Agnes Billick, 92, was a longtime parishioner of St. Leo’s, whose 3 sons attended our parish school many years ago. She was born during the Depression and her father died at a young age. Her mother was also ill so at the age of 13, Agnes had to get her driver’s license so that she could take care of her mother and drive her to her doctor’s appointments. She missed so much of the childhood that many of us enjoyed and the carefree years of being a teenager. Her funeral was celebrated on November 3rd and we pray that she may now have the rewards of her labors.
Congratulations to Patrick Criscuolo who will be receiving his Eagle Scout Award this weekend. Patrick really showed his commitment to service and his leadership abilities when he organized a group to tear down an old deck that was behind the school building. They also prepared the ground there so that it could be used for a garden for our school children to use. Patrick has also been a faithful altar server and is a student at St. Ignatius High School. God bless him as he grows in God’s grace.
We welcome Camden Combs into our Church community as he is baptized this Sunday. It is always a joy to welcome one of God’s children into the Faith. Many blessings on him and his parents.
I will be on retreat this week from Sunday evening through Thursday at the Jesuit Retreat House in Parma. Please pray that it may be a means of God’s grace as I recommit myself to the service of the good people of St. Leo’s.
We continue to be saddened by the violence that exists in our country and throughout the world. We mourn the loss of 26 lives because of the shooting at a little church in Texas and pray not only for them but for the injured and those who mourn the loss of a loved one. While we may feel so helpless in such situations, we can ask for help in learning to be peacemakers in our lives so that others may not suffer as a result of the violence that can come from our words, actions or indifference.
On Friday we celebrated the feast of our patron, St. Leo the Great. We entrust our parish to him and seek his intercession that we may grow into a community of deeper faith, love and hope.
The parish staff celebrated the 89th birthday of Fr. Vesely this past Wednesday, November 8th. We’ll plan to invite the whole parish next year to wish him a happy 90th! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves...he’s only 89 and has a whole year to go before the next milestone. May it be a year of health & happiness.