Pastor's Column for August 18, 2024
Dear Parishioners,
We express our deepest sympathy to Paulette Prokop on the passing of her daughter, Emily. I celebrated a Funeral Mass for Emily at St. Malachi church last week where Emily had been a member and music minister. Father Ned Weist, former pastor of St. Leo the Great who knew Emily well during his time here, gave a fitting homily for this young woman of 44 years who had suffered from Huntington’s Disease. Her sister Cara and father Dennis also succumbed to this same disease in recent years. She is survived by a sister, Julie, and by a brother, Joseph. Before the onset of symptoms, Emily was a cheerful, athletic, intelligent and beautiful woman who brought joy to many. I anointed her this past February at Broadview MultiCare and prayed for her there with her mother and Aunt Mary. I spoke of her last weekend in my homily and will continue to believe in the reward she will receive in God’s kingdom. Her mother Paulette, a devout person of deep faith and parishioner here, has suffered much from this disease which has afflicted her family. She has carried her cross courageously and with much love. May Paulette and her children receive much peace as they continue to place Emily and themselves in God’s loving hands.
From time to time our church building has received updates to both the interior and exterior in order to deal with both maintenance issues as well as to enhance it’s beauty. Last year we painted the exterior sloping roof which had become rusted. A few years ago we had leaks repaired in this same roof and then had the entire interior ceiling painted (both covered by insurance). I see we have some major peeling going on now toward the back of the church and we also need to have the area above the pulpit repainted again after some water damage. The floor has been stripped of its wax several times over the last couple of weeks which is why it looked so dull compared to before. We are trying a different technique for the church floor which will hopefully bring back the beauty of the terrazzo floor without having to wax it so that is being worked on now and hopefully will look good for this weekend’s Masses.
Beyond these repairs and maintenance projects, we have installed shrines for St. Vincent de Paul and St. Leo the Great where the old confessionals used to be, have installed a more permanent baptismal font with flowing water and have added lights to the Stations of the Cross. I like to make “tweaks” to our current worship space only if I think these might enable our devotions to be more effective or the space more beautiful. Bishop Barron has opined that in recent years, following the trend of modern architecture, our churches have become rather “beige” with the emphasis on functionality and simplicity, often to the detriment of beauty and art, both of which are meant to glorify God as they remind us of Him who is Eternal Beauty.
So to this end, I have asked the Bishop for permission to move our tabernacle (and it’s “altar of repose”) from it’s present location on the right side of the sanctuary back to the center of the sanctuary under the crucifix, and he has granted that request. I will speak more of this at Mass next weekend when you will see this change, but my hope is to refocus the Eucharistic Presence of Christ, which needs to be at the center of our attention. The chairs for the Presider and the Deacon will be moved to the same level as the altar and pulpit and will be on the right of the altar. These changes will reflect the current trend of other churches that are being built or renovated, as well as a renewed emphasis on the gift and centrality of the Eucharist. Again, I’ll speak more of this and of a couple others changes next weekend. I trust you will be pleased.
Fr. James P. Schmitz
