I am happy to let you know that by God’s grace, I can welcome Nina Capone as the new Office Manager at St. Leo’s. She will be taking over the work of Betty Clancy whom we continue to mourn and who served the people of the parish so well 3 days a week in our rectory office, though Nina will be working 5 days a week in this position. I’ve known Nina for several years as I baptized her son, GianLuca a few years ago, and he is now a student in our parish school. Nina herself is a graduate of St. Leo’s School and has been seeking to become more involved in the life of the parish and school, so this seems to be a great fit for her and for us. She will slowly transition out of her current job and work here on Thursdays & Fridays but will become full time here Monday through Friday. I am grateful that she is willing to take on this new ministry at St. Leo’s and I ask you to welcome her when you see her in the rectory office.

At this time I must also thank the other women who work so diligently in our rectory office on a part-time basis. Mary Lynn Haldi works here on Mondays and Marie Philips is in the rectory office on Fridays. Amy Mackey works on the weekends and Mary LaGodney has recently started to work with us Monday through Friday from 2 until 4pm. They are all wonderful women whose ministry of hospitality and service is very much appreciated by pastor and parishioner alike. They all work well together in serving you and I just want to publicly acknowledge each of them and express my appreciation for all they do. There is so much to learn and know about tending to the various administrative needs in a rectory office and they are all so eager to do that well. Thanks to each and to all of them for what they do.

Though you may not see her when visiting the rectory office, another parishioner by the name of Shelly Eslick also works full time as the rectory housekeeper and cook. She keeps the staff and I well fed (as you can see from looking at me) and keeps the rectory office and residence clean and presentable. We’re happy to have her with us in response to my call for more workers in our parish.

We have also recently hired a janitorial company to help clean our school and church and parish community center buildings and they will begin their work this week. Since we have many buildings to keep clean and in good order, we are happy to have recently hired more people to help with these needs. We should all be proud of the property that allows us to gather here for worship and service.

Our sympathy is extended to the family of Anna Mae Stalder who had been a parishioner at St. Leo’s and who sent all of her 6 children to our parish school in order to pass the Catholic faith on to them. We celebrated her life and prayed for her during her Funeral Mass last Saturday, April 2nd. May her life of faith be rewarded now by the God who promises eternal life to those who are faithful.

We hope you can join us this Sunday for our annual (except during COVID) Pancake Breakfast which is prepared by the Athletic Department of our parish. It’s always good food and a great way for us to gather on Palm Sunday for the beginning of Holy Week. It will begin at 9am this Sunday, April 10th and end at 12:30pm.

Please consider joining us for one or all of our Holy Week Liturgies so that your celebration of Easter may be full and meaningful. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be this Thursday at 7pm (no 8:30am Mass Thursday) and Stations of the Cross will be prayed on Good Friday at 3pm. Our Solemn Celebration of the Lord’s Passion will be at 7pm on Good Friday (with the veneration of the Holy Cross) and the Easter Vigil will begin at 8:30pm on Saturday (no 4pm Mass next Saturday). We will have the Blessing of Easter Food on Saturday at 11:30am. Our Easter Masses will be at 8 & 11am as usual on Easter Sunday. We look forward to many joining us on the most important day of the year when we celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection and the promise of our own rising to new life with him