Dec 03, 2020

Greetings,

Like Lazarus coming forth from his grave I stepped out of my rooms this morning. When I saw the work that needed to be done I felt like a groundhog on February 2nd, saw the shadow and wanted to retreat back into seclusion.

It was wonderful to be able to celebrate Mass this morning publicly (Monday.) Even as I write to you, our seminarians are moving in. They are later than expected due to my quarantine. But it is perfect timing nonetheless. We are so blessed that our founding pastor built such a large rectory and that you are generous in welcoming guests to St. Sebastian for as COVID appears to kick into gear again, our ministers are dropping off in number and here the seminarians are to step in and fill the gaps once again! We are so very fortunate.

According to the Summit County health authorities, apparently I am pretty safe both from contracting or spreading COVID for about 12 weeks. That is good insofar as that takes us through Christmas. We expect to finish Fr. Simone’s quarantine without him ever getting sick which means he is still susceptible. So what the future holds we shall see. Hold on to your pew!

I would like to offer a huge thank you to the priests that assisted us at the last minute and filled in our schedule last week so that we could stay open and offer the sacraments. Fr. Jacob Bearer, Fr. G. David Bline, Fr. Jeremy Merzweiler, and Fr. Paul Rosing all pitched in to keep our Mass schedule intact. Please say a prayer for them.

Today was a day for getting caught up on mail. Thank you for the get well wishes! That really meant a lot. One letter though came from the Diocese of Cleveland Secretariat for Clergy and Religious that I have been dreading. It was a reminder that Fr. Simone’s assignment at St. Sebastian will be reaching its completion at the end of spring and that we should start making preparations for that eventuality. Can you believe it. It has almost been four years already? His classmates in our area are also up for moving: Fr. Matthew Jordan at St. Hilary Parish and Fr. Jacob Bearer at St. Francis de Sales.

It is to be a smaller ordination class this year. Alexander Vincent Clark, Cameron David Popik, Alexander Charles Spenik and James Thornton Winings were ordained to the transitional deaconate earlier in the year. It is from these four that our next year’s class of priestly ordination will come. It won’t be that all three open slots in the Akron area will once again be filled with newly ordained for that would mean having three quarters of them sent to our area. But it doesn’t hurt to pray that we will have a replacement one way or the other.

IN OTHER NEWS: ADVENT ADORATION AND ORGAN CONCERTS CONTINUE: We have adoration on Tuesdays and at noon during Advent, we have guest organists come in and play a short, reflective concert. It is a time to sit before the Blessed Sacrament, listen to the beauty of music and take a break from the loud, busy, buzzing of the world. Please wear a mask and observe safe distancing.

God Bless,

Fr. Valencheck