Every year at this time, I
like to share my reflections
with you about our parish
and how we are doing
regarding fulfilling our
mission as a Catholic Parish
in the Diocese of Cleveland.
As 2014 draws to a
close, I believe we had a
pretty good year. We had
some real challenges. We
faced each of them and I
believe we made real
progress as a parish.
Financially, the first
half of the year was quite a
challenge. With no tenant in
the school building, the
utility costs were quite a
burden. We were able to meet
our expenses by borrowing
from our restricted funds.
When we finally signed a
lease with Breakthrough
Schools, we were almost out
of money. Since the
beginning of July, we were
able to pay back our
restricted funds, meet our
expenses, and begin saving
for future repairs to our
buildings and property. But
we did take on debt as we
borrowed money from diocese
to make capital repairs. We
will begin to pay the money
back in January and will pay
off the loan in 5 years.
Having a school back in
the building, our
organizations had to make
some adaptations. Our
Lithuanian school shares
space with the school, our
Svyturys dancers share space
in the gym with the school,
and our Lithuanian and
non-Lithuanian scouting
programs are now sharing
space with the school.
As a parish, we can all
be proud of the fact that we
have two men in formation
for ordained ministry.
Deacon Lukas Laniauskas, SJ
will be ordained a priest
this spring, and Christian
Raddell is in his second
year at Borromeo Seminary.
Our Holy Name Society
had a successful year. Their
"Giving tree" program
increased by $300 to help
the needy in the parish, and
they continue to support our
monthly Eucharistic
devotions. Our Altar Society
again raised the funds
needed to purchase flowers
for the church not only at
Christmas and Easter, but
throughout the year. This
year we renovated and opened
"Hope House", a former
rental property, for
meetings of parish
organizations. It has been
well received. We continue
to have new families
register in the parish, but
we are also losing families
through death.
As I look forward to
2015, I see a lot of reason
for hope. Our Finance
Council is carefully
watching our budget so we
can continue to thrive and
make improvements. The
Pastoral Council and I will
be putting together an
activity schedule and
develop new activities and
events that will be of
interest and benefit to all
parishioners. Our biggest
challenge in this new year
will be to develop new and
effective outreach programs
aimed especially to the
immigrant Lithuanians in
northern Ohio, along with
programs to reach out to
those who for whatever
reason have fallen away from
the Church and welcome them
home.
We have the talent and
the resources to accomplish
much as a parish. In the New
Year, let us all work
together to make our parish
a truly vibrant, welcoming
Catholic Community that we
are called to be.
God Bless! Fr. Joe
Bacevice
Lietuvi
May 2015 be a year of
Thursday,
January 1st, is the Feast of Mary, Mother of God,
a holy day of obligation. Masses will be celebrated here at
St. Casimir’s on Wednesday, December 31st at
5:30pm, and Thursday, January 1st at 11:00am.
We encourage everyone to fulfill this obligation by
participating at Mass on Mary’s Feast.
Friday,
January 2nd, is the First 
The
Upper Hall (gym) along with the stage, vestibule,
classrooms, and upper level will be CLOSED FOR ALL
ACTIVITIES from Monday, December 22, 2014 through Sunday,
January 11, 2015, for renovations. The ceilings and
walls will be painted, and the floor will be sanded,
refinished and striped for basketball. The majority of the
work will be done to the floor, so it is critical that no
one enter the gym during this period.
They
also remind everyone that their third annual “Soup of the
Soul" fund-raiser will take place after all the Masses
the weekend of 
The
After-10:00 Mass Coffee schedule is being organized for
