Job’s cry of hopelessness stands in marked contrast to the hope of those who put their trust in Jesus, who "heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds". Such are the blessings of the good news.

7:30 am Lillian Wasielewski (Husband, Stanley)

12:00 pm Mary Jo Stenger and Daniel Kuczek--Wedding

Mon Gn 1:1-19; Ps 104:1-35; Mk 6:53-56

Best Wishes to Pete and Rosa DiMarco who are celebrating their 50^th Wedding Anniversary.

Please note: $10,500.00 is needed weekly

to pay our bills and avoid going into debt

PLEASE PRAY

Please keep in your prayers the sick and the homebound of our parish, Elizabeth Baroni, Ellen Blados, L.C., Mary Cala, Maria Carriero, John Cegonko, Josephine Centrobi, Geraldine D’Amico, Eleanor Dembowski, Rita Downey, Dominic Fabrizio, Angelo Farace, Edward and Evelyn Globokar, Virginia Harley, John Husack, Jessica Kickham, Millie Kulchar, Doris Kostura, Rosemarie Lawrence, Don Lubecki, Elizabeth Miller, James Neitzel, Judith Nagorski, Josephine Radic, Clara Rocco, Doris Russo, Eleanor Sabo, Rachel Salvaggio, Jordyn Sansavera, Lisa Szymanski, Daniel Sholz, Julia Tomaselli, Jean Toth, Stanley Trojanowski, Michael Tustan, and Linda Yovanno.

And the recently deceased: Karen Phipps (Granddaughter of Rita Phipps), Gurdeep Pooni, Albert Wheaton, Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon.

Our parish mission will be held on the evenings of March 30, 31, and April 1. Mark your calendars and plan to attend this Mission experience of singing, prayer, and Scripture. Share in this journey of mission and celebrate who we are as a parish faith community.

"I am confident that the spirit is moving among and will renew our local church" (Vibrant Parish Life Pastoral Letter)

If you wish to receive a statement of your 2002 Contributions, please fill in the information below and drop it in the collection basket. Statements may be picked up at the Rectory on Thursdays only beginning January 23. If you wish to have your statement mailed, please attach a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,

This weekend we celebrate Worldwide Marriage Day. It amazes me that we still, in these troubling times, take for granted those couples who are faithfully living out the sacred bond of matrimony. Despite the difficulties, stresses, anxieties, and temptations involved in day to day living together, many married couples are thriving in their sacramental commitments. I thank you for your true witness to the love of God in your lives. How much the church needs you. How much the world needs you. How much your families and community need you.

I believe the big church thrives most when the little church made up of individual families abides together in love and service. Hooray for all our married couples! May God bless you and keep you together.

The virtues of chastity, purity, and faithfulness have taken a hit in our times. Many do not value them and think them old-fashioned. We see how the absence of those virtues have led to many divorces, to the clergy sex scandal, to an amoral society, to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases, and, to confusion for our young people in their interpersonal relationships, to name some of the results of the loss of these virtues.

Consequently, it is time for us to take a stand, to re-assert what Jesus in his church teaches us about relationships, about married life, about chastity, modesty, purity, and celibacy. It is also time to honor those who, day by day, strive to be faithful to their calling in life, particularly those called to marriage.

God wants us to know that if his people will listen to him and face the issue of our struggles with right relationships in humility, prayer, and repentance, then he will calm the stormy seas of sin and temptation that so easily arise in our world.

God bless the Church, and God bless all married couples.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Jamie

Please contact the rectory if you are interested in looking into the possibility of having a sanctuary cross for the church. We still need a few more folks who would like to discern the need and desire of our parish community for such a cross, to consider the kind of cross/crucifix, to create a funding plan for it, and to determine the location of the cross. Contact the rectory if you would like to help out with this project.

Fr. Tom Mahoney, pastor of St. Pius X Church, will preside and preach at the 9:00 am mass today, February 9. Fr. Clyde Foster, pastor of St. Wenceslas, will do likewise at the 9:00 am mass at St. Pius, and Fr. Jamie will be at St. Wenceslas for 8:30 am mass. Fr. Tom Winkel, pastor of St. Mary in Bedford, will join the rotation in March. Each week, for the next few months, the four parishes of Bedford and Maple Heights will have one of the other three pastors preside at one of the weekend liturgies. From all accounts, Fr. Foster was well-received here at St. Martin’s; Fr. Mahoney was well-received at St. Wenceslas; and, Fr. Jamie received the same kind of warm welcome at St. Pius X. The pastors are doing this to heighten their own awareness of ‘Church’ as being much broader than one individual parish and to become more aware of common issues among the Catholic churches in our community.

Any girl or boy, fifth grade on up, who is not currently an altar server, may contact the rectory with your name, school, and phone number. Server practices will be listed next week.

If you are an engaged couple, seeking a Pre-Cana day, why not consider coming to St. Martin of Tours Pre-Cana day being held on Saturday, March 8, at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe. Contact the rectory for more information.

"To address the challenges which we will continue to face, I believe that the initiatives coming forth from parish clusters will need to respond to the following criteria:

Enhance vibrancy and more effective ministry in all of the cluster parishes.

Better serve important needs and more people than would otherwise be served by separate parish activities.

Use parish staff personnel and material resources more collaboratively, creatively and effectively, and reduce the overalls staffing burden for priests and other parish ministers that was previously necessitated by separate efforts.

Increase shared leadership, collaboration and the fullest use of gifts among laity as well as clergy and religious."

VIBRANT LIFE BULLETIN BOARD,
Thank you to all who put their names on the "houses" on the bulletin board. There is still time to put your name on a house.

You are the "buildings" of the New City of God. In recognition for all that you do, we would like to have you put your organization’s name on a building on the bulletin board and some information about your ministry:
          Organization or ministry

          Description of what you do

          Meeting dates or a contact person 

          What kind of help you may need

We would like everyone to get an idea of all the wonderful work going on at our parish. Thank you for all that you do for St. Martin of Tours!

Next Sunday, February 16, we (Team B) will serve our monthly dinner at St. Augustine’s Hunger Center. Please bring your aprons and a gallon of milk. Anyone interested in feeding the hungry please call Bob or Darlene at 216-328-0121.

A careful car driver looks both ways before going through a red light.

Today’s gospel shows us how Jesus modeled for us the importance of going off alone to be in prayer with God. Jesus knew that this time of "retreat" was necessary if He was to minister to the needs of others. How true this model of prayer is for today’s families. Family members need quiet time with God in order to better relate to and serve each other.

Remember your decease loved ones, grandparents, parent, sibling, or friend with a mass to be said on their special day.

If you would like to schedule a Mass Intention for the year 2003, please call the parish office at 216-475-4300.

The St. Martin of Tours CYO and Men’s Club is hosting their annual "Night at the Races." This supports the children of our parish. The horses are set to leave the starting gate on Saturday, February 22, 2003 at the Birchwood Party Center, Northfield Road, doors open at 6:00 pm. For information or to reserve tickets or horses please call Kathy Chmura at 440-232-3096.

Coffee and donut holes are served after the 9:00 am mass. It was wonderful seeing so many people come for refreshment and socializing last week.. You might even consider coming early for the 11:00 am mass for a time to visit with fellow parishioners, greeting old friends and making new ones.

Thanks to all of the volunteers, donators, faculty members, and families, Catholic Schools Week was a great success.  It was wonderful to see families enjoy themselves at the Science Fair, Family Fun Night, and Potluck Dinner.   We truly have a special community here! Happy Chinese New Year!  Students in Miss Berndt's fifth grade reading class are celebrating the Year of the Goat.  They are currently reading the book In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson.  Students enjoyed a delicious Chinese feast this past Thursday.

Congratulations to Andrew Rasner who won the Cleveland Section of the American Chemical Society's National Chemistry Week contest.

Applications for registration for kindergarten children for the 2003-2004 school year may be picked up in the school office until March 3, 2003. These forms must be returned to school by March 3, 2003.

St. Martin is again participating in the Giant Eagle Apples for the Students Program. Giant Eagle provides the opportunity for students to get FREE computer and educational related equipment into our classrooms. Register for the program at www.gianteagle.com or call 1-800-474-4777. Our School ID Number is 2866. Supporters who registered last year are automatically registered for this year’s program. The program runs until March 22, 2003. Help us earn these needed resources by spreading the word to co-workers, family and friends.

St. Martin of Tours School will be selling Malley’s Easter candy from February 10th through March 18th.  Order forms are available in the back of the church or in the school office.  If possible, payment at the time of ordering would be appreciated--if not, payment is due at time of pickup, which will be on April 10th in the school library from 8a.m. to 6p.m.  Your support in making this fundraiser a success is greatly appreciated.

In the spirit of Vibrant Parish Life, high school students from the parishes of St. Martin of Tours, St. Wenceslas, and St. Pius are invited to "The Great Adventure", a retreat reflecting the music of today.

The one-day retreat will be Sunday, March 9, 2003 from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm at St. Pius X Church in Bedford, and is co-sponsored by SMT Youth Ministry. Look for more information in next weeks’ bulletin.

Adult coaches are needed to help with the 2003 track season. The only requirement is the willingness to work with grade school runners. Experience is not required. Call 216-581-4122 and ask for Michael.

February 10 Mountaineers Casino $20.00

March 18 Heavenly Days (Visit 4 churches + lunch) $45.00

April 19 Amish Country $57.00

Call Dee Kriz at 216-663-7258 for more information. Ask about $5.00 off coupons for these trips. ALL ARE WELCOME!