4:30 pm Frances Koza (Wife and Mother)

9:00 am Lillian Wasielewski (Husband, Stanley)

11:00 am Stanley and Bette Gajda (Gajda Family)

7:30 am Helen Plewacki (Gerri Howe)

7:30 am No Mass

7:30 am Communion Service

7:30 am Steve Rusnak

(Gary, Mary Ann and Dana Schiavioni)

7:30 am Mr. and Mrs. Segula

(Ed Segula and Dawn Turk)

4:30 pm John and Mary Bacha (Ed Bacha Family)

9:00 am Frances Koza (Diane and Bob Koperski)

11:00 am For the Parishioners

Please note: $10,500.00 is needed weekly to pay our bills

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

Many people used our certificate program to buy gifts for Christmas. We thank all of you for your support. Don’t forget, certificates are good all year round–for any gift-giving occasion–or to use for yourself. A restaurant certificate makes a great anniversary gift. Don’t know what kind of food someone would like–no problem. We now have a single gift certificate that works at many restaurants or other entertainment facilites. The same certificate works at the Winking Lizard or Swingo’s; Cooper’s Town or The Watermark; Blazin Bills or Lion & Lamb. Ask our certificate sellers to show you the list of restaurants, or go on line at www.simplycertificates.com. We also now have Cracker Barrel.

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. If you wish to have your statement mailed, please attach a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Name_____________________________________________

Address___________________________________________

City___________________________Zip Code____________

Envelope #__________________

This is the first weekend of Lent. If this time in preparation for Easter is to be meaningful for us, we need to change inside out. Our internal changes, the changes in our heart and in our spirit, will definitely affect our behavior, the way we act on the outside. The call each of us receives from the Lord is to become more like him. We practice disciplines of prayer, fasting (meatless Fridays) and almsgiving to help us be like Christ. Just as Jesus fasted forty days in the desert after his baptism in preparation for his saving ministry to the world, so are we to fast and pray that we might take our place in the mission of the Lord through almsgiving, which is another way of saying ‘through the charitable use of our earthly goods.’

Then, when Easter comes, we will be like the bridesmaids who had their lamps full of oil when the bridegroom came. We will be ready for the glory of the Resurrection because we have walked the way of the cross with Jesus.

Our readiness for the Lord involves our willingness to bear our share of the cross. The first way of cross bearing is in our families and personal lives, then in the life of our parish and community, and, finally, in the life of the church and the world. Each of these areas has demands that need our attention and our gifts. Families need our presence, support, and encouragement. Parish and community need our willing involvement, hard work and concern. Church and world need our prayers, our treasures and our desire to know and act upon the truth.

Take advantage of opportunities this Lent to open to the internal change the Lord calls for. As we do, we will be ready for the great Easter mystery.

Prayerfully,

Fr. Jamie

Please join in walking the Stations of the Cross in the Church at 7:00 pm this Friday. All are welcome.

We have copies of the Lenten issue of The Word Among Us available for anyone. Take a copy; if you can leave a dollar for the issue that would be great. The Word Among Us is a spiritual, practical, monthly publication which feature articles with daily commentaries on the mass readings. If you read it and take what you read to prayer, you will, indeed, benefit from it.

"The Mystery of the Cross" is the title of our Lenten Bible Study. The first of four sessions begins with Fr. Jamie on Wednesday, March 12, 7:00-8:15 pm in the school. Bibles will we provided.

Please consider the following. All Catholics 14 years old and older are to abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent (fasting). That’s the law; what is encouraged is to go beyond the minimum and to fast regularly in some way. In prayer, consider walking the Stations of the Cross on the Fridays of Lent; praying the Rosary on Mondays at 6:00 pm in the church, making a holy hour in the Adoration Chapel; attending the Bible Study on Wednesdays. Take home a copy of The Word Among Us and use it. Make a concerted effort to give the Lord some time in prayer each day. In giving alms, set aside some of your moneys or possessions to give to the poor.

The Vibrant Parish Life Mission is only three weeks away. Circle the dates on your calendars for the evenings of March 30, 31, and April 1 for the Vibrant Parish Life Mission.

People from the neighboring parishes are welcome to attend and participate, especially since Fr. Foster of St. Wenceslas and Fr. Mahoney of St. Pius X will be presenters along with Fr. Mazanec. Fr. Mazanec will speak on Sunday the 30^th on Church; Fr. Foster on Monday the 31^st on Eucharist; and Fr. Mahoney on Tuesday the 1^st on "Mission. Pray for the Mission.

"If the Church is to flourish in the 21^st Century, we must offer, maintain and support a vibrant parish life for every Catholic."

"People seek a vibrant community where we can celebrate the Liturgy in a dignified and prayerful way; where, with others of our faith, we encounter Christ, and from which we can take that presence of the Risen Lord to our families, neighborhoods and workplaces."

This month’s theme will be "Strength through Weakness." We will explore answers to questions, What thorn in the flesh do you think God has given you? Do you see this thorn as a burden or a blessing?

Please note our meeting date is 1 week later than usual due to scheduling conflicts.

St. Martin of Tours School will be selling Malley’s Easter candy until 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.

A man walked by a table in a hotel and noticed three men and a dog playing poker. "That’s a very smart dog," commented the man. "Not as smart as you think," said one of the players. "Every time he gets a good hand, he wags his tail."

(from BEDFORD SENIORS MINI NEWS, December 1999)

For the dog to get better at the game, it had to change; it had to stop wagging its tail. For us to grow in the knowledge and love of God, the Lord calls us to change; we are to repent of our sins and believe in the gospel. Those words are true not only on Ash Wednesday or the First Sunday of Lent. They are words of salvation for every single day of our lives.

Congratulations to Julianne Ryba, Josuha Backo and Laura Siciliano on being named to the National Honor Society at Trinity High School.

The 7th grade JV basketball team won their League Tournament Championship.  Their overall record was 10-0!  Congratulations boys!

Recently, first, second, and third grade students traveled to hear the Cleveland Orchestra's Bravo for "B" performance.   They thoroughly enjoyed hearing the music and learning about composers and instruments with the letter "B."  Along with this, they had the special treat of watching ballet dancers from the Cleveland School of Dance.

Fridays during lent:

St. Wenceslas Church, 17825 Libby Rd

4:00 pm-6:30 pm

Holy Name Church, 8328 Broadway Ave

3:00 pm-8:00 pm

St. Monica Church, 13623 Rockside Rd

4:00 pm-7:00 pm

Call Dee Kriz at 216-663-7258 for more information. ALL ARE WELCOME!

A. To understand better what it means to be a Christian and how much joy there can be in being a member of a Christian community

To