Altar servers for January

Saturday, January 5
4:30 Alyse Bachmann and Jacob Knowles

Sunday January 6,
9:00 Marco Colant and Noelle Colant
11:00 Daniel Leeser and Ryan Testa

Saturday, January 12
4:30 Matt Kannel and Jeremy Swords

Sunday, January 13
9:00 Erin Liggett and Jacqueline Wammes
11:00 Sierra Robinson and Zachary Durbin

Saturday, January 19
4:30 Trevor Ellis and Michael Sartoski

Sunday, January 20
9:00 Adam Gray and Aaron Abernathy
11:00 Katie Roberts and Emily Roberts

Saturday, January 26
4:30 Alyse Bachmann and Jacob Knowles

Sunday, January 27
9:00 Billy Gabelman and Josh Garey
11:00 Austin Hastings and Isabelle Miller

Thank you note to parishioners

Dear Parishioners,

On behalf of myself, Deacon Frank Lonteen and the parish staff, I would like to extend our sincere thanks for the many cards, gifts, delicious baked goods and warm wishes we received during this Christmas season. May Christ our Saviour bless you and your families now and throughout the coming year.

Peace in Christ





Father Ralph Thomas

K of C fish fry is Friday

The monthly fish fry is Friday, January 8, at Knights of Columbus Hall, 2055 Glenmount Ave., Akron. Serving is from 5 to 7 p.m. The ,menu includes Baked Cod, Fried Walleye, Fried Shrimp, Chicken Tenders and Macaroni and Cheese. Dinners from $5 to $8.50. Carry-out is available. Monthly fish frys are on the first Friday of every month

St. V-St. M open house is Sunday, January 6

St Vincent-St. Mary High School will have an open house on Sunday, January 6, from noon to 2 p.m. Call the school at 330-253-9113.

For information on the school, visit the website

Papal visit logo, theme unveiled

The message “Christ Our Hope,” atop an image of an open-arms Pope Benedict XVI before the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, has been chosen as the logo for the visit of Pope Benedict to the United States, April 15-20.

The theme reflects Pope Benedict’s encyclical Spe Salvi, issued in late 2007 as an invitation for people to personally encounter Jesus Christ. In the encyclical, the pope said that faith in Christ brings well-founded hope in eternal salvation, the "great hope" that can sustain people through the trials of this world.

The logo features a full color photograph of Pope Benedict XVI waving both hands. Behind him is a yellow-screened image of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. In black type running at the top and over the cupola of the dome are three lines of type reading “Pope Benedict XVI/Christ Our Hope/Apostolic Journey to the United States 2008.”

Logo designer Donna Hobson, director of publications at The Catholic University of America (CUA), explained her goal with this design.

“I wanted to incorporate the papal colors—yellow and white— and my vision was to show a welcoming, arms-open, smiling Pope Benedict,” she said.

A website, includincg a blog, is being set up to provide information on the Pontiff’s visit.

The website is at http://www.uspapalvisit.org/day_1216.htm

Here’s the itinerary for the papal visit:

* Tuesday, April 15
The Pope Benedict will arrive in Washington.

* Wednesday, April 16
He plans a visit to the White House in the morning and a meeting with the bishops of the United States at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception that evening.

* Thursday, April 17
The pope will offer Mass at the new Nationals Park in Washington and meet with the presidents of Catholic colleges and universities and diocesan heads of education at The Catholic University of America. Later he will meet with representatives of other religions at the John Paul II Cultural Center. Those seeking tickets to the Mass should contact the Archdiocese of Washington.

* Friday, April 18
Pope Benedict XVI will fly to New York City for an address to the United Nations. He will also meet with ecumenical leaders at St. Joseph's Church, Manhattan, that evening.

* Saturday, April 19
He will celebrate a Mass for priests, deacons and members of religious orders at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and will meet with young Catholics, including 50 youngsters with a range of disabilities, at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers.

Touring the Bethlehem Cave and Nativity Museum

Parishioners from St. Paul were among those who took a tour of the Bethlehem Cave and Nativity Museum in the basement of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Catholic Church at Killian and Myersvile roads. Nativity is one of the parishes in our Summit South cluster.

The Bethlehem Cave is a replica of the cave where Jesus was born as it appears today in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and serves as a chapel and place for pilgrimage. It is one of only two such replicas in the United States. The other is in Washington, DC.

The chapel includes the Altar of the Nativity shown here, the Altar of the Magi and the manger of the Infant Jesus.

The Nativity Museum is adjacent to the chapel and displays a huge collection of Nativity scenes from different countries, photo enlargements of scenes from Bethlehem, paintings and wall hangings. A couple of newspaper articles about the chapel also are displayed.

Groups can make arrangements to attend a scheduled Mass in the Bethlehem Chapel, or may bring their own celebrant. Seating is limited.

There is another guided tour at 2 p.m. today and 11 a.m. next Saturday arranged for the Christmas season. Other tours can be arranged and self-guided tours are possible during regular office houjrs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and before and after weekend Masses. . For information, call 330-699-5086.

The Rev. Fr. David J. Halaiko, pastor at Nativity, was an associate at St. Paul from June 1976 to July 1977. He then became an associate at St. Matthew and administrator at Nativity until June 1980 when he was named pastor at Nativity.

Click on the headline above to see an album of 20 photos of the Bethelehem Cave and Museum. They can be viewed as a slide show, but we recommend you click on the first photo and then click on the arrows to move through the photos.

Link added for Blog Tips

A new link called "Blog Tips" has been added to our list of links. Just click on "Blog Tips" to get some tips for reading the blog. Blog Tips explains features of the blog incoluding links, labels and archives and explains how to get the most out of the blog. You can print the tips to read and keep for reference. Leave us a comment if you have any questions or suggestions.

Men's Conference is Feb 9 at Hoban

The annual conference of the Catholic Men's Fellowship of Northeast Ohio will be Saturday, February 9, at Archbishop Hoban High School.

An important part of Catholic Men's Fellowship is the opportunity to meet regularly with other men to assist each other to grow spiritually. The conference will provide more details about how this is done and assistance in joining or forming a Catholic Men's Fellowship group.

Featured speakers at the conference are:

Rich Cleveland of Colorado Springs, director of Emmaus Journey, a Catholic evangelization and discipleship ministry, He is the author of six Bible study books.

Fr. John M. Capuci, director of the Center of Jesus the Lord in New Orleans. He is a popular author and has led many retreats.

Bishop Richard Lennon who was installed as the tenth Bishop of the Cleveland Diocese. He will celebrate the closing Mass of the Conference at 4 p.m.

Fr. Sal Ruggeri, administrator of St. Felicitas in Euclid who was a CPA before entering the seminary. He will share his insights on the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Registration is $30 single, $25 for groups of 5 to 9, $20 for 10 or more and $15 for students. You can register for the conference on line at www.cmfneo.com or call 800-737-0888 or by mail to Men’s Conference, P.O. Box 464, Newbury, OH 44065. Make checks payable to Catholic Men’s Fellowship and include the name and address of each man in your group.

Lunch and refreshments are included in the cost. Registration is free for priests, deacons, brothers and seminarians.

Radio personality Ray Somich will be master of ceremonies and music will be provided by Dan Clark of Station WILB Living Bread Radio in Canton. There will be a clergy affirmation ceremony, Scriptural Rosary, confessions from noon to 1 p.m. and the closing Mass celebrated by Bishop Lennon at 4 p. m. The Mass will satisfy your Sunday obligation.

CDs of each talk can be ordered at the conference.

For more information, call Bob Considine at 330-724-0368 or go the Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Northeast Ohio website at

http://www.cmfneo.com/default.asp

Or go straight to registration form

Ladies Guild Calendar for 2008

Here’s the St. Paul Ladies Guild Calendar:

January 6 (First Sunday) 9 a.m. Mass: Pray for all living and deceased members of Ladies Guild

January 10 (Thursday) Birthday Meeting with an Exciting Game Card at 7 p.m. in Boeke Hall 7 (All attending should bring a wrapped gift under $5)

February 3 (First Sunday) 9 a. m .Mass: Pray for all living and deceased members of Ladies Guild

February 14 (Thursday) Program/lMeeting/Appoint Nominating Office(s) at 7 p.m. in Boeke Hall.

March 2 (First Sunday) 9 a.m. Mass: Pray for all living and deceased members of Ladies Guild

March 9 (Saturday) Preparation and baking of nut rolls at 10 a.m. in Boeke Hall.

March 13 (Thursday) Covered Dish/Meeting/Officers Election at 6:30 p.m. in Boeke Hall.

March 15 and16 Bake Sale after Masses. Bake Sale chair is Lucy Raso

April 6 (First Sunday) 9 a.m. Mass: Pray for all living and deceased members of Ladies Guild

April 10 (Thursday) Silver Tea honoring Past Presidents at 7 p.m. in Boeke Hall.

May 4 (First Sunday) 9 a.m. Mass: Pray for all living & deceased members of Ladies Guild

May 8 (Thursday) May Crowning/Meeting/Officers’ Installation at 7 p.m. in Church and Parish Activity Center.

May 18 (Sunday) Mother-Daughter Breakfast at 10 a.m. in Boeke Hall. Chairperson is Pat Rinella .

June Blood Drive: Date to be announced

August 7 (Thursday) Card Party. Details to be announced later.

Catholic news briefs over holiday

Pope Benedict continues candle-in-the-window tradition
Vatican, Dec. 26, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) continued a tradition begun by his predecessor when he lit a candle on Christmas Eve in the window of his apartment in the apostolic palace.

Pope John Paul II began placing a candle in the window in 1981, during the period of martial law in his native Poland. He continued to place a candle in his window on Christmas Eve each year
thereafter, as a symbol of the hope for peace. Pope Benedict has carried on that practice. Each year hundreds of pilgrims gather in St. Peter's Square as dusk approaches on Christmas Eve, to cheer the Pope as he appears briefly to place the candle.

The tradition of placing a candle in the window on Christmas Eve has a rich tradition. In Ireland, pious Catholics maintained the custom of lighting a candle to indicate that there was "room at the inn," thus welcoming the Christ Child into their homes. During decades of persecution, the candle became a signal that any priest was welcome to celebrate Mass in that house.

Pilgrims converge on Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Dec. 24, 2007 (CWNews.com) - An estimated 65,000 Christians gathered in Bethlehem on December 25 for Christmas Eve services in the basilica of the Nativity.

Bethlehem's Mayor Victor Batarseh, himself a Catholic, welcomed the influx of Christian pilgrims, noting that the crowd this year has been much larger than in other recent years. The rising hopes for peace and the relative absence of violence have encouraged families to consider a Christmas pilgrimage this year, he said.

In 2004, only about 5,000 people made the trip to the Holy Land to celebrate Christmas at the place where Jesus was born. Only about 65,000 pilgrims visited Bethlehem during that entire calendar year-- roughly the same number who will participate in the traditional celebrations this year.

Pilgrims not only bring spiritual support to the ever-diminishing native Christian population, but also provide a source of revenue to bolster the faltering local economy. "The Church," Mayor Batarseh remarks, "is our economic resource."

Blair converts; Catholicism now England's top faith
London, Dec. 24, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was received into the Catholic Church on December 21 by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor.

Blair had regularly attended Mass with his wife Cherie and their children. His interest in Catholicism had been evident for years, and rumors of his impending conversion flared in June 2007, when he met privately with Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) just before stepping down from his leadership post.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, issued a statement that the former prime minister "has my prayers and good wishes as he takes this step in his Christian pilgrimage." Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, said that the Holy See treated the conversion as "good news that we welcome with respect."

Blair's entry into the Catholic Church came just as the London Daily Telegraph confirmed that Catholics now outnumber Anglicans among England's regular worshippers. The Telegraph cited a survey that showed 861,000 Catholics attending Sunday Mass in England, and only 852,000 attending Anglican services.

Catholic Mass attendance in England has actually fallen sharply in the past generation. In the early 1960s there were typically over 2 million English Catholics at Mass each Sunday. But immigration of Catholics from other lands has slowed the decline in attendance figures, the Telegraph reports, while the level of practice among Anglicans has continued to plummet.

Anti-Christian violence flares in India at Christmas
Bangalore, Dec. 26, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Three Christians were killed, and 18 churches destroyed, in a coordinated series of Christmas attacks by Hindu zealots in Indias eastern Orissa state.

Beginning on Christmas Eve and continuing through Christmas Day, Hindu mobs carried out at least 20 assaults on Christian institutions in Orissa. The wave of violence led to the destruction of 18 churches and village chapels, 4 convents, 8 hostels run by Church groups, and 15 shops belonging to Christian vendors.

The attacks began in the Kandhmahal district of Orissa, when Hindu militants began pulling down Christmas decorations that were displayed on homes and church buildings. Gun-wielding assailants then interrupted Christmas Eve services in a few churches. As the mobs surged, law-enforcement officials in four towns urged pastors not to go near their churches on Christmas Day, since police could not provide adequate security.

The Catholic bishops of India issued a statement decrying the "well-planned attacks," suggesting that they pointed toward "a planned effort to disturb communal peace." The violence, the Indian bishosp said, "completely shocked us, and we are deeply pained at a time when we are celebrating the peace and harmony of Christmas."

Cluster sharing: Tours of Bethlehem Cave

Guided tours of the Bethlehem Cave, a replica of the cave where Jesus is believed to have been born as it appears today in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, will be offered Thursday, Friday and next Saturday.

The chapel, which is one of two such replicas in the United States, is at Nativity of the Lord Jesus Catholic Church, 2425 Myersville Road in Springfield Township.

Next to the replica is the church's Nativity Museum, where a collection of nativity sets from around the world is displayed.

The guided tours are at 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m. next Saturday. For information, call 330-699-5086

Pope urges all to accept Light of Christ

Pope Benedict XVI spoke in sixty different languages, but he had one message: to wish the world a merry Christmas.

He delivered the traditional Urbi et Orbi address from his balcony window. Men, women and children of different races, ages and nationalities gathered in St. Peter's Square to listen to the address.

The Pope urged people to accept the light of Jesus Christ into their lives. He appealed to political leaders around the globe to find the "wisdom and courage'' to end bloody conflicts in Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Congo. And he made an appeal for environmental protection.

The Pope ushered in the third Christmas of his reign last night, leading the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics in midnight mass. Some ten thousand people participated in the elaborate ceremony in St. Peter's basilica.

In his homily the Pope called on people to set aside time in their lives for God and for the needy. He compared what he called the modern world's rejection of God, to the story of Jesus's birth in a manger, because there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn.

Those who were unable to fit in the basilica watched on large screens from outside in St. Peter's Square which was made festive by a towering, twinkling Christmas tree and a life-size nativity scene.

This year's nativity scene was depicted as a recreation of Joseph's home in Nazareth and not as the traditional manger in Bethlehem. Officials at the unveiling said that the change represented the idea that Jesus was not born in any one place and that he is everywhere for everyone.

Hours before midnight mass, the pope appeared at his window, lighting a candle and leaving it to burn in the the darkness, a symbol of the hope and peace of Christmas day.

Click on the headline for the full text.

Christmas Day at 9 a.m. Mass

Michael and Teresa Roush and daughters Caroline and Hannah pay a visit to the crib in the narthex of St. Paul Church at the 9 a.m. Mass on Christmas Day.

Teresa is a new member of the Parish Council.

The Nativity also is displayed beautifully in a setting in front of the lectern on the altar.

First Mass of Christmas Eve at St. Paul

What is the reason the pews are filled to capacity at that first Christmas Eve Mass each year? We leave that to Fr. Ralph and Deacon Frank to ponder.

For those of you who attended a later Mass, here is a brief report:

Every pew was filled and others were seated in the narthex and crying room for the Children's Liturgy on Christmas Eve

There was a blessing of the Christmas tree before Mass. More than 20 students from the Day School and PSR formed a choir to provide music for the Mass.

Click on the headline for a look inside St. Paul on the first Mass of Christmas Eve 2007

Merry Christmas

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Christmas and New Year's Mass Schedule

Monday, December 24 Christmas Eve
Mass at 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
The 4 p.m. Mass is Children’s Liturgy

Tuesday, December 25 Christmas Day
Mass at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Monday, December 31 New Year's Eve
Vigil Mass at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, January 1 New Year’s Day
Blessed Virgin Mary, The Mother of God
Mass at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Christmas and Feast of Blessed Virgin Mary are Holy Days of Obligation.

Christmas greeting from the pastor

Dear Parishioners and friends of our St. Paul Family,

As we celebrate the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, may his peace brighten your hearts and homes with many blessings. The Word Made Flesh calls us to become God's creation--we are called not only to give lovingly but also to be "love in deed and in truth." May the love of God touch and bless you in this New Year.

In the Peace of Christ,

NATIVITY OF THE LORD

It is Christmas and on a day as important as this one, God invites us to ponder the great, unfathomable mystery on which the whole world hinges: God will not settle for us being apart from him! In Jesus, we see God the Father extending his arm of salvation across the abyss of our sinfulness. And why? Just so that we might enter into a living relationship with him.

Jesus is the Word who tells us that our Father does not want eternity without us. His coming tells us of a Father's love that counts no cost too great for restoring us to himself. It tells us that we are valuable, that God loves us deeply, even that we brighten his day and give him joy.

It can be overwhelming-almost embarrassing-to consider how much the Father and the Son delight in you.

But let this truth sink in. Don't shrug it off! What God thinks about you is more important than what anybody else thinks. And incredible as it may seem, he loves you as his child and sees his own Son, "the light of the human race," dwelling in you (John 1 :4). God is on your side He has planned that you should know him. He wants to surprise you with the knowledge that you belong to him, even if you feel you don't belong anywhere else in this world.

Today, let the Father tell you how much he loves you. If possible, spend time gazing at the Nativity scene. Ponder the greatness of God's design to unite you with himself.
Welcome Jesus into the world and into your heart in a new way today, and thank him for being the Brother who delights in you.

PRAY: "Jesus, my Lord and Brother, let me look into your eyes today. You have come so far to find me! You paid so great a pric;e to bring me back to the Father! I want to know your great love. I want to be with you forever."

Used books, CDs and DVDs sought for sale

If your used books, CDs, and DVDs are just collecting dust, please consider donating them to the Mothers' Club at Walsh Jesuit High School. The group will hold a sale March 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All proceeds have been earmarked for the construction of a Reflection Garden at the school. Donations will be accepted at Walsh Jesuit beginning January 4. Items must be dropped off during school hours at the roll-up maintenance garage door located at the rear of the building. Encyclopedias or Readers Digest Condensed Books cannot be accepted. If you have any questions or need other arrangements for a donation, please call Sue at 330-723-3315 or Judy at 330-725-3525.

Student choir prepares for Christmas Mass

Please excuse the quality of this unedited video. This was just a practice session on Friday afternoon by the student choir that will sing at the 4 p.m. Children’s Liturgy on Christmas Eve. The choir was singing Silent Night when this little clip was shot with a digital camera. More than 20 students from the Day School and Parish School of Religion will lend their voices to provide your favorite carols for the liturgy. Lori Wames and John Wilson were playing guitar for the practice while Lori and teacher Janet Hazlett gave directions to the choir. Music director Tim Longfellow will be joining them at the piano for the Christmas Eve liturgy.

Click on the triangle to view the video.

Click on the headline to see a few still photos of the practice session.

Pope Benedict live TV for Christmas

Here is the special programming of Pope Benedict XVI for Christmas on the Eternal Word Television Network Warner Cable 50

SOLEMN MASS AT MIDNIGHT WITH POPE BENEDICT XVI LIVE 2 hours
Solemnity of the Birth of Our Lord: Midnight Mass with the Holy Father
from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Monday Dec 24, 2007 6 PM Live
Tuesday Dec 25, 2007 8 AM
Tuesday Dec 25, 2007 7 PM

CHORAL MEDITATIONS ON THE NATIVITY & SOLEMN MASS OF CHRISTMAS EVE FROM THE BASILICA OF THE SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, WASHINGTON D.C. 2 1/2 hours
Live from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception, Washington, DC, USA.
Monday Dec 24, 2007 10 PM Live

URBI ET ORBI FROM ROME: POPE BENEDICTS CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
1:00
Live From St. Peter's Square. Join the Holy Father for his inspiring
Christmas Day message to the world on the celebration of Christ?s birth
Tuesday Dec 25, 2007 6 AM Live
Tuesday Dec 25, 2007 10 PM
Wednesday Dec 26, 2007 3 AM
Wednesday Dec 26, 2007 5 PM

Bishop to celebrate the TV Mass on Channel 8

There will be a special Christmas Day celebration of the "TV Mass" on Fox8 TV Channel The Most Reverend Richard G. Lennon, Bishop of the Cleveland Diocese, will be the half-hour Mass celebrant. This "TV Mass" will be broadcast at a special time beginning at 6: a.m. and concluding by 6:30 a.m. on FOX8.

Also, on Tuesday, December 25, 2007, a radio re-broadcast of the audio track from the Christmas Day "TV Mass" can be heard at a special time of 10 a.m. on radio station WERE-1490AM.

Note: The bishop's Christmas Message published in the Universe Bulletin is on the parish website. If you missed it in the Universe Bulletin, just click on the headline above to read it.

Preparing for Christmas

If you are inspired next week by the church decorations for Christmas, you can thank a half dozen women who arrived at the church before 9 a.m. Thursday and were there past noon for an annual duty they would never neglect.

Dora Weigand and Sandi Denholm were busy hanging wreaths and Dora got an assist from Mary Koenig, the assistant in the Parish School of Religion office, in placing candles and greenery on window ledges.

Rosemary Mileski was busy unwrapping stored figuriines and arranging them in the Nativity creche in the narthex and the Nativity scene in front of the lectern on the altar.

Chief Sacristan Dottie Thoerig and Millie Borusik meanwhile were up on the altar with an ironing board pressing out altar linens and also arranging vases of poinsettias in front of the altar.

It is a time-consuming task and the women are fussy about the altar linens and the arrangement of gold foil and greenery around the flowers and Nativity scene.

The photo here shows Dottie, Rosemary and Millie putting final touches on the Nativity scene in front of the lectern.

Click on the headline to see more photos of the church decorating.

PTO OKs funds to mail 10,000 postcards

“Catholic Schools Light the Way” is the theme for Catholic Schools Week January 27 through February 2.

St. Paul’s PTO, hoping to light the way in promoting our school, approved $2,400 Tuesday night for mailing of about 10,000 postcards to promote St. Paul School --Firestone Park’s Best Kept Secret.

Trinity High School in Garfield Heights will handle the selective mailing which will go to households with children ages 4 through 12 in the zip code areas from which students might come. Included in the promotion is $1,000 paid by Spirit Services to Fox 8 to include St. Paul in advertising promotion during the week. (See the post below)

Programs for Catholic Schools Week will include:

Sunday, January 27 Open house
Tuesday, January 29 Grandparents Day
Wednesday, January 30 Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
Thursday, January 31 Planetarium Day
Saturday, February 2 Fun Fest

Programs for Monday and Friday are still being arranged. Spirit Day and Are You Smarter Than a St. Paul Tiger? are possibilities.

The PTO gave tentative approval of $1,250 for a Planetarium program instead of the Magical Theatre program at $760. The Planetarium would involve a model planetarium-type area set up at the school for students to study the solar system. Magical Theatre of Barberton has presented dramas at the school in past. Students also go to the Magical Theatre at other times on field trips.

Also approved was $300 for materials for the school Drama Club.

Mrs. Rosemary Capotosto, the school principal, also reported on other school projects being discussed.

The school which already has one Active Board and one Smart Board would like to purchase another Smart Board. The boards provide ways to show students anything which can be presented on a computer's desktop (such as educational software, web sites, and other information). and allow teachers to record their instruction and post the material for review by students at a later time. One of the boards was demonstrated during the Literacy Night program on October 11. More information is being obtained on suppliers and costs. Preliminary estimates were $4,800 with laptop from Dell and $4,131 from another firm without a laptop.

Mrs. Capotosto also told the PTO she would like emergency supplies on hand including bottled water, granola bars and other items in case of “catastrophe” situations.

The principal also reported the results of a survey conducted in November asking parents to rate various areas of educational services at St. Paul. She said 81 of the survey forms were returned. Most strongly agreed or agreed that the school is doing an excellent job.

A Math Night program is scheduled for Thursday, January 17, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The program will be patterned after the Literary Night program which emphasized reading.

The PTO reported earning about $540 on the Santa gift shop on December 4 and 5 and $1,200 on Breakfast with Santa on December 15. Treasurer Lori Wammes reported $41,000 in the PTO account with $14,000 outstanding for purchases and services.

Postcard to go to 10,000 households

Here’s the postcard to be mailed to 10,000 households in the St. Paul School area with children ages 4 through 12 as part of Catholic Schools Week January 27 through February 2. The selective mailing will be done by Trinity High School in Garfield Heights.

The front of the card shows St. Paul students around the new Christ with Children statue in the entrance to the school. The message on the card says:

The mission of St. Paul School s to live the love of God and the love of neighbor while challenging each person to reach academic, social and spiritual potential

The other side has a headline invitation “Celebrate Catholic Schools Week With Us”

Two panels of information are listed:

Saint Paul school and church will be having an open house on January 27, 2008. We will be available to answer questions from 12:00 p.m., to 2:00 p.m. You may also call to make an individual appointment.

------------------------------------------------------------

Saint Paul school is a Catholic grade school educating students. Since 1926, our foundation of academic basics has been enhanced by supplemental programs which educate and challenge each child. Faith-filled values help teach social responsibility and respect for the diversity of mankind. Offerings such as a foreign language, computer classes, drama club and band help children reach their fullest potential. All religions, cultures, races and economic backgrounds are welcome.

For more information, contact Saint Paul school at
(330) 724-1253 or stpaulakron@leeca.org

7 join St. Paul Parish Council

By Tod Wammes
for the Parish Council
St. Paul Parish Council has just finished two years since it was renewed in 2005. We would like to thank all the members of Council for their service to the parish community.

At our December meeting we bid farewell to seven members that completed their service on Council. Those members are Kathleen Deger, Joann Heffernan, Kathy Prebonick, June Rietz, Don Smith, Debbie Starosto, and John Wilson.

There are eight members that are remaining on Council for one additional year. They are Jim Carmany, Gerard Colant, Robin Daley, Tom Goodhart, Hank Richard, Dick Rinella, Betsy Roberts, and Tod Wammes.

We also welcomed our newest members to the Council. Seven new members started their two-year terms with the December meeting. Welcome to Tony Bachman, Ashley Barta, Ellen McAvoy, Michele Novachek, Vi Pappano, Teresa Roush, and Marilyn Spiros.

As always we welcome your thoughts and comments and appreciate your prayers and support. We wish you and your loved ones a blessed holiday season.

Crib display tradition for more than 62 years

The Christmas Crib on display at Cascade Plaza has been a tradition of the Summit Regional Council of Catholic Women for more than 62 years ..

The earliest records of the display go back to 1945 when the crib was “shared with our commiunity in placing it on the Goodyear Mall at the Summit County Courthouse,” according to the council’s newsletter.

This photo does not do justice to the Nativity Scene because the front of the crib is covered with chicken wire to prevent theft or defacing of the figures. It is worth a visit especially for children .The Nativity set is stored at St. Bernard’s Church when not on display.

Your Reconciliation to prepare for Christmas

If you missed the Communal Penance Service on Monday night, there are still opportunities for individual private reconciliation. The hours at St. Paul are Wednesday, December 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. and Friday, December 21, from 3 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

If none of those hours fit your schedule, you still can find a time and place for Reconciliation to prepare for Christmas. Just click on the headline for a schedule of hours in all Summit County parishes

Vatican creche to show baby Jesus in Nazareth

Vatican, Dec. 17, 2007 (CWNews.com) - In a break from tradition, the life-sized crèche in St. Peter's Square will show Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in their home at Nazareth rather than in a stable in Bethlehem, the Vatican has announced.

Instead of the familiar scene of the Baby Jesus laid in a manger, the Vatican's Nativity scene this year will show the infant Jesus in a home that also includes his father's workshop. No reason has been given for the change.

The crèche will include many of the same figures that have been used in the Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square for the past 25 years. Several new statues have been added this year, however.

The Christmas crèche, located in the center of St. Peter's Square, was introduced to the Vatican in 1982 at the suggestion of Pope John Paul II. The Nativity scene, which is currently under construction, is unveiled after midnight Mass on Christmas eve.

Calendar for Confirmation candidates

Here is a 2008 calendar for Confirmation candidates:

Saturday, January 12 Confirmation Meeting (mandatory) for Candidates In Boeke Hall 9:30 to 11 :30 A.M. Mass followed by breakfast. Candidates bring text for discussion and activities from required reading of Chapters: 4, 5, & 8, with prayers and service hours also updated. Parent volunteers are needed.

Friday, February 22 Confirmation Retreat (mandatory) for Candidates and Sponsors
6 to 9 p.m. in Boeke Hall and Parish Activity Center. Parent volunteers are needed.

Thursday, February 28 Confirmation Rehearsal (mandatory) for Candidates and Sponsors in St. Paul Church 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 2 Confirmation Liturgy at 3 p.m. in St. Paul Church followed by Reception.

Pope Benedict on World Peace Day

Attacks on family are attacks on peace, Pope says
Vatican, Dec. 11, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Attacks on the family or on the environment are attacks on world peace, Pope Benedict XVI argues in his annual message for the World Day of Peace.

Since the family is the fundamental unit of civil society, a healthy community requires healthy family life, the Pope reasons. He concludes that measures to undermine the family are detrimental to the security.

Similarly, the Pontiff explains that society needs a healthy environment, and so stewardship of the earth's resources is necessary for tranquil public life. The Pope distances himself from radical environmentalists in the World Day of Peace message, stressing that the welfare of human beings must be the primary consideration in settling environmental issues. Still he pleads for responsible use of resources, and equitable sharing of the costs of environmental preservation.

After treating these two topics, the Pope goes on to call for new efforts to end the wars now being fought, and a new push to demilitarize society-- in particular, to abolish nuclear weaponry.

The World Day of Peace is observed each year on January 1, in conjunction with the feast of Mary, Mother of God. The Pope's message for the occasion is released each year a few weeks before that date. This year's message-- entitled The Human Family, A Community of Peace-- was introduced on December 11, with a press conference at the Vatican chaired by Cardinal Renato Martino, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The papal message was published simultaneously in Italian, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and English.

Click on the headline to read the full story in Catholic World News

Click to read the full text of the papal message on the Vatican website.

First Friday Club speakers for 2008

The First Friday Club of Greater Akron is a Catholic organization whose purpose is to present the best Catholic thinkers, teachers and leaders in a monthly luncheon at noon at the Martn University Center, 105 Fir Hill, . on the University of Akron campus. Luncheon cost is $14. Make reservations by Wednesday preceding the luncheon and make checks payable to First Friday Club of Greater Akron, 796 Russell Ave., Akron, OH 44307 or telephone 330-535-7668.

Here are the speakers for 2008:

January 11* Charles Kehoe, Vice President, Marketing, G45 Youth Services LLC, Richmond, VA, Criminal Offenders: Punitive vs. Restorative Justice

February 1 Student Representatives of the Four Catholic High Schools in Summit County
Encountering God: Reflections from Catholic High School Students

March 7 Joan Rosenhauer, director of the Office of Education and Outreach, USCCB
Legislative Priorities and Challenges of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

April 4 Simone Campbell, Executive Director, SSS Network, Washington, DC, Faith, Morality & the Federal Budget: Strange Bedfellows or Intimately Connected?

May 9* Bud Welch, Father of a Daughter Killed in Oklahoma City Bombing A Victim’s Perspective: A Father’s Story

June 6 William Shea, director, Center for Religion, Ethics & Culture, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA Fundamentalism in the Catholic and other Christian Churches

July 1 * Jeff Stewart, Executive Director, Immigration Worker Project, Ohio Immigration, Migration, and Globalization in Rural Ohio

August 1 Sr. Ann Willits, OP, Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation, author, poet, storyteller
Almost Home: The Holiness of Everyday Humor

September 5 John Allen, National Catholic Reporter Vatican Correspondent Megatrends in Catholicism: Ten Forces Turning the Church Upside Down

October 3 Most Reverend Richard G. Lennon, Bishop, Diocese of Cleveland (Topic to be announced) Luncheon at Tangier Restaurant

November 7 Jeffrey S. Jeney, president and CEO, St. Vincent Charity Hospital, Cleveland Ohio
The Essence of Catholic Healthcare

December 5 Most Reverend George V. Murry, SJ, PhD, Bishop, Diocese of Youngstown
Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Church

* Programs in January, May and July are on the second Friday.

Traveling Rosary for World Peace

All devotions are on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. except St. Martha listed at 2:20 p.m.

Dec. 2 Our Lady of the Elms, 1314 W. Market ST, Akron
Jan. 6 Francesca Residence Leonora Hall, 39 N. Portage Path, Akron.
Feb. 3 St. Martha Church, 300 East Tallmadge Ave., Akron
Mar. 2 Annunciation Church, 55 Broad ST, Akron,.
Mar. 9 "Blessed John Holy Hour" St. Matthew Church, 2603 Benton Ave., Akron.
Apr. 6 Sacred Heart Church, 272 Broad ST. Wadsworth, Ohio.
May 4 Queen of Heaven Church, 1800 Steese RD, Uniontown, Ohio.
June 1 Sts. Peter & Paul Church, 161 West Clinton ST, Doylestown,

Holy Father: Joy arises from certainty that God is near

VATICAN CITY, DEC 16, 2007 (VIS) - Having returned to the Vatican following his visit this morning to the Roman parish of "Santa Maria del Rosario ai Maritiri Portuensi," the Pope appeared at the window of his private study overlooking St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered below.

In his remarks, the Pope recalled how the third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as "Gaudete Sunday" because Christians are called to rejoice at the coming of the Lord. "Christian joy," he explained, "flows from this certainty. God is near. ... He is with us, in happiness and in pain, in health and in sickness."

"Some people ask themselves," the Pope went on, "if this joy can still be felt today." The answer, he said, "is supplied by the lives of men and women of all ages and social conditions who are happy to consecrate their existence to others." In this context, the Holy Father mentioned Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta, "an unforgettable witness of true evangelical joy."

Mother Theresa, he continued, "experienced the trial of the dark night of faith, yet she continued to give everyone the smile of God. On one occasion she wrote: ... 'Being happy with God means loving like Him, helping like Him, giving like Him, serving like Him.'

"Indeed, joy enters the heart of those who place themselves at the service of the smallest and the poorest," the Pope added. "God dwells in people who love in such a way, and the soul is infused with joy. If, on the other hand, people idolize happiness, they take the wrong path and it becomes truly difficult to discover the joy of which Jesus speaks.

"And this, unfortunately, is what cultures that put individual happiness in place of God propose," he said. Emblematic of such a mentality "is the search for pleasure at all costs" and "the increasing use of drugs as an escape, a refuge in an artificial paradise which is subsequently revealed as merely illusory."

"At Christmas too it is possible to take the wrong path," Pope Benedict concluded, "mistaking the true feast for one that does not open the heart to the joy of Christ. May the Virgin Mary help all Christians - and men and women searching for God - to reach Bethlehem and meet the Child Who was born for us, for the salvation and happiness of all mankind."

Funeral Mass is Tuesday for Clyde Bogard

Clyde J. Bogard, 79, passed away on Thursday, December 13, 2007 after a long illness.

Born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, Mr. Bogard had lived in Akron for most of his life. He was retired from Ohio Brass where he had 40 years of service. During the Korean Conflict, he served in the U.S. Army. He was a member of St. Paul's Catholic Parish.

In 2003 he was preceded in death by his wife, Eleanor. His survivors include daughters, Patricia (Gregory) Burke, and Linda (Bill) Barton; son, Terry (Lori); grandchildren, Jennifer, sand Christian Burke, Charles and Britney Bogard; sisters, Waneta Beagle, and Frances Gertenslager; brothers, Harry and Ray. His brothers, Don, Paul, and Wayne preceded him in death.

Calling hours will be on Tuesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Dunn-Quigley Funeral Home (811 Grant Street) followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at St. Paul's Catholic Church. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service.
[Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, Sunday, Decenber 16, 2007, page B5, col. 3]

Sold-out crowd has Breakfast with Santa

There was a sold-out crowd for the PTO “Breakfast with Santa” in Boeke Hall on Saturday morning..
There were 270 at the breakfast and baskets were won by 24 lucky parishioners. Ten of the baskets were donated by classrooms at St. Paul from pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. There were also two 50/50 drawing winners.

Youngsters who came to see Santa and their parents had a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, French toast, organge juice, milk, coffee and donuts. Then there was the singing of “Happy Birthday” to Jesus complete with a cake. Then came the lineup to visit Santa.

Children also were busy with crafts. They made Christmas trees, bracelets and Reindeer pins or got tattoo imprints.. Each child was given a balloon as they left Boeke Hall after the breakfast.

Among the lucky basket winners were Holly Adam, Allie Stanley, Kamron Michel, Ethan Estes, Nathan Dort, Alex Stanley, Riley Adam, Blake Baldwin, Karen and Riley Wieclaw, Mary Cullison (twice), Emma Izo, Frankie Fausnight, Dorothy Christner, Shannon Hite, Shannon Lloyd, Daniel Leeser, Lauren Leeser, Kaiti Thomas , Nick Kannel, Alex Pressman and Austin Gayhart

“The PTO would like to thank the Teachers, Parents and Parishioners for all the support you have given in the 2007 year,” said the PTO’s Jo Shoup-Colant. “Your kindness and generosity keep our family programs strong, creative and beneficial.”

She said the PTO appreciates all of the “most generous and talented volunteers.”

The decorating volunteers included Erin Coffman, Emma Coffman, Matt Kannel, Marco Colant, Noelle Colant, Jacqueline Wammes, Natalie Wammes, Meredith Wammes, Michael Sartoski, Brady Baldwin and Blake Baldwin

The Student Volunteers for Breakfast with Santa were Daniel Leeser , Brady Baldwin, Michael Sartoski, Zack Durbin, Taylor Patterson, Taylor Droppa, Hannah Horrigan, Katie Roberts, Kristin Walker, Alyse Bachmann, Lauren Leeser, Jacqueline Wammes, Meredith Wammes, Natalie Wammes, Greg Brown, Matt Kannel, Alex Muster, Emily Roberts, Trevor Ellis, Marco Colant and Noelle Colant.

[Jo Shoup-Colant provided information for this story.]

A PTO Note: The PTO meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Boeke Hall, which is a change from the regular meeting night because of the holiday school break.

Click on the headline to see an album of 17 photos of the Breakfast with Santa.

2003 Completion Campaign Report

2003 COMPLETION CAMPAIGN
PLEDGED………………..$797,568
PAID IN………………..…$685,622
86.00%
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PAYMENTS AND COMMITMENT.
New tax break for IRA holders. Year 2007 only. You can contribute up to $100,000 yearly. Tax break for you. Must be over 70 1/2 years. Call your tax advisor for full details.

Holiday schedule changes to note

The holidays mean a break in the regular schedule. Here are some you should notice:.

EARLY BULLETIN DEADLINE
Due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, all items and announcements for the bulletin of Sunday,December 30, 2007 and January 6, 2008, must be in to the Rectory Office no later than Tuesday, December 18. Announcements may be emailed to stpaulakr@sbcglobal.net, or faxed to the Rectory at 330-724-7680. If you have any questions, call the Rectory at 330-724-1263.

WEDNESDAY IS LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, CLASSES RESUME JANUARY 3
Christmas parties for all St. Paul School classrooms begin at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the last school day before the Christmas break. There is no school from Thursday, December 20, 2007 through Wednesday, January 2, 2008. Classes resume on Thursday, January 3, 2008.

PARISH SCHOOL OF RELIGION BREAK
The Parish School of Religion will be on break for the Christmas and New Year holidays. There will be no class on December 23 and 30. Classes resume Sunday, January 6, 2008 at 9 a.m. for PSR.

REGULAR SESSIONS CANCELED
There also will be no evening Bible study on Wednesday, December 19 and
no Bingo on Thursday, December 20.

Sign up for holiday Masses

Altar Servers
Altar servers are needed to serve the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses. If you are interested, please call Mrs. Julie Gabelman at 330-896-4110 or send email to jgabelman@neo.rr.com.

Eucharstist Ministers and Lectors
There is a sign-up sheet in Room 111 for the Christmas and New Year’s Masses. This is an opportunity for everyone to serve one of the holiday Masses. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

Men's Fellowship to meet in Parish Activity Center

The monthly breakfast of the Catholic Men’s Fellowship will be at 8 a.m. Saturday in the Parish Activity Center (the old Chapel). Breakfast with Santa will be at 9 a.m. in Boeke Hall, the usual meeting place of the fellowship.

Men’s Fellowship members are greeters during the month of December at the church. Name badges designating the fellowship have been prepared and are available in one of the floor cupboards at the north end of the narthex. . Members should fill in their name and wear the badges. There is no schedule. If you see the need for another greeter at the Mass you attend, you should put on a badge and greet parishioners. Members are also encouraged to wear the distinctive blue T-shirts of the fellowship.

Clyde Bogard funeral Mass is Tuesday

Clyde J. Bogard, 79, passed away on Thursday, December 13, 2007 after a long illness.

Calling hours will be on Tuesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Dunn-Quigley Funeral Home (811 Grant Street), followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at St. Paul's Catholic Church. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service. Additional information will appear on Sunday.
[Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, Friday, December 14, 2007, page B6, col. 3]

2 million visit Guadalupe shrine

Mexico City, Dec. 13, 2007 (CWNews.com) - A record 2 million pilgrims visited the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, her feast day, the shrine's management reports.

Each year about 18-20 million people travel to the famous church just outside Mexico City, on the site where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego in 1531. This year roughly 7 million pilgrims visited the shrine between Sunday, December 9, and the feast day on Wednesday.

Standing-room only crowd at Christmas musical

A standing-room only crowd attended “A Rainbbow Christmas” program presented by Grades 1, 2 and 3 of St. Paul School on Thursday evening in the Parish Activity Center.

Music director Tim Longfellow lead the students through “A Joyful Holiday Musical for Young Voices” by Teresa Jennings. Longfellow was assisted by Mrs. Suzanne Inglis, Grade 1; Miss Mary Means, Grade 2, and Mrs. Jeanette Michel, Grade 3.

A rainbow backdrop was provided by Mrs. Diane Zak and Grade 6 students.

The cast included Gabrielle Lidderdale, frog; Adrienne Hite, skunk; Ethan Meditz, penguin; Meri Paull, cow; Amanda Schmidt, canary; Erika Jordan, big panda; Abbey Lewis, little panda; Ben Woodill, elephant; Michaela Dornack, zebra; Anton McClure, panther; Daisha Hawkins, dog; Jenna Garey, cat; Tyler Broske, crow; Olivia Hutchison, dove; Adam McClure, tiger; Paige Harbarger, polar bear; Christopher Kuhn, Santa.

Elves were Jesse Bobbit, Emma Coffman, Brian Luck, Jonahan Markowski and Meredith Wammes. Reindeer were Malena Crawford, Lindsey Maple, Tara Romo, Maris Satrouis, Anna Liggett, Katherine Neugebauer, Annelise Dawson and Michelle Bojo.

Bell ringers were Jared Lloyd, Emma Leeser, Joseph Bojo and Brianna Jacobs.

Longfellow was presented with a large card with notes on the cover and a railnbow inside.

Click on the headline to access more photos.

CYO Teens for Service gets underway

Looking for a way to get involved in ongoing service opportunities? CYO’s new Teens for Service program will hold its first service project on Saturday, December 15. 2007 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. as we wrap holiday gifts for over 90 Adult Day Service participants.

Teens for Service is a new year-long program that meets once a month and emphasizes service learning, career exploration, and fun as we build a youth volunteer corps to serve the many needs and programs of CYO and Community Services.

Open to high school students in Summit, Medina and Portage counties, Teens for Service requires a commitment of 50 service hours in a calendar year. To learn more and discover how to get involved, contact Mary Kase, Volunteer Coordinator, at mkase@akroncyo.org or 330-762-2961 ext.

Tree in St. Peter's Square to be lit

VATICAN CITY, DEC 13, 2007 (VIS) - Tomorrow evening, Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State, will preside at the official lighting ceremony of the Christmas tree which has recently been erected in St. Peter's Square. The tree stands next to the nativity scene, which is in the process of being constructed.

The event, which is due to begin at 4 p.m., will be attended by civil and religious authorities from the region of Bolzano in northern Italy which donated this year's tree, a 140-year-old fir, 26 meters high, weighing more than three tons and decorated with 2,000 baubles.

The nativity scene, which will be unveiled on the evening of December 24, has seventeen life-size statues. Of these, nine are the original figures donated by St. Vincent Pallotti for the nativity scene in the Roman church of Sant'Andrea della Valle in 1842. The other eight figures were added over the course of the years. As in 2006, the Italian province of Trento has provided further sculpted wooden figures and animals, as well as household utensils for the depiction of daily life.

[Source: Vatican Information Services

Don't forget Christmas program, Santa breakfast

Don't forget:

The Christmas program to be presented by Grades 1, 2 and 3 at 6:30 p:.m. today in the Parish Activity Center.

Breakfast with Santa from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Sean Collins returns to class--as a teacher

Reprinted from November 2007 issue of parish newsletter, St. Paul TODAY.

Sean Collins, seventh grade and English teacher, is a welcome addition to the teaching staff of Saint Paul School.

Sean James Collins was born in Akron on March 16, 1985 to Kathryn Hausch (Zimmerman) and James Collins. He got his middle name form his father.

Sean has lived in Firestone Park all of his life until he became a student at Walsh University and moved to North Canton. Sean’ s parents also grew up in Akron.

“They chose to live in Firestone Park because it was close to my mom's parents and at the time, both my parents worked in the area as well,” Collins said.

Sean attended St.. Paul School. After graduation from St. Paul in 1999, Sean went to Archbishop Hoban, where he was a member and captain of the men's volleyball team, and a member of S.A.D.D. (students against destructive decisions).

After graduation from Hoban High in 2003, ColIins attended Walsh University where he graduated in May, 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Secondary Education and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English.

“I went to Walsh because ever since my high school, days, I have known that I wanted to be a teacher and Walsh has one of the best education programs around,” Collins said.

During his free time, Sean enjoys playing volleyball, running, and spending time with his family.

“St.. Paul ha s been wonderful to me,” Collins said. “The teachers, staff, parents, and students have all been wonderful. They have welcomed me with open arms and have.
made my first few months at the school enjoyable.”

Hope encyclical sells over million copies

VATICAN, Dec. 11, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Spe Salvi, the new encyclical by Pope Benedict XVIhas already sold over 1 million copies, the Vatican publishing house has announced.

The papal encyclical on the virtue of hope, released on November 30, has enjoyed brisk sales although it is also available for download at no cost on the Vatican web site. Click on the headline above to access it.

Spe Salvi is the second encyclical released by Pope Benedict XVI. It follows Deus Caritas Est, on Christian charity. Some Vatican-watchers expect the Pontiff to write a 3rd encyclical on faith, completing the treatment of the theological virtues.

James Erotas funeral mass is Friday

James T. Erotas, 90, died Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at Akron City Hospital.

He was born in Evanston, Ill., and had been an Akron area resident for most of his life. He was employed by Goodyear Aerospace as an Aeronautical Engineer for over 40 years, retiring in 1981. He was a member of St. Paul Catholic Church.

Mr. Erotas is survived by his wife of 44 years, Jean (Boyle); children and spouses, Yvonne Marley of Phoenix, Ariz., Cynthia and Greg Rockwell of Phoenix, Ariz., James and Sandra Erotas of California, Cheryl and David Childress of Akron and Gary Parvin of Akron; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; brother John (June) Erotas of Phoenix, Ariz.; and was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Evangeline (Melleris) Erotas.

A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, December 14 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul Catholic Church. The family will receive friends one hour prior to services at the church. Cremation has taken place and interment of the ashes will take place at Holy Cross Cemetery. Donations may be made to the St. Paul School Endowment Fund, 433 Mission Dr., Akron, Ohio 44301 (Anthony Funeral Home Kucko-Anthony-Kertesz, 330-724-1281, www.kakfh.com_
[The Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, Wednesday, December 12, 2007, page B7, col. 1]

Note: Mrs. Cheryl Childress is St. Paul school librarian.

Sandi, Dottie, Fr. Schindler honored

Two women from St. Paul parish received special recognition at the annual Christmas luncheon of the Summit Regional Council of Catholic Women on Monday at Guy’s Party Centre.

Sandi Denholm was named “Woman of the Year’ of the Summit Regional Council and Dottie Thoerig was named “Woman of the Year” of the St. Paul Ladies Guild. Dottie was among women from 17 parishes given the honor by parish women’s organizations. Biographies of each were printed in the luncheon program.

A “Hail and Farewell” tribute also was paid to the Rev. Fr. Paul Schindler, pastor of St. Bernard Church and moderator of the Summit Regional Council since 1994, who is returning to El Salvador.

The photo shows Fr. Schindler with Dottie (left) and Sandi at the banquet.

Sandi is an eucharistic minister, sacristan and first vice president of the St. Paul Ladies Guild who represents St. Paul at the Summit Region NCCW. Sandi also is facilitator once a month for the Communion Services which are held at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For 13 years, Sandi has been a state certified long term care volunteer ombudsman out of the local Area Agency on Aging and received the Distinguished Volunteer Ombudsman Award in 2006.She recently joined the board of Catholic Social Services (See the earlier post on Sandi on November 19)

Dottie has served St. Paul parish, the school and Ladies Guild for more than 40 years. She is an eucharistic minister and head sacristan. She coordinates and trains volunteers for sacristy services. She works in the kitchen for bazaars and card parties and enjoys being part of the Quilting Ministry. (See the earlier post on Dottie on October 15)
.
Fr. Schindler, 66, was ordained May 20, 1967 by the late Bishop Clarence T. Issenmann at St. John Cathedral in Cleveland. He served as an assistant at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Wadsworth from June 8, 1967 to June 28, 1972 when he became a member of the Diocesan Pastoral Team in El Salvador and was named coordinator on February 23, 1976. He returned here in January, 1982 and was named administrator of St. Berrnard on March 15, 1982 and pastor on June 14 that year. From 1992, Fr,. Schindler was dean of Summit County South.

He was appointed moderator o the Summit Regional Council on August 3, 1994. As moderator he has installed six regional presidents.

The program tribute says in part:

“Fr. Schindler’s quiet guidance and gentle spirit has aided the Summit Regional Council in pursuing all their endeavors and his unyielding support has given us those “boosts” we have needed when thing seemed to look beyond help.....

“We have been honored to have him talk to use of his first love–our missions in El Salvador and we have relished his enthusiasm that is ever so clear when he talked of this work.”

You can find time, place for confession

The Churches of North and South Summit District invite you to prepare for Christ's Birthday by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Here is the schedule of hours::

Annunciation, 87 Broad St., Saturdays 4:00 - 4:45 pm 330-535-4141

Christ the King, 1584 Creighton Ave., Saturdays 4:30 - 5:15 pm 330-633-8418

Guardian Angels, 1686 Cleveland-Massillon Rd., Copley, Saturdays 4:00 pm 330-666-1373

Holy Family, 3450 Sycamore Drive, Saturdays 3:30 - 4:30 pm 330-688-6411

Immaculate Conception, 2101 17th St. SW, Saturdays 9:00 -10:00 am Saturdays 4:00 - 5:00 pm 330-753-8429

Immaculate Heart of Mary, 1905 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-929-8361 Saturdays 3:00 - 4:00 pm December 20 7:00 - 8:00 pm December 21 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Mother of Sorrows, 6034 South Locust St., Peninsula Saturdays 4:00 - 4:30 pm 330-657-2631

Nativity of the Lord Jesus, 2425 Myersville Road, Saturdays 3:00 - 4:00 pm Akron, OH 330-699-5086

Our Lady of Victory, 73 North Ave., Tallmadge, Saturdays 9:00 - 9:30 am 330-633-3637

Prince of Peace, 1263 Shannon Ave., Barberton, Saturdays 4:00 - 4:30 pm 330-825-9543

Queen of Heaven, 1800 Steese Road, Uniontown, Fridays 9:00 - 9:30 am OH 44685 Saturdays 3:15 -4:15 pm 330-896-2345

Sacred Heart of Jesus, 212 East Voris St. Saturdays 3:00 - 4:00 pm 330-434-4348

SS. Cyril & Methodius, 189 15th St. NW, Barberton, Saturdays 3: 15 - 4:00 pm
330-825-7089

SS. Peter & Paul, 161 West Clinton St., Doylestown, Saturdays 4:00 - 4:45 pm First Friday 8:45 am 330-658-2145

St. Andrew the Apostle, 4022 Johnson Road,, Norton, Saturdays 3:30 - 4:15 pm 330-825-2617

St. Anthony of Padua, 83 Mosser Place, Saturdays 5:00 pm 330-762-7277

St. Augustine, 204 Sixth St. NW, Barberton, Saturdays 5:15 pm Mondays 6:00 pm 330-745-0011

St. Bernard, 44 University Ave., Saturdays 3:00 - 4:00 pm 330-253-5161

St. Eugene, 1821 Munroe Falls Ave., Cuyahoga Falls, Saturdays 3:00 - 4:00 pm 330-923-5244

St. Francis de Sales, 4019 Manchester Road, Saturdays 3:30 pm 330-644-2225

St. George, 7615 Second Ave. N., Clinton, Saturdays 4:00 - 4:30 pm Sundays 7:00 - 7:30 am and 9:45-10:00 am 330-882-3353

St. Hilary, 2750 West Market St., Fairlawn, Saturdays 3: 15 pm 330-867-1055

St. John the Baptist, 1034 Brown St., Saturdays 3:00 - 4:00 pm 330-773-9114

St. Joseph, 215 Falls Ave., Cuyahoga Falls, Saturdays 3:30-4:30 pm Thursday prior to first Friday 4:00 - 5:00 pm 330-928-2173

St. Martha, 300 E. Tallmadge Ave., Saturdays 3:30-4:00 330-376-5144

St. Mary, 750 South Main St. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 5:00 - 5:15 pm Saturdays 4:00 - 5:00 pm 330-762-9247

St. Mary, 340 North Main St., Hudson, Saturdays 4:00 - 5:00 pm 330-653-8118

St. Matthew 2603 Benton St., Saturdays 9:00 - 9:30 am 330-733-9944

St. Paul, 433 Mission Drive, Saturdays 3:30 - 4:15 pm 330-724-1263

St. Sebastian, 476 Mull Ave., Fridays 4:00 - 5:00 pm, Saturdays 9:30 - 10:00 am 330-836-2233

St. Victor, 3435 Everett Road, Richfield, Saturdays 4:15 pm 330-659-6591

St. Vincent, 164 West Market St., Saturdays 11 :00 - Noon Thursday prior to first Friday 3:30 - 4:30 pm 330-535-3135

If you would like to keep a pdf file of this schedule, click on the headline and then click on "file:" and "save page as" to download to your computer.

2007 pictorial directory: a nice Christmas gift

The new 2007 parish pictorial directory produced by parishioner David Ruegg is out–arriving just in time to serve as a great Christmas gift for the parish.

The cover for the directory is a design similar to the new parish Ministry Directory.

There are 19 pages of photos of parishioners–a total of 313–with messages from the pastor, the Rev. Fr. Ralph Thomas, and our Deacon, the Rev. Mr. Francis Lonteen.

There are 13 historical photos and many photos from 2007 including the First Communion and Confirmation classes.

There also are photos of the parish staff: including Marilyn Woofter, office business manager; Terry Nesline, adult ministries; Shelly Hertzig, catechetical leader; Patty Hogue, church secretary, and John Gless and Dave Nesline, physical property and maintenance. There are also inidividual photos of St. Paul School principal Rosemary Capotosto, school secretary Mary Ann DeKemper, librarian Cheryl Childress and teachers.

Teachers are Mrs.. Elizabeth Campbell, pre-kindergarten; Mrs. Deborah Dodson, kindergarten; Mrs. Suzanne Inglis, Grade 1; Miss Mary Means, Grade 2; Mrs. Jeanette Michel, Grade 3; Mrs. Janet Hazlett, Grade 4; Mrs. Shelly Pixler, Grade 5, Mrs. Diane Zak, Grade 6; Mr. Sean Collins, Grade 7; Mrs. Sarah Mizak, Grade 8; Miss Christine Ehasz, physical education and computer; and Ann Wright, Spanish. Not pictured is Timothy Longfellow, music.

The last pictorial directory was published in 1994 during the pastorate of the Rev. Fr. John M. Jenkins in preparation for the 75th anniversary of the parish. It was the first directory with color photographs. The Rev. Fr. Steve Brunovsky, now pastor at St. Hilary, was associate then.

Two directories were published during the pastorate of Rev. Fr. Thomas M. Koegel, both with black and white photos.

The first was in 1975 when Fr. Samuel R. Ciccolini and Fr. Paul J. Rosing were associates. It was the largest with many photographs. Fr. Rosing is now administrator at Holy Family parish in Stow. Fr. Ciccolini is now an associate at Immaculate Conception and director of Interval Brotherhood Home.

A slimmer directory was published during Fr. Koegel’s pastorate in 1980 when Fr. Charles Diedrich and Fr. Charles Ryba were associates. The directory had an extensive history of the parish with biographies on all former pastors plus lists of former associates, Sisters and Ladies Guild presidents and information on parish organizations. Fr. Diedrich is now administrator of St. Mary Church in Elyria and Fr. Ryba is now pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton in Columbia Station.

Each family photographed will receive a free directory. After those are distributed, directories may be purchased from Dave Ruegg Photography and Studio, 2381 Locust St., Unit 3, Canal Fulton, OH 44614. Telephone: 330-819-4268

Pontiff warns against materialism, consumerism

Avoid materialism, hypocrisy at Chritmas, Pope says
VATICAN- At his public audience on Sunday, December 9, Pope Benedict XVI challenged Christians to use the season of Advent "to prepare the way for the coming Lord in the deserts of today-- internal and external deserts, thirsting for the water of life which is Christ."

Citing the day's Gospel reading, the Holy Father said that St. John the Baptist "continues to speak down the centuries, to each new generation often, unfortunately, reflects materialist attitudes." The faithful must avoid the traps of a consumer culture, he said. n." With his "hard clear words," he said, the prophet calls all believers to honest repentance.

Pontiff says youths led to 'dead-end streets of consumerism'
VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday that boys and girls at ever younger ages are in danger of being deceived by adults hawking false models of happiness and leading them down "the dead-end streets of consumerism."

Benedict appealed to young people to be on guard about consumerism just as the Christmas holiday shopping season gears up.

"I think about today's young people, raised in an environment saturated with messages proposing false models of happiness," Benedict told pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter's Square for his noon blessing..

"These boys and girls risk losing hope," he said, because they don't go after the true meaningful things in life.

The pontiff said that "adolescents, youths and even children are easy victims of the corruption of love, deceived by unscrupulous adults who, lying to themselves and to them, draw them into the dead-end streets of consumerism."

Click on the headline to read the full Associated Press story in the International Herald Tribune.