Dear Parishioners,

 

Last Saturday, Fr. Isidore, Deacon Ken DeLuca and I participated in the Diaconal Ordination of Deacon Del Sherman, a parishioner of St. Peter Parish. It was an amazing and uplifting liturgy. I am happy for Deacon Del and his family. Deacon Del was one of six men who were ordained to the permanent diaconate on Saturday, May 4. During the past weekend and this current weekend, each of the deacons will be visiting each other’s parish to participate in a Mass of Thanksgiving with each other. Deacon Del will be giving thanks at Mass this Sunday, 8:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s. A reception will follow.

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Deacon Del has been assigned to serve both to St. Peter and St. Julie Parishes. I believe this is a first in our diocese. His assignment begins on May 20. We look forward to his fruitful service in the vineyard of the Lord right here in North Ridgeville! Again, congratulations Deacon Del.

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Last Monday I led a couple of interesting meetings. Over lunch I oversaw my final meeting as the Priest Convener for Lorain County. I have one more Presbyteral Council meeting with the Bishop at the end of this month to conclude my three-year term.

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Beginning June 1, the Diocese of Cleveland will be moving from a district model to a deanery model. The change to a deanery model will give the Bishop’s priest representative (the Dean) a greater presence in the parishes in his area. It will also call for greater parish staff participation in the life of the deanery. Though the change begins on June 1, the process will be rolled out gradually. You will hear much more about this in 2025. In the meantime, I completed my term.

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On Monday evening, the second joint Parish Council meeting of  St. Peter and St. Julie parish councils took place at St. Julie Parish. After a period of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament we met and reviewed the past year. Council members from both parishes were grateful for our combined efforts to pray together (like the Corpus Christi procession), evangelize together (like the ChristLife programs and Reach More) and serve together (through the St. Julie-St. Peter Ukrainian Welcome Circle and Walking with Moms in Need). We also outlined some of the events of the summer (as I mentioned in last week’s bulletin) and look forward to how we can continue to help each other proclaim Jesus Christ in his fullness to the people of North Ridgeville and beyond.

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Finally, this is Mother’s Day weekend. This is wonderful day to honor our mothers who have lovingly given so much to sustain us and train us. Whether our mothers are living or deceased we need to remember them and honor them. And though we have this day to honor mothers, in some ways our culture discourages motherhood. By nature, motherhood is demanding and inconvenient. The sentiment of many people in our time encourages mothers with inconvenient pregnancies to opt for an abortion. And though motherhood is certainly reproductive, it is not economically productive. One’s value as a person is often tied to their “net-worth” instead of their God given dignity as a human being.

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        May we honor all mothers 365 days a year. They are worth it! In honoring them, perhaps some of the misplaced value we place on convenience and economic wellbeing, will be redirected to the superior value of mothers, children, and the God in whose image each of us are made.

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In Christ,

Fr. Bob Franco

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