FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM

The Fortnight for Freedom, a call to 14 days of prayer, education and action for religious freedom in the United States and abroad, will again take place this year from June 21 to July 4. During this two-week period our liturgical calendar celebrates great martyrs- including St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul and the first Martyrs of the Church of Rome- who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops encourages Catholics across our country to enter into a period with a strong focus on prayer, education, and reflection on our first freedom, freedom of religion. Beginning June 21^st and ending July 4th, we will offer daily prayers and reflections on this important freedom.

HELPERS NEEDED

We are looking for a few good people to help keep our parish running smoothly.  We need additional ushers who can greet people when they come to Mass, take up the weekly collection, and act as “first responders” when someone needs help in Church.  We hope to be able to provide first aid training for our ushers and first responder.  We’re looking for additional ushers for all the Masses.  We hope to be able to provide first aid training for them. If anyone is interested in being a church usher, please contact Father Bacevice. (Adapted from 6/19/16)

100^th ANNIVERSARY OF LITHUANIAN INDEPENDENCE

     The Lithuanian Roman Catholic Priests’ League of America is organizing the placement of a cross at the “Hill of Crosses” in Lithuania. The cross will commemorate the 100^th Anniversary of Lithuanian freedom. The intention of this cross is “Thanks and Hope.” On July 7, 2017, the cross will be blessed and placed at the Hill of Crosses. All are welcome to attend this ceremony. It is our hope that this cross will be a symbol of our unity in faith and the Lithuanian culture.

     Today there are only 16 Parishes in the United States where Masses are celebrated in the Lithuanian language. A small replica of the cross will travel to each community for three weeks. As one of the 16 parishes, we are being asked to contribute to this project. Our financial goal for this project is $200. We will accept donations for this project through the end of this month. Make your check out to St. Casimir Parish and note “Hill of Crosses” and drop it in the collection basket. Thank you for your support.

THE FEST

The best gift you can give is your time, so this Father’s Day weekend, be sure to invite Dad (and the rest of your family) to spend time with you at The FEST, Sunday, August 6^th. It’s the perfect and free family day, full of great music and a host of fun activities. The highlight of the day is the Outdoor Mass at 8:00pm. You and Dad will not want to miss any of this, so head out to the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe for a day full of faith, family, friends and fun. Questions? Check out www.TheFest.us

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

  At the end of this month, we will say good bye to the Sisters of Notre Dame. It has been six years since they came to our campus and established Cuvilly House that offered spiritual programs to young adults. This ministry became a victim of its own success. Their programs have moved to the parish level and have been quite successful. This success combined with continued financial pressure on the Order made keeping this program going and maintaining the convent financially difficult. It is sad to see the Sisters leave as they have been good tenants and friends over the past years. We wish them well in the future.

     On the practical side, losing a major tenant will put a lot of financial pressure on the parish. The sisters rent and utilities came to about $25,000 per year, and that money will be difficult to make up. We do hope to have another tenant in the building before too long. In the meantime, I ask for everyone’s patience and generosity in dealing with this economic shortfall.
 

God Bless!   Fr. Joe Bacevice

REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Dolores Capretta who died recently and was buried from our parish.  May she have eternal rest in the peace of God’s kingdom.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

     This Sunday we honor our fathers. In his exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” (The Joy of Love), Pope Francis writes beautifully about the role of the father in a family.

     “God sets the father in the family so that by the gifts of his masculinity he can be close to his wife and share everything, joy and sorrow, hope and hardship. And to be close to his children as they grow – when they play and when they work, when they are carefree and when they are distressed, when they are talkative and when they are silent, when they are daring and when they are afraid, whey they stray and when they get back on the right path.

     To be a father is to be always present. When I say ‘present’, I do not mean ‘controlling.’ Fathers who are too controlling overshadow their children, they don’t let them develop.  Some fathers feel they are useless and unnecessary, but the fact is that children need to find a father waiting for them when they return home with their problems. They may try hard not to admit it, not to show it, but they need it. It is not good for children to lack a father and grow up before they are ready.” (177) Happy Fathers Day!

POPE FRANCIS ASKS FOR YOUR HELP

The Catholic Bishops of the world will meet in October, 2018, for the 15^th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and the theme will be “Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment.” In preparation for this major synod on youth,  Pope Francis wants to gather input from the Catholic faithful. The Diocese of Cleveland asks everyone to fill out a short survey questionnaire to gather information on the current state of the young in our diocese that will be included as part of the pre-synod discernment document. The survey can be found on the diocesan website home page: www.dioceseofcleveland.org