Celebrating Elyria as a Compassionate City

St. Mary Parish - Elyria St. Mary Parish In the Heart of the City Since 1845 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Faith Formation..... Bicentennial...... St. Mary School......... Thoughts From Three Twelve... Calendar of Events.... Editor Joan Patchin Contributing Writers Fr. Charlie Diedrick Fr. Tom Hagedorn Sr. Mary Dorothy Tecca Joan Patchin Production Angie Pluta 2 3 4-5 6 7 Celebrating Elyria as a Compassionate City It was in March of 1817 that Heman Ely established a settlement on the banks of the Black River that was to become the city of Elyria. It was only a couple of decades later that St. Mary Catholic Church was founded in 1845. By 1854, a white frame church was built on the southwest corner of 4th and Middle Ave. Then, in 1886 Fr. Schaffeld build our present church. When you look at the number of churches around our city square, you can understand the importance religious faith had for the early settlers. It is a rich tradition of our city and certainly worthy of recognition as we celebrate the city s bicentennial. We can be proud of our long legacy and the extraordinary contributions our Catholic community has made for the good of Elyria. Our witness to the gospel continues to be a blessing for our city. We assist the poor and needy by providing hot meals. Thanks to various collections, we are able to provide food and clothing donations to the Hospitality House. Through our Helping Hands ministry we provide $30,000 annually to assist in paying rent and utilities for those who are about to be evicted from their homes or apartments. We have provided shelter for the homeless on the bitterly cold nights. Many receive emergency assistance as they come knocking at our door. It is this spirit of service to the community that makes me proud to be the pastor of St. Mary s. Building on these charitable works, our parish is joining the churches throughout the city to create a Compassionate City. It is an international movement where cities adopt the Charter of Compassion. The charter is founded on the golden rule to which all the world religions subscribe. On February 18, 2014 the city council of Elyria passed a resolution to adopt the Charter of Compassion for our city. It promotes compassionate activity among the civic, business and even school communities. The churches of Elyria have focused on this initiative in celebration of our city s 200th anniversary. A trifold has been prepared explaining the initiative. It is updated each month encouraging acts of kindness for a specific group or concern. (These trifolds are available at the church entrances.) The month of March promoted outreach in assisting those suffering from addictions. In April as we observe World Earth Day, the focus is on stewardship of the earth. There are many more activities being planned throughout the year for our bicentennial. Let us join with our fellow citizens in creating a compassionate city. St. Mary Parish - Website Go to www.stmaryelyria.org to visit our website. 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. EASTER 2017

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY Page 2 CONFIRMATION WHO: WHAT: Lunch All those who volunteer in any capacity in our parish and school and their families WHEN: Sunday, May 7 following the 11:00 Mass WHERE: St. Mary Parish Hall WHY: A time to celebrate and say THANK YOU! R.S.V.P. to the Parish Office, 323-5539 with the number of family members attending. PLEASE JOIN US! In the Sacrament of Confirmation the Holy Spirit gives graces to the person who receives it and strengthens the person s faith and relationship with God. This year the Sacrament of Confirmation was celebrated by Bishop Gries here at St. Mary Parish on March 16 th. Those requesting to receive the sacrament included several adults and the 8th grade students of St. Mary School and PSR Program. They have now become full members of the Catholic Church accepting not only the graces and opportunities but also the responsibilities of membership. May we continue to pray that they receive the Holy Spirit with openness and will be strong in their faith as they acknowledge God in their lives. CELEBRATING THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION On Saturday, April 15, at the Easter Vigil we will welcome into our church community with the reception of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist: Michael, Crystal, Cheyenne, and Owen Thacker, Aiden and Chase Covender, Jaylyn France, and Matthew Buga, Tina Cottrell, and Kyle Keating will be making a profession of faith into the Church and receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. Liam Thacker and Madyson Buga will receive the Sacrament of Baptism. Let us pray for them in these final days of preparation and as they are received into the Church. As they are blessed by God may they come to the knowledge of His great love for them. FIRST EUCHARIST Can you remember back to your First Communion and how excited you were? Our second grade classes have been preparing for this wonderful celebration. Part of this preparation included the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation at a Family Reconciliation Service. How fortunate we are to have a God who loves us so much that he left us this wonderful Sacrament of forgiveness. The students and their parents gathered for the First Eucharist Retreat. On this day the focus is on the preparation for the Sacrament of the Eucharist and includes a variety of activities: videos on First Eucharist, bread making, banner making, a Church search, and discussion on the importance of the Eucharist in their lives. It is such a wonderful time in the life of our children and a joy to see them excited as they prepare for the reception of this sacrament. The First Eucharist Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, May 6 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, that they may continue to receive Eucharist frequently and know that each Eucharist, be it the tenth or the hundredth or the thousandth is just as important as the first. Schedule of Holy Week/Easter Services Wednesday, April 12: Holy Thursday, April 13: Good Friday, April 14: Holy Saturday, April 15: Easter Sunday, April 16: 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

Page 3 Happy 200th Birthday to Our Great American City Elyria, Ohio s 14th largest city and the county seat, is the past and present home of hardworking people who have made it a city of firsts along with world renowned leaders in industry, education, science and the arts. Our city can also be proud of its strong faith that began with our forefathers. Within just a few blocks of the downtown square are four churches of various faiths, each with their own traditions and values. Continue through our city streets and you will see churches, houses of worship and temples numbering over 60 with many of them providing financial assistance, meals, clothing and shelter to those in need besides guidance and spiritual comfort to all. The Elyria City Council took notice of the good works of many of Elyria s churches and their congregations and three years ago passed a resolution affirming and adopting The Charter for Compassion as a model for our city. Karen Armstrong, founder of the global movement, The Charter for Compassion, states that in a compassionate community, the needs of all the inhabitants of that community are recognized and met, the well-being of the entire community is a priority, and all people and living things are treated with respect. People are motivated by compassion to take responsibility for, and care for each other. Following those guidelines, a group of Elyria s religious leaders including our Fr. Charlie have been gathering to discuss ways they could incorporate The Charter for Compassion along with our city s 200th birthday celebration. Besides church tours and visits, they created Acts of Kindness. Each month this year a group of people in our community is singled out and a suggested list of Acts of Kindness specifically for that group is made available to the congregations of Elyria s churches. April s emphasis is placed on Stewardship of the Earth. So many simple and familycentered activities can be planned, emphasizing the care of our planet. Many folks take their daily walks with litter bags in tow - either picking up after their own dog or trash thrown from passing vehicles. Teaching children by example to recycle, turning off lights and faucets when not in use and leaving nothing behind but their footsteps when they visit parks and playgrounds are among small but easy things that can be accomplished with little effort. In May we will remember Mom, Grandmas, Great-Grandmas and Step-Mom. Of course we ll include these women in our prayers and hopefully spoil them a bit throughout the month but what Mom wouldn t enjoy an extra word of thanks and praise and a hug for all she does. Among the groups remembered for the remainder of the year will be Dads and Grandpas, community servants, children and veterans. Please join us as we continue our journey to become a compassionate city. And plan to make time to enjoy some of the celebrations to be held during our bicentennial year. City Music Cleveland is scheduled to perform at our parish on Wednesday, May 17. The Pioneer Plaza Outdoor Makers Market for Food, Arts and Culture will once again begin in June with a dedication ceremony for the city mural and Pioneer Plaza scheduled for early July. The Elyria Country Club will be setting for a Bicentennial Ball on July 29. On July 30, some of our churches will open their doors for tours and visits. The new Bicentennial Fountain in Ely Square will be dedicated on August 3 with a parade and beard judging contest following on August 5. Three outdoor concerts including the Cleveland Pops Orchestra concert Labor Day weekend are planned for the summer. Be sure to pick up an Elyria Bicentennial flyer from the back of the church and check the Chronicle Telegram to keep abreast of all the activities planned for this year. Join us in celebrating our 200th birthday and making Elyria a Compassionate City.

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY Page 4 St. Mary School: Making a Difference Every Day since 1859 157 Years and Still Going Strong! Come join us for our Arts and Science Festival on May 21 from 12 pm until 3 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! Also available for viewing is a Bicentennial display showing Elyria throughout its 200 years of history. Sister Mary Dorothy working with third grade students on readings for a Friday Mass. Mrs. Bergenstein teaching Kindergarten students Spanish. An eighth grade student so engrossed in reading she didn t even know her picture was being taken! Junior high students conducting a science experiment in the science lab. Mrs. Copa helping second graders check out books in the library.

Page 5 After attending a conference called Kick off for Kindness, members of the National Junior Honor Society have created a new program in the school. They decided to make Cougar Kindness Bracelets. Each homeroom class received two bracelets. When the teachers see a student do an act of kindness they will give a bracelet to the student for the day. It is then the student s job to see an act of kindness performed by another student and pass on the bracelet. When I asked a first grader how they received a kindness bracelet, they responded I got this bracelet because I picked up his crayons. These small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone s day. Jesus said Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:40 St. Mary School applied for two grants that are part of the diocesan Rooted in Faith - Forward in Hope Campaign at the beginning of the school year. We learned in January that we were approved for both of those grants. We will receive a grant in the amount of $12,000 for the purchase and installation of an updated fire alarm system that will connect all of the school buildings together. We will also receive a grant in the amount of $15,000 for the purchase of eleven Promethean Activepanels and five MacBook Pro laptop computers. This technology will replace/update our SmartBoards that are currently in the classrooms. Thank you to the staff members that put together the grant proposals. Activepanel

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY Page 6 Fr. Tom I remember back in the late 50s Elyria celebrated the 125th anniversary of its being incorporated as a city. I saw the men growing beards. There were wooden nickels that were good at the stores in town. There were many tours. The one I liked was of Cascade Park. I did that a couple of times. It was an exciting and magical time to someone in junior high. Now it s the bicentennial of the founding of our city by Heman Ely and his companions. Once again a significant mile marker for our community. It got me to thinking about those markers in our private lives. We all remember our birthdays and those of the people close to us. Every year my classmates and I celebrate the anniversary of our ordination. You couples and your families celebrate your wedding anniversaries. I find that there are some dates that I remember and acknowledge in quiet ways, some of which have significance, like my parents birth dates or their dates of death. Some I don t know why I still remember them, like the day on which I took the test to enter the seminary. Looking at this mishmash of dates throughout the year I m struck by some that for some reason I never commemorated. The one that stood out the most was December 9. (I had to look it up.) That was the Sunday in 1945 when I was baptized by Fr. Joseph Lehane here in our church. It s worth the remembrance. On that day I became a child of God. The Spirit of God filled me with the life of the Father. The Son became my brother. I became a co-heir with him of the promises of God. I am now a member of the Body of Christ. God opened up before me all of his gifts. On that day my future was brighter than ever. But for some reason my family, probably most families, didn t keep the day. At a baptism the newly baptized is given a candle and the parents and godparents are entrusted with that light so it can be kept burning brightly. When I would do baptismal instructions I recommended that this candle be part of the birthday party - in a candle holder next to the cake. Then as the child grew older its significance could be explained. We keep different dates during the year but for some reason the dates of our sacraments are not among them, except for marriage and ordination. But baptism, confirmation and first Eucharist are not commemorated. For the latter two we spent time in preparation and maybe our parents for the first. Maybe we should find out our dates and in some ways give thanks for these gifts from God. It could give us a greater appreciation of them. On that day I became a child of God. The Spirit of God filled me with the life of the Father.

Page 7 May 6 First Communion May 7 Volunteer Appreciation Lunch May 8 PSR Reception/Last Class May 17 City Music Cleveland Concert May 17 Arts & Science Festival June 3 200 Club Dinner & Dance June 6 8th Grade Graduation June 6 Honors Assembly June 7 Last Day of School Volunteer Appreciation Lunch Sunday, May 7 12:00 pm St. Mary Parish Hall 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 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. Joseph Dickens & Cari Lauer Thomas Fetcenko James & Constance Gocek Andrew Kirsch & Devon Albright Andrew & Melinda Lipian Marilyn Lucic Kevin & Tina Salyer Lawrence & Joanne Seman Peter Theado Kelly Triplett William & Lisa Vagi Lee & Christine Zvosec

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 Parish Wellness 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