IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:
• April & May: All parishioners seeking to help in a leadership role or serve as members of a commission are invited to submit a discernment
form. Available at the doors of the church.
• May 10th the Implementation Teams will present their final commission designs and priorities to each other.
• The Commissions will begin their formation with a Launch Day on May 31st under the guidance of Don Malone and Rosie Dolan Baker to
help them prepare for the work of the parish.
• July 1 will be the “rebirth” of all parish Councils, Commissions, and Committees.
• Other—Look for more community events celebrating our rich histories and hopeful future coming over summer 2025.
Administrator’s Column
Dear Friends and Parishioners,
As we mark the official coming together of St. Malachi and St. Patrick, I invite you to read my special letter which is inserted in today’s bulletin.
May the Lord continue to bless us as we look forward to this new chapter for both parishes.
Easter blessings,
Fr. Gurnick
Administrator’s Column
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I heard a teacher once tell her students, “Holy Week is not the time to play liturgical leapfrog.” I chuckled.
The temptation for many Catholics is to skip from Palm Sunday and go directly to Easter Sunday without participating in the solemn observances throughout Holy Week. Many simply miss out on the important things being emphasized during these sacred days.
Holy Thursday and Good Friday present central aspects of our faith, elements we otherwise don’t see as pointedly any other time of the year. For example, there is no other time in our liturgical year when feet are washed as a reminder for us to take seriously Jesus’ mandate to love one another – a love that requires sacrifice. It’s also the night when we commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist and priesthood.
Good Friday invites us to reflect on the passion and death of our Savior through the Gospel of John. We also focus in a special manner on the mystery of the Cross by coming up to venerate the “instrument for our salvation.”
And the Easter Vigil (beginning at 9pm) invites us to reflect on our salvation history, from the time of Genesis leading to Christ’s death and resurrection. We begin with the blessing of fire which will light our new Paschal candle. The blessing of new water will be used to bring our Elect into the Church through baptism. “On this most holy night, all creation is restored and sings to the glory of God!”
In addition to these central liturgies, we have additional opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Stations of the Cross. So, please don’t play liturgical leapfrog and make the time to truly enter into this Holy Week. Be assured of my continued prayers for you and your loved ones.
Sincerely yours in Christ Crucified,
Father Gurnick
Building and Grounds Update, April 2025
BUILDING AND GROUNDS UPDATE: We are grateful for the help of a few parishioners and Stella Maris volunteers last week decluttering and removing scrap from St. Malachi school attic. We filled up a flat bed and have more to go before this project is finished. St. Malachi has an account with All Scrap Salvage on W140th St. They will credit our account for any metal, appliances, water heaters, air conditioners that are dropped off (including from individual parishioners). For big clean outs, they may be able to send a truck.
Help Prepare the Church for Palm Sunday, 2025
Please join us to prepare the church for Palm Sunday on Friday, April 11, after the noon Mass, starting at 1:00. Any questions, please contact Judy Slivka (216) 701-3476).
Easter Help Needed, Easter 2025
We are looking for volunteers for hospitality at the Easter Vigil & Easter Sunday. We need bakery and help with set-up, cleanup and serving. If you are willing to help, please contact Chris Dusek 216 375-6054 or Cathy Graham cathy.g@stmalachi.org
Lenten Collection – Fr. Conroy’s Mission, Lent 2025
Please join us again this Lent as we support Fr. Kevin Conroy’s mission to provide mental health services to his patients in Cambodia. Fr. Conroy, a priest from the Cleveland Diocese and psychologist, has been in Cambodia for over 17 years providing mental health services and restoring human dignity. He and his team are treating approximately 150 severe mentally ill patients at a cost of $530 per patient, per year.
Please support his ministry, Caritas Seedling of Hope Community Mental Health, with your donations and prayers. Checks payable to St. Malachi Parish with the memo Fr. Conroy’s Mission Or donate online: membership.faithdirect.net/givenow/OH337 .
Administrator’s Column, 04/05/2025
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This past week we had two opportunities for parishioners to reflect on Discernment for Parish Leadership. This provided an opportunity to share with participants what discernment might look like as we surface parishioners to serve as leaders. Qualities for an effective leader were also shared as we move forward – together. I thank those who were able to join us as we begin our new chapter for St. Malachi and St. Patrick.
After 18 months of identifying needs (Recommendation Phase) and designing ways to address them (Implementation Phase), nearly 60 participants from both parishes have been designing a new infrastructure comprised of a joint Pastoral Council, a joint Finance Council, and 6 joint Commissions addressing important areas such as Worship, Faith Formation and Spiritual Life, Ministries of Charity and Catholic Social Teaching, Administration, Facilities, and Communications.
Each Commission will be comprised of many related committees now joined together as they carry out the important work within each respective area of pastoral life. We will also see the emergence of new committees joining a particular Commission as various needs have been identified throughout the process.
With all of this in mind, we need leaders! Leaders of Commissions, leaders of some of these new Committees, and leaders for Pastoral Council and Finance Council. We also will be looking for leaders to serve on many of these committees. In short, we need every parishioner to consider serving on these or in other areas of parish life.
Our hope is to begin the process for obtaining enough parishioners to serve on our Pastoral Council and Finance Council as well as providing each Commission with a Chairperson.
Please be sure to come to our April 23rd Parish Town Hall to learn more about each Council and Commission and to consider the possibility of serving as a member. No decisions that night… just another opportunity to learn more and to receive a special Leadership Discernment Form. The event will take place in the Saint Patrick Club Lower Hall from 6:00pm until 8:00pm.
Thanks for your continued prayers and for your openness to serve as one of our parish leaders.
Prayerfully yours in Christ,
Fr. Gurnick
Administrator’s Column, 03/30/2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we celebrate Laetare Sunday, literally meaning, “rejoice.” Exactly 21 days before Easter, we may see rose vestments and a touch of festive décor in the sanctuary to distinguish this Sunday from the other Sundays during Lent.
Historically, the name for this Sunday comes from Isaiah 66:10, “Rejoice, O Jerusalem!” This is the basis for the Introit, or opening hymn. This excerpt of scripture comes after the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile that resulted. Isaiah 66 describes a miraculous birth for Jerusalem, free of labor and pain, signifying a new beginning after that period of trial and tribulation. This call to “rejoice” with Jerusalem is a call for God’s people to share in the joy of her restoration.
As we reflect on the joy that comes with a renewed Jerusalem, we contemplate God’s power and sovereignty, love and care as we find ourselves renewed with hope as pilgrims and disciples. Turning away from the destruction of sin, a new dawn approaches and our own souls are refreshed. Rejoice!
This midpoint of Lent may also invite each of us to ask ourselves, “How am I doing? Am I embracing the fullness of this holy season? Am I engaged in the three-fold discipline of intensified prayer, fasting, and almsgiving?”
As we continue this season of renewed hope, I invite you and your family to participate in some of the special Lenten observances. Stations of the Cross are on Fridays after the 5:30pm Mass and Eucharistic Adoration is on Wednesdays after the 5:30pm Mass, both at Saint Patrick. Confessions are regularly scheduled on Mondays from 4:50pm 5:20pm at St. Patrick and after the Friday 12noon Mass at St. Malachi. Additional times for this sacrament will be available during Holy Week.
Also, please be sure to carefully review our parish bulletin and Lenten brochure so you can mark your calendars for the various celebrations during Holy Week, especially Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday/Easter Sunday.
To truly rejoice is to take advantage of all that God provides for us, including this beautiful season of grace. May we continue to rejoice together!
Prayerfully yours in Christ,
Fr. Gurnick
Counters Needed
We are looking for more volunteers to help count our Sunday collections. If you’d be willing to serve in this capacity, please email frank.b@stmalachi.org.
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