Jonah (Jonah 3:1-5, 10) was a reluctant prophet.  He was called by God to preach against the city of Nineveh because, “their wickedness has come up before me.”  Instead, Jonah attempted to run away from his divine commission.  He boarded a ship, was cast overboard and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvelous manner, and sent on his way to Nineveh, the traditional enemy of Israel.

I am pleased to announce that St. Mary Parish in Chardon will be hosting its annual Lenten Parish Mission on Monday, February 22nd, Tuesday, February 23rd and Wednesday, February 24th from 7:00-8:15 p.m. each evening. “The Faith and Real Life Parish Mission” will be presented by Mr. Greg Wasinski, an internationally known Catholic speaker.

  This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. By our baptism, we are all called to be holy. We are called to share our time, talent and treasure to make Christ known, loved and served in our world. Ultimately, we are made by God and for God to know, love and serve him in this life so as to be with God forever in the heavenly kingdom.

As we begin a New Year, the Solemnity of the Epiphany calls us to be people of hope. Certainly, that theological virtue has been tested over the last 10 months with the Coronavirus. Still, today’s readings emphasize the need to embrace that virtue perhaps more than ever.

For today a child is born, Jesus Christ the Lord. On this day God sent his only son into the world, taking on a human form, just like you and I. In a stable in Bethlehem, Christ entered the world as a newborn baby: a child like you and I, dependent on his mother Mary and Joseph for all the necessities of life.

In just a few weeks Christmas will be upon us. Following state and Diocesan guidelines, social distancing and wearing masks will change some of the things we have traditionally done at Christmas. The biggest change will be the reduction in the number of people who can be in the church or banquet hall.

This Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent. This Sunday is known as “Gaudete (“rejoice ye”) Sunday.” This day is a day to be reminded that, in the midst of a penitential season, we are to rejoice that Christ will come again. The prophet Isaiah (61:1-2a, 10-11) tells us...

  The Second Sunday of Advent presents us with the person of St. John the Baptist. Today’s Gospel reading from Mark 1:1-8 tells us that, “John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: ‘One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’”

The Our Lady of Fatima Holy Hour scheduled for Tuesday, December 1st has been CANCELLED. We apologize for any inconvenience.

PSR students grades 3-8 will have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on November 29 and 30 during class time. If you are doing home study this year, you may bring your child(ren) to Reconciliation as well. We will start at promptly at 6:15pm both nights in the church. If you are planning to participate, please call the PSR office at 286-6531 or email hgady@stmarychardon.org.

This Sunday is the Solemnity of Christ the King. The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, formerly referred to as "Christ the King," was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life which leaves God out of man's thinking and living and organizes his life as if God did not exist. The feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ's royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations.

On Tuesday, November 10th, Fr. Spisak had hip replacement surgery. He will be away from the parish until January 11, 2021. While he is away, Fr. Jim Bretzke, S.J. from John Carroll University will be helping our parish with Mass on the weekends. I am thankful to him for his assistance. During the weekdays, our parish will experience some changes.

Jesus tells us to “stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”  In these final weeks of Ordinary Time, the Church reminds us of the need to be prepared for the coming of the Lord.  The parable in this Sunday’s Gospel comes to us from Matthew 25:1-13.  There are five wise virgins and five foolish virgins.  The ones who were wise brought flasks of oil along with their lamps.  The foolish ones brought no oil along with their lamps.  They had to leave to buy oil and were locked out of the wedding feast.  The bridegroom had arrived for the wedding feast while they were gone. 

Please join the Women of the Well Prayer Group for an Advent Morning of Prayer on Saturday, December 5, 2020 from 8:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Please come after breakfast. We will provide bottled water and chocolate! We will finish before lunchtime. Due to safety guidelines, seating in the Banquet Room will be limited, so please make a reservation as soon as possible. Please click the header for more info.

The parish conference of the St. Vincent DePaul Society will again be helping individuals and families who need assistance in providing a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner. Forms are currently available in the Parish Office to request assistance for this holiday meal. All information is kept in strict confidence. Register as soon as possible; the last day to register is Wednesday, November 23rd. prior to 12 noon.

   This weekend, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints. The Church sets aside the first day of November to honor all those who have been welcomed into the heavenly kingdom. All Souls Day, November 2nd, is a day to remember those who have died but have not yet entered into the heavenly kingdom. These are the poor souls in purgatory.

Be sure to join us for a Eucharistic Holy Hour on Tuesday, November 3rd at 7:00 PM in the Church. It will include Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction, Recitation of the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

Dear Parish Family, this weekend, our parish will be celebrating the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick at all the Masses.

The Gospel for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 22:15-21) describes how the Pharisees attempt to “entrap Jesus in speech.”

Dear Parish Family, I would like to share with you a letter from Bishop Malesic. It is written to all the faithful of the Diocese of Cleveland.