Dec 24, 2021

Greetings,

A HAPPY AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR TO YOU!

Due to printing demands, this letter is being written to you about a week before Christmas so it is awkward even to write, “Thank you for all you did at Christmas” since it has not even taken place yet. But even as this is written, scores of fellow parishioners have already been hard at work preparing for our Christmas celebrations. So, in anticipation of being able to tell you how grateful I am that you were here, that you prayed and participated, that you came to practices, that you cleaned, that you decorated, that you fulfilled ministries, for your generosity, I offer you my thanks for making our celebrations wonderful and our “Christ’s Mass Day” centered on what matters most.

IN OTHER NEWS:

CALENDARS: Thanks to Hummel Funeral Homes, there are available 2022 liturgical wall calendars at the entrances of the church. Speaking of having to print in advance, you will notice that Fr. Morris’s name is on the calendar instead of Fr. Bozek. Things can change quickly! Thank you, Hummel.

OFFICES CLOSED: The parish offices will be closed Thursday, December 30th through Monday, January 3rd.

TREE TRIMMING: We have been anticipating all of the trees on St. Sebastian Square to be trimmed on December 27th. In theory, the project should have been finished by the time you read this! The trees need to be trimmed during the winter months due to a disease in Ohio that can infect our beautiful oak trees if they are trimmed during the warmer months.

VISITORS: We are blessed to have a few visitors to St. Sebastian over Christmas break. Joseph and Vincent, seminarians from Vietnam studying for the Diocese of Cleveland, moved into the rectory just before Christmas and have been helping out at Masses and such. Charlie has also returned but has a number of duties at his home parish as well as leaving after Christmas for a week to go on retreat.

Cameron, who had been with us much of the last year will no longer be staying with us. Fr. Morris became the pastor of his home parish and he is excitedly assisting at Sts. Peter and Paul in Doylestown! And last, but certainly not least, St. Sebastian Parish School alumnus and my cousin, The Rev. Christopher Trenta, joined us on the altar for Midnight Mass. Please keep all of these men in your prayers.

MISC: We received a thank you letter from Catholic Charities for having exceeded our goal for last year. Thank you! St. Sebastian also received a thank you from the Peter Maurin Center for serving dinner to 90 guests along with cookies made by our first graders, cards made by our students, and “especially the Confirmandi Candidates and parents who helped serve their guests!!!”

EXTRAORDINARY FORM: This is a difficult thing to write since this comes out just as we receive news from Rome concerning new restrictions in this celebration of the Mass and at the moment it is unclear exactly what it all means, the situation certainly changing by the time you read this. These are difficult and challenging times. I wish I had more comforting things to say besides letting you know that you are in my prayers. As we wait to see what exactly shakes out, please also keep in your prayers the priests who are also deeply affected. As soon as I come to know things more clearly, I shall let you know.

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck