Dear Parish Family,

Our readings this weekend remind us that God is always present to us amidst the storms and noise of this life. Elijah hears the Lord in a tiny whispering sound after the winds, earthquakes, and fires have passed. Peter sees Jesus and walks on water in the storm when he is totally focused on Christ. We can take the storms of life as a given. God permits these difficulties to strengthen our faith and to restore our trust in Him. What matters most is our focus. When life gets rough, I try to keep my attention focused on Christ and remember the simple mantra "Eyes on Christ." When I do this, I know Jesus sees me, hears me, and is with me in the storm.

It's hard to believe we're at the end of Summer! Our Chardon school families return to school this week, and our St. Mary students return next Monday. Please pray for a wonderful start to their school year. We will have a backpack blessing at all Masses the weekend of August 26-27.

Genesis of Gender Book Study
St. Mary Chardon is blessed to be a host parish for the Genesis of Gender book study sponsored by the Diocesan Marriage & Family Life Office and Theology of the Body Cleveland. The book study will be four consecutive Thursdays in September. This timely teaching will help us explore how God created us as male and female so we can better respond to the gender confusion in our culture. Our facilitator, Dr. Joel Johnson, will be at next Sunday's 10 am Mass to introduce himself and the book study. More information is available below by clicking the link below.VISIT HERE TO LEARN MORE 

Holy Land Pilgrimage
We're going to the Holy Land! I'd love to travel with you to the holy sites around Galilee and Jerusalem to walk the steps of Jesus. The pilgrimage will be September 3-12 2024 and registration is now open. Please use the QR code in today's bulletin or pick up a brochure from the back of church to learn more and to register. A $300 down payment is needed to reserve your spot. 

https://www.wetravel.com/trips/holy-land-pilgrimage-with-fr-scott-goodfellow-st-mary-2024-trinity-tour-travels-jerusalem-05030287

Oktoberfest Invite
Save the date for our Parish Oktoberfest on Sunday, September 17. We will start the celebration with a Polka Mass at 12:00 pm in the main tent in the rear parking lot, and have some delicious German food and beverages from 1 - 7 pm. We have lots of fun activities planned for all ages. Oktoberfest is free to attend, and food and drink tickets will be available at the door or by online preorder. Please consider volunteering for a shift. Visit https://stmarychardon.org/oktoberfest-2023 for volunteer signups, ticket preorders, menu, and a schedule of events! 

I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow