St. Paul Prayer Card for Pauline Year

This is the prayer card you will find at the end of your pew. The card will be used to say a prayer to St. Paul at each weekend Mass on Saturday and Sunday.

PLEASE LEAVE THE CARD IN THE PEW FOR USE EACH WEEK

If you would like your own prayer card to keep:

Click on the image and then hit P on your keyboard to print this Holy Card

After you have printed the cards out, you can trim them to the edge of the border and use a glue stick to paste them back to back and laminate if you like.

Pope and Patriarch open Pauline year

This is an update to an earlier post

Rome, Jun. 30, 2008 - Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated a special year dedicated to the memory of St. Paul with an ecumenical service at the Roman basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on Saturday evening, June 28.

Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople joined the Holy Father for the Vespers service. A representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury also participated in the service, as did Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, the archpriest of the Roman basilica, and a congregation of about 3,000 faithful.

Patriarch Bartholomew joined the Pope again on Sunday morning, June 29, at a Mass in St. Peter's basilica for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Both the Pope and the Patriarch delivered homilies, and together they recited the Creed in Latin.

[Our pastor, the Rev. Fr. Ralph Thomas attended the Sunday service.]

"We are gathered around the tomb of St. Paul, who was born 2000 years ago in Tarsus in Cilicia, in modern-day Turkey," Pope Benedict said at the Saturday service opening the Pauline year. Stressing that "Paul wishes to speak to us today," the Pontiff said that the year should be a special opportunity "to listen to him and to learn from him."

St. Paul, the Pope observed, did not shrink from controversy in his approach to preaching the Gospel. "He did not seek superficial harmony." Yet in spite of the opposition he faced, the Apostle spoke often about his sense of freedom, the Pope continued. "Those who love Christ as Paul loved Him can truly do as they please, because their love is united to the will of Christ and thus to the will of God; because their will is anchored in truth and because their will is not simply their own will."

Pope Benedict encouraged the faithful to keep in mind the words of St. Paul to Timothy: "Join with me in suffering for the Gospel." He said: "In a world where lies are so powerful, truth is paid with suffering." He exhorted Christians to gird themselves, preparing for that suffering, by strengthening their faith in imitation of St. Paul.

On Sunday, at the Mass in the Vatican basilica, the Holy Father added the example of St. Peter to that of St. Paul. "Through their martyrdom, through their faith and their love, the two apostles show were true hope lies," he said. "We could say that their martyrdom was, in the deepest sense, like giving a fraternal embrace."

The particular mission of St. Peter and his successors, the Pope said, is "to ensure that the Church never becomes identified with a single nation, a single culture, or a single state-- that she always remains the Church of everyone." Thus on this feast day, when he would impose the pallium on metropolitan archbishops from all over the world, he emphasized the unity and universality of the Church.

"The truth is that the horizon of the Pauline year cannot but be universal," the Pope observed, because St. Paul was the quintessential missionary, who brought the message of Christ to new peoples. During the year, he asked the faithful to pray for "evangelization, communion in the Church, and full unity among all Christians."

The inaugural ceremonies of the Pauline year underlined the Pope's commitment to Church unity, with the presence of Patriarch Bartholomew, the acknowledged leader of the Orthodox world, emphasizing the quest for reunion between East and West. When the Pope and the Patriarch recited the Creed together, they spoke in Greek, the language of the Eastern Church. They used an ancient formula of the faith, from the Council of Constantinople in 381. The text did not include the filioque clause which was at the root of disputes between the Catholic and Orthodox theologians for generations.

Click on the headline for text of the homily.

[Source: Catholic World News

300 Club winners chosen

June winners were drawn for the "300 Club" when the Booster Club met Sunday.

Weekly winners were:

#076 Jill Joyner

#088 Marilyn Spiros

#119 Bob Coffman

#328 Debbie Brown

#254 Jane DiDonato

The $250 winner was

#095 Chrystie Merzwieler

The $500 winner was

#100 Denise Robinson

Christians must unite, Pontiff says

VATICAN CITY-- Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the Eucharist in the Vatican Basilica on Sunday, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, . Concelebrating with the Holy Father were 40 new metropolitan archbishops, upon whom he imposed the pallium. The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I was also present at the ceremony.

[Our pastor, the Rev. Fr. Ralph Thomas, attended.]

The Pope and Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I entered St. Peter's Square together, preceded by an Orthodox and a Latin deacon bearing the Gospel.

Following the reading of the Gospel in Latin and Greek the Holy Father presented the Ecumenical Patriarch to the assembly, after which each of them pronounced a homily.

In his homily Benedict XVI spoke of the two Apostles, patrons saints of Rome . "Through their martyrdom", he said, "through their faith and their love, the two Apostles show where true hope lies. They founded a new kind of city, one that must be formed ever and anew in the midst of the old human city which is threatened by the opposing forces of sin and human selfishness".

"We could say that their martyrdom was, in the deepest sense, like giving a fraternal embrace. They died for the one Christ and, in the witness for which they gave their lives, they became one single entity. In the New Testament we can, so to say, follow the development of that embrace, the creation of unity in witness and in the mission".

The Pope highlighted the fact that although Paul "usually went only to places in which the Gospel had not already been announced, Rome was an exception. There he found a Church the faith of which was the talk of the world. Going to Rome was part of the universality of his mission as an envoy to all peoples, ... it was an expression of the catholicity of his mission. Rome must make the faith visible to the whole world, it must be a place of encounter in the one faith".

Turning to consider Peter, the Holy Father recalled how "he left the presidency of the Christian-Judaic Church to James the Less in order to dedicate himself to his true mission, the ministry for the unity of the one Church of God made up of Jews and pagans".

"The perpetual mission of Peter", he went on, is "to ensure the Church never becomes identified with a single nation, with a single culture or a single State. That she always remains the Church of everyone. That she unites humankind beyond all frontiers and, amidst the division of this world, brings God's peace, the reconciliatory power of His love".

Addressing the archbishops who were about to receive the pallium, the Holy Father told them that the gesture of imposing it upon their shoulders "reminds us of the shepherd who takes the lost sheep across his back, the sheep that cannot find its way home, and brings it back to the fold. In this sheep the Fathers of the Church saw the image of the entire human race, of all human nature, which is lost and no longer knows the way home"; and the Pastor that brings it home "is the eternal Word of God Himself". Yet nonetheless, God "also wants men 'to carry' alongside Him. Being a pastor of the Church of Christ means sharing in this task".

In this way, he said, "the pallium becomes a symbol of our love for Christ the Shepherd, and of our loving together with Him. ... It becomes a symbol of the call 'to love them all' with the power of Christ ... that they might find Him and, in Him, themselves".

Benedict XVI concluded his homily by expressing the view that the pallium "speaks to us of the catholicity of the Church, of the universal communion of Pastor and flock, just as it is a reference to apostolicity, to communion with the faith of the Apostles upon which the Church is founded".

At the end of the Mass and before praying the Angelus, the Holy Father pointed out that since this year the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul falls on a Sunday, "the entire Church, and not just the Church of Rome, celebrates it solemnly".

"Of course", said the Pope referring to the Pauline Year which he officially inaugurated Saturday, "its focal point will be Rome , in particular the basilica of St. Paul 's Outside-the-Walls and the place of the saint's martyrdom at the Three Fountains. But it will involve the entire Church, beginning with Tarsus where Paul was born, and the other Pauline sites ... in what is now Turkey , as well as the Holy Land and the island of Malta where the Apostle arrived after having been shipwrecked and sowed the fertile seed of the Gospel.

Fr. John Valencheck's father dies

In his first homily on Sunday as the administrator (new pastor) of St. Sebastian Church, Fr. John A. Valencheck reported the death of his father that same day. Here is a note that appears on Fr. Valencheck's blog today:

Monday, June 30, 2008

WILLIAM VALENCHECK
9 OCTOBER 1920 - 29 JUNE 2008

Dear readers,

This past Sunday morning my father (on the right) passed away after a long bout with Alzheimer’s. It was a long and difficult journey but our belief in Jesus Christ and His resurrection gives us much assurance. If you have a moment say a prayer for the repose of William's soul.

Funeral arrangements will not be made until later today but we do know the calling hours will not be until Wednesday with Mass on Thursday. More news to follow for those who may be interested (please do not feel obligated) when we know.

Henry Guttermuth dies at 92

[Updated to add services]

Henry J. Guttermuth, brother of St. Paul parishioners Maggie Walker and Heidi (Guttermuth) Bobbitt, died Friday. Here is the obituary from the Akron Beacon Journal:

Henry J. Guttermuth, 92, of Sharon Center, passed away on June 27, 2008. He was born on September 25, 1915 in Dayton, Ohio.

Henry was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Margaret Marie (nee Sues). He is survived by daughters, Rosalie (Verne) Rinehart, Maggie Walker, Nancy (David) Riley, Heidi Guttermuth and her husband Mark Bobbitt; sister, Julia Gibitz; grandchildren, Kati Kager, Michael Kostantinovich, Rachael Potsko, Nathan Riley, Carys, William, Jesse, and Matthew Bobbitt; and many nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren.

He worked many years at Frey's Auto Service. Henry retired as a vocational instructor at the Medina County Career Center.

Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, July 2, 2008, at Hummel Funeral Home COPLEY, 3475 Copley Rd. Interment in Sharon Center Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home, on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 from 5 to 7 p.m.

[Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH]

June Rietz gets tribute for her 80th birthday

June Rietz, born in the month of June, will be 80 years old on Monday, but she got a surprise Birthday Album on Saturday when her children returned home to help her celebrate. One gift, presented here for the parish which she serves so well, is a biography gathered together by her oldest son, Chris of Lansing, Michigan

June was on the parish council and sang in the church choir until a few years ago. She continues to be involved in the liturgy committee and social justice committee, and currently serves as a lector and Eucharistic minister. She is co-ordinator of the prayer line. With Les she co-chaired Solace, a support group helping with passages through grief and loss, and continues to be involved. Years ago she was in the Mission Circle, Ladies Guild, Cursillo and renewal groups. These are only a few of the many gifts June brings to the parish.

June Marguerite Stebbins was born in Cleveland on June 30, 1928, to Carlos and Gertrude Stebbins, the second of four children---her older sister Norma Jean, her brother Jim and her sister Sue.

June grew up mostly on Chicago’s south side, or its southern suburbs. After she graduated from the Loretto Academy, a Catholic girls’ high school in Chicago, the Illinois Central and the city’s el-train provided her daily two-hours-each-way commute to Mundelein College on Chicago’s far north side (Oscar-winning actress Mercedes McCambridge was a classmate of June’s).

Before she graduated, June met a World War II Army veteran attending college at DePaul on the GI Bill: Leslie Rietz, from the city’s west side. Leslie was at a meeting of the National Federation of Catholic College Students, and his eyes fell upon a face he later described as “a paragon of beauty!” It was June’s, of course; they married in Blue Island, IL on Aug. 12, 1950.

Les’s new job at the Child Welfare Board brought them to Hillwood Homes in Akron- and to St. Paul’s Parish for the first time.

Now in their sixth decade as members of St. Paul’s Parish, June and Les both cherish their place in this community of worshipers, where for most of their lives their faith has grown and been nourished.

Click on the headline to read the complete biography and see photos of June’s First Communion, her wedding and other family photos.

Click here to download a PDF file you can download and print.

Check photos from the biography in the online photo album.

It's Happening at St. Paul

Sunday, June 29
Booster Club at 7 p.m. in Boeke Hall

Tuesday, June 24
Eucharistic Adoration with church open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Senior Prayer Hour 1 p.m. with Eucharistic Adoratiom
Venture Crew at 7 p.m. in Youth Room

Wednesday, June 25
Bible Study at 9 a.m. in Room111
Bible Study at 7 p.m. in Rectory
Mass and St. Paul Novena at 7 p.m. in church

Thursday, July 3
Senior Bingo at 11 a.m. in Boeke Hall

Friday, July 4
Mass at 10 a.m. for Peace in the World

St. Paul Gleanings: The chain

This article has been updated with new information

This is one in a series of articles for the jubilee year marking the bicentennial
of the birth of St. Paul. The Pauline Year is June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009.

The surviving links of the chain that, according to age old tradition, held St Paul as a prisoner here in Rome between 61 and 63AD until the successful outcome of his trial, are now on display in an illuminated and decorative display case near the Apostle’s tomb in the Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside-the-Walls.

In this way, what is regarded as the most important relic of the Apostle of the Gentiles can be more easily venerated than in past years by the thousands of pilgrims and faithful who come to the Basilica every day. The chain was previously kept in a gold and crystal ciborium in the chapel of the Benedictine Abbey together with other relics of the saint. The decision to give it greater visibility on the ‘Confessio’ altar under the baldacchino by Arnolfo di Cambio was taken by the Archpriest of the Basilica, Cardinal Andrea di Montezemolo to mark the Pauline Year which was inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI today.

The relocation of the relic in the Basilica was carried out by the Benedictine Abbot, Fr Edmund Power, while the Cardinal placed it into its bronze case with a crystal viewing window. Arranged on a silk background, you can now see all nine links of the chain with two enlarged Roman coins at the ends – ‘sesterces’ with effigies of the Emperor Nero to recall that St Paul was kept prisoner and martyred under him.

The display case, commissioned by Cardinal di Montezemolo, was designed by distinguished Italian sculptor Guido Veroi, who also made the panels for the Pauline Door, as well as a commemorative medal for the Pauline Year and a coin for the Vatican City State to celebrate the bi-millennium of St Paul’s birth.

It was St John Chrysostom who was among the first to bear witness to the tradition of venerating St Paul’s chain. Every year during the liturgical celebration of the solemnity of St Paul on June 29 the chain is carried in procession around the Basilica by the Abbot of St Paul Outside the Walls. Over recent years this procession has taken on an ecumenical dimension through the participation of many Orthodox and Protestant Christians.

Already in the 5th century, Pope Leo the Great made mention of it.

Mass Intentions for June 28 - July 6

SATURDAY, June 28 Irenaeus, bishop, martyr :
4:30 Rose Marie & Robert Rachel 50th Wedding Anniversary

SUNDA Y, June 29 Peter and Paul, apostles
9:00 Beatrice DiDonato + (anniv.)
11 :00 Doris Deshane + ::

MONDAY, June 30 Protomartyrs of Rome ::
7:00 For the poor ::
8:30 Casper Hirschfelt +

TUESDAY, July 1 Bl. Junlpero Serra, pnest
7:00 For the ill and homebound
8:30 Morning Prayer and Communion :

WEDNESDAY, July 2 Weekday
7:00 Lillian Tilton +
8:30 Josephine Dettorre +
7:00 Mass & Novena in honor of St. Paul

THURSDAY, July 3 Thomas, apostle
7:00 Doris Deshane +
8:30 Morning Prayer and Communion

FRIDAY, July 4 Elizabeth of Portugal / Independence Day
10:00 For Peace in the World

SATURDA Y, July 5 Anthony Zaccaria, priest
4:30 Bob Hazlett +
Jim & Betty Pint 50th Wedding : Anniversary

SUNDAY, July 6 Fourteendth Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 Joe Oriti +
11:00 Lillian Tilton +

Have a 'Pence' for Peter?

The annual Peter's Pence is tradfitionally taken up on the Sunday, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The Peter's Pence Collection enables the Holy Father to respond with emergency financial assistance to the needy throughout the world, especially those who suffer as a result of war, oppression, disease and natural disaster.

Last year the U.S. dioceses reported sending over $1.6 million to the Holy Father for this collection. This amount is almost a 6% increase from 2006. According to the latest figures released by the Vatican, the offerings of the faithful worldwide for the Pope's charity amounted to more than $100 million in 2006.

Archbishop Burke named to top Vatican canonical post

VATICAN - Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, Missouri, has been named by Pope Benedict XVI on Friady to head the Vatican's top canonical court.

Archbishop Burke will move to Rome to become the prefect of the supreme tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, a judicial body that is roughly the equivalent of the US Supreme Court. He will replace Cardinal Agostino Vallini, who has been named the Pope's vicar for the Rome diocese. No successor for Burke has yet been named.

Archbishop Burke was installed as head of the St. Louis archdiocese in January 2004. His tenure there has been marked by controversy, with the archbishop-- an acknowledged expert on canon law-- meeting resistance and public criticism as he sought to enforce the Church's norms. He announced the excommunication of women who claimed ordination to the priesthood, and of the leaders of a parish that refused to acknowledge his authority. In each case the Vatican confirmed the archbishop's decision.

Archbishop Burke was criticized by other American bishops in 2004, when he announced that he would not administer the Eucharist to a Catholic politician who supported abortion. Although he did not single out any public figure by name, the archbishop's statement clearly applied to Senator John Kerry, the Democratic candidate in that year's presidential election. In this instance, too, Archbishop Burke's stand was upheld by the Vatican.

As head of the Apostolic Signatura, Archbishop Burke will now hold one of the top canonical posts in the universal Church. His new post will also put him near the top of the list of prelates likely to be named cardinals at the next consistory.

A native of Wisconsin, Archbishop Burke was ordained a priest of the La Crosse diocese in 1975, and appointed bishop of the same diocese in 1994, remaining there until his appointment to St. Louis.

The Apostolic Signatura is the final court of appeal for annulments and other juridical matters under the Church's canon law. It also examines administrative matters referred to it by the Congregations of the Roman Curia as well as questions committed to it by the Holy Father.
[Source: Catholic World News]

36 take St. Paul's Vatican Splendors bus trip

Four women who took the Vatican Splendors bus tour were (from left}
Pat Delagrange, Ellen McAvoy, Jean VondemKamp and Rosemary Vavro

A full bus of 36 passengers took a tour to visit the Vatican Splendors exhibit at the Western Reserve Historical Society on Wednesday, June 25.

The trip began with a brief tour of Akron including he Buddhist Temple on W. Crosier Street and seminary next door before leaving for Cleveland. Tour director Larry Pentecost pointed out mansions on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland and ethnic gardens along Martin Luther King Blvd. There was a visit to Lakeview Cemetery where John D. Rockefeller and family are buried. There was also a view of the Wade Chapel with Tiffany glass windows. Lunch was at an Italian buffet.

Among the 200 artifacts on display at the museum was a 799 mosaic of St. Paul, a cast of the hand of Pope John Paul II and various objects used by previous pontiffs.

“If you never have a chance to visit Rome, I would urge you to visit the Vatican Splendors,” said St. Paul’s Rosemary Mileski who arranged the trip. “When will you ever get to see such artifacts? Probably never again in your life time.”

Pentecost, of Northeast Ohio Tours, plans another bus trip on Thursday, July 10. You can call him for reservations at 330-825-1900. Individuals also may visit the exhibit until September 7.. Hours are Monday-Wedneseday 10 .a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The society is located at 10825 East Boulevard in University Circle. There is adjacent parking.
[Photos provided by Ron McAvoy]

2008 Graduation photos by Dave Ruegg now online

The 2008 St. Paul Graduation photos by Dave Ruegg's studio are now online for viewing. There are a large number of photos.

Go of http://www.heritagesstudiogallery.com.

Click on "My Portraits," enter the gallery. Find St. Paul Grad in the drop down menu. The password you need is st paul (lower case). If you have any questions, call Dave Ruegg atg 330-819-4268

Pauline Year Vespers on EWTN Saturday

EWTN will cover Vespers for the start of the Pauline Year on Saturday. Pope Benedict XVI will lead Vespers at the beginning of the Pauline Year from the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls where St. Paul is buried.

It is 90 minutes on Saturday at 12 p.m. and again Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Roman Tour Follows St. Paul's Steps

VATICAN CITY.- Pilgrims in Rome for the Pauline Jubilee Year can follow the footsteps of the Apostle to the Gentiles through a special tour.

Benedict XVI is scheduled to inaugurate the jubilee at Saturday evening's vespers, in a ceremony at St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls. The Pauline year ends June 29, 2009, feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The itinerary for the Pauline tour includes four essential stages in following the Apostle and his proclamation. The papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, where the saint's body rests, is the first stop.

The Abbey of the Three Fountains, where he was martyred, is the second.

Pilgrims will also stop at St. Peter's Basilica and the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Upon completing the journey, pilgrims will receive a type of diploma, the "Paolina," in keeping with the tradition of having a momento of their journey on the roads of Europe.

The pilgrimage also includes five secondary stages: two points of Paul's residence in Rome -- the churches of San Paolo alla Regola and of Santa Maria in Via Lata; the Mamertine prison, near the Roman Forum, where he was last in prison before his martyrdom; the basilica and catacombs of St. Sebastian on the Via Appia, where Peter's and Paul's bodies rested for some decades; and the church of St. Prisca on the Aventine, residence of Sts. Aquila and Priscilla, who looked after Paul and accompanied him on his mission to Greece and Asia Minor.

The time allotted for the pilgrimage is one or three days.
[Click on headline to read full story from: Zenit Catholic News Service]

Communion kneeling, on tongue: new Vatican norm?

Vatican, Jun. 26, 2008 - The new director of the Vatican liturgical office has strongly encouraged kneeling to receive Communion, indicating that Pope Benedict XVI) prefers the practice.

In an interview with L'Osservatore Romano, Msgr. Guido Marini said that kneeling and receiving the Eucharist on the tongue are practices that express and reinforce reverence for the Blessed Sacrament. He added that it is "urgent to highlight and recover" that sense of reverence.

Since Msgr. Marini assumed his current task as director of papal liturgies, Vatican-watchers have noticed that Pope Benedict has distributed the Eucharist to worshippers who kneel and receive Communion on the tongue. Asked whether these practices would become the norm for papal liturgies, the Vatican's top liturgist said that he thought they would. The Holy Father strongly supports that initiative, he indicated.

Msgr. Marini reminded L'Osservatore Romano that reception of Communion on the tongue remains the norm for the universal Church. Allowing the faithful to receive the Eucharist in their hands is a concession, or indult, "allowed by the Holy See to those bishops' conferences who requested it," he said.
[Source: Catholic World News]

Altar servers for July

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

Sunday, July 6
9:00 Josh Garey and Adam Gray
11:00 Zac hary Durbin and Scott Johnson

Saturday, July 12
4:30 Matt Kannel and Trevor Ellis

Sunday July 13
9:00 Jacqueline Wammes and Aaron Abernathy
11:00 Erin Liggett and Isabelle Miller

Saturday, July 19
4:30 Michael Sartoski and Jeremy Swords

Sunday July 20
9:00 Marco Colant and Noelle Colant
11:00 Michael Altomare and Zachary Durbin

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

Sunday, July 27
9:00 Ryan Testa and Josh Garey11:00 Billy Gabelman and Sierra Robinson

Saturday, August 2
4:30, Matt Kannel and Jeremy Swords

Sunday, August 3
9:00, Marco Colant and Noelle Colant
11:00 Adam Gray and Scott Johnson

St. Paul's Gleanings: He's back as greeter

He’s back for the Pauline year. You might have noticed the statue of St. Paul is back in the narthex of the church to welcome visitors for the Pauline Year. Some do not like his depiction with the sword.

Saint Paul has the sword assigned to him because he was a persecutor of the Church. The book is a symbol of his conversion into the greatest preacher of the Church. The great change in Saint Paul shows itself in this that he afterward speaks of the Word of God and the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).

Paul’s shield shows an open Bible on which the words Spiritus Gladius are written. St Paul himself interprets this symbol for us in his words to the Ephesians (6:17): ‘Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.’ The Epistle to the Hebrews (4:12) says, ‘The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intention of the heart.’

Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers for July

Lectors for July

Saturday 4:30: Jeff Kendro
Sunday 9:00: Bernie Factor
Sunday 11:00: Youth lector

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion for July

Saturday 4:30
Sandy ·Bojo
Robin DeFago
Carol Eich
Larry Eich
Patricia Hogue
Bob Kerr
Hank Richards
Judy Richards
..... ..
Sunday 9:00 .
Julie . Gableman
Bob Hamilton
Frank Lancianese
Nancy Lancianese
Terry Nesline
Angie Roosa
Bob Roosa
Rita Zellefrow
, :
Sunday 11:00
John Amedeo
Ashley Barta
Brittany Barta
Karen Mutusicky
Jeannette Michel
Kelly Reed
David Ruegg
Maggie Walker

The FEST scheduled for August 3

The FEST on August 3 at the Center for Pastoral Leadeship in Wickliffe again is expected to draw a huge crowd.

“Thousands of people have been spiritually enriched and made life-changing decisions for Christ and we give God all the glory,” the June/July newsletter of the Seminary Vocation Office states. “Many who originally came as a youth or young adult are now returning with their own children and grandchildren! By the grace of God, The FEST has been passed from generation to generation as an event that God uses to touch people with His good news!”

The day is jam packed with music and activities for all ages including the hottest bands performing on stage, kids activities, vendors, and more! The laid back atmosphere allows you to choose your own pace. The FEST is about much more than music. The FEST is also about praising and worshipping God.

Visitors interested in vocations are encouraged to visit the Vocation Tent outside to meet seminarians and representatives from different communities.

The Center for Pastoral Leadership is located just North of I-90/Rt-2 on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Bishop Rd. AT 28700 Euclid Ave. In Wickliffe.

Directions from the SouthWest
Take 77 North to I-90 East
Take I-90 East to the Euclid Avenue Exit
Turn left onto Euclid Avenue
The Center for Pastoral Leadership will be on right after you pass Joe's Crab Shack.

Visit the FEST website at . http://www.thefest.us/ for details.

VOCATION MONSTRANCE AVAILABLE

Fr. Michael Gurnick, coordinator of vocations for the Diocesan Priesthood, also announcce in the newsletter that a monstrance blessed by Pope John P aul II in 2004, the Vocation Office Monstrance, is available for use by any parish community or organization within the Diocese of Cleveland.

The monstrance is intended to be utilized by those wishing to encourage special prayer for vocations. It may be incorporated into existing adoration at a parish for a period of time or for a special one-time use such as a retreat.

For more information about the monstrance, contact: the Seminary Vocation Office at 440-943-7631

St. Paul makes cover of Liguorian

St. Paul made the cover of the July/August issue of the Liquorian magazine.

There are three articles:

The Jubiles Year of Saint Paul: The Background, the Basilicaa and the Man Behind It All
Although Pope Benedict XVI promulgated the extraordinary jubilee year, the idea originated with the archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outsie-the-Walls.

Paul: Patron Saint of Just About Everything
Paul is listed as the patron of more than 50 occupations, situations and places. He is the patron saint of our own St. Paul parish, laypeople, writers, public-relations work, musicians, snakebites, the Island of Malta, the Diocense of Covington, KY, hailstorms, and the island of Malta. He might have been busy during the hailstorm in Firestone Park last year..

Paul’s Letters to the Romans: What Lies Head
The Letter to the Romas is unique among Paul’s letters. They provide a challenge in reading. Our parish will have presentations and discussion on the second Wednesday of each month during the Pauline Year. Romas will be discussed on July 9 and August 13. There will be a Mass each first Wednesday, becinning July 2.

Portions of St. Paull’s Letter to the Romans are used during the Second Reading at Sunday Mass during July and August. They are:

July 6..................... Romans 8:9, 11-13
July 13,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Romans 8:18-23
July 20 ...................Romans 8:26-27
July 27.................. .Romans 8:28-30
August 3................ Romans 8:35, 37-39
August 10............. Romans 9:1-5
August 17. ............Romans 11:13-15,29-32
August 24........... . Romans 11:33-36
August 31..............Romans 12:1-2

St. Paul Parish included in Pauline Indulgence

On the occasion of the Pauline Year which will begin the afternoon of 28 June with the vigil mass for Ss. Peter and Paul, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. has granted special indulgences for the faithful which are described in the Decree Urbis et Orbis. In the Diocese of Cleveland the following parishes are dedicated to St. Paul: Conversion of St. Paul, Cleveland; St. Paul, Akron, St. Paul (Croatian) Cleveland; St. Paul, Euclid; Ss. Peter & Paul, Doylestown; Ss. Peter & Paul, Garfield Heights. Also, the Bishop has designated the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist as a place for the fulfillment of the required conditions for receiving the Pauline Year Indulgences. If you have questions, please contact the Office for Worship, 216-696-6525, ext. 3630.
[Source: July, 2008 Diocesan Memorandum]

The "usual conditions" for obtaining a plenary indulgence are sacramental Confession, removal from all attachment to sin, reception of Holy Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father.

See our May 12 post on the :Pauline Year indulgence.

Firestone Park celebration is 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday

The 2008 Firestone Park Summer Celebration is Saturday from 2 to 10 p.m. at Firestone Park.

Festival: Food, games, amusement and entertainment form 2 to 10 p..m.

Parade: 4 p.m. The parade begins at Main Street and Firestone Blvd., proceeds on Firestone Blvd. to Aster Ave. and then down Aster Ave. to N. Firestone Blvd.

Family Concert: 5:30 p.m. In the parking lot of the Firestone Park Presbyterian Church at 275 S. Firestone Blvd. A concert for the whole family.

Akron Sympony Orchestra: 7:30 p.m. In Firestone Park.

Fireworks: 9:45 p.m. Join us at the Bridgestone Firestone Research Center or the historic Firestone Stadium as we “Light Up Firestone Park.”

Ward 7 Councilperson Tina Merlitti is parade marshal. David P. Reymann is honorary parade judge and Mrs. Christine Young is Parade Master of Ceremonies.

What is Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites?

The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelies meets every first Sunday of the month in the Church Meeting Room in the basement of St. Sebastian Church, 500 Mull Ave.

For information contact Patricia Giralt OCDS by e-mail patgiralt@gmail.com or telephone 330-328-1087.

A member of the Order of Carmelites Discalced Secular (OCDS) undertakes:

* To attend daily Mass if possible;
* To pray daily Morning and Evening Prayer (Lauds and Vespers) of the Liturgy of the Hours - the official prayer of the Church - and, if possible, Night Prayer (Compline) before retiring;
* To devote at least half an hour daily to mental prayer in an atmosphere of interior silence and solitude;
* To wear, as a sign of one's devotion to Our Lady and one's membership in her Order, the brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
* To participate and share in the fraternal life of the Carmelite community.
* To progress in life long formation.

June Newsletter and features available online

Because of production difficulties, the July issue of St. Paul TODAY is only available online.

The issue features photos of the 2008 First Communion and Confirmation classes by Dave Ruegg with a brief article on each.

There also is a feature on Mrs. Diane Zak, St. Paul School science and Grade 6 teacher who retired at the end of the year. See the post below on Mrs. Zak

Click on the headline to access the four-page issue of the newsletter in a PDF file which you can download and print.

All of the items also appear on the parish website. You can acess the website by clicking on the parish website link at left.

St. Paul science teacher Diane Zak retires

Reprinted from the June, 2008 issue of St. Paul TODAY

Science teacher Diane Zak’s first teaching job was a third grade class at St. Paul School in 1970 and when she was married on April 24, 1971 her first third grade class sang at her wedding.

The wedding was in the former Chapel, now the Parish Activity Center. The sacristy and altar were at the west end of the Chapel and all seating faced toward the altar.

Mrs. Zak’s life in Akron began when she herself was a third grader. She attended St. Paul in grades 3 through 8.

Her parents, George and Beatrice Ruegg, drove to Akron from Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1956 with Diane and five brothers when her father was transferred to Akron by the Grand Union Tea Company. When the company wanted to transfer him from Akron, though, he quit and took a job with the Western and Southern Life Insurance Co. He retired as manager of the office on Waterloo Road in 1984 after 25 years of service.

Her parents were devoted members of St. Paul Parish. Her father, who died in 2003, was president of the finance committee for many years and was actively involved in construction of the new church.

Her parents were wed in Salt Lake as a result of a service romance. Writing letters to servicemen was the fashion then. George, a resident of New York City, went to Salt Lake City to marry Bea and they lived there until his transfer to Akron.

Mrs. Zak went to St. Mary High School and then to the University of Akron where she received a bachelor of science degree in elementary education. She spent her first five years of teaching in the primary grades, but her passion is science and she had been teaching science to the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at St. Paul School for the last 19 years. She was a substitute teacher for Akron and St. Paul schools in 1979-1984 before becoming a full time staff member at St. Paul in 1985. The salary for that first year at St. Paul was $6,400 before taxes.

In her last 19 years at St. Paul, Mrs. Zak has probably collected more than $10,000 in science teaching equipment. The government offered equipment for schools and if you did not use the budgeted amount you lost it, so Mrs. Zak always purchased what she thought a teacher might use in the future. Now she is busy trying to distribute the equipment to other teachers.

“Teaching science is more like entertaining the students with a lesson,” Mrs. Zak said. “I also love to teach teachers how to teach “hands-on” science lessons. I enjoy tutoring, which I did in my home, from 1977-1990. I tried to make each lesson a game so the students would like and enjoy learning.”

There have been many memorable experiences.

“One of my most memorable experiences was working with a fourth grader with a reading disability,” she said. “He was reading on a first grade level when he started coming to me. I was told he would be lucky if he could eventually learn to read on a fourth grade level. We worked together two hours a week year round until he was in high school. His first year in high school, he made honor roll.”

Such efforts have earned her a number of honors. She was named St. Paul Teacher of the Year in 2001.

Her passion for science led Mrs. Zak to a number of graduate courses from Ursuline College, Kent State University, the University of Tennessee and the University of Akron.

She spent a week on a 92-foot schooner off the coast of Maine to develop an instructional unit on “Life at Sea.” There were several weeks of training prior to and following the trip sponsored by Ursuline College. .

She did graduate work in “Operation Physics and “Operation Chemistry” at Kent State. She attended the University of Tennessee’s “Academy for Teachers of Science and Mathematics” which was a one-month resident program with intensive classroom and practical training in the use and application of advanced scientific calculators to emphasize the integration of science and technology in the educational environment.

She has been active in the Akron Global Polymer Academy (AGPA) at the University of Akron and this May was named Polymer Teacher of the Month.

She taught one Summer science class for Camp Jr. at McKinley Museum in Canton and eight classes for Kids College at Stark Technical in Canton. She also has done several science presentations for the Cleveland Diocese, Science Education Council of Ohio, St. Paul PTO and AGPA.

She and husband, David M., live in Barberton and are members of St. Augustine parish. He retired in December 2006 as Manager of Quality Management at Babcock and Wilcox in Barberton, The Zaks have three children: Adam works at Babcock and Wilcox, Patricia is a nurse at Akron General Medical Center and David in Charlotte, NC, who is a chemical engineer for Newell Rubbermaid. There are six grandchildren.

Mrs. Zak will now have a little more time to spend with her grandchildren, do crafts and do a little reading. She likes science and health related articles and books as well as mysteries.

Pope Calls for Study of Eucharistic Mystery

QUEBEC CITY.- Pope Benedict XVI is encouraging the faithful to revisit the Second Vatican Council constitution on the liturgy, so as to go deeper in the mystery of faith that is the Eucharist.

The Pope made this appeal Sunday when he delivered via satellite the homily for the closing Mass of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress, which ended Sunday in Quebec.

In his address, given in French and English, the Holy Father said, "'The Mystery of Faith': this we proclaim at every Mass. I would like everyone to make a commitment to study this great mystery, especially by revisiting and exploring, individually and in groups, the Council's text on the liturgy, 'Sacrosanctum Concilium,' so as to bear witness courageously to the mystery."

The Pontiff affirmed that such study would help each person "arrive at a better grasp of the meaning of every aspect of the Eucharist, understanding its depth and living it with greater intensity."

"Every sentence, every gesture has its own meaning and conceals a mystery," Benedict XVI continued. "I sincerely hope that this Congress will serve as an appeal to all the faithful to make a similar commitment to a renewal of Eucharistic catechesis, so that they themselves will gain a genuine Eucharistic awareness and will in turn teach children and young people to recognize the central mystery of faith and build their lives around it.

"I urge priests especially to give due honor to the Eucharistic rite, and I ask all the faithful to respect the role of each individual, both priest and lay, in the Eucharistic action. The liturgy does not belong to us: It is the Church's treasure."

The Pope noted the unifying effects of the Eucharist, both for the faithful with the Trinity and within the Church.

"Reception of the Eucharist, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament -- by this we mean deepening our communion, preparing for it and prolonging it -- is also about allowing ourselves to enter into communion with Christ, and through him with the whole of the Trinity, so as to become what we receive and to live in communion with the Church," the Holy Father said.

"We must go back again and again to the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, where we were given a pledge of the mystery of our redemption on the cross. The Last Supper is the locus of the nascent Church, the womb containing the Church of every age. In the Eucharist, Christ's sacrifice is constantly renewed, Pentecost is constantly renewed."

The Pontiff also expressed his desire that Christians would come to value Sunday more and more.

"May all of you become ever more deeply aware of the importance of the Sunday Eucharist," he said, "because Sunday, the first day of the week, is the day when we honor Christ, the day when we receive the strength to live each day the gift of God."

The Pope also announced that the next International Eucharistic Congress, scheduled for 2012, will be held in Dublin, Ireland.
[Source: Zenit Catholic News Service]

Here's a nice Bible quiz

Here's a Bible quiz copied from the blog of Fr. John Valencheck. Click on comments for the answers

1. Who was the first person to see the resurrected Jesus?
2. Who was the first person to be martyred in the Bible?
3. Where is (or who is involved in) the first recorded case of polygamy in the Bible?
4. Who was the first person to pray to the ascended Christ?
5. Who was the first murdered person in the Bible?
6. What is the first definitive and officially promulgated Latin version of the Bible called?
7. What are the first words uttered by God in the Bible?
8. In Matthew the first person named in the genealogy of Jesus is who?
9. In the book of Luke, who is named as the first ancestor of Jesus?

It's Happening at St. Paul

Monday, June 23
Men’s Fellowship Prayer and Bible study at 7 p.m. in Room 111. The Bible study passage will be John 11:1-16 The Death of Lazarus

Tuesday, June 24
Eucharistic Adoration with church open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Senior Prayer Hour 1 p.m. with Eucharistic Adoratiom
Adult Choir at 7 p.m. in Music room
Venture Crew at 7 p.m. in Youth Room

Wednesday, June 25
Bible Study at 9 a.m. in Room111
Bible Study at 7 p.m. in Rectory

Saturday, June 28
Pauline Year Vespers by Pope Benedict XVI at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls opening the Pauline Year jubilee commemorating the 2000th anniversary of the birth of the Apostle–the patron saint of our parish.

Sunday, Jiune 29
Booster Club at 7 p.m. in Boeke Hall

Early Bulletin deadlines

Bulletin announcements for Sunday, July 6, and July 13 MUST be in the rectory by Thursday, June 26, due to shortened week of July 4 and vacation of the secretary who prepares the bulletin. Announcements may be emailed to stpaulakr@sbcglobal.net or dropped off at the rectory.

PSR signups are Aug. 24, Sep. 7

The Parish School of Religion signup for the 2008-09 school year will be Sunday, August 24, and Sunday, September 7, after the 9 and 11 a.m. Masses in the Parish Activity Center.

The Parish School of Religion offers a variety of opportunities for parishioners as teachers or teaching assistants working with elementary students. Contact the Religious Educatin Office at 330-724-9311 if you are interested in teaching the Catholic faith to young students

Datebook: What's Happening Elsewhere

DIVORCED SEPARATED & WIDOWED CATHOLICS JUNE 26
A "Caring and Sharing" session for those who are divorced, separated or widowed will be held Thursday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 1905 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls. Refreshments at 7 p.m. Those attending may speak about problems or concerns facing them. Facilitators are not professional counselors. This is open and free to single people of all faiths. For information call Frank 330-8010527 or Sharon 330-612-3635.

SAINT ELlA BALKAN SUMMER FEST JUNE 28
Ethnic foods will be featured at the Saint Elia Balkan Summer Fest. Macedonian Kebabs, Bulgarian Sausage, Halushki, Albanian Burake, Greek Baklava and other foods will be available.. The Fest is. Saturday, June 28, from 2 p.m. til the firework. St. Elia the Prophet Orthodox Church, 64 W. Wilbeth Rd., is across from the Firestone ballfield.

GROUNDS FOR FAITH JULY 11
Guardian Angels Parish, 1676 S. Cleveland-Massillon Rd., Copley, will present the next installment of Grounds for Faith on Friday, July 11, at 7: p.m. Diane Hardick will speak on "The Four Faces of Jesus,” a talk about Jesus' portrayal in each of the four Gospels.
Each event is an opportunity for young adults to come together to listen to a speaker, enjoy coffee and refreshments, discuss and socialize. All single and married young adults are invited to attend.

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER JULY 11-13
It's not too late to plan for that summer getaway with your spouse. To renew the love and relationship you had on your honeymoon. Get away from all distractions on a Marriage Encounter weekend and make special time just for each other. Surely renewing your marriage is worth one weekend alone together. Attend the July 11-13 Weekend in Akron. For info and/or reservations contact: Dom & Debbie Reo at 330-305-9963 or email WorldwideME@AOL.com.

PRE-BAPTISM CLASS JULY 27
The next Pre-Baptism class for expectant parents will be Sunday, July 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the North Akron Catholic Elementary School Library, 1570 Creighton Ave., (off E. Tallmadge Ave.) in north Akron. Please call Christ the King rectory to register, 330-6338418. Cost is $5 per couple to cover materials.

Mass Intentions June 21-29

Because Fr. Thomas is in Rome, there may be only Morning Prayer and Communion on some occasions.

SATURDAY, June 21 Aloysius Gonzago, religious
4:30 Paul Nauer + Bruce & Kathleen Rayburn 50th Wedding Anniversary

SUNDAY, June 22 Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 Living & Deceased Parishioners of St. Paul
11 :00 Mike Sample +

MONDAY, June 23 Weekday
7:00 For the poor
8:30 Harry Price +

TUESDA Y, June 24 Nativity of John the Baptist
7:00 Duane Carter +
8:30 Morning Prayer and Communion

WEDNESDAY, June 25 Weekday
7:00 For the youth of St. Paul Parish
8:30 Robert J. Daley +

THURSDAY, June 26 Weekday
7:00 For peace in the world
8:30 Morning Prayer and Communion

FRIDAY, June 27 Cyril of Alexandria, bishop, doctor
7:00 Morning Prayer and Communion
8:30 Edward Heinrich +

SATURDAY, June 28 Irenaeus, bishop, martyr
4:30 Rose Marie & Robert Rachel 50th Wedding Anniversary

SUNDAY, June 29 Peter and Paul, apostles
9:00 Beatrice DiDonato + (anniv.) 1
1 :00 Doris Deshane +

Fr. Karg says farewell Masses this weekend

After 44 years in ministry, the Rev. Fr. William D. Karg will celebrate his final Masses this weekend in the parish where he grew up.

Fr. Karg will officially retire from parish ministry on Monday, his 70th birthday. He will celebrate his last Masses at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday at St. Sebastian Church, 476 Mull Ave., where he has served as pastor the last 13 years. Receptions are after each service.

In his retirement, Karg plans to volunteer with Catholic Workers, substitute for parish priests and work with the University of Akron campus ministries at the Newman Center.

St. Sebastian's new administrator is the Rev. John Valencheck, who was supervised by Karg during an internship at St. Henry's. Valencheck, 42, was ordained a priest in 1998.
See our earlier post on Fr. Valencheck.

Karg came to St. Sebastian as pastor in 1995. Before that, he served 13 years as pastor at St. Henry in Cleveland. His assignment at St. Henry came after he returned from Rome, where he spent three years as a pastor in residence at the North American Pontifical College.

Fr. Karg was ordained May 23, 1964. Here are his assignments since then::

Parochial Vicar, St. Vincent de Paul, Cleveland 6/11/1964 - 9/26/1968
Parochial Vicar, Epiphany, Cleveland 9/26/1968 - 12/2/1971
Administrator, Epiphany, Cleveland 12/2/1971 - 2/1/1975
Pastor, Epiphany, Cleveland 2/1/1975 - 1/28/1977
Co-Administrator, St. Catherine, Cleveland 1/28/1977 - 1/4/1979
Member, Mount Pleasant Corlett Team Ministry 7/1/1977 - 6/29/1979
Pastor in residence, Pontifical College, Rome 6/29/1979 - 7/15/1982
Pastor, St. Henry, Cleveland 7/15/1982 - 3/13/1995
Pastor, St. Sebastian, Akron 3/13/1995 - Present

Two of his boyhood friends from St. Sebastian, the Rev. Joseph Kraker and the Rev. Gordon Yahner, also became priests.

Click on the headline to read the full story by Colette M. Jenkins, Beacon Journal relgion writer

Celebrating 160 years of St. Mary Seminary

Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology has been teaching and passing on the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church to hundreds and thousands of students for 160 years. Five of those students, ordained on May 10 this year during the 160th anniversary of the seminary, were guests at a Serra Club of Akron dinner on June 9 at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe. Fr. Thomas M. Dragga, rector of Borromeo Seminary and professor of pastoral theology, presented biographries on each of the new priests. The Rev. Fr. Thomas Tifft, rector of St. Mary Seminary and professor of church history, traced the history of the St. Mary Seminary.

Click on the headline to read the text of Fr. Tifft's talk.

Tips for reading the blog

Here are some tips on reading the blog:

Blog items are posted by date and time so the newest item is always on top.

Labels: You will notice on the left side of the blog there are labels. If you click on a label, you can call up all the articles posted with that partricular label. Mass Intentions will bring up a list of Masses for the week. Datebook will bring up all the posts about events happening outside St. Paul parish. Calendar will bring up St,. Paul social events or special dates. PTO will bring up all PTO posts and so on.

Links: You will notice a section on the left side of the blog called Links. Our current links are Calendar for our online calendar, Parish website for our parish website still under construction, Cleveland Diocese for the diocesam website, School for our school website, Saint of the Day for the daily saint, and Scripture for text and video of the daily scriptures..

Calendar: The link to our online calendar is one of our nicest features. When you go to the calendar you can view it by day, week or month but the best way to view it is by the month. Calendar events are listed under each date. When you click on the event, a window opens to provide information on the event and times. You can print this to keep as a reminder. Because we have so many things going on at St. Paul’s, there are occasional schedule conflicts. Please be sure to send us additions or corrections to the email address in the blog header above.

Headlines: Also on the left is a list of the latest headlines on blog posts. You can click on any headline to bring up that post.

Archives: Only the last 30 posts are shown on the blog. Older posts are archived by the month. You can click on any month to see the posts for that month.

Search: In the upper left corner is a search tool. Type in a word or phrase and click. Posts containing your word or phrase will be shown.

Pictures: Often if you click on a photo or graphic element it will enlarge to give you a better view. Try it on the watercolor of Mother Teresa. If you want to copy one of the photos and save the jpeg file to your computer, just right click on the photo then click on "save image as" and save it as a file to your computer.

Click on headline: If you see the phrase "Click on the headline--" you can click on the headline to go to a new web location. It could be either an album of photos or another website where you can get more information.

Copy and Paste: There may be times you will want to print an article from the blog. Do not try to print the blog which is many pages long. You can copy an article from the blog and paste it to your word processing program to print. To save an article, you first select or highlight the text you want. Click at the beginning of the text, holding the mouse button down and dragging it to the end of the text. Releasing the mouse button highlights the text. You then copy the selected text to your clipboard by pressing CTRL + C or click EDIT and then COPY. Go to your word processor and on an open page press CTRL + V or click EDIT and then PASTE. You now can save the text to your wordprocessor file to keep or print..

If you have any questions or suggestions, please send email to hliggett@sbcglobal.net

Sign in stairwall of St. Paul School

This sign is in a stairwall at St. Paul School. Click on image to enlarge for better view

Need a prayer? It's just phone call away

WANT TO HELP?
Click on coupon and hit Ctrl P. on keyboard to print
Fill out coupon and put in collection basket.

When individuals and families are in spiritual needs, their intentions are passed to a team of parishioners who offer their prayers for them via the Parish Prayer Line.

It begins with one person calling a few others and then each of these calls another and so on down the line. This is an effective way to help lighten the burden of others.

Whenever you have a serious need for prayer or someone in your family does, all you need to do is call

330-773-3177

and the prayer line will be activated for you. Contact: June Rietz, 330-773-3177

Why is this valuable?

We all need prayer, especially when we are having trying times. The great religious writer, Henri Nouwen says that when we are in serious trouble and are unable to collect ourselves to pray; that's when the community is there to pray for and with us. Those of you that have used the line in the past know how supportive and comforting it is to say nothing of how valuable the prayer line is!

Would you like to be a link in this chain of prayer? All that is expected of you is to pray for those on the line and a moment or two to call one or two others who are also on the line.

If you would like to be part of the Prayer Line to call one of two people just phone the Prayer Line and provide your name and telephone number.

Remember: Prayer Line is here for you, whenever your family, loved ones, and others need prayer.

St. Paul Gleanings: Definition of Love

This is one in a series of articles for the jubilee year marking the bicentennial of the birth of St. Paul. The Pauline Year is from June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009.

One of the great passages of St. Paul’s writings, often used at weddings, is his definiton of Love in Chapter 13 of First Corinthians:

If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient. Love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:1-8)

If you understood Mass, you would never miss it

If Catholics really understood the meaning of Sunday Mass, they wouldn't miss it, Cardinal Josef Tomko said at the opening of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress.

Cardinal Tomko, the Pope's special envoy for the event, presided Sunday at the opening mass of the weeklong congress in Quebec. He will also preside at the closing Mass on June 22, during which Benedict XVI will address the participants live via satellite.

Some 11,000 pilgrims, 50 cardinals and more than 100 bishops have gathered for the inaugural Mass of the congress titled, "The Eucharist, the Gift of God for the Life of the World."

"The Eucharist is a gift of God," said Cardinal Tomko. "Not as an object, as the other gifts of God, but a very special one, because the gift of God himself.

"The Eucharist is Christ himself, a Person with his divine and human nature, given to us. It is the body and blood of the Risen Christ present with us under the sacramental signs of the bread and wine."

The cardinal explained: "Before leaving this world, Jesus wanted to leave to his Church and to the whole humanity the gift of his Presence. He has chosen the form of the bread and wine. Since the beginning of his public life, in Capernaum, he has promised the bread of life: 'The bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.'

"On the eve of his passion, in the Cenacle he took the bread and solemnly declared: 'This is my body given up for you.' And he said over the wine: 'Drink from it, all of you, this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.'

"He has accomplished only a few hours in advance of and in a bloodless, sacramental manner, the sacrifice offered in bloody way on the Cross at Calvary. Jesus therefore instituted the Eucharist as his redemptive sacrifice. The Eucharist is a sacramental form of the sacrifice of Jesus on cross, Cenacle and Calvary are just one sacrifice 'for the life of the world.'"

"This sacrifice happened only once," added the papal legate, "but Jesus wanted to apply and to perpetuate it through the centuries. Therefore he gave a commandment to his apostles: 'Do this in memory of me.'

"It is a memorial and a command: not only to remember him with speeches and words, but to do what he has done."

"From that time," said Cardinal Tomko, "the priests of his Church accomplish this sublime command doing the same action and pronouncing the same words. Through 2,000 years the same words of Jesus consecrating the bread and wine resounds."

"In each celebration of the Mass," he said, "Jesus Christ himself is present with us in the situation of sacrifice as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of our world, of our community, our sins."

"It is not a show, not a pure commemoration or remembrance," he stressed, "it is sacramental representation of this salvific event, a persevering memorial bringing its fruits to the faithful."

The cardinal added, "If we understand in depth the meaning of our weekly Eucharist, we will revise our frequentation to it. It will become clear for us why the martyrs of Abitine in Northern Africa declared to the pagan judge: 'We cannot live without the (Sunday) Eucharist' -- "Sine Dominico non possumus vivere" -- and why they offered their lives for this conviction."
[Source: Catholic news agency Zenit]

Elixabeth Petroff funeral is Thursday

Elizabeth Petroff, 88, passed away Sunday, June 15, 2008.

She was born in Akron. Betty retired from B. F. Goodrich Tire & Rubber Co with 41 years service. She was a member of St. Paul Catholic Church, a 20-plus year member of St. Paul's Ladies Guild, Hungarian-American Club, Hungarian-American Culture Club, Firestone Park Primetimers, AARP, St. Paul's Prayer Line, and Barberton Senior Citizens Club.

Mrs. Petroff was preceded in death by husband, Steve. She is survived by niece, Carol Ann (Col. David G.) Harrison; great-niece Denise Mathews; great-great-nephew, Ethan Mathews; great-nephew, Gerald David Harrison; and nephew, Michael (Naomi) Petroff and family.

The family will receive friends Wednesday, 4 to 8 p.m. at the Anthony Funeral Home Kucko-Anthony-Kertesz Chapel, 1990 S. Main St. Funeral services will be held Thursday, 10 a.m. at the funeral home, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. at St Paul Catholic Church. Interment at Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to San Alfonso Mission, P.O. Box 745876, Arvada, CO 80006. (Anthony Funeral Home Kucko-Anthony-Kertesz Chapel, 330-724-1281, www.kakfh.com)
[Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, Tuesday, June 17, 2008, page B5, col. 1]

UB prints Q&A interview with Bp. Quinn

You might want to check out the most recent (June 3) issue of the Catholic Universe Bulletin to read the pullout section commemorating the retirement of Bishop A. James Quinn of the Cleveland Diocese whose retirement after 50 years was celebrated with a Mass in St. John Cathedral today.

Bishop Quinn, in a long interview published in a Q. & A. format talks about his days as a lifeguard at the CYO camp on Portage Lakes and about his acquaintce with Archbishop Edward Hoban. His brother, Peter, also shares memories of Bishop Quinn.

There are photos of then Monsignor Quinn recording his radio program in 1969, as a child with sister Mary and brother Paul.and of Class of 1958 classmates ordained by Archbishop Hoban. The classmates were Fr. Thomas McGovern, pastor emeritus of Akron St. Matthew; Fr. James A. Reymann, pastor ot St. Patrick Church in Wellington, Father Mark DiNardo, pastor of St. Patrick parish on Ridge Ave.on Cleveland’s west side and Fr. Thomas A. Dunphy, pastor of St. Martin of Tours in Valley City. Also in one of the photos is Monsignor Robert C. Wolff, pastor emeritus of Guardian Angels parish in Copley.

Fr. Valencheck assigned to St Sebastian

This week’s Catholic Universe Bulletin announced the appointment of the Rev. Fr. John A. Valencheck as administrator of St. Sebastian parish in Akron, replacing the Rev..Fr. William D. Karg who will retire June 23 and be named pastor emeritus.

Fr. Valencheck, who will be 43 on August 24, was ordained May 30, 1998. He served as associate at St. Ambrose in Brunswck from June that year until June, 2005 when he was assigned as associate at St,. Clare parish in Lyndhurst.

He has written articles on architecture and liturgy and started his own blog called “Adam’s Ale” in 2007. The title Adam's Ale, as it turns out, is water-- the only drink available in the Garden of Eden.

Here’s a post from Adam’s Ale which is a sample of Fr. Valencheck’s writing:

Monday, August 27, 2007
IF YOU EXIST, PRESUME GOD LOVES YOU
“If you have a beautiful voice, presume God wants you to sing. If you are teacher, presume God wants you to teach. Use your gifts in service of others.” (Author unknown to me, but told to be by Mrs. P)

People want burning bushes. Burning bushes are rare. What is it that God wants you to do to build up humanity and give glory to Him? You have thousands of clues in your life already. Maybe part of your discernment of God’s will in your life is finding out the gifts with which He has blessed you.

If you can pray, assume God wants you to pray for others. If you are artistic, assume God want you to inspire others with your gifts.

Not everybody is called to be a missionary. Not everyone is called to be married. The Church needs electricians as well as organists. How are you going to live your vocation so that you give glory to God and lead others to Him?

If you can inspire by the written word, assume God wants you to write (or blog). If you have the capacity to heal, assume God wants you to heal.

Sometimes God gives us multiple opportunities. Once I met a lady who received her acceptance letter to a religious order on the same day that a man proposed to her. Both were goods, both were things she felt called to, both were holy vocations. Sometimes there is simply a choice and once we choose we give it our all and don’t look back.

If your talent seems small, assume God will do something bigger with it than you will ever realize. If life continually leads you away from your strengths, assume God is trying to stretch you for something greater.

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Other items you may wish to check:

Adam’s Ale

Fr. Valencheck’s article on architecture.

Quotes from Fr. Valencheck in an article by Scripps Howard religion writer Terry Mattingly which asks the question: Should Mass try to appeal to the masses?

Fr. Karg’s reflections on his years at St. Sebastian from the June, 2008 parish newsletter.

It's Happening at St. Paul

Sunday, June 15 Father’s Day

Tuesday, June 17
Eucharistic Adoration with church open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Volleyball Camp will be today through Friday at John Jenkins Gymnasium. Coaches are Deb Stewart, Hoban High Freshman Coach and Tori Stewart, Hoban High Varsity Setter. For incoming grades of 3 through 5 camp time is 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. For incoming grades of 6 through 8 camp time is noon to 2:30 p.m.
Senior Prayer Hour 1 p.m. with Eucharistic Adoratiom

Wednesday, June 18
Bible Study at 9 a.m. in Room111
Lidturgy/Worship Committee at 6:30 p.m. in Room 111
Bible Study at 7 p.m. in Rectory

THURSDAY, June 12
Senior Bingo at 11 a.m. in Boeke Hall

Saturday, June 21
Men’s Fellowship Breakfast at 8 a.m. in Boeke Hall

A Father’s Day commentary for St. Paul

Here’s a Father’s Day commentary with a St. Paul’s angle dredged up from the Intenet:

A great way to celebrate Father’s Day is for men to be a “Good News Father,” following the biblical advice of St. Paul found in 1 Corinthians 4:14-21.

Was St. Paul a father? We don’t know, but he certainly acted like one. He affirmed, “in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” How does that happen?

It begins when a man leads children and youth to Christ. Fathers are challenged to “bring [children] up in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). A father’s failure to provide “for his immediate family” displays life actions that are “worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8).

A good news father also lives the life of Christ. The Apostle Paul did; and thus could say, “imitate me” and “my life in Christ Jesus agrees with what I teach everywhere.”

It is estimated fathers spend 13 minutes a day talking with their children. Living the life of Christ includes personal involvement with our families. Fathers who invest quality time, share fun, celebrate achievements and impart love will return lasting results.