PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS! On October 28, 29, and 30, we will hold our annual Solemn Eucharistic Devotions which will begin on Friday, October 28, with a special school Mass at 9:30 AM. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will continue on the main altar throughout the weekend. We will have our Solemn Closing with Mass and Evening Prayer and a procession with the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday, October 30, beginning at 5 PM. Our homilist will be Fr. Joe Menkhaus, recently ordained Parochial Vicar at St. Bernadette Parish in Westlake. Those preparing to receive their First Holy Communion and Confirmation will also join in our procession to honor the Eucharistic presence of our Lord. Please make every effort to be a part of this special weekend of praise and prayer as we give thanks to God for the gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist.
Please make every effort to attend or at least make a holy hour during this special weekend of prayer. This is an especially valuable time for our parish community, especially in light of the Eucharistic Revival initiated by the U.S. Bishops on the Feast of Corpus Christi in June. We must make every effort to deepen our devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We are very blessed to have perpetual adoration in our parish. It should be extremely helpful and comforting to know that we can go to the Chapel of Divine Mercy any time we feel the need day or night. Not many parishes have that blessing. This is possible only because of the devotion of so many people who are willing to sign up for an hour. We can always use more volunteers to sign up for an hour of prayer especially during the night hours. We have them all pretty much covered, but it would be much better to have at least two people for each hour. It is just something that I would like more people to consider prayerfully. Jesus is asking us to spend one hour with Him in prayer. One hour out of 168 hours in a week is not that much to ask. Pray and think about it.
ANGEL SCHOLARSHIP FUND: Last weekend Chuck McEvoy spoke before all the Masses concerning the Angel Scholarship Fund which helps schools throughout the diocese to offer parents help with tuition. Thanks to the State of Ohio and its support of parents being able to choose the education they want for their children, we are able to use our Ohio state income tax to help with tuition costs. As Chuck explained, first estimate your 2022 Ohio state tax liability. Next, submit your contribution to the Angel Scholarship Fund based on your Ohio state tax liability. Then, complete your 2022 Ohio income tax return and include your receipt from your contribution to the Angel Scholarship Fund for a 100% tax credit up to $750 ($1,500 if married filing jointly). So far, Sacred Heart is expected to receive close to $30,000, as a result of those who have already given to the fund. You can find all the information you need at this link: https://vimeo.com/687761970. There is a deadline for this year so please check it out. The little bit of time that it takes to fill out the form will be of great help to our parish, our school, and to our families that use the school. Do not forget the ANGEL SCHOLARSHIP drive. Be an angel for others, especially our children.
We have Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, Priesthood Sunday, and now we have Deacon’s Day. The very first Deacon’s Day is today. It is a day for us to acknowledge our deacons and those who are in formation to become deacons. We all know Deacon Roger and Deacon Rich. Deacon Roger was ordained 25 years ago, and Deacon Rich was ordained 13 years ago. They have been selflessly serving the people of Sacred Heart ever since. They have assisted at Mass, preached the Word of God, baptized the children of our parish, witnessed many marriages as well as visiting the sick, and ministering to many people in any way that they could. God has blessed our parish family with two outstanding deacons who have more than lived up to their vocation. The word “deacon” means one who serves. We are very grateful for all that Deacon Roger and Deacon Rich have done for us and continue to do for this faith community. I do not know what I would have done without their help, their support, and their love for the people of this parish community. Please pray for our two deacons and all deacons as they strive to serve the Church in many different ways.
As I said, we have two wonderful deacons, and we also have two men who have begun their formation in becoming deacons. Jon Woost is in his second year in formation and Mike Niese who just started his formation in the past few months. Please pray for these men along with their wives Carrie Woost and Janelle Niese. May God help them and guide them in their formation as deacons.
