 8:30am Mass. May the unique gift of the Holy Spirit allow him to also be a witness for Christ. And allow me to take this opportunity to invite anyone who was baptized but not confirmed to let us know that you would like to complete your Christian Initiation through the Sacrament of Confirmation. Deacon Pat & Joan Berigan are able to work with you individually according to your needs and schedule to prepare you to receive this Sacrament. Just reach out to us to let us know that you would like to be confirmed & we will help you with that.

I am grateful to all those who made Lent & Holy Week a time for our community to come together for communal support and for liturgical prayer: those who worked at our delicious Fish Fry’s, those who prepared the church for all our liturgical services, those who provided music and who used their time and gifts to help us all to pray…ushers, altar servers, lectors, eucharistic ministers and sacristans. You all are needed and appreciated for all you do!

Let me also thank Father Felipe Gonzalez for his help with Mass and confessions during his time here at St. Leo’s (he and the seminarians, Tim & Angelo, will continue to be with us at least until July). Many of you will remember the Neocatechumenal talks that they gave here last year. They asked if they could speak again at our parish and of course they have my full support in doing this. They will speak at all the Masses on April 13th & 14th, and will speak about the Christian faith on Tuesdays & Fridays in April & May. More information can be found in this bulletin. You are of course, welcome to attend again even if you did so last year.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for March 17, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I recently had a great corned beef sandwich from Joe’s Deli in Rocky River just to make sure I satisfied my Irish itch in case some tragedy prevents me from indulging in more corned beef this week. In fact I saw parishioners there along with a man I knew from a former parish who plays a great Santa Claus (even here at our school). The wait was long but it was worth it. I always have matzo ball soup (with the vegetables strained from the broth of course) as this just seems to be a good fit for an Irish meal. I think sometimes about changing my name to O’Schmitz but something about that just doesn’t seem right. I look forward to our second Lobster Tail dinner (already consumed by the time you read this), especially since I couldn’t make the last Fish Fry due to really bad allergies that day.

It’s hard to believe that next Sunday is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. I’ll list our Holy Week services in next week’s bulletin but wanted to remind you of the importance of entering into the mysteries of that week so that your Easter can be one of real joy. You are welcome to bring your old palms to the church but honestly it’s best that you just discard them at home (which is perfectly permissible) as we have so many ashes from burning palms in the past that we would have enough for 200 Ash Wednesdays. Of course you’ll receive fresh palms next weekend when you come to Mass so be sure to take a few and hold them during the opening procession as a reminder that they express our praise of Jesus who entered the city of Jerusalem to great shouts of joy and acclamation. You can also be mindful of wearing red clothing if you wish as that is the color of that day which we also call “Passion” Sunday because of the passionate love of God for us (which brought him much sacrificial suffering).

Here’s something I read recently which put a different perspective on what it means to help someone. I’m hoping it may give you pause, as it did me, to think about our Lenten efforts differently:

Just as fasting means more than just eating less food, so almsgiving covers more than just the rattle of coins in a collecting-box. Let me share some unsettling thoughts about it. In the old days we used to light fires. We would rake out surplus ash, crumple newspaper, put thin sticks on it, one or two thicker ones, get some coal ready. We would strike a match, light the paper, and finally, after a longer or shorter struggle with flames and fuels, we would have a good fire burning and warming us. Nowadays we turn a dial or press a button. In the old days we were told to feed the hungry, give a home to the homeless, clothe the naked and visit prisoners and the sick. Nowadays we make a donation. We give coins to the collection or click a button on a screen. The new way of warming our rooms is cleaner than the old.

The new way of doing works of mercy is cleaner too. We never have to look at someone hungry, or a ragged stranger, or someone sick or in prison. The advantages are many. Let me list them. I am safe. I don't have to worry that I might be helping the wrong person, or the right person in the wrong way.

Clean, safe and hygienic it all may be. But the Gospel does not say ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you paid someone else to do this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you paid someone else to do it for me.’ People are people, not units of neediness. People need people, not machines

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for March 10, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

On March 1st we celebrated the life of Leslie Hahn, the husband of parishioner Lisa Hahn. Leslie or “Dutch” as he was known, had not been in good health for many years but his death still was unexpected. He and Lisa joined me in a trip to Italy several years ago and so I had the chance to get to know him a bit as he was not Catholic and I’m grateful for that opportunity. He was a good humored & kind man and highly thought of by many. Dutch and Lisa have 2 daughters and 2 grandchildren. He served as a Captain in the Army and also was a Cleveland Police Office for 29 years. Dutch was a member of a German Men’s choir and was an Eagle Scout as well. Please remember him in prayer and Lisa as well as she faces this time of grief and transition. 

This past Tuesday I also celebrated a funeral Mass for Jeanette Klaehn, a longtime member off our parish. Jeanette was 96 years old but would still attend Mass here when she was able. She would always be sure to come up to me to say hello and to assure me that she was praying for me each day, which I always appreciated. In fact when I heard of her passing, I worried for a moment about my daily intercessor, but then quickly remembered that her prayers for me now will be much more powerful as she offers them in the presence of God himself. Jeanette told me that because of her age, she was unable to do much at home so she prayed several rosaries a day. I’m sure those prayers to the Blessed Mother did much good for her and for those she prayed for. We extend our sympathy to her son Thomas. She was married to Leo (deceased) and also had a son named James (also deceased). May she rest in God’s peace.

I’ve been meaning to remind you about the proper way of receiving Holy Communion. Keeping in mind that this is the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ, His Real Presence we are receiving, the Church asks us to bow our head while the person ahead of you is receiving, then to place one hand over the other (if not receiving directly on your tongue) and say “Amen” as you receive the host and reverently place it in your mouth. You generally receive the Eucharist very reverently but the one suggestion I would make is this: if you only have one hand free because you are carrying a baby or using a cane for example, you may want to consider receiving Holy Communion on your tongue. To use only one hand when putting the Sacred host in your mouth just looks irreverent to me, even though you don’t intend this. Perhaps this is because we use one hand to pop a piece of candy in our mouth or to chew on some snack. In fact for hundreds of years people only received the host directly on the tongue in order to express their reverence for this great Sacrament, even though we are still touching the Body of Christ either way, with our tongue or with our hand(s). Of course I won’t say anything to you or try to make you feel singled out if you still use just one hand but it’s just something I’ve been wanting to mention for some time, especially during a time when so many show disbelief or disrespect for this great Sacrament. How grateful we should be to receive the Real Presence of Christ within us each week for “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you will have no life within you.”

It’s been a joy to hear the confessions of our children during Lent and to have had many come to the Sacrament on the Evening of Confessions. May God grant his mercy to us all.

 Fr.James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Colum for March 3, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

Well here we are into the month of March already. Beware the Ides of March (though I should really warn you about that next week…if you don’t know what it means…make a visit to Google… if you don’t know what that is, try an encyclopedia). As I write this, it is quite warm in my office…75 degrees. It’s not that warm outside but our boiler is always pumping out heat even when our radiator fans are turned off. I often make the mistake of shutting off the boiler system & turning on the air conditioner far too early, and then we freeze when it gets cold again. But not this year. We made a note not to turn off the heat until May. In fact it’s suppose to go down into the 20’s again today (a big drop!) but then get warmer again. Anyway, you may be a bit warm in church in the next few weeks but you won’t be cold. Either way, I hope to keep you as comfortable as possible so let me know if you need a sweater or a fan.

I’m sure many of you will remember Fr. Joseph Pednekar, whose picture is below. Father Joe passed away on February 14th , which of course was Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day this year. He was certainly in love with the Lord and I pray he may have the reward of his goodness. Father Joe used to help us by having one Mass every weekend and would also help with weekday Mass from time to time. It’s been a few years since he’s been here due to his declining health but he lived close by at Jennings. May I ask you to offer a Hail Mary for him now as you read this so that we can help him with our prayers? Here is his obituary from the Cleveland.com: REV. JOSEPH C. PEDNEKAR, M.S.F.S. "Fr. Joe" age 93. Born in Goa, India to the late Shevanti and Sonu Pednekar. He was the the second youngest of 12 siblings. He was ordained a priest on October 3, 1962. He was sent to Rome to further his studies before coming to the United States and landing in Cleveland. Bishop Isseman requested for him to serve the Diocese of Cleveland. He served at St. John Cathedral, St. Phillip Neri, St. Mary Chardon, St. Brendan and for over 30 years at St. Patrick Church (West Park). He was a member of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales for over 60 years. He enjoyed all sports but loved golf. You could find him walking the course every chance he got. Passed away February 14, 2024. Funeral Mass Friday, February 23, St. Patrick Church (West Park) at 11:00 AM. Most Reverend Roger Gries, Principal Celebrant. Friends may call FRIDAY 9:30-10:30 AM. at St. Patrick Church (West Park). Interment Holy Cross Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Patrick Church, 4427 Rocky River Dr., Cleveland, OH 44135 or Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales, Provincial House, 3887 Rosebud Rd., Atlanta, GA 30052. Arrangements by: CHAMBERS FUNERAL HOMES 216-251- 6566. www.chambersfuneral.com Published by Cleveland.com from Feb. 16 to Feb. 18, 2024.

Congratulations to the parents of Charlotte Elizabeth Grubic who is being baptized this Sunday. May she grow into the love and holiness of God through her parents and godparents.

Our Fish Fry’s have been going very well. Our lobster tail option is especially very popular and we had a great turn out for that last Friday. We will be offering them again on March 15th, but you do need to order that dinner in advance so please plan ahead if you want to enjoy that delicious meal. And again, feel free to join us for the Stations of the Cross afterward (7pm in the church). It’s 25 minutes long and will help you to make a connection between your cross and the cross that Christ carried for us

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for February 25, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

We are still in search of a full time Music Director but they are very hard to come by. I’m very grateful though for the subs we have been able to get and thank Joan Berigan & Mary Piechowski for dealing with all of that. We are also working to have our microphone system replaced as it just went out on us a couple weeks ago so it may not sound up to par in the mean time. We need to transfer from our older analogue system to a digital system. It was working quite well up until recently. As they say, it’s always something.

I’m sure many of you will remember the Neocatechumenal Team that gave some talks last year. They reached out to me as they are doing missionary talks in Norton, Ohio & in Kentucky but were in need of a place to stay for a few months & I had offered our hospitality to them in case they were in need. We are able to have them stay with us in the unused suites in the rectory so we welcome Father Felipe Rodriquez and seminarians Tim Johnson & Angelo Calderon who will be here until July. You may see them around, especially at weekday Mass and Fr. Felipe may be able to celebrate Mass or help with confessions from time to time. We are happy to have them with us again as they continue to proclaim the gospel to others.

Please remember them in your prayers during their time here. We extend our sympathies to the family of Marilyn Davis whose Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated here on February 16th. Marilyn had 7 children, 14 grandchildren & 7 great grandchildren, and all of her children attended our parish school. In fact, Marilyn was a substitute teacher at our school and invented new ways of teaching according to the needs of the individual students. Marilyn was also the Director of the Westside Catholic Center. Marilyn was the program director and a licensed nursing home director of the Welsh home for over 20 years. I’m grateful for their invitation to come to where Marilyn was living in order to anoint her and give her Viaticum, her last Holy Communion before she died. May our Blessed Mother, called upon frequently when Marilyn prayed the rosary, now intercede for her.

Our 2nd graders made their first Confession last Sunday and all did a great job celebrating that Sacrament for the first time so thanks to their parents and to the Faith Formation Team for helping them prepare for the sacramental reception of God’s forgiveness. We continue to pray for them as they prepare now for their First Holy Communion at the end of April.

Following the Fish Fry we have the Stations of the Cross every Friday at 7pm. But don’t feel that must pray the Stations communally or even just on Fridays. You can enter the church any day (we’re open until 3pm Monday through Friday) and pray the Stations by yourself, either with a booklet you bring (we’ll try to have some available for you as well) or just by walking the stations and allowing the mosaic image to remind you of what Jesus & others experienced on his way to Calvary. This is a wonderful devotion we have as Catholics to allow the suffering of Jesus to make sense out of our own suffering…whether big or small.

This is also another reminder about our Have a Heart, Lend a Hand act of charity which we offer as an opportunity to you each year during Lent. There are paper hearts in a container at all the doors of the church. We invite you to take one (or more if you wish), purchase the item written there & then bring it to the church & place it in one of the baskets at the doors of the church. It’s a another great way, besides Catholic Charities, to reach out & help meet the corporal needs of others.

Fr. James P. Schmitz

Pastor's Column for February 18, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

On Friday, February 9th, we celebrated the life of Janice Meister in our funeral liturgy for her. Jan went to our parish school many years ago and so would have attended Mass with the other students on a regular basis (either weekly or even daily). She made many friends during her time in our parish school and she maintained those friendships throughout her life. She also made friends during her time in school when she studied to be a nurse and again, remained friends with them for years afterward. Friendship was important to her and even Jesus calls us his friends. In her nursing vocation, Jan expressed great kindness to those whom she helped to heal in that ministry. And I know that she appreciated as well those who tended to her needs in her illness. Jan loved to travel & to drive to different destinations. She also loved angels & believed they were with her in all her journeys through life. May the holy angels now carry her to the doors of heaven where she may glorify God forever.

I also celebrated the funeral of Patricia Ludwig this past Tuesday. Deacon John Talerico from St. Charles parish gave a beautiful homily about Pat’s virtuous life. She and her husband were the parents of 6 children and several grandchildren. We continue to remember her and all those who have died in our prayers throughout the year. May she and her husband rest in peace.

I want to thank all of those who were able to make a pledge or donation for our annual Catholic Charities Appeal last weekend. To learn more about Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Cleveland, please visit this website: https://www.ccdocle.org/. I will leave the Catholic Charities envelopes & pencils in the pews for another weekend or two so if you weren’t able to be with us last weekend, you can fill out the envelope (let us know if you need help) and then place it in the collection basket during the offertory. Thank you all for your willingness to provide aid to those in need, especially as we strive to give alms during this holy season of Lent.

Here’s another reminder that during Lent we have our Fish Fry on Fridays from 4:30 until 7:00pm in Lux Hall (I’d be there by 6:30pm). This Friday we will be having our lobster dinner and I must say it’s the best I’ve ever had at a fish fry and even better than what I’ve had in restaurants (you must purchase the lobster dinner prior to the fish fry and you can do that through our parish office… extra tails are also an option with the lobster dinner). But the menu has many other items on it as well so take a look in our bulletin & on our website for the menu and for prices. Please invite your neighbors, family & friends to join you as I do.

I liked these words which come from Luke Brown from Sacred Heart Counseling regarding giving something up during Lent: “It is easy to miss the deeper meaning behind the sacrifice when we get in the routine of giving something up and not examining it further. The point is not to “white-knuckle” our way through Lent with whatever we have given up only to binge on Easter morning. If this is our attitude, we have missed the point. Our goal should be to change our relationship with what we have given up instead of simply returning to it on Easter morning. This is why we are called to give up things that we enjoy in a sacrificial way. If we give up ice cream, the goal is that we will learn to turn to God in prayer instead of ice cream when we have had a difficult day and need relief. The hope is that we will take this lesson out of Lent and use it in our spiritual growth and journey to union with Christ. This week, consider reflecting on the deeper meaning of God’s call to sacrifice and how your sacrifice can be used as a way to grow closer to Christ.”

Fr. James P. Schmitz