Steve Simonik and his wife Mary Kay have been parishioners for a long time. Sadly, Steve had lung cancer and died at the age of 86 and we celebrated his funeral on Saturday, September 5th. I had a most wonderful visit with them the day before I left on vacation which happened to be their 59th wedding anniversary. It was a touching moment when 59 beautiful dark red roses were delivered while I was there...a gift Steve had ordered for his wife. They told me many stories of their time together and of good times with their children & grandchildren. Steve lived a life of faith and he will be missed. Our sympathy goes out to Mary Kay and we offer her our support during this time.
We also pray for David J. Kucharski, the step-son of Jerry Kelly, who lost his wife Maureen just a few days before David’s unexpected death. May God grant David eternal rest.
Congratulations to Salvatore (“Sonny”) Capone & his new wife, Alexandra (Dighero) who were wedded on Friday, September 4th. May they have many wonderful years together as husband and wife.
We welcome Emma Grace Zabiegala as the newest member of the Church as she will be baptized this Sunday after the 11am Mass. May she come to know that she is a loved child of God.
This weekend a family from Bethlehem will be here to display their home-made olive wood carvings and have them available for purchase. They have been here several times before and I have bought many of their beautiful pieces as they make great gifts! And before you know it, Christmas will be here. The sale of these items benefit their families back in the Holy Land, where times are especially difficult due to the coronavirus. These are also the people who own Trinity Travels, the agency which will be coordinating our pilgrimage to the Holy Land when it is safe for us to travel again. I have come to know them personally and find them sincere and filled with deep faith. Please support them as you can and appreciate the beauty of their religious art this weekend.
This Monday, Bishop Malesic will be installed as the 12th Bishop of Cleveland during a limited-seating Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on East 9th & Superior, the bishop’s church in the Diocese. His installation can be viewed live-streamed on the diocesan website (dioceseofcleveland.org) and I look forward to watching it. We have waited over 6 months for the announcement of his assignment by Pope Francis and I look forward to meeting the man about whom I have heard many wonderful things. Once he has been installed, we will pray for “Edward our Bishop” in the Eucharistic Prayer at each Mass, after we have prayed for “Francis our Pope.” May he lead and serve us well.
It was great to see our school students again as the new school year began last week. Our Principal & teachers have done a great job in adjusting to these challenging times and our maintenance crew has worked hard not only to prepare for opening day but to keep the building clean and well disinfected each day of school. May God keep our children happy & safe.