Dear Parishioners,

I am able to send this to Nina, our Office Manager, who in turn will send it off to the bulletin company, due to the WiFi that is available on the ship so it’s good to be able to remain connected though I am far away. We’re actually on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, not in the Bahamas as I previously and mistakenly wrote last week. I’m waiting to take a little excursion on St. Thomas island, and from there to St. John’s. I was all signed up for an excursion with my sisters to go horseback riding yesterday but they called to get my weight as there is a limit (the horses can only take so much, after all). I won’t tell you what the limit was, but I missed it by 5 pounds. One of my sisters said she understood why as she said, “I would laugh if I just pictured you on a horse” to which another said, “I would laugh by picturing the horse!” But in response I’ll just say that I was called to give last rites to those horses after my sisters rode them. I sure hope my sisters don’t mistakenly fall overboard. That’s all I can say for now.

I used to take cruises for free as I would be invited by the cruise lines to be the ship’s chaplain. I would celebrate Mass on Sunday, along with having a Protestant service (where I had to remember not to make the sign of the cross) and even a service for the Jewish people (where I only used scriptures from the Old Testament.) Those were great ecumenical experiences. But they don’t have a Catholic chaplain on board this ship and so only have a Shabbat service, no Mass. So I celebrated Mass in my cabin last Sunday. It was the most expensive Mass I’ve every celebrated as I had to order a glass of wine which cost me $14.16 (gratuity included). But I was happy to be able to pray with you even though we were many miles apart.

I wanted to acknowledge Kathleen Schmidt whose funeral Mass was celebrated while I was away. Here is some information about her from her obituary: KATHLEEN A. SCHMIDT (nee Faulhaber), age 81. Beloved wife of the late Leonard Schmidt. Devoted mother of Laurie Mathis, Sheila Zemek (Rocky); loving grandmother of Devin Zemek and Amber Bilinovich (Garrett); dear sister of Don Faulhaber (deceased), Mary Gamble (Ben, deceased) and Frank Faulhaber (Michele); cherished aunt and friend of many. Passed away on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Funeral Mass at St. Leo The Great, 4940 Broadview Rd, Cleveland, on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Please keep her and all our beloved deceased in your prayers.

During this month of January, the Diocese of Cleveland celebrates Catholic Schools Week. We are very fortunate to still have a school as part of our parish here at St. Leo’s. I ask that you keep our school’s staff and students in your prayers. I am grateful to Mrs. Denise Burns, our Principal, and to all of our teachers for their commitment to the education of our children in the atmosphere of faith. They work hard and long hours. It has been a joy for me to get to know many of the students better this year as I try to spend time with them during their lunch period in the school cafeteria. The little ones especially come up to give me a big hug & you just sense that they need the affection and attention of adults. I am grateful that their parents have chosen to entrust their children to us and to support their education at a Catholic school, irrespective of their own faith background. The 8th graders come to Mass every Friday morning and we have a Mass with the whole school community about once a month. The children say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning and pray together before and after lunch. There are so many staff members who tend to these students throughout the day and we are very grateful to all of them. Jesus told his disciples that “their angels always behold the face of God in heaven.”

Fr. James P. Schmitz