As I type this, it is Tuesday, November 3rd. Election Day. Judging by the number of cars in our parking lots, I can say I have never seen this many people turn out to vote. It is good to see so many taking advantage of this opportunity, right & responsibility, even if it comes from a very divided country. Whatever the results, we pray that the Lord may guide our country according to His will and that we will be at peace knowing that Jesus is Lord, not our President.
All is going very smoothly in our parish school so far this year. We are now at 278 students which is the highest number we have had yet in recent years. This is due to the leadership primarily of our Principal, Denise Burns, and is a testament to the hard work of our teachers and staff, especially during a pandemic year which only complicated things. The children will begin to attend Mass again in small groups, such as one or two classes at a time instead of with the whole student body, in order to practice social distancing in the church. It will be good to have them join us for Mass again.
We have two things to celebrate this week. First, today (Sunday, November 8th), is Father Vesely’s 92nd birthday. While he has been locked away at Mt. Alverna during the pandemic, he is not forgotten. Perhaps you would like to send him a card. The address of Mt. Alverna is 6765 State Road, Parma, 44134. I’m hoping to take him out to dinner when they give the OK for him to leave without the requirement of quarantine afterward. So please keep him in your prayers as we look forward to having him return to St. Leo’s for Mass again when it’s safe for him to do so.
The second reason for celebration is the feast of parish patron, St. Leo the Great, whose feast day is this Tuesday, November 10th. So who was this man? Leo was born in Etruria & became Pope in the year 461. He strenuously defended the unity of the Church. He is most famously known for persuading Attila the Hun & his barbarians not to march on Rome in the year 455. Pope Leo wrote many doctrinal and spiritual letters which are still included in the breviary, the book of prayers used by many people today, especially priests who promise to pray for the Church every day. Leo died in the year 461.
When in Rome, I celebrated Mass near the altar in St. Peter’s Basilica where Pope Saint Leo is buried. There is a beautiful relief of him above the altar, showing him fending off the barbarians & Attila the Hun. We are blessed to have a relic of St. Leo by his shrine in the back of the church so feel free to say a little prayer there for the good of the parish after which he is named.
I received word this week that Fr. O’Grady’s blood pressure medication was working too well & that appears to have been the cause of his weakness. So that is an easy “fix” and I’m so happy to know that he should be returning to good health quickly & hopefully will be joining us for the celebration of Mass again soon. Thank you for your prayers for him and for your concern. We are very blessed to have him pray with us and preside over the Eucharist in our parish community.