Wally Alflen always sat in the first pew by the front door on the pulpit side. He sat all the way at the end of the pew closest to the door...not so that he’d be the first out but because he was usually the first one here on Sunday morning for the 8am Mass, along with his wife Aggie (Agnes). Sadly Wally passed away from cancer and we celebrated his funeral Mass on Friday, December 4th. I always loved to see Wally before Mass because he was a kind man who loved to joke around & tease people. He was also a person of faith as I mentioned during the 8am Mass the Sunday after he died. He will be greatly missed and we pray not only for him but for his wife and their children and grandchildren. May he celebrate the birthday of Christ with St. Jude, his favorite saint, in the heavenly kingdom.
I also celebrated a Mass of Christian Burial for Marilyn Summers whom I anointed on November 29th after the 11am Mass. She and her husband Don, who have lived in the neighborhood for over 50 years, were married for 68 years! What a wonderful witness to us of the love of Christ for his bride the Church, as St. Paul reminds us marriage is a sign of. Marilyn was also loyal to her Catholic faith and had St. Anthony of Padua as her favorite saint. We extend our sympathy to Don and to his children and grandchildren and again pledge to keep Marilyn & her family in our prayers. It was strange that at Holy Cross cemetery, in order to get to Marilyn’s gravesite, we needed to step over my mother’s grave and the tombstone that bears my name & that of my parents. There’s always the reminder that death (& resurrection!) awaits us all.
Last Monday I also celebrated a funeral service for Sgt. Riley Brandt who died suddenly. Again last weekend I mentioned how sad it is for a parent to lose their child, and even more painfully so when we are close to the holidays. We extend our sympathy to his family and assure them of our prayerful support. May God, who always knows our pain, reassure us that his loving mercy attends all those who have died as he fills us with the hope of eternal life where there will be no more tears but only peace in God’s kingdom.
You heard us pray last weekend for Father Joe Piskura whom I’m sure many of you will remember as a classmate & friend of Father Vesely & who used to celebrate Mass here at St. Leo’s from time to time. Fr. Piskura passed away on November 26th (Thanksgiving Day). Funeral services were private due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please remember Fr. Piskura in your prayers and thank God for his generous service to us and to other parishes in the Diocese during his retirement years.
I believe it will be best for us to alter the Christmas schedule for this year in this way: We will have the 4pm Christmas Eve Mass in the church, but when we hit 50% capacity (or perhaps even less), we will redirect people to Lux Hall (the gym) where Mass will be live-streamed on a large screen. Of course the chairs will be set up for social distancing and all will be expected to wear masks. Holy Communion will be brought over. We will not have a 7pm or 10pm Mass Christmas Eve Mass this year but will continue to have the 8am and 11am Mass on Christmas Day. Thank you for your understanding and willingness to adjust to the schedule due to the pandemic.