Though I’ll be celebrating the 4pm Mass this weekend I’ll be on vacation for a few days starting Sunday so I won’t see those of you who are here that morning but I’ll be back next Sunday. I was originally planning on being away starting next weekend but this year the feast of our patron, St. Leo the Great, falls on that Sunday so I didn’t want to be away for that. So as I mentioned a couple weeks ago, we will have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on the altar next Sunday following the 8am Mass until a few minutes before the 11am Mass, when Benediction (a blessing from the Eucharist) will be given. So consider either spending a couple minutes in prayer following the 8am Mass or anytime before the 11am Mass before the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This is of course the very same Presence that Pope Leo the Great experienced whenever he celebrated Mass 1600 years ago. So we ask for his intercession so that our parish will be blessed as we honor him. nd
This Saturday, November 2 , we offer Mass for All the Faithful Departed so we pray for our former parishioners and all of our family members, friends and loved ones who have died and await the experience of God’s heavenly kingdom. Again we are reminded that we all stand in need of prayers and purification as we pass from this world to the next. We call upon God’s infinite Mercy and pray for the dead, as Scripture encourages us to do (both in the Old Testament and in the New). We pray that God’s purifying love may perfect all that is not perfect in those who “await the crown of right- eousness” as St. Paul wrote in the Scriptures we heard last week. There will be a book (by the baptismal font) available for you to write in the names of those you want all of us to remember and pray for during this whole month of November and that book will include the names of all who were buried from our parish this past year. The All Souls envelopes that you may also use to list the names of deceased loved ones will also be brought forward in the offertory procession and placed on the table by the baptismal font throughout this month. “Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace and may their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”
We welcome Logan Payne into the family of the Church as he is baptized by Deacon Pat this Sunday. “May his parents and godparents be an example of faith to inspire this child.” th
This Monday, November 4 , is the feast of St. Charles Borromeo who is the patron of parish priests and is the patron of our college seminary here in the Diocese of Cleveland, located in Wickliffe. You see the names & pictures of seminarians and those preparing for religious life in the parish bulletin each week. Please be sure to pray for them as God continues to provide priests to shepherd the Church.
Fr. Vesely’s 91st birthday is this Friday, November 8th. We look forward to him celebrating Mass again with us soon.