News RSS Feed

 I just wanted to write a quick note to say thank you for all the prayers & support at the passing of my father. On behalf of my mom, my 2 brothers & me, my dad’s sisters, & our entire family, thank you!

OUR ANNUAL PARISH SUMMER RAFFLE will be a virtual one again this year. Tickets are available for pickup as you leave Mass. Each family is asked to take a packet containing 10 books of tickets ($50.00). If you have a neighbor or relative who has not come back to church yet, would you please pick up a pack for them too!

This weekend, I wanted to provide an update on some of the capital projects that we have ongoing around the parish campus. First, an update on our stained glass windows. It was a number of weeks ago now that the stained glass window panels in the choir loft were removed. The panels were taken by Azure Stained Glass to their studios where they are working on the renovation & restoration process.

Happy 4th of July! I hope that you are enjoying these summer months and taking advantage of the wonderful weather that we’ve been having! The other day, I read an article about the health benefits of spending time outside. It is so true, spending time outside in nature, whether it be taking a walk in the woods or sitting outside on the back or front deck can have tremendous health effects such as lowering our blood pressure and our stress.

“Teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1). Those are the words of the disciples to Jesus in the Gospel of Luke right before he taught them the words of the prayer that we know as the Our Father. Prayer is an essential part of our journey of faith and I’ve heard it described, very aptly so, as our relationship with God.

This weekend is Father’s Day weekend & so I certainly want to take the opportunity to wish all of our fathers, grandfathers, & father figures a Happy & Blessed Father’s Day. We pray too, for all those fathers who have gone to their eternal reward, all those fathers who have lost children, & all those who long to be fathers but can’t.

As time goes on I look forward to working with you to continue to make our parish alive in Christ. The pandemic caused us to pause some of those events & caused us to alter some of the ways that we were alive in Christ. Now, we look forward to rebuilding our life and even bringing some new life to the corner of Rocky River & Puritas.

“This is the song that never ends, yes it goes on & on my friends.”  For a while, that may have been what it seemed like regarding the pandemic that we found ourselves in the midst of, that this would never end.  But hopefully it is & hopefully we are coming out of this.  

 During the time of the pandemic, the Bishops of the State of Ohio have granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. We received word Thursday of last week that the dispensation will no longer be in effect beginning on the weekend of June 5th/6th.

Together, the Bishops of Ohio have decided that the general obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation (including the Saturday/Vigil Mass) is to be reinstated (CIC, can. 1247). This will take effect in each of the Dioceses of Ohio the weekend of June 5-6, 2021.

“Help Wanted!” The other day I met a friend for dinner and as we walked into the restaurant, there was a table with a basket of applications. Next to the basket was a sign that bore the message, “Apply today, start tomorrow.” That restaurant is not alone in their search for workers, as these days there are a number of businesses looking for help. So many places are searching for people who are looking for work.

This weekend, allow me to wish all of our mothers and grandmothers a Happy & Blessed Mother’s Day! There are not enough words to describe all that a mother does and no amount of pay would be enough for what she truly deserves. This weekend we offer special prayers for all of our mother’s living and deceased.

As we enter into the month of May, I wanted to share with you & draw your attention to 2 important & exciting events that will be taking place over the course of the month.

Each year, the Gospel that we hear proclaimed on the 4th Sunday of Easter is always taken from the same chapter of the Gospel of John, Chapter 10. This chapter contains what is known as the “Good Shepherd Discourse,” in which Jesus proclaims, “I am the Good Shepherd,” & so this Sunday has come to be known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Good Shepherd Sunday is an opportunity for us to reflect upon how Jesus is the shepherd of our lives & also to pray & reflect upon the call to priesthood in the life of the Church.

I enjoy watching sports. Though I never was one to play basketball, or baseball, or football on a competitive basis, there are times when I enjoy catching a game on TV or even in person. Every sports team has one goal in mind, to win the championship. Some teams have a better chance than others, but every team starts out the season with that goal in mind of being the last one standing, of being able to engage in that familiar championship tradition of jumping up & down, high
fiving, hugging, pouring champagne over each other’s heads, & hoisting the trophy into the air. We experienced it once here in Cleveland over the past few years & I hope that we’re able to experience it again soon.

First off, let me start by saying that you might not see me this weekend. I am not on vacation, but this Saturday, April 10th, I’m getting the second round of my COVID vaccine & so Fr. Clyde & Fr. Klein are planning on covering all the Masses just in case I happen to have any side effects. If I am able to, I will celebrate a Mass this weekend but at the very least I look forward to celebrating with you once any side effects have passed.

As we approach the most sacred time in the life of the Church and prepare to celebrate another Easter Season together, I want to acknowledge the challenges, difficulties and blessings we have experienced during the past year of the pandemic. One year ago, who would have guessed all that we would have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Holy Week schedule for 2021 is now available for viewing, downloading, and printing. We hope you can join us for any of the liturgies this coming Holy Week, the week that truly changed the world!

Our parish, along with all other parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland is participating in an initiative of the Catholic Leadership Institute, called "Called for More." The purpose of this initiative is to help us, both as a Diocese & as an individual parish to continue to enhance the pastoral ministry that we are providing to & for you.

Fr. Hagedorn passed away on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. He served as an associate from June 1976 to June 1981 & Pastor from January 1988 until May 2010. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. Arrangements are as follows...