From the Pastor

Dear Parishioners,

What a hot summer this has been. I hope you have an opportunity to have a restful, relaxing, and cooler Labor Day Weekend. Let us be grateful for the work God has given us to do. And, let us pray for those who struggle to find gainful employment. Mass at 9:30.

Catholic Education and Formation is a lifelong process. It simply doesn’t end after graduation or Confirmation. I encourage you to take advantage of the programs listed in today’s bulletin to learn more about your faith, or to get involved in programs that keep your faith, hope, and charity alive and vibrant – such as our 3 Hunger Programs, the Right to Life, St. Bernard-St. Mary School, or a parish project. We need you.

Thanks to those who called to volunteer their time and talents this past week. As the old saying goes: “many hands make light work”; and sharing your time and talent is a great savings to our faith community.

Last week the school children celebrated their first Mass of the school year asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them in their studies. School Mass is held at 8am on Fridays in St. Mary Church on S. Main.

Our children at SB-SM School benefited from the contributions recently given to the Diocesan Appeal for Catholic Education. From the appeal, we received close to $38,000 in tuition benefits. This benefit to the students, however, is a mere fraction of the overall cost to operate the school for one year.

You probably have noticed a few more vigil lights in the church. They are a reminder of the candle given to us at our baptism; the Light of Christ. Lighting a candle symbolizes our whole self before God (with petition, a sacrifice, and the prayers of a particular saint). May the glowing vigil lights also remind us to pray for one another. God love you. Fr. Dan

We welcome Bishop Richard G. Lennon this Sunday. Now that our new parish was established on July 4, 2010, he returns to install the first pastor – moi! I deeply appreciate the many prayers and support you all have given me since my arrival. The Lord has been responding to your prayers because there are days when I know that we made it through situations because of those prayers.

One such situation this week made it to the local news. On Wednesday while two of our staff, Scott Graham and Jim Kintz, were helping me on the second floor of the rectory, Jim discovered the rectory attic engulfed in gas fumes. Buildings at the parish were evacuated. The fire department closed off streets for safety. These fearless firemen (a couple of whom are parishioners) and Gas company employees searched all the buildings. A pipe leak was found in the rectory basement walls that shot straight up to the attic and also underground into the social hall kitchen in the basement of the church. Masses and Hot Meals were cancelled. And life resumed with some normalcy on Thursday. And thanks to God and your prayers…no one was injured.

Parishioners are often asking what they can do to help. Here are three areas. One is in our parish cemetery located on Maple St. This week we are indebted to Fr. Gordon Yahner of St. Vincent Parish. He spent over 40 hours with a crew of St. Vincent parishioners cutting back tree limbs and cleaning debris from along the fence line. They have made a significant dent in the long-term upkeep of the cemetery. Through the diocese, we spend $1000 per month for grass cutting and trimming around headstones. An on-going committee and crew would be a great help to the parish.

There are medical professionals in our parish. Donna Daugherty and Rosita Baker have volunteered to organize a Faith-based Community Nursing Ministry for us. As Jesus healed the soul and body, this parish nurse ministry could use the assistance of other nurses, social workers, and willing volunteers to sponsor programs.

Finally, every weekend we have volunteers who form as teams to tally the financial offering you make during the Mass. Each team meets once a month. If you are a former counter from either parish, we can still use your assistance.

Our SB-SM School has started. As I mentioned last week we are grateful to Bishop Lennon for allowing us to use the St. Mary Church to celebrate Mass and prayer services for our students. The children gather at 8am on Fridays to pray and worship.

Let us continue to pray for one another as summer recess and vacations end, and we come into the full swing of our first year together. God Bless, Fr. Dan

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend Mrs. Rosemary Capotosto will speak at all the masses. Mrs. Capotosto is the principal of our new St. Bernard-St. Mary Elementary School.

She comes to us from St. Paul School here in Akron where she served as a teacher for 12 years, then as principal for ten years. With her leadership we plan to be educating Akron area children for some time to come. Please give Mrs. Capotosto your attention to learn more about our unique parish school.

This past week Bishop Lennon gave permission to use St. Mary church for a school Mass and non-sacramental prayer services (e.g. Stations of the Cross, Rosary, etc.). This will provide our school students the opportunity to continue weekly masses. The Mass will be held at 8am on Fridays during the academic year.

As a new academic year for our school begins, we welcome students beginning or returning to classes at the University of Akron. Please be aware of our new Mass Schedule, but know the 8pm Sunday evening Mass will continue. We hope your prayer with us is a great support in your time of studies and career development. The Newman Center is located here at the parish. Students can find an advertisement card at the church doors describing Upcoming Events offered by the Newman Center. Please take a card with you.

Loyal Oaks Lake was a wonderful setting for many of the parishioners who joined in the Parish Picnic last weekend. Thanks to the 6pm Spanish Choir, the K of C, and the Picnic Committee who helped make the day at the lake a relaxing and enjoyable event.

Apologies are in order to those who showed for the 6pm Mass last Sunday. I’m sorry for the inconvenience to those who did not know the Mass was cancelled so folks could attend the Picnic Mass.

Next Sunday, August 29th, Bishop Lennon will preside at the 11:30am Mass. During the Mass I will be installed as the first pastor of our new parish. The members of the Parish Council, Finance Council, and Staff will be present. Following the Mass there will be a reception in the Social Hall with coffee and donuts. It is a good opportunity to meet and greet the Council members, Parish staff, and fellow parishioners. Please note that the ‘coffee and donuts’ will move to the later morning Mass for next weekend only.

Please pray for those beginning another academic year this week, and for those in the parish who are undergoing medical care. St. Mary and St. Bernard pray for us who have recourse to you.

A blessed week to you all,

Fr. Dan

Dear Parishioners,

Along with the whole church we celebrate two important feasts this week. Today we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Mother; when St. Mary was taken to heaven body and soul. On Friday we celebrate the day St. Bernard of Clairvaux entered eternal life in 1153. This is a special week of prayer for our parish. The Rosary will be recited together before all the Masses this weekend, and, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be held on Friday following the 12:10 Mass until 5pm in the church. Can you take a ½ hour to pray in the church that day? Sign up in the vestibule.

Kudos to Sue Kramer who single-handedly washed and ironed all the server cassocks and surplices. Thanks, Sue, for keeping our servers in fitting attire for the Lord. May the Lord bless you!

We had brief update sessions for Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist this week. It is to apply the diocesan norms to our ministry in this new parish. If you missed a meeting, please disregard any schedule you may have received and do not minister until you’ve observed the new procedures for distribution here at SB-SM. A final update session will be held on Sunday, September 12 at 7:00pm when UA students return.

Server training will begin shortly. We need servers at the altar who are entering the 5th Grade. We still welcome and encourage High School and University students to assist the parish at worship in this ministry.

A number of religious education programs are beginning soon: Our St. Bernard-St. Mary School is ready to begin another academic year. Mrs. Rosemary Capotosto, faculty and staff, welcome your support for our approximate 200 students. PSR or CCD will begin in September at the school. A Study Program for Adults will also begin next month. And as noted, the R.C.I.A. Program begins this week with an Inquiry Class. Please encourage any friends or family to attend who have questions about our Catholic Faith.

Finally, now that our new parish has been established, I cordially invite you to my installation as your pastor. Bishop Lennon will preside at the 11:30am Mass on August 29th and oversee the formal canonical rite. Coffee and Donuts will follow in the Social Hall.

St. Bernard and St. Mary pray for us to our Lord. And let us pray for one another!

God bless you all, Fr. Dan

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend there are three (3) important changes that go into effect. You already know about the new Schedule for weekend and daily Masses. A constant reference is the updated sign board on the front corner of the church building.

Also this weekend we begin distribution of Communion under both forms of consecrated bread and wine at all the Masses. Please note the position of the Communion Stations and where you will be directed to receive. Hopefully, it will simplify our procession and keep to a “careful and reverent” reception of the Eucharist.People in the pews along the Walls of the church process all the way down the wall aisles and receive Communion at the Stations by the side doors and return to their pews up a Statue Aisle with the arrow.  (see the Diagram posted with the story on the website)

People in the middle pews enter the middle aisle and process down to a Communion Station and return to their pews up the same Statue Aisle indicated with an arrow.

Finally, the third change this weekend is that our meal program to the homeless will be open now Monday through Friday only, and other organizations located elsewhere will provide service to the homeless. We will still have our hot meals five times a month and our weekly Thursday distribution of food goods to families.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation with these three changes. We hope they enable us to serve you better here at the parish.

Remember that next weekend for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, the rosary will be recited together in church a half hour before every Mass.

St. Bernard and St. Mary pray for us to our Lord.

God bless you all, Fr. Dan

Dear Parishioners,

Next weekend our new Mass Schedule goes into effect. Please take home the insert in today’s bulletin as a reminder and tell your friends. The change will be an inconvenience for our 4:30 Sunday worshipers. I hope as many as possible can join us at one of the other two evening Masses or at our two morning Masses. There is room for all of us.

Our daily Mass Schedule also changes. St. Mary’s only had an evening Mass, so we will now offer one at 5:10pm three days a week. It’s the same time as on holydays. Hopefully, we will be able to provide an opportunity for prayer to downtown workers on their way home from a long workday.

For parents who had children attending ISR this past year, I beg your patience. We will have religious education classes in the Fall. They will be held at the school on S. Main. I am looking at Adult religious education and formation programs as well. There is a wealth of programs available to help strengthen our faith, knowledge and spiritual life as Catholics. We want to do all we can to assist parents in their obligation to instruct their children in the Catholic faith.

These weeks we have had some fruitful discussions about our three outreach programs to the homeless and hungry in the area. A good number of parishioners have been reaching out to the hungry at this site for over 30 years. We have discussed how we can coordinate serving times, volunteers (and we need more), and resources in a way that the needy can be fed physically while others come to be fed spiritually for Mass and other Sacraments.

In celebration of the Assumption of Mary, we will pray the Rosary together a half-hour before each of the weekend Masses on August 14 and 15. Please join us.

I want to express my thanks to all of you have prayed for me and the parish. What a blessing! I’m grateful the Lord has sent me. There is much to do but I believe if we pull together we will find “something greater than Jonah here” – Jesus Christ, our Lord. He is what matters to the Father. May Christ keep our eyes fixed on the things of heaven this week. Let’s keep looking up.

In Christ’s Peace, Fr. Dan

Dear Parishioners,

You may see a familiar face at our church doors this weekend, Fr. Paul Schindler. Fr. Schindler spent many years as a missionary in El Salvador. In the early 1980s after the murder of Archbishop Romero and some of our Cleveland missionaries, he was brought back home. He was made pastor of the former St. Bernard’s in 1982. After serving here in Akron for 26 years, he returned to El Salvador in 2008 to retire. Recently, the Archbishop of San Salvador asked him to serve as pastor of one of the largest parishes in the capital city. Father accepted. So much for retirement! We welcome Fr. Schindler to the new parish and hope he has a restful vacation with friends here in Akron. BIENVENIDO!

Best Wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Nick Stohovitch who celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary this weekend. Congratulations and our prayers for you.

You may see something missing at the former St. Mary Parish. In order to safeguard the religious items around the church building, Mr. Dave Klein and Mr. Richard Williams carefully removed the Stations of the Cross and the Crucifix that stood on the north side and moved them inside. Thanks for your help.

Please take note of the new weekend and daily Mass Schedules listed in today’s bulletin. We will soon use other media to inform parishioners and visitors of this change effective August 7th with 3:30 Confession and the 5:00 pm Mass.

Our Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist will attend a brief update session soon. This is intended primarily to better our service to the people at Mass. If you bring Communion to the homebound, you may find this update helpful.

There are a number of people who are homebound in our parish. In August I would like to begin or continue First Friday Communion Calls. If there is a family member or neighbor you know who would like a visit, please call the parish office with their name and contact information.

We are currently looking at our Religious Education Programming for the parish. Information will be coming soon regarding registration, location of classes, and catechists. If you have been a catechist for either St. Bernard or St. Mary Parishes and are willing to assist, please call the parish office and let us know.

Please pray for your fellow parishioners, especially those in hospital or undergoing illness. St. Mary and St. Bernard, pray for us. Fr. Dan

Members of the former parish councils and finance councils have willingly agreed to assist for one more year the new parish. Parish council meetings are open to parishioners and will be announced ahead of time. If you have a question or concern please don’t hesitate to call one of these parishioners or me.

This week the parish council approved the new Mass and Confession schedules. Please post this new schedule in your home. It will go into effect with the Vigil Mass on Saturday, August 7th, just before the academic year begins at UA.

Scott Graham and John McGough are spending many a hot, humid day in our school. It’s time to strip and wax floors. They are doing an excellent job. Keep them in your prayers as they sweat it out. If you have some time to spare, they could use some help with the grass cutting around the school property. Just give a call to the parish office if you are willing to volunteer.

You may have noticed that our servers at the altar are dressed pretty snappy in their cassocks and surplices. These are a few of the religious items that came from the St. Mary Parish. Soon Deacon Ray and Mr. Bill Sullivan will be calling on all our servers to train them for the celebration of the Mass in our sanctuary. Thanks to our servers, Bill and Deacon Ray.

There are a number of people who are homebound in our parish. In August I would like to begin or continue First Friday Communion Calls. If there is a family member or neighbor you know who would like a visit, please call the parish office with their name and contact information.

Remember too that if you or a family member is admitted to a hospital or nursing home, we will not know about it unless you call the parish office. If you inform us we can pay them a visit to pray and bring them the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It can be a blessing at a crucial time in their life.

At Mass a person can be remembered at the altar of God by the priest and people in a special way. If you wish to include an intention for a person (living or deceased) simply come by the office. A monetary sacrifice can be made. We will open the 2011 Mass Intention Book in November to those with specific dates.

Tom Maximovich has been a member of the Holy Name Society at St. Mary. We would like to expand the society to new members. If there are those in the parish interested in joining a spiritual and charitable organization for men in our parish, please contact the parish office and we’ll put you in touch with Tom.

Remember the upcoming change in our Mass Schedule. Please pray for your fellow parishioners as we unite under the tutelage of St. Bernard and St. Mary.

Christ’s Peace, Fr. Dan

What a wonderful beginning to our Parish! What a blessing for many! Here are two comments that I heard. A visitor at the Opening Mass came up to me afterward and said, “Wow! That Mass made me proud to be a Catholic!” and another comment was from one of the concelebrating priests, “I was so impressed with the reverence people showed when they received the Eucharist”. I think you need to know how the Lord touched others’ hearts through your worship of Him. Our thanks to the musicians, servers, lectors, Extraordinary Ministers, con-celebrants, greeters, and hospitality coordinators, and of course, Bishop Lennon.

Later that day I made my first decision as pastor. Mrs. Rosemary Capotosto will be the first principal of our new St. Bernard-St. Mary School. She served 12 years as a teacher and then 10 years as principal of St. Paul Elementary School here in Akron. She is well-qualified, knowledgeable, a good leader, a mentor to other principals, and an active member of St. Anthony Parish. She wants to be a part of maintaining the academic excellence that has made St. Mary Elementary School great. She wants the best for our children, and I believe they will have the best with Mrs. Capotosto as their principal. Welcome, Rosemary!

Our school is located at 750 S. Main. Please call the school office for enrollment information and tuition for parishioners of SB-SM Parish. 330-253-1233.

I hope you can join us for an evening of Mass, Supper, and an Aero Baseball Game. Be sure to fill out, tear off, and turn in the bottom portion of this Sunday’s insert.

Summer heat is upon us. Stay cool, drink lots of water, and check on your neighbors! Pray for those who find the summer heat unbearable, especially those without the comforts of home. St. Mary and St. Bernard pray for us to Jesus.

Fr. Dan

Dear Parishioners,

Praise be Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, who makes all things New! May His Holy Spirit be renewed in us as we proclaim Him anew as the people of St. Bernard-St. Mary Parish.

We are privileged to have Bishop Lennon here to establish our new parish. His presence, bearing Apostolic Succession, makes this a historic and momentous occasion. Thank you, Bishop, for bringing us Christ in the Eucharist.

Your welcome to him and me has been greatly appreciated. And, I want to thank in a special way my brother priests, Frs. Ed Burba and Clyde Foster. Their efforts these past weeks helped to make my transition to you smooth and less stressful. We keep them in our prayers as they make their transition to new assignments. Please see “Contact Information” below.

Thanks also to all the Liturgical Ministers for their service at the Opening Mass, and for those who arranged the refreshments afterward.

I look forward to serving you with Deacon Ray DiMascio, who was recently assigned to our parish, and, with Fr. Norm Douglas of Heart to Heart Ministry and the UA Newman Center.

Today we celebrate the 234th Anniversary of our Nation’s Independence. What a fitting day to begin our new parish. The French philosopher Albert Camus once said, “Freedom is nothing else than a chance to become better”. Ultimately the freedom we experience comes from God. It is up to each of us to use that freedom to discipline our lives in order to become better Catholics and Americans. We remember today in prayer the men and women who serve our nation in defense of the freedom we possess.

As you can imagine there is much to do these first weeks of the new parish. One important decision will be the selection of a principal for our St. Bernard-St. Mary School. I will also be appointing a SB-SM Parish Council from members of the councils who served the former parishes. I am asking them to serve for just one year in this transition. Stay posted for who they are. If you have a question or concern, please don’t think I’m that busy that I can’t take your call at the Parish Office. I’ll try to respond as soon as possible.

Don’t forget about our upcoming Parish Picnic on August 15. More information will follow. It can be a grand time for folks to meet one another. Pray for good weather and MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Let us continue to praise and give God thanks for our freedom and seek the grace to use it wisely. May the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Bernard of Clairvaux pray for us, in whose patronage we are doubly blessed.

Fr. Dan