St. Mary Parish - Elyria EASTER 2015 Join Us for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb St. Mary Parish In the Heart of the City Since 1845 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Faith Formation..... Stewardship Corner... Marriage & Family...... St Mary School..... Guardians... St. Mary Church History... Calendar of Events. Thoughts From Three Twelve. 11 Editor Jeanne Plas Contributing Writers Fr. Charlie Diedrick Fr. Tom Hagedorn Sr. Mary Dorothy Jeanne Plas Julie Goins Tom Peters Joan Patchin Production Angie Pluta 2-3 4 5 6-7 8 9 10 While everyone has his or her theory on why the world is literally going to pot, Pope Francis has already pinpointed the problem and made it a central concern of his pontificate. Marriage and family are the basic building blocks of any society. When these begin to unravel, so does society along with them. Our Holy Father will seek solutions to this malaise in a Synod of Bishops that he has called for this October. At the heart of the issue is our craving for things rather than relationships. In a hook up culture, we can use another as a thing to satisfy our needs. More and more prefer simply living together as opposed to a commitment that would require sacrifice and vulnerability. This is why few ever achieve true intimacy in their relationship. When the romance goes sour, they move on and the children suffer. More often than not, the children will repeat the cycle when they grow up. No wonder it takes a chemical high to mask the emptiness of cheap love. The point of the Genesis story is that created in God s image, man and woman reflected God in their union of one flesh. Adam and Eve were unaware of their nakedness, their separateness. Sin destroyed the shalom, the harmony of their relationship. The Church has a dream for the marriage relationship. Through sacramental grace, it is possible to recreate the original bond. It takes the love of Christ sacrificing the self for the other to achieve this noble goal. The grace to seal and deepen this bond is obtained at the table of the Lamb. A few weeks ago, we celebrated Mom s funeral here at St. Mary s. Back on February 19, 1949, Mom and Dad were married in this church. Their love bore fruit in 7 children, 17 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. Their family was the center of their lives. I personally think they did a pretty good job as all are contributing to the good of society. At the funeral we did not toll the bells at the end of Mass. Rather we pealed the bells in celebration of Mom and Dad sitting down together at the wedding feast of the Lamb. St. Mary Parish - Website Go to www.stmaryelyria.org to visit our web site. It is user friendly and helps you access useful information. We hope that you will look to it for updates on future events and programs along with inspirational words throughout the week. If you are not receiving the weekly Bells and would like to, send an email to stmaryelyria@aol.com so we can update our records.
THE BELLS OF ST. MARY Page 2 CELEBRATING THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults/Children began its formal journey for those interested in becoming Catholic last September. Thomas and Candice Lane, Landen Clifford, Madison O'Neill and Madeline Robertson are preparing to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. John Shaffstall, Jack Moore, Kimberly Lane and Brian Neal already baptized in a Christian community will be making a Profession of Faith in the Catholic Church and along with Melissa Neal, baptized in the Catholic Church, are preparing to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. During the season of Lent there have been several activities that take place regarding the RCIA journey. The first of these is the Rite of Election, which occurred on Sunday, February 22. On that day after the ceremony at St. Mary Church during the 11:00 Mass we attended the presentation of the Elect and Candidates to Bishop Lennon at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. On all the Sundays during Lent at the 11:00 Mass we will have celebrated special rituals which mark the final preparation of those on the RCIA journey. On March 1 st. we celebrated the Penitential Rite with the candidates, those already baptized and on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sunday s of Lent we will celebrated the scrutinies with the elect. These scrutinies include prayers for deliverance from sin, and evil influences in order to strengthen the faithful to the Word of God. A time not only for the RCIA but for all of us to reflect on how we respond to God and what it is that we need to change in our lives. On Saturday, April 4, at the Easter Vigil which takes place at 8:30 p.m. the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist will be received. We ask for your prayers of support as we bring these individuals into our Church Community. Many of you who have attended the Easter Vigil can attest to the blessed experience that occurs, if you have never attended please come and join the celebration. CONFIRMATION As part of our day school and PSR programs we prepare our 8 th graders for the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation. This year the Sacrament was celebrated by Bishop Lennon on March 12 at 7:00 p.m. Along with our current students we also had four adults who received the sacrament. They are now full members of the Catholic Church having received all the Sacraments of Initiation. Let us continue to pray that their hearts will remain open to the Holy Spirit at work in their lives. FIRST EUCHARIST Another one of the wonderful occasions that we celebrate during the Easter Season is the reception of First Eucharist by our second grade classes. Part of this preparation includes the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation which occurred on March 2 nd., at a Family Reconciliation Service. When we see the expressions on the faces of the children and their parents as they receive the sacrament we begin to understand how much love God has for us and how He continually is willing to forgive us and extend his blessings. Let us all take the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this Season of Lent.
Page 3 We will gather for our First Eucharist Retreat on Saturday, March 28 th., from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. On this day the focus is on the final preparation for the Sacrament and will include a variety of activities: videos on First Eucharist, bread making, banner making, a Church search, and discussion on the importance of Eucharist in their lives. This retreat gives the children and the parents an opportunity to focus together in a special way on the Sacrament of the Eucharist. As our students prepare for their first reception of Jesus in the Eucharist it is important to remember that we need to continue to receive this Sacrament in our lives. As they do all those special things of getting dressed up and having parties we remember that each Eucharist, be it the 10th or the 100th or the 1000th is just as important. Our First Eucharist Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, April 25 th. at 11:00 a.m. Please pray for the children that they come to know the precious gift that God gives us in the Eucharist and that they may continue to receive Eucharist frequently. Schedule of Holy Week Services Monday, March 30 th. : Tuesday, March 31 st. : Wednesday, April 1 st. : Holy Thursday, April 2 nd. : Good Friday, April 3 rd. : Holy Saturday, April 4 th. : Easter Sunday, April 5 th. : 5:00 pm Mass 6-7pm Confessions 8:30 am Mass 7:00 pm Chrism Mass at Cathedral 3:30-4:30 pm Confessions 5:00 pm Mass 6-7 pm Confessions 9:00 pm Tenebrae 8:30 am Morning Prayer 7:00 pm Mass of the Lord's Supper Followed by Adoration 8:30 am Morning Prayer 12:00 pm Stations of the Cross 3:00 pm Celebration of the Lord's Passion 9:00 am Morning Prayer 12 Noon Blessing of Food Weigand Room 8:30 pm Easter Vigil 8:00 am Mass 9:30 am Mass 11:00 am Mass
THE BELLS OF ST. MARY Page 4 Thank you to all who filled out a Time, Talent and Treasure Stewardship form last fall. If you indicated an interest in one of our committees or commissions, your name was passed along to the head of that group and you have been, or will be contacted. Mike Moore was happy to report that the choir gained two new voices and additional names have been added to our adult funeral servers list, making the scheduling much easier. Anyone interested in spending some time at our parish or having questions about a committee or commission can leave a message for me at the Parish Center office, 323-5539. From volunteering on a regular monthly basis to just a few times a year, we look forward to having you join us! AND THEY RE OFF! Here s a great way to have a fun evening and support your parish at the same time! St. Mary Parish is sponsoring a Night At The Races on Saturday, April 18 from 5:30 to 10p.m. in our Parish Hall. Admission is just $20 per person (21 and over please) which includes quarter pound hot dogs, sides, with all the trimmings, endless dessert tables, beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks. (NO B.Y.O.B. please) The evening will include 11 races along with basket raffles, door prizes, a 50/50 drawing, the Bead Game and more. Mike Moore will serve as emcee and of course, provide some great music. Fr. Charlie has designated the proceeds from the evening for repairs to the church roof and steeple and for installation of a brick and metal facing on the parish hall. A limited number of tickets are still available by calling 322-3561, 322-9704, or 225-6398. Tickets will also be available after Masses. No tickets will be sold at the door so gather up your friends and join us! Prizes and/or gift cards for our Basket Raffles and desserts for our Endless Dessert Tables are still needed. If you are able to donated either, please leave a message at the Parish Center, 323-5539 or contact me at jmp82147@aol.com. Looking forward to seeing you! Joan Patchin
Page 5 The Makowski Family Randi, Bella, Thomas with John-Thomas, Tanya with Hayden, Payton holding Nutter Butter (pet rabbit), Aunt Nicole, and Susie The Makowski household is composed of four girls (Payton, Susie, Bella, and Randi), two boys (Hayden and John-Thomas), two dogs, two cats, a rabbit, and Mom and Dad (Tanya and Thomas). Payton, the eldest, is 12 years old and John-Thomas, the youngest, is already a year old. Dad is an architectural metal worker and Mom is a nurse who will soon finish schooling and become a nurse practitioner. When you sit down with these eight people, there are two things that immediately stand out. The first is that they are a physically close bunch; not one of them feels comfortable sitting down unless he or she is nudging up to somebody else. The kids hang all over both parents and each other; when Mom and Dad sit down, they choose a spot right in the center of things. The second thing you notice is that these folks are very, very articulate. They don t jump in quickly to answer the hard question, but when one of them gets started, you re in for a treat because they handle the English language so well and speak from the heart. Tanya says that Thomas provides the grounding for the family s spiritual life. It is he who makes sure before dinner and bedtime prayers are said. (And by the way, Bella points out that there is absolutely no burping allowed during prayers!) It is the rosary that most inspires Thomas. He, himself, says the rosary often and credits that practice with his best thinking. It just helps me think a lot clearer when I pray the rosary. The four girls are the oldest of the six Makowski kids and they are now all school aged. With bubbling excitement they say that St. Mary s School is so much friendlier than the Catholic school in another county they once attended. Payton says, it only took me one day to make all the friends anybody d ever need to have. Both parents pitch in at the school, coaching volleyball, leading Girl Scouts, and so on. So, what s it like to raise six kids these days? What are the issues that a big 21st century family experiences? The parents comment emphatically, It s hard! Life can be hard. Thomas says the worst thing he lives through is that he so often just doesn t have enough time to give each child, even when they need and deserve it. Tanya says the worst of it is that she sometimes hears herself yelling. On hearing this, the kids interject that what she ll pretty quickly tell them, though, is I m sorry. I love you. Sometimes I m just inappropriate and lose my temper. As is the case with so many families these days - no matter how many children are involved - life can be very painful as well as difficult. Among the Makowski s heartaches is the loss of Randi s twin and another set of twins. Tanya and Thomas report that they were in love and coping adequately with life for quite a few years before they learned to bring the spiritual into their marriage. It has done so much to strengthen our marriage, Tanya says. Thomas points out that even though you have a good marriage, you just have no idea how much different and better things can be when you bring the God of your understanding into the relationship. These parents attend Catholic Marriage Encounters, Pre- Cana events, and the like, and they do so continually. It is never one and done when it comes to committing to things that can nurture their marriage. Despite the inevitable stresses of a large family, both parents talk eloquently about the riches available on a daily basis. Thomas tells about having all these gifts from God around you. Each has so many beautiful qualities. Each is unique and beloved. Tanya is clearly a Mom who enjoys her kids company. She loves the opportunities to be a kid with her kids. She believes having a childlike personality helps to have a relationship with God. You learn here that you are not in charge. God is. Because Tanya broke her leg skiing a few weeks ago, the family has been attending a later Mass than usual. Soon, they ll get back to the 8am Mass on Sundays. So, if you don t know this interesting and terrific family, watch for all eight of them to enter Church and head for a pew upfront where the children can see best. Thomas and Tanya don t want any Makowski to miss any part of the wonder of what happens in our church during Mass. This truly is a very typical American family where both parents work, Mom also goes to school, pets are underfoot, the kids are loud during playtime, the parents make mistakes, they live with stress as well as love. We are blessed that this, thoroughly modern and thoroughly Catholic family - and the others we know like them - are such a strong part of our community.
THE BELLS OF ST. MARY Page 6 St. Mary School: Making a Difference Every Day since 1859 155 Years and Still Going Strong! Come join us for our Arts and Science Festival on May 17 from 12 pm until 4 pm! We will feature the students abilities in visual arts, instrumental/vocal music and various STEM projects (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). There will be something for everyone at the festival. Each grade will show off their singing voices at scheduled times throughout the day. The band students will delight you with their talents on various instruments. Browse the displayed art from each class and be amazed by the students artistic treasures. Explore how St. Mary is a STEM school with the science projects that will be available for viewing. Be sure to mark your calendars for this educational fun-filled event! Advanced Band Festival SMS joined with many other neighboring schools at St. Jude s for a Band Festival on Thursday, February 26.
Page 7 Power of the Pen An extracurricular activity junior high students can join is Power of the Pen. This is a creative writing competition among several schools. Lindsey Reitz, Katie DeMarco, and Erika White qualified for the regional competition held at Perkins Sandusky Middle School on Saturday, March 14. Congratulations ladies! Brenna Pitts - Winner of the Patriots Pen Writing Competition Academic Challenge Another activity junior high students can join is Academic Challenge. Every Wednesday from January to March we meet with another Catholic school in Lorain County competing with their brains. Questions are asked in different subject areas based on the junior high curriculum. Pictured is the SMS team this school year. Fr. Charlie speaking with 2nd grade about Eucharist. Fourth grade with their President projects. Mrs. Knuff reading a story to the Kindergarten during circle time.
THE BELLS OF ST. MARY The Guardians: St. Mary Pastoral and Support Staff Sharon Brunkow, Principal On a typical workday, Sharon Brunkow might take over a dozen telephone calls, open a carton of yogurt for a kid in the lunchroom, cope with a late delivery of critical supplies, do some classroom supervision, flush toilets in the student bathrooms, get back to a parent as promised, meet with a group of teachers, call maintenance to get a mess on the floor cleaned up, schedule this and reschedule that, talk with a PTU officer, fill out one more form, and try for the umpteenth time to balance the materials budget. And all of that happens before noon. Having begun her career in the Berea Public Schools, then St. Raphael s in Bay Village, Sharon spent five years at St. Mary s in 6th grade and twentythree years as an 8th grade science and math teacher. Many young adults in our community remember her fondly as one of their favorite teachers. Now, after five years as principal, Sharon is in her 35th year as an educator. She says the major difference between her teacher and principal roles is perspective. In her teaching career she was locked into students, materials and learning goals. Now, she needs to constantly try to see the broadest possible picture. Her efforts have to serve children and the learning, but also teachers, parents, staff, building issues, state regulations, and everpresent budget constraints. Many in the parish were aware a few years ago when Sharon was battling cancer, won the battle, and then had to undergo a second round of treatments. She said she became aware during those days that one of the most important things a principal does is to stay up at all times. Prior to those treatment times, she had not had to try very hard to do so. But at that point, it took great effort to stay up because of the toll the treatments were taking on her. Yet, it s critical that a principal do this. The person you are talking to needs to understand that you are supportive and that you are paying attention to them. And you have to do this even when it s very difficult, she says. Several of Sharon s fondest memories are connected with those dark times. One especially poignant moment occurred during recuperation when she heard that the 4th graders went to the Public Address microphone during her announcement period to pray the rosary for her three days in a row. Then, a student wrote about Sharon as the person she most admired because of her actions during the hard times. She experienced another special moment when she received a letter from a parent who thanked her for sharing some of the facts associated with her cancer with the students. The parent commented that the students got so much from this sharing and that she admired Sharon s courage and the way she was always pleasant during that time. Although being touched by the letter, Sharon laughs when she talks about it because she was living with chemobrain in those days and didn t think I was making any sense to anyone! What does a principal do when she needs to recharge and inspire herself? Just walking down the hall, peaking into those classrooms, seeing the kids and what they are accomplishing is a tremendous reward as well as motivator. Page 8 Another huge perk of the job is talking with parents who are so appreciative of what goes on at St. Mary s. But, perhaps the biggest recharge occurs within a very simple few seconds when a kid walks by her office and waves, or just holds up a piece of work that she or he is proud to have done. When asked to describe the most important thing about her, Sharon immediately smiles and says, Grandma! Despite her deep love for her job, in Sharon s life nothing has been more important than marriage and family. Her husband (currently suffering from challenging illnesses) is her best friend and the subject of many of her fondest thoughts. She has three grown children whom she adores and seven grandchildren that are the focus and light of her personal life. I might be principal and educator, and lots of other things, she says, but I m Grandma and that s the most important thing. As a kindergartner she was asked to step up to handle the class when her teacher had laryngitis. In the first grade she was in charge of student potty breaks. As an eighth grader, she found herself in situations where she was often put in charge of the third and fourth grades. All of that speaks to her love of teaching and dedication to education. But, perhaps even more importantly, it speaks to her lifelong willingness to step up and step in when needed. Certainly she has done that for us here at St. Mary s. Whether she was called on to coordinate student council activities when she taught 8th grade or was asked to leave teaching and be the principal we needed at an important time in the life of the school, Sharon has always said, Yes. While Grandma may be the word she uses to describe herself best, we at St. Mary s might use the word, willing. No matter what, Sharon Brunkow has never turned us down. We are grateful and hold her dear in our hearts.
THE BELLS OF ST. MARY Page 9 The History of St. Mary Church continued by Tom Peters When Fr. John Schaffeld finished our present church he kept on building, as more and more Germans and Irish and others moved to Elyria to work in the new factories. St. Mary School was now in the yellow building which was purchased from the city. Located on Court St., it had been the City Hall on the second floor with Elyria s first school on the first. Fr. Schaffeld moved it to the present location of the St. Mary office but when the new church opened he moved the school to the old church, and demolished the yellow building. In 1901 he built a new school, the present Guardian Angel building. My mother, Catherine Moroney, was an original student, walking from her home at 965 East River, a house that is still there. But before that, Fr. Schaffeld received a letter from Jim Moroney in Oberlin, asking him to help them build a church for their village. (Yes, we re related. He was a cousin of my mother s father.) Moroneys still live in Oberlin and some recall that one Moroney was well known as the owner of the fish stand at the West Side Market in Cleveland. The church was built near the present new one in Oberlin. In 1907 Fr. Schaffeld built a rectory for priests where the present St. Mary office sits, and a convent next to the school. (More on these buildings in the next Bells.) Fr. Schaffeld s health gradually declined and he died at age 74 in 1911. We have a great photo of his funeral, which will be in the last article of this series. Pictures: Below are receipts from the building of St. Mary Church with Fr. John Schaffeld s signature from two different companies.
Page 10 April 2 Holy Thursday April 3 Good Friday April 4 Holy Saturday April 5 Easter April 18 Night at the Races May 10 Mother s Day Pancake Breakfast May 11 PSR Reception/Last Class June 3 8th Grade Graduation June 4 Last Day of School June 6 200 Club Dinner & Dance Night at the Races April 18, 2015 5:30-10:00 p.m. Purchase tickets after any Mass - $20 Buy a horse for $15 Donate a basket Email: stmaryelyria@aol.com WELCOME New Members Welcome to our newest members and their families to St. Mary Parish. New members please join us for our Welcome Sundays the first Sunday of the month in the Weigand Room for coffee, juice & donuts. We are glad to have you join our St. Mary Parish Family. There is now a wide selection of spiritual books, booklets, and CDs in the Book Rack at the back of the church. The materials are written with wisdom, caring, and humor. They cover topics like aging, caregiving, grieving, prayer, the saints, and personal growth issues within faith. There are also booklets for children ages five through eleven on topics of importance for kids. Suggested donations range from $0.50 through $3.00 and some are even free. Please make your selections, then use the brown envelopes provided for your donations. These envelopes should be put in the Sunday collection baskets or taken to the parish office. Please browse the selection soon and return to it often as materials will change on a regular basis. Enjoy! John & Clare Coulis William Jordan Sheryl Mariner Zachary Minney Jackie & Patricia Moore Thomas & Mary Peters Jacob & Ashley Schuster Katlyn Sharick Gerald & Marilyn Smith Timothy & Darlena Szilvasy Christopher Wooley If you are no longer a member of our parish please send us an email at stmaryelyria@aol.com or call the Parish Office at 323-5539 and your name will be removed from our roster. Thank you.
Page 11 Fr. Tom A major characteristic of my life is that I like things to be peaceful, in harmony. I avoid conflicts and self-assertion. I need to feel really comfortable to be at ease in a situation and will come across as shy when I m not comfortable. So when I need to confront someone I usually do it badly since I ve not had a lot of experience with it. When I look at the idea of heroes I look up to people who can face their fears and people who disturb them. There are two of these I want to reflect on today. The first is St. Patrick. I knew the basics of his life when I became pastor of St. Pat s. Now I read his Confessions and letter every year and he is more a hero to me all the time. When he was a teenager Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland where he was enslaved. During this time he learned to pray and grew in his relationship with God. After several years he found an opportunity to escape and journeyed across unknown territory to a seaport. After further trials and God s blessings he secured passage away from Ireland. Back in England or Wales he pursued a vocation to the priesthood. (It ran in the family. His father was a deacon and grandfather a bishop.) During a dream he heard the people of Ireland calling to him to come back to them. Going to Rome he was ordained a bishop and was sent to Ireland. There he continued the work of converting the Irish. Other missionaries distrusted him and tried to block his work. Their names are not remembered. He also had to confront the Druid leaders of the island. Our opening ceremony of lighting the fire of the Easter Vigil is a development of what he did in this conflict with the Druid priests. He is rightly remembered today as the Apostle to the Irish. The other one I see as a hero is Fr. Nelson Callahan, the priest I was assigned with. He was pastor of St. Raphael in Bay Village. When I got there the parish was concluding a fundraising drive. One of the volunteers came to Nels and discussed a problem he had run into. One of the parishioners he visited refused to donate because he had a serious problem with the pastor. All of us have had parishioners who have problems with us. Nels did not want things to remain this way. So he went to visit this parishioner to reconcile and make peace. Patrick went back to Ireland, not to face them down for what they did to him, but to bring them the Word of God. Nels visited this parishioner, even though he could be verbally beat up, because he wanted his parish to be a community of faith. I don t know how much inner turmoil these two men went through in making and living out their decisions. I know that I would have struggled a lot and maybe for a relatively long time before I would have started moving in the direction they moved in. Obviously they needed the grace of God but they were doing God s work and so they could count on it. Heroes come in many shapes and sizes. They are called heroes for many reasons. Here are two of mine because they had the courage to do what I am so hesitant to do, to trust in myself as I am gifted by God and to confront rather than avoid problems. Fr. Tom Hagedorn When I look at the Idea of heroes I look up to people who can face their fears and people Who disturb them.
St. Mary Parish Our Lady of the Assumption 320 Middle Avenue - Elyria, Ohio 44035 Phone: 440-323-5539 - Fax: 440-322-2329 Join us in our Celebration of the Eucharist! SUNDAY MASS SCHEDULE: Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m. Sunday: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 a.m. WEEKDAY MASS SCHEDULE: Monday 5:00 p.m. Tuesday 8:30 a.m. Wednesday 5:00 p.m. Thursday 8:30 a.m. Friday 8:30 a.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. HOLY DAY MASS SCHEDULE: 8:30 a.m.; 12:15 p.m.; 7:00 p.m. ~Parish Mission Statement~ As people of God on the pilgrim journey to the Kingdom, we the people of St. Mary, benefiting from a rich tradition of faith, are a Christ-centered community blessed by a diversity of talents and gifts. As a Catholic, Christian Community, we value the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Sacraments of the Church, which call us to live in justice and love. As people of hope led by the spirit, we continue the mission of building the Kingdom. Through our ministry, service and outreach, we strive to welcome all into a warm, caring parish family. We are here for you! Come on home! If you are interested in having someone visit you to talk or to bring Holy Communion, please contact the Parish Office at 440-323-5539. Check us out on the Web! Our website can answer many of your questions. www.stmaryelyria.org Daily Devotions Parish Hall Rental Ministries Alumni Association Who to Pray For teen JaM Calendar Organizations School Link PTU Sports Committee JustGive.org Call to Faithful Citizenship Heritage Society Funeral Preparation St. Mary PSR Program