BRUNSWICK, Ohio — When the feast of Christ’s birth approaches, for parishioners of St. Emilian Parish, that also means putting up the Giving Tree. While several parishes in the Eparchy of Parma have Giving Trees, the project at St. Emilian’s was begun 33 years ago, by parishioners Janet and Tim Moritz, and it has been going strong ever since. Just before Thanksgiving, the parish seeks a family in need through the local schools or Salvation Army. The goal is to make their Christmas season a bit brighter by showering them with gifts they may not be able to buy for themselves. Parishioners speak with the parents of the family to get the names, ages, and gender of their children, as well as their clothing size and hobbies. READ MORE.
Every time I smell the wonderful aroma of a real Christmas tree, I remember one that was very special to me and who made it so special. It was Christmas of 1960: the first Christmas I was to observe with no parents and the last one in the only home I had ever known. My mother had died three years before, just as I was entering high school. Dad, my single brother, Jack, and I managed to keep house, but Dad felt the loss of my mother very deeply. He did what had to be done but no longer had any zest for life. READ MORE.
HOMER GLEN, Ill. — The children and teens of Annunciation Parish were at the fore of sharing the true message of Christmas and St. Nicholas to family, friends and visitors Dec. 1-2. The parish hosted two major events in the Midwest region that weekend. Several hundred people came out to the parish’s 10-acre property on Saturday to enjoy the annual Christmas on the Prairie. READ MORE.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — St. Stephen Parish welcomed Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, for a pastoral visit Nov. 25. Parishioners Donald and Theresa Butella greeted the bishop with the traditional bread and salt upon his arrival. After his entrance into the church, the parish prayed the First Hour followed by the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. READ MORE.
EUCLID, Ohio — As a young Catholic woman, Motria (“Moki”) Lonchyna dedicated her life to serving the youngest and most vulnerable as a nurse, until God called her to embrace his plan for her life to nurse souls instead. About 450 people attended a Divine Liturgy at St. Stephen Parish to witness her life profession as a stavrophore nun — she took the name Iliana in religious life — for Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Dec. 8, the feast of the Maternity of the Holy Anna. READ MORE.
As we enter into the joyous celebration of the Nativity, it is important to remember the reason we celebrate this exciting and beautiful holiday. It is not about the presents, the family gatherings, the decoration or any of the other romantic Christmas traditions. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with any of these things. In fact, put in their proper place, they exist simply to enhance the true meaning of Christmas. READ MORE.
Basilian Sister Gertrude Martin died Nov. 28, after 75 years of religious life. Sister Gertrude was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, the daughter of the late Nicholas and Ann (nee Kopas) Martin and the middle child of 13 siblings. She entered the community from St. John the Baptist Cathedral Parish in Homestead Oct. 3, 1943. She made her final profession Aug. 19, 1951. Her teaching apostolate spanned 33 years, 12 of which she also served as principal. READ MORE.
Sister Consolata Marie Trudick of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate died Dec. 3, at St. Mary’s Villa in Sloatsburg, New York, after 65 years of religious life; she was 89. Sister Consolata had celebrated her diamond jubilee this past Aug. 4. READ MORE.
CHICAGO — Horizons’ 40th-anniversary funding appeal raised $11,580 as of Nov. 26, and donations continue to trickle in. Horizons would like to express its gratitude to all of its donors for their generosity. The one-month direct mail campaign was launched Sept. 1 to raise funds for Horizons’ growing communications apostolate. READ MORE.
CHICAGO — It was a tight squeeze, but they did it. Thirty-five Byzantine Catholic pilgrims crowded into the tiny sanctuary of the nearly 300-year-old wooden Church of St. Nicholas in Ruska Bystra, Slovakia, for a photo to commemorate the unforgettable and deeply prayerful Divine Liturgy they celebrated there. READ MORE.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As the Christmas season draws near, the Vatican postal service prepared a unique set of commemorative stamps designed by a talented, yet unlikely, artist: a prisoner serving a life sentence. The Vatican Philatelic and Numismatic Office announced Oct. 30 that its 2018 Christmas stamps will feature images of the Annunciation and of Mary holding baby Jesus painted by Marcello D’Agata, an inmate at Milan’s Opera prison. READ MORE.
BALTIMORE (CNS) — Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Nov. 14 he had opened the bishops’ fall general assembly “expressing some disappointment,” but “I end it with hope.” “We leave this place committed to taking the strongest possible actions at the earliest possible moment,” Cardinal DiNardo told his fellow bishops in Baltimore with remarks closing the public sessions of the Nov. 12-14 meeting. READ MORE.
We are in this time of preparation for Christmas. In the next 40 days for Christmas, we will hear many Christmas carols in the supermarkets and stores. We will sing carols when we get to Christmas. But, before this, we need to prepare for the Nativity of our Lord. READ MORE.
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. — St. Basil the Great Parish hosted iconographer Father Damian Higgins, a Ukrainian Catholic Monk of Mount Tabor at Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Redwood Valley, California, in September. Parishioners and friends participated and painted the icon of the “Image not-made-by-hands.” READ MORE.
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio — T. J. Ebert, who attends St. Joseph Parish with his family, was selected as Ohio’s 2018 National Distinguished Principal. Ebert is principal of Redwood Elementary School in the Avon Lake City School District. The award was conferred by the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators June 15. READ MORE.
MARBLEHEAD, Ohio — St. Mary Parish held its Fall Craft Fest during the 23rd Annual Lakeside-Marblehead Lighthouse Festival, a cherished fall tradition in the region. The church is located next to the lighthouse, which is the oldest operating lighthouse in the Great Lakes. The craft fair was held in the parish hall Oct. 13, the same day as this free, peninsula-wide event that included tours of the lighthouse, live entertainment, hayrides and more. READ MORE.
PARMA, Ohio — Two regions in the eparchy celebrated their wedding jubilarians this fall. Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma attended the celebration for Michigan parishes at St. Michael Parish in Flushing Oct. 21. The community feted three jubilarian couples, each marking their 50th anniversaries. Bishop Lach also attended the celebration for Cleveland-area parishes Nov. 21 at St. Joseph Parish in Brecksville. READ MORE.
PITTSBURGH — Twelve young men attended the “Come and See” discernment weekend at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. The Nov. 2-4 program consisted of prayer, talks and social interaction with current seminarians and seminary staff, aimed at helping participants reflect on God’s will in their lives. READ MORE.
PARMA, Ohio — No longer occupied with the demands of parish life, Father Michael Hayduk said he is enjoying the extra time he has now in his retirement for prayer. The 67-year-old priest retired after 41 years of active ministry this past summer. Parishioners of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, where he served his last pastoral assignment, threw him a retirement party in the parish hall Aug. 17. READ MORE.