Dear Parishioners,

On Wednesday, May 10th I celebrated the Funeral Mass for Margaret Habrat and so extended our sympathies to the family. Marge & her husband Jack were married just shy of 50 years when he died in 2016 (I celebrated his funeral Mass as well, and that of his sister Beverly). I remember how devoted Marge was to her husband, following him from one medical facility to another in order to be with him during his illness. Marge & Jack were founding members of our parish and sent their 4 children to our parish school. Both were also Eucharistic Ministers. Besides their two sons and two daughters, they had 13 grandchildren & 2 great-grandchildren. We pray that both Marge and Jack may be found worthy of eternal life.

On Saturday, May 13th, I celebrated a Funeral Mass for Ronald Horvath, the brother of Judy Krahn, a parishioner of St. Leo’s. Ron enjoyed time with his family and with his friends. He also enjoyed nature, gardening and cooking. I would see him when I visited the home where he lived with his mother whom I would anoint from time to time. She has passed as well so we pray they may be together again in God’s kingdom. Let us pray for Ron and for all those who have gone before us that they may enjoy the presence of God who promises that those who believe in him will have eternal life.

The 8th graders took a trip to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Euclid. I have such fond memories of that sacred place from my childhood when we would drive there and spend time in prayer with my grandmother who lived in Euclid and who enjoyed making trips there. I remember walking up and down the hills as we prayed the stations of the cross, holding candles as we did so. I remember saying the rosary there and drinking water that flowed down from the rocky grotto where there was a statue of the Blessed Mother. Of course it is named after Our Lady of Lourdes as it replicated the place in Lourdes, France where Mary appeared to St. Bernadette and encouraged her to pray the rosary. I hope you get a chance to visit that place of prayer sometime and to ask for Mary’s intercession for you and your loved ones. Again we honor her especially during this month of May and ask her to pray for us and with us. How can her own Son deny her requests on our behalf?

Today I am grateful for the opportunity to confirm 6 young people of our parish during the 11am Mass. In the past we have celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation on Saturdays during the 4pm Mass (and will do so again next year) but the Bishop had allowed us the opportunity this past year to have the Pastor confirm instead of himself since it was becoming difficult for him and the abbot and retired bishops to visit all the parishes of the diocese to celebrate confirmation. We have another bishop now (Bishop Michael Woost) to assist Bishop Malesic so this is just a one-time permission given for me to administer this sacrament this year. But I’m happy to do so and I thank the confirmandi and their parents for their cooperation with our new preparation for this sacrament. I am really grateful for their willingness to try something new and to cooperate with us in this new venture, encouraged by Bishop Malesic. They have been faithful to the Sunday Faith Formation sessions and have participated regularly at our 11am Mass as well (which is why we are celebrating Confirmation during that Mass this weekend). So congrats to the young men & women & many thanks to their parents!

Happy belated 48th wedding anniversary to Deacon Pat & Joan Berigan who celebrated their anniversary on May 10th. May God grant them more years with each other and with us.

Fr. James P. Schmitz