Welcome to St. Anthony's!

Click here for the Mass for the 5th Sunday of Easter-May 2, 2021

Fr Fred's weekly message

My Sisters and Brothers of St. Anthony Parish,
In today’s Gospel, Philip has a very understandable and legitimate request: “Master,
show us the Father, and that will be enough for us”. In other words, we keep hearing
about God, but it is difficult to relate to someone we cannot see or experience in the
usual manner. The response Jesus gives is perfect and is very much what His coming
among us is all about. He said, “Whoever has seen Me, has seen the Father”. In other
words, Jesus came to be the visible image of our invisible God. Through all his actions
and words, Jesus gave visible and consistent evidence that God is love—pure love.
However, people, even you and I, are still asking that same question, and Jesus is no
longer with us in His human form. The answer ultimately lies with us, the Church, the
Body of Christ. Will people come to know God, especially God’s consistent and
unconditional love, by what they experience in us? If they don’t, or can’t, perhaps they
never will. I think all of us know that our world today desperately needs to experience
who God is.
Last week Deacon John announced, and this week it is in the bulletin, that he has
requested and been granted retirement status as a deacon effective June 30th . I am
guessing it is an announcement that none of us wanted to hear or were surprised to
hear, but one that we understand and knew deep down would be coming at some point.
John has done an outstanding job serving St. Anthony Parish, and will always be very
beloved here. We still have two months before John officially retires, so we have time
to work together for a smooth transition for the parish and for John. We pray that the
Holy Spirit will guide us all through this change, and that John and our parish will feel
the peace and joy that only God can give. Deacon John is truly an example of a great
servant-leader. His goodness and good work will always be a part of our community.
Congratulations to Joey and Isaac who will be sharing in the Eucharist for the first time
this Sunday at the 10 am Mass. Their “First Communion” is an opportunity for us to
renew our own appreciation and reverence for the Eucharist, no matter how many times
we have been privileged to receive the Lord. Our prayers and love go to Joey and
Isaac and their families.
May is here. Look to Mary in a deeper way as a tremendous example and inspiration
for following her Son. There is no better way to honor a person than by imitation. Enjoy
Spring, and continue celebrating the Risen Lord. Peace and blessings always.
In God’s love,
Fr. Fred

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A letter and announcement from Deacon John Wenzel

April 24, 2021

Dear parishioners of St. Anthony’s,

After much prayerful discernment, I have requested permission from Bishop Malesic to retire from active diaconal ministry and he has granted my request.

My diaconal assignment here at St. Anthony’s will be concluded and I will be in retirement status as a deacon of the Diocese of Cleveland, effective June 30, 2021. The challenges of my wife Mary Esther’s health issues and my own health have led to this decision.

I have been assigned to St. Anthony’s since 1998. It has been a joy and a blessing to minister as part of this loving community here at St Anthony’s. Your love and support have greatly enriched me on my journey of faith. I will be forever grateful.

Please keep Mary Esther and me in your prayers as we will keep all of you in our prayers.

In the Peace of Christ,

Deacon John

Click for Mass of the 4th Sunday of Easter-April 25, 2021

My Sisters and Brothers of St. Anthony Parish,
“I am the Good Shepherd.” For just about every Christian person, and even non-Christians, I
believe the first person everyone would think of here is Jesus. And, they would be absolutely
correct. In today’s Gospel from St. John, Jesus goes on to clarify that, “a Good Shepherd lays
down His life for His sheep”,--always (no conditions), freely, and totally out of love. Now we
know for sure who this describes. However, I would hope that on this “Good Shepherd
Sunday”—the Fourth Sunday of Easter—we would hear Jesus calling us and describing who
we are called to be. This is a good time (among many) to pray for vocations—or more
accurately—to pray for a genuine response to God’s call. A “vocation” is a calling. God
continually is calling each baptized person. It is the response on our part that makes the real
difference. God calls each person through Baptism to share in the life and mission of Christ as
“priest, prophet and servant-leader (king)”, through many important roles in life.

We hear alot these days about the “shortage of vocations”. I believe what we are saying is that there is a shortage of responses to God’s call. Whether it be in our parish or in every home, my prayer is that all of us would do our part to help each other hear and respond to God’s call. What is the best example of a true vocation? In my opinion, it is the person who can humbly and honestly say that, like Jesus, “I am the Good Shepherd” who lays down his life for his sheep. Perhaps there are people in your own circle of family and friends who show signs of being able to do that in a special way, particularly those being called to serve the Church. Offer them your support, encouragement, prayers and gratitude. God is calling. Start with your own response, and do your part to help someone you know and love to listen and say yes. Imagine what could happen here at St. Anthony’s if every member did his or her best to honestly and sincerely respond to God’s call? Thanks to so many who already do.

Happy Good Shepherd Sunday.

The future is bright if Christ is our Light. Be people of the Light, and images of the Good
Shepherd. Never lose sight that Christ has given His life for you, and now is with us forever.
Be willing to give your best to fulfill your Baptismal call and dignity. Peace be with you. Happy
Easter. Let’s keep celebrating. Alleluia!!
In God’s love,
Fr. Fred

Click for Mass of 3rd Sunday of Easter-Sunday April 18, 2021

Fr Fred's Parish Letter

My Sisters and Brothers of St. Anthony Parish,
“Peace be with you”. Those very beautiful and meaningful words of Jesus that He
spoke so many times, especially after His Resurrection, are words that we could possibly
take for granted at times, and even speak to others without much thought or intention.
However, they are so worth taking some time to ponder more deeply and to allow to
make a significant difference in our lives. It seems as though the words were the first
ones to come out of His mouth, beginning with that “evening of the first day of the week”
when He first appeared to His disciples after rising from the dead; to several other times
when Jesus spoke about His peace, “a peace the world cannot give”; to even in today’s
Gospel that finds the disciples still “startled and terrified and thinking they were seeing a
ghost”. Obviously, these were very confusing and troubling times for the disciples of
Jesus. I am sure that all of us can understanding those feelings, regardless of what the
circumstances are. What I believe Jesus is saying (in common language), is something
along the lines of, “Calm down. I got this. I am with you always. If I can overcome death
and triumph over everything they tried to do to me, then I can certainly help you handle
whatever it is that is causing you to have such fear and confusion”. When you put it like
that, it makes a lot of sense, even if at the moment, your emotions and feelings take over.
And so, “may the peace of the Risen Lord be with you always”.
Our leaders of both the Finance Council and Pastoral Council met this past Wednesday
to continue developing a vision for us to move ahead with a plan. Your input is very
important. Thanks to all who filled out the Disciple Maker Index (DMI). This rather short
survey takes about 10 or 15 minutes and can be done either online or with a hard copy.
However, the deadline is this Sunday--today. Please let us know what you are thinking
regarding our parish. Our leaders genuinely want to listen, and what you have to say is
important.
This coming Tuesday we will be celebrating the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
at St. Gabriel at the 7 pm Mass. You are most welcome to come and share in this great
gift of God’s healing.
Continue to share the joy of the Risen Lord. Be a means of bringing peace, hope and
mercy into the lives of others. May Christ’s peace be with you in every way.
In God’s love,
Fr. Fred

Click below for 2nd Sunday of Easter

Divine Mercy Sunday-April 11, 2021

Click below for Easter Mass
Easter Sunday Mass-April 4, 2021

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Good Friday Mass-April 2, 2021

Click here for Palm Sunday Mass-March 28, 2021

Fr Fred's weekly message-March 28, 2021

My Sisters and Brothers of St. Anthony Parish,
Our Lenten journey of preparation is coming to its fulfillment. We enter into HOLY
WEEK! Although there are a few slight modifications in how we celebrate, it is just such
a blessing that we are able to celebrate what is most important, and to do it with you in
person. If you are still not comfortable coming back, the liturgies will be video-taped,
and we are united in faith and prayer. Last week you received a complete schedule of
Holy Week liturgies. My prayer is that you will do everything you can to make this week
a priority and truly “Holy” in your life. I urge you especially to make the celebration of the
Triduum—three days—the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the
celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, and the celebration of the
Resurrection on Holy Saturday and continuing on Easter day, your highest priority. We
continue to celebrate the Resurrection throughout the Octave of Easter and the entire
50 days of the Easter season. This is the center of our faith, the most important days of
the entire year, and the celebration that has the potential to change our lives forever.
God is so good. Spring is here (and hopefully we will continue to experience its
beauty); health conditions are improving as more and more people are vaccinated (but
we are not totally there yet, so let us continue doing our part to keep everyone healthy
and safe). St. Anthony Parish continues to become more vibrant and alive. Most
importantly, Jesus is alive and with us, and assures us of the hope and promise of New
Life.
As we enter this holy and sacred time, I want to express genuine thanks to all our parish
servant-leaders who work so hard to keep things going and growing. I am so inspired
by the dedication of the leaders who love this parish so much and work so hard to keep
us alive and vibrant. I am also very grateful to Fr. Greg for being so willing and
available to do whatever he can to help us celebrate our sacred liturgies so well. We at
St. Gabriel would be lost without his invaluable help. And, thank you to all of you for
whatever ways you share your time, your gifts, and your financial resources. That is
what a community is all about. God reward you. We value you and need you so much.
Please be assured of my prayers always, but especially during this Holy Week/Easter
season. I pray that we will continue to experience the New Life that Jesus offers us
through His Passion, Death and Resurrection. Peace be with you.
In God’s love,
Fr. Fred

Click for the Mass for the 5th Sunday of Lent

Confirmation Mass-March 21, 2021

Special Thank you to Kelli Knaus who prepared our Confirmation students this year!

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Liturgy for Sunday January 24, 2021

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Please listen for an important message from our Pastoral Planning Team after

communion

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Sunday October 25th, 2020

1st Communion 2019-2020

May the Light of Faith shine forth from our parish as a beacon to guide our community to the Lord. When life seems difficult and troublesome, may our faith offer us security and strength. When we come together to celebrate God's gifts may the Holy Spirit fill us with joy.

As members of God’s family, we have a commitment to use our God-given talents to promote God’s message of love, to worship, educate, evangelize, and respond to the spiritual and human needs of our parish, cluster, diocese, district, community, and all other people.

Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be a lighthouse of faith to shine forth from our parish as a beacon to guide our community to the Lord. When life seems difficult and troublesome, our faith offers us security and strength. When we come together to celebrate God’s gifts, the Holy Spirit fills us with joy.

We are a welcoming Catholic community in Lake County, Ohio. Our pastoral staff Fr. Fred Pausche, Deacon John Wenzel and Fr. Greg Schaut invite you to join us for worship, faith formation and fellowship.

For more information concerning the parish please email us at office@stafh.org or call 440-354-4525.

For information concerning youth ministry please contact our Parish Catechetical Leader and youth minister Steve Biro at steve@stafh.org

PSR 2020-2021 Catechetical Theme