WE HAVE A POPE! Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost was elected by the College of Cardinals on May 8, 2025, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. He was born and raised in the Chicago area making him the first pope from the United States of America. We have always heard that the odds of an American being elected to the Papacy were slim to none. Those were not a part of God’s plan for the Church since we now have a Pope from the United States. We should be rejoicing in this blessing that God has bestowed on this great nation and on the Church.
Obviously, we have already heard many things about Pope Leo. Everyone has an opinion and thanks to social media a place to make their opinion known. A lot of what has been said about Pope Leo is very positive, but there are those who seem to dwell on the negative aspects of some things that he has said or done. No human being could stand up to the scrutiny of the whole world, going over everything a person has ever said or done. I know I could not. We all say things and later regret what we said or how we said it. There are some areas of our life that we reflect upon and as a result we grow and change. This is just a result of being a human being. It is very important we pray for our new Holy Father that God will remain with him in every way to guide him, to bless him, to give him strength, and continue to call him to greater holiness.
We must also remember that given the grace of God as we are given the grace of a new part of our life there can also be greater clarity and growth especially in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Let us not be too quick to believe everything we read or hear about our new Pope. We also need to be very careful about what we read and listen to, especially in a world where the media does not have the greatest reputation for accurate reporting. Try to use Catholic media for information concerning the Church and her leadership. You can get a lot of information by going to the Diocese of Cleveland web site dioceseofcleveland.org or the United States Conference of Bishops at usccb.org.
Yesterday morning Jon Hawkins was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Malesic in St. John’s Cathedral. Yesterday afternoon Fr. Jon celebrated his first Mass here at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish where he grew up. It is a great time of rejoicing and thanksgiving for his generous response to this vocation to the priesthood. It is the answered prayers of this faith community. An answer to all the Hail Mary’s we pray for vocations after all our Masses. Please continue to pray for Fr. Jon as be begins his life as a priest. My God watch over him, guide him, and strengthen his resolve to serve the people of God. Fr. Jon has been assigned to Holy Family Parish in Stow. I am sure Fr. Jon will do a great job ministering to the people of Holy Family Parish. May God bless him in all he does.
Our parish now has three priests serving the Church. Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP son of Arlene Steinkerchner, Fr. John Mulhollan, the son of Paul and Bonnie Mulhollan, and now Fr. Jon Hawkins. In addition, Joshua Heskamp, son of David and Therese Heskamp, will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, on June 7, in Covington, Kentucky. Our prayers have borne much fruit, but we are not finished yet. This fall, Quinn McNeill, son of Ryan and Leah McNeill will enter Borromeo Seminary in Wickliffe, Ohio, to begin his studies for the priesthood. We also have several other young men who have expressed an interest in discerning a vocation to the priesthood.
We also continue to pray for Jon Woost, the husband of Carrie Woost and Michael Niese, the husband of Janelle who are preparing for the Diaconate for our diocese. Jon is due to be ordained next May and Michael a few years after him. So, we keep praying and also keep encouraging our young people to prayerfully consider a religious vocation.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS. We will celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the weekend of June 28 and 29 at all the Masses. Following the 5 PM Mass on Sunday, June 29, we will hold our parish picnic. The Family Life Commission and the Parish Council will be working to plan the event. If you would like to help, please call the parish office.
