|
Last Wednesday, we
began our annual journey of Lent. Lent is the season of penance that
has been set apart by the Church in memory of the 40 days our Lord
fasted in the desert and as a means of sanctification of the faithful.
Lent includes days of fast and abstinence and days we are called to make
personal acts of penance. The purpose is to prepare us to resist all
forms of temptation. Lent is the time that we might want to ask
ourselves some serious questions about our own spiritual lives. Where
is our life really leading us? Do we really believe in Eternal Life and
is Eternal Life really our aspiration? Have we tried to grow in the
life of the spirit through prayer, reading the Word of God and
meditating on it, and receiving the Sacraments? Lent is also a time for
spiritual renewal. All of us need to challenge ourselves to grow in our
spiritual lives and turn our hearts back to the Lord. Our parish offers
many opportunities to grow in the spirit during this season. It is up
to all of us as individuals to take advantage of these opportunities and
grow in the spirit during this special time of the year
God bless!
Fr. Joe Bacevice |
ONLINE MASS
Our weekly online Mass is
back. Beginning this weekend, Sunday Mass can be accessed beginning on
Saturdays at 4:00 pm. Go to our website and click on the Mass link. We would
also like to hear from our online congregation. Comments – good or bad – can be
sent to Father Bacevice’s e-mail along with
any requests for special prayers (jbacevice@dioceseofcleveland.org) .
BLACK &
INDIAN MISSIONS
The annual
collection to support the Black and Indian Missions takes place next weekend.
This is the oldest designated collection in the United States. We ask everyone
to be generous in supporting this important work of the Catholic Church.
COLLECTION FOR THE
CHURCHES IN EASTERN EUROPE
Next weekend we will be
accepting offerings for our annual collection to support the Churches in Eastern
Europe. The Lithuanian Church receives funds from this collection, and the
Lithuanian Bishops have written us to ask you to be generous.
LENT
Stations of the
Cross
will be prayed after the 7:30 Mass each Friday morning in English, and each
Sunday after the 11:00 am Mass in Lithuanian.
Confessions
will
be heard every Saturday from 3:00 to 4:00 pm in the Church.
FAMILY PERSPECTIVES
Before his public ministry
begins, Jesus spends forty days alone with wild beasts and angels. For the
people of Israel, the desert hearkened back to the time of the Exodus when God
led them in the wilderness, feeding them with manna, and finally revealing
himself to them at the top of Mount Sinai. How will we, as a family unit, spend
time in the “desert” this Lenten season? How will we journey with one another
in the “wilderness?” |
PLEASE PRAY
 We
ask you to remember in your prayers the souls of
Rev. Thomas Hagedorn and
Deacon Carl Varga. May they live forever in the blessedness of God’s heavenly Kingdom.
LENTEN DIETARY REGULATIONS
Ash Wednesday (February 17th) and Good Friday (April 2nd)
are days of Fast and Abstinence. Fasting means having only one full meal on
those days with two smaller meals allowed. Eating between meals is not
permitted. This law is binding on all Catholics form their 18TH
birthday to their 59TH birthday. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday along
with all the Fridays of Lent are days of Abstinence from eating meat. Meat is
defined as the flesh, organs, and blood products from warm blooded animals.
This law is binding on all Catholics from their 14TH birthday.
Individual dispensations from these regulations can be given by the Pastor.
Group dispensations must be obtained from the Chancellor of the Diocese.
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
The 2021 Catholic Charities
Annual Appeal is underway with an in-pew commitment process taking place this
weekend. This is not a special collection; rather, the Catholic Charities Annual
Appeal represents the chance for all Catholics to make a significant pledge,
payable in installments, to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland in order to
support its mission of a society that stands united in its support of the “least
among us.” Many parishioners have received a letter from Bishop Malesic
requesting their support. If you have not received this letter, please respond
to the in-pew commitment process today! If you have received the mailing, please
respond to it. There is a box on the in-pew envelope to indicate that you have
responded by mail.
Love Your Neighbor.
Your support of the 2021 Catholic Charities Annual Appeal helps us to carry
out the mission that Jesus entrusted to us: I say to you, whatever you did for
one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Please consider a generous
gift that will change the lives of the 400,000 who are served each year in
Northeast Ohio. Please pray for the success of the Appeal, which provides for
essential programs and services in need throughout all eight counties of the
Diocese of Cleveland.
Double your
impact! A generous donor, who believes in the mission of Catholic Charities,
will match your gift, up to $1 million. Do twice as much good when you give
online at
www.CatholicCommunity.org/Match.
On behalf of the poor and needy of Northeast Ohio, thank you!
THANK YOU
During the past few weeks we
received $675.00 from the Rooted in Faith campaign which began in 2012,
and $9,733.00 from the Heart of a Shepherd campaign that we recently
completed. This money is designated to repairs and improvements to our
buildings. We’re finalizing a contract to replace the rectory windows and are
moving forward to solicit bids for work on replacing the front steps to the
church building. It is because of your generosity that we are able to move
forward with these plans.
|
Lietuvi