Debbie Staskiews lived in a house on Silverdale, just behind the fence on our property. Debbie fell about a week before Christmas and was not able to recover. We celebrated a Mass of Christian Burial for her on Saturday, December 30th and we remember her daughter Lexy in our prayers as well. Debbie’s husband Daniel had been in Parma Nursing Care for several years and she was faithful to visiting him. Daniel died this past June and now we pray they may be together again where they can give praise to God in their new heavenly home.
This past Wednesday I had the funeral for Edward Steadley, a 96 year old parishioner who died peacefully with his family at his side. Family was the center of his life. He was married for 68 years, had 6 children, 17 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great grandchildren! The love of Ed and his wife Mary Ellen (who died in 2010) bore great fruit. He attended Holy Name where he made All Scholastic in Football, Basketball & Baseball & was inducted into their Hall of Fame. May he and his wife Rest In Peace.
Along with those who decorated the church so beautiful- ly for Christmas & all of our faithful liturgical ministers who serve throughout the year, I must also thank Mickey Stitt, Julie Slattery, Rick Wiegand and all the members of the choir who really gave Glory to God in the Highest through their many hours of preparation for our Christmas liturgies. After a couple of the liturgies, many members of the congregation applauded as an expression of their appreciation so let me applaud them as well for using their gifts to help us pray on so great a feast.
This year we are celebrating our 70th Anniversary as a Parish. We were founded in 1948. Of course our bigger celebration will be in 5 years when we celebrate our 75th anniversary but we wanted to acknowledge this milestone as well. You’ll see a special 70th Anniversary logo on our website and on the front of the bulletin during the year. And in the vestibule of the church, we will have a couple of display cases in which you can see photos and other objects that recall the history of our parish (you can enjoy these especially when we serve coffee & donuts). We want to remember all those who have made St. Leo possible over the years. Someone suggested that we add a comma after the name of our church so that instead of reading “St. Leo the Great Church,” we would instead see “St. Leo, the Great Church!” That works for me! You are a great Church, a great people who make St. Leo what it is today, as we add to the great people who made St. Leo what it has been since its founding 70 years ago. May God bless us in what we hope will be many years ahead of us.