As we all know, Pope Francis has a special place in his heart for the poor and underprivileged and urges us to reach out to them as Christ did. In our Diocese we do this through our parishes, Catholic Charities, the Cleveland Catholic Foundation and other charitable organizations. One of these is less recognized than others – The Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Although the Society does not receive the publicity that others do, it plays a critical role in helping needy individuals obtain basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter and emergency assistance. Last year, the Society served 264,580 individuals in our diocese.

     A few weeks ago, I received a letter from Bishop Lennon asking me to consider opening a Conference (chapter) of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The Bishop wrote that he hopes that every parish would have a Conference that is connected to the National Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which in turn is connected with the International Society of St. Vincent de Paul, - a recognized private association of the Christian faithful.

     The Bishop gave good reasons for his wish. First, the history and tradition of the Society is well-known and respected. It is clearly recognized as a Catholic response to the needs of people not only by the faithful of the Church, but also by the wider community. Also, the Society is rooted in a strong spirituality, which first enriches the lives of the members and then, through them, the lives of the recipients who receive the Society’s support and aid.

     I ask those in the parish interested in working with me to start a Conference here at St. Casimir’s to give me a call or send an e-mail. If there is enough interest, I will invite the Executive Director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society to meet with us and explain the Society’s work. I have worked with them in the past and they were a great help to our program for the poor at St. George’s, especially through Blanket Sunday and their food collections.

     I believe there is a need for them here in our own neighborhood. Please consider working with the St. Vincent de Paul Society to help those in need

                                                               God Bless! Fr. Joe Bacevice

SUMMER OFFICE HOURS

Summer office hours are as follows: Monday – Thursday 10:00-6:00; the office is closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Please follow these times for all non-emergency matters.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
 

Friday, June 5^th is the First Friday of the month. We will have our Holy Hour from 8:00-9:00am. Also, Wednesday, June 10^th, we will have Eucharistic Adoration from 6:00-9:00pm. We are asking individuals to commit to specific times to be in the Church for adoration. If you would like to make such a commitment, please sign up in the Book Room. All are invited to spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament each month during the year.

 CATHOLIC FAMILY FESTIVAL

Join us for The FEST on Sunday, August 9^th on the Borromeo seminary grounds in Wickliffe when the 56 acre campus becomes the home of our 15^th Annual Catholic Family Festival. It is a day that celebrates faith and family. It’s fun and it’s free. Join thousands from across the region for national Christian bands and great faith-based activities and displays for the whole family. The day ends with an outdoor Mass at 8:00pm and an incredible American Fireworks display. Look online: www.theFEST.us

CONGRATULATIONS
 

We congratulate our parish young people graduating from grade school, high school, college, and graduate school this year. You have worked hard to accomplish your goals and you deserve the recognition of your diploma and your degree. May God be with all of you as you take the next steps in your lives.

 

 

CHILD’S GATE TO LEARNING

“Child’s Gate to Learning” (CGL) supports neglected children in Lithuania. To raise funds, the Cleveland chapter is offering a boxed lunch for $10. All lunches must be ordered by May 20. Lunches must be picked up on Sunday, May 31^st after the 10:00 Mass. Donations are welcomed. To order lunch, make a donation, or for information about CGL contact Egle Laniauskas (eglelan@gmail.com) or send your order to 6604 Ivana Court, Mentor, OH, 44060. Order forms can also be found in the Book Room

BALTIC COMMEMORATION
 

On Sunday, June 14, 2015, we will commemorate the 74^th Anniversary of the Occupation of the Baltic States by the Soviet Union and remember the victims of the mass deportations of June 13-14, 1941. The Commemoration will be an Ecumenical Prayer Service at 2:00pm here at St. Casimir’s. All are invited to join with the Estonians and Latvians for this special day. Refreshments will be served afterward in the cafeteria. This event is sponsored by the Baltic American Committee of Cleveland.
 

MASS IN LITHUANIAN AVAILABLE ON-LINE
 

As a service to its Lithuanian homebound readers, the Lithuanian newspaper, Draugas, has arranged to live-stream the Lithuanian Sunday Mass every week from Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Chicago. The Mass can be viewed every Sunday at 12:00noon EST on the website: youtube.com/draugolaikrastis  The recorded Masses are also archived on the same website and can be viewed online at a later time.