Dear Parishioners,

On Friday, February 9th, we celebrated the life of Janice Meister in our funeral liturgy for her. Jan went to our parish school many years ago and so would have attended Mass with the other students on a regular basis (either weekly or even daily). She made many friends during her time in our parish school and she maintained those friendships throughout her life. She also made friends during her time in school when she studied to be a nurse and again, remained friends with them for years afterward. Friendship was important to her and even Jesus calls us his friends. In her nursing vocation, Jan expressed great kindness to those whom she helped to heal in that ministry. And I know that she appreciated as well those who tended to her needs in her illness. Jan loved to travel & to drive to different destinations. She also loved angels & believed they were with her in all her journeys through life. May the holy angels now carry her to the doors of heaven where she may glorify God forever.

I also celebrated the funeral of Patricia Ludwig this past Tuesday. Deacon John Talerico from St. Charles parish gave a beautiful homily about Pat’s virtuous life. She and her husband were the parents of 6 children and several grandchildren. We continue to remember her and all those who have died in our prayers throughout the year. May she and her husband rest in peace.

I want to thank all of those who were able to make a pledge or donation for our annual Catholic Charities Appeal last weekend. To learn more about Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Cleveland, please visit this website: https://www.ccdocle.org/. I will leave the Catholic Charities envelopes & pencils in the pews for another weekend or two so if you weren’t able to be with us last weekend, you can fill out the envelope (let us know if you need help) and then place it in the collection basket during the offertory. Thank you all for your willingness to provide aid to those in need, especially as we strive to give alms during this holy season of Lent.

Here’s another reminder that during Lent we have our Fish Fry on Fridays from 4:30 until 7:00pm in Lux Hall (I’d be there by 6:30pm). This Friday we will be having our lobster dinner and I must say it’s the best I’ve ever had at a fish fry and even better than what I’ve had in restaurants (you must purchase the lobster dinner prior to the fish fry and you can do that through our parish office… extra tails are also an option with the lobster dinner). But the menu has many other items on it as well so take a look in our bulletin & on our website for the menu and for prices. Please invite your neighbors, family & friends to join you as I do.

I liked these words which come from Luke Brown from Sacred Heart Counseling regarding giving something up during Lent: “It is easy to miss the deeper meaning behind the sacrifice when we get in the routine of giving something up and not examining it further. The point is not to “white-knuckle” our way through Lent with whatever we have given up only to binge on Easter morning. If this is our attitude, we have missed the point. Our goal should be to change our relationship with what we have given up instead of simply returning to it on Easter morning. This is why we are called to give up things that we enjoy in a sacrificial way. If we give up ice cream, the goal is that we will learn to turn to God in prayer instead of ice cream when we have had a difficult day and need relief. The hope is that we will take this lesson out of Lent and use it in our spiritual growth and journey to union with Christ. This week, consider reflecting on the deeper meaning of God’s call to sacrifice and how your sacrifice can be used as a way to grow closer to Christ.”

Fr. James P. Schmitz