Announcement: St Anthony's instructions and changes for those who will attend Mass this weekend

Please click the image of Jesus below to view the slides

 

September 29th, 2020-Please read the following message from Fr Fred Pausche

My Sisters and Brothers of St. Anthony Parish,
I’m not sure who is welcoming who this weekend, but I can tell you this, I am so excited. I feel very confident, thanks to all the great preparations that your leaders have put into re-opening the church for worship. I feel so inspired because of the wonderful things I have heard and initially experienced in the good people I have met already. And I must tell you, I feel a bit anxious and nervous, since this is a whole new beginning for all of us, and none of us know fully what to expect on “opening day”. However, there are some things that we can be very sure of and rely on to be our true source of peace and security.

The first is that it is the Lord who welcomes all of us. We are His beloved children whether we are lifelong members St. Anthony’s, or newcomers like me. The Lord welcomes each and every one of us with open and loving arms and a heart so filled with love that if goes beyond our ability to fully comprehend. My fervent prayer is that every precious member of this community will always feel welcome and valued, and that we can all be instruments of that welcoming love for one another.

The second thing that I know for sure, and trust with all my heart, is that God is with us for this new beginning, and that God is always with us to give us what we need. So, we gather
together in gratitude, trust, and with open and loving hearts to continue growing in faith and in our commitment to building the Kingdom of God. I cannot wait to meet you.

Last week I had the great pleasure of meeting with members of   your Pastoral Council, and along members of your staff, they gave me a sense of confidence and peace. I could feel their love for their parish, and certainly, the effort and hard work they have put into planning to re-open the church and continuing the great work of the parish.

This week Fr. David, Fr. Joe and I met with Deacon John and Steve Biro to become a little more familiar with the church building itself and how you ordinarily celebrate liturgy. Be
patient with us as we learn the ropes. I know Fr. Greg is already very familiar, and we are very grateful to him for all he does.

Next week I will be meeting with Rick Gurley, the chairperson of the Finance Council, and Linda Hlebak who takes care of the books and who I work with every day here at St. Gabriel. That financial/business side of things is not exactly my wheelhouse, but as you will come to know, I am a great delegator and
believer in the gifts of others. Each and every person has something special to offer. Never lose sight of how valuable you are in God’s plan. So, here we go. Lots of feelings; lots of excitement; so much hope. I take great comfort in the words of

St. Paul in our second reading this weekend “Brothers and Sisters:
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayers and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”.
Peace and blessings,
Fr. Fred

Saturday, September 26th, 2020

We have a few announcements to share with you. It has been 197 days since our doors were closed due to a virus we did not understand nor knew anything about. For many of us, it has been difficult not to attend Mass here at St Anthony's. We have heard so many rumors from we are closing, to indefinitely closed, to what is happening to our parish community, we do not have priest, etc...

As it was with the Israelites in many instances of slavery to foreign powers, exile to Babylon, the breakup of their faith communities, we to in a way have experienced this same trial. Scripture can tell us a lot and we can apply these stories in scripture to our own experiences. We have been a wandering people like the Israelites freed from Pharaoh's oppression only to find themselves searching for their home.

We have lost our leader because of health issues which left a void for all of us. While Fr Pete enters his new chapter in his life we are so very grateful for his 26 years of service to not only St Anthony's but to the Fairport Harbor community.

For us friends, we to enter a new chapter in our own personal lives and faith lives because of something not in our control but outside our control. It has forced us to look inward, asking what can I do now? For the Israelites and Moses, they did not know the plan, they prayed and trusted in God. At times it was very difficult, even some leaving the community. We to will have to realize we are facing this same challenge. Some of our friends have passed on without us saying goodbye over the past 6 months, some have moved to different cities or states, others to new faith communities in the area and some may have left the Catholic faith all together. We are not immune to challenges like the wandering of the Israelites over 3000 years ago. It is now up to us to do the hard work, it is now up to us to be the hands of Christ to one another. We must adjust the way we minister with the loss of some of our wonderful leaders over the past few years.

Speaking for myself, Steve Biro, this has been challenging but also affirming as to my role here at St Anthony's. While the work is much different than youth faith formation, it has taught me to allow the Holy Spirit to guide me and to affirm me as a worker in this vineyard of faith. Just as I have been called to take on different responsibilities, the Holy Spirit is also calling on you as well. To do the work of His hands. God is calling us to be the hands and feet of Christ just as my predecessors did so beautifully.

God wants YOU to be part of this next chapter in the history of St Anthony of Padua!

Our ministers at this time will not be scheduled. Fr Fred, Deacon John and I will be evaluating and reevaluating the needs of our ministers over the next few weeks. All I can say is be ready to be called upon!

Just as Moses was called to lead his people, we to are called to lead and work together.

We need volunteers to help us clean the church after the 4pm Saturday Mass, 8am Sunday Mass. (Time commitment after the Masses is approximately 25 minutes)

We are in need of hospitality ushers/greeters for the 4pm, 8am and 10am Masses. (Time commitment is approximately 30 minutes before Mass and 5 minutes at the end of Mass)

We will have training sessions this week:

Sunday, Sept 27-9:30am

Tuesday, Sept 29th-6pm and 8pm

Thursday, October 1st-10am and 7pm

Saturday, October 3rd-10am

Please inform Steve Biro at steve@stafh.org or by calling the parish office 440-354-4525 and leave a message with your information if you can help us!

 

May the Light of Faith shine forth from our parish as a beacon to guide our community to the Lord. When life seems difficult and troublesome, may our faith offer us security and strength. When we come together to celebrate God's gifts may the Holy Spirit fill us with joy.

 

 

Check out our Parish's catechetical (PSR) program by clicking on the icon below.  For more information contact Steve Biro at steve@stafh.org

For more informaton concerning the RCIA process, please contact the parish office 440-354-4525