Dear Parishioners,

Last weekend, three couples celebrated milestone wedding anniversaries. Tom & Rhonda Richlovsky were married 50 years ago at St. Patrick on Bridge Avenue. Anthony and Gloria Galati were married at St. Leo’s 50 years ago by Father Winters and now belong to a parish in Strongsville but we are glad they were able to come back for their anniversary. Both of these couples were given a blessing at the 11am Mass last weekend. Finally, Michael & Jane Malinosky were married 40 years ago at Blessed Sacrament church and I gave them a blessing after the 8am Mass last Sunday. We did so in front of the large stained glass window in our chapel area which at the time of their wedding, looked down upon them from the choir loft of Blessed Sacrament where it was before being brought to St. Leo’s. So we wish all of them a very Happy Anniversary & many more years of health and happiness together.

I don’t know how observant you are, but I used a different chalice at all the Masses during the last two weekends. It is taller than my chalice and has a smaller cup & is more reminiscent of the older style chalices which are still very classic & beautiful. It has a Celtic cross made of small diamonds on the base. It is called the “Pastor’s Chalice” as it has inscribed on it the names of all the previous pastors of St. Leo’s, with the last name being Fr. Russ Lowe. We use that chalice whenever we celebrate the death anniversary of one of our former pastors as we did last weekend when we prayerfully remembered our founding Pastor, Father Lux. I just thought you should know that we remember these priests in a special way throughout the year.

Thanks to Father Caesar Amandua for celebrating Mass this Sunday at 11am (with Deacon Pat preaching) so that I can celebrate a baptism for some friends of mine at St. Mel. We always appreciate the willingness of visiting priests to help us and I ask your prayers for them.

This week I will be attending a priest conference in Wheeling, West Virginia and I’m looking forward to hearing the talks by Dr. Scott Hahn, a former Protestant minister who converted to Catholicism & is extremely prolific in writing and speaking as he shares his love of the Catholic Faith with others. So again, prayers would be appreciated as I always hope to grow in my knowledge and love of our faith.

The 135th General Assembly approved a special election to be held on August 8, 2023 for the citizens of Ohio to vote on Issue 1. Issue 1 asks voters if Ohio should “Require that any proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio receive the approval of at least 60 percent of eligible voters voting on the proposed amendment.” Raising the threshold to amend the Ohio Constitution does not have any direct moral content, therefore the bishops of Ohio are maintaining a neutral position. While not taking a position, the bishops are asking all Catholic churches in Ohio to inform parishioners about the August 8 election and encourage voter registration and participation in the special election. Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship states, “In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.”

You can verify that your voter information is up to date, or register to vote, at VoteOhio.gov. You can also request an absentee ballot or find your early in-person voting location. Dates to be aware of: Monday, July 10: Deadline to Register and/or Update Voter Info Tuesday, August 8: Election Day

Fr. James P. Schmitz