Dear Parish Family,

On this Fifth Sunday of Easter, we hear how the number of disciples continues to grow in the early Church. This is wonderful news, but it presents a new problem: the Apostles are becoming too preoccupied with "serving at table" administering the goods of the Church which is taking away from their time to pray and proclaim the word of God! They propose choosing seven reputable men appointed to administer the goods of the Church to the needy so that God's Word may continue to be spread and the Church continue to grow.

In this passage, we have the biblical basis for the diaconate. We hear that the Apostles "laid hands on them" which is a sign of consecration and, in this instance, ordination. These seven men were the first deacons of the early Church. The role of a deacon comes from the Greek word "diakonia" which means "service". As the role of the diaconate continued to develop, we see the deacons of the Church to this day engaged in charitable works, assisting the priest at Mass, and assisting in the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Marriage to the parishes and people they support. 

We are blessed by the vocations of our deacons serving at our parishes! I am immensely grateful for the work of Deacons Bob Schwartz and Phil Kraynik at St. Patrick's, and Deacons Larry Boehnlein and Tom Peshek at St. Mary's. They are good and faithful servants of our Lord who have been actively engaged in the lives of our parish families for many years. This week, take time to thank our deacons for their service to our Church and to our parish, and consider sharing a story with them of how their presence and ministry helped you grow in your faith. 

We are blessed to receive soon-to-be "Father" Sean Neville as our next Parochial Vicar! He is currently a transitional deacon serving at Holy Rosary Parish in Cleveland, and he will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, May 16. He will begin his four-year assignment with us starting on Tuesday, June 9. Please welcome (Father) Sean to the parish when he arrives!

We are creating a Tribute Book for Fr. Fabian. This is a chance to share your memories of Fr. Fabian, what he taught you during his time with us, and to send him your best wishes and prayers as he heads back to Korea at the end of June. Please visit our web page for information related to Fr. Fabian's Farewell that we will plan, and for the Tribute book link (https://stmarychardon.org/fr-fabian-farewell) or visit https://account.alifeuntold.com/contributor/tribute-for-fr-fabian-han for the direct link to the Tribute Book. Deadline for contributions is Sunday, May 31.

We are pleased to announce that St. Mary School was again the #1 in the diocese with our Angel Scholarship contributions for the second year in a row! We totaled $367,652 for the April 16, 2025 - April 15, 2026 period with a total of 339 households contributing. This surpasses the $324,000 contributed in the prior year with 284 households contributing.  These funds will greatly assist with our tuition assistance with families at St. Mary School. Thank you to all who were able to make an ASF contribution this year!

Pray for our children receiving their First Communion this Saturday. May they rejoice in uniting their hearts to Jesus when they receive His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist for the first time!

I am yours in Christ,

Fr. Scott Goodfellow