Saint Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Parish
Served by: Father Nicholas R. A. Rachford, J.C.L., Pastor
Cantors: Mrs. Adrienne Terleck, Mr. David Stacko, Mrs. Debra Szabo.
Secretaries: Mrs. Adrienne Terleck, Mrs. Marilyn Mucha

2711 West 40th Street Lorain, Ohio 44053-2252 (440) 282-7525
church fax: 282-9185; kitchen: 282-7742; pre-school: 282-1923
                                                e-mail: info@stnicks.org

                    Schedule of this week's events :

Navigate quickly to the portion of the bulletin you want to view: Parish    Eparchy    Community
 

Click here to read the notes from the Parish Pastoral Council meeting of April 28. Next meeting is June 1.

My commitment to the future: Sunday collection: offertory: $2,200; holy days: $160; candles: $9; Easter: $20; Horizons: $6;
initial offering: $5; children: $1; poor: $2; building fund: $227;
TOTAL INCOME: $2,630;
Memorial/Activity Fund: $80 for Mary Barbuscak;
BINGO: $2,607.80;
TOTAL EXPENSES THIS WEEK: $3,367.42

Welcome: We welcome the parishioners of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Parish, who are joining us for the Divine Liturgy
during May while their pastor, Father Steven Paliwoda, is on holiday.

Graduates: The annual graduate recognition Sunday will be June 8. Those graduating from the eighth grade, high school or those
receiving any college degree or completing a program at any educational instution are asked to notify the rectory office before May 25.

Mariapoch pilgrimage: Our annual parish pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch, Burton, Ohio, will be on Sunday, June 1.
Again efforts will be made to secure a small van for those who would prefer not to drive themselves. Please sign up on the list posted at
the parking lot entrance. Deadline is May 25.

Rosary: The Rosary Society will be praying the rosary after Divine Liturgy during the month of May. All are welcome to stay and pray.

Bingo bakers: For Tuesday, May 13: J. Suhy, M. Super, J. Szabo, N. Szabo, T. Szabo and R. Teague.

Bingo bakers: For Tuesday, May 20: The following households can bring their baked goods to the parish kitchen on Saturday evening
or Sunday morning as well as on Tuesday: C. Teleha, J. Teleha, M. Teleha, R. Terleck, T. Todhunter and D. Tomasic.

Thank you: We thank the parishioner households who provided baked goods for bingo on May 6: G. Stanko and M. Stanko.

Parishioner birthdays this week: Pauline Matchison (11), Olga Zilka (12), Patricia Brandon (16), Elizabeth Pelo (16) and Tara
West (16).

Anniversaries in May: William and Geraldine Sandor (14), Richard and Arnnie Shullick (18), John and Helen Evansco (20) and Timothy
and Victoria Kosco (29).

Special collection: During the month of May, a special collection for the Catholic Home Missions will take place. A special donation envelope
is on the religious showcase and at the front entrance to church.

Stewardship information: Our stewardship goal was reduced this year from $8,100 to $6,900. This was in consideration of the size of our
parish and our annual revenue. To date we are still $2,229 short of our new goal. Last year's total parish contribution was $5,137.50. Not
reaching our new goal will not result in another lowering of that goal amount. It's not too late to make a pledge or even to increase the amount
already given. If each of the 102 of our parish households who have not yet made a pledge would pledge at least $22, we would make our goal.
Pledges can be paid in monthly installments. This can make it possible to pledge a larger amount than might be possible with a one-time payment.
If you have misplaced your pledge form, contact the parish office for a new one. The stewardship collection supports the necessary eparchial
programs. Past failure of the eparchy to reach its goal has resulted in the several special collections now being taken. In the past, this money came
from the eparchial Stewardship fund. Stewardship also provides half of the priests’ health insurance and pension fund. Without this, our parish
would have to pay an additional $13,180 each year.

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Retreat: Give your spiritual life a lift. Discover things you didn't know about your faith. Join us for the third All Things New retreat scheduled
for May 16-18 at Marytown Retreat House in Libertyville, Ill. Registration forms are available on the bulletin board in the parking lot entrance
to church. For additional information please contact the Office of Evangelization at (216) 741-8773 ext. 226 or evang@parma.org. To download
a registration form go to www.parma.org, click on Event/News and then May 16-18.

Let everything that lives and breathes praise the Lord: The Eparchial Offices of Evangelization and Youth Ministry are sponsoring the
2008 JP II Night of the Arts. Come and join us at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist on 1900 Carlton Road, following the 5 p.m. vigil Liturgy,
for a free evening of food, fun, and fellowship featuring local Catholic musicians, Parker’s Back, comedian Ryan Mann, and artists Patrick
Anderson and Terrence Grachanin. Enjoy games and activities throughout the night. We’ll conclude with Byzantine night prayer at 9:30. Come,
enjoy and meet other young Catholics. For more information, or if you have any questions regarding this exciting opportunity, please contact: ajsummerson@gmail.com.

Memorial Day: On Monday, May 26, we will observe Memorial Day. It is the custom to commemorate all who have died in the service of our
great nation. You are cordially invited to join in the celebration at Holy Spirit church at 9 a.m. with the American Legion Memorial Service, 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy, a panachida approximately 10:45 a.m. in Holy Spirit Cemetery (weather permitting). Everyone is invited to attend a coffee social
following all the services, particularly Byzantine Catholic servicemen and servicewomen. Once again this year, a shuttle will be provided to transport people from the church to the cemetery, if they are unable to walk.

Attention Byzantine guys: (ages 8-19 ): Our culture tells us all sorts of things about what it means to be a “real man.” If you want to know what it
means to be a real man, if you want a chance to meet some real men who love God and their Byzantine Catholic faith, if you want to hang out with
college-age Byzantine Catholic guys and hear what they have to say about their faith and how that faith has made a real difference in their lives, then
come check out Alive in Christ. Ask Father for more information, or log onto www.parma.org and checkout the information on our vocations page.
You definitely want to be a part of this.

Hispanic Day at shrine: The Friends of the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch, Burton, Ohio, invites everyone to participate in the Hispanic Day
celebration at the shrine, 17486 Mumford Road, on Sunday, May 18. Festivities will begin at 10 a.m. with soccer tournaments for men, women
and children. Authentic Mexican foods will be for sale in the cafeteria all day long. Franciscan Father Joachim Studwell will celebrate the Divine
Liturgy in Spanish at the shrine altar at 3:30 p.m.


 

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Vatican Splendors: Soon Cleveland will be privileged to host the largest Vatican exhibition ever to visit North America, Vatican Splendors
from Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Swiss Guard.
    This exhibit will make one of three exclusive stops at the Western Reserve Historical Society, opening May 31. Most of these objects are not
displayed publicly even at the Vatican and are presented in dramatic settings and recreated environments such as the tomb of Saint Peter and the
Sistine Chapel. With its vast collection of nearly two hundred objects dating from the earliest days of papal history, Vatican Splendors provides
an unprecedented opportunity for faith formation.
    Unique opportunities are available to parishioners in a program called the Parish Advantage. This program allows parishioners to obtain
exhibit tickets at a discounted price of $2 off each ticket. Tickets can be purchased at www.Ticketmaster.com, by calling (888) 5vatican, or at the
Western Reserve Historical Society’s box office. Enter or mention discount code: (Parish). This special offer will end on June 22.

Coffee social: The GCU Lodge #77 will sponsor a coffee and doughnut social in the church hall on May 18, after the 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy
The second quarterly meeting will follow the social. All members are urged to attend.
Thank you
s/John E. Opalenik
President

GCU: There is a contest among all the Lodges in the GCU nationwide. It is based on getting new members in our Lodge 77. There is a referral
card that needs to be filled out and sent in to the home office in Beaver, Pa. A copy of this card is in the side church entrance. When home office
receives the information, they will contact you with a quote for whatever plan you would be interested in – life insurances, IRAs annuities,
scholarship savings plans and more. There are many benefits to being a member of the GCU. They have many youth activities such as a ski outing,
bowling, family outing, scholarships and a lot more. The contest ends May 31, 2008. If you have any questions, please call LaVerne Mackin
at 233-5006.
The lodge challenge contest prizes are: Three new members the lodge will receive $250. Five new members the lodge will receive $500.
Seven new members or more the lodge will receive $1,000.

Health talks: A free public seminar, Thursday, May 22. Registration, 6 p.m.; program 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Lorain County Community College at
the John A. Spitzer Conference Center, room 207-208, 1005 Abbe Road North, Elyria, Ohio. To attend, call (216) 444-3641 or (800) 548-8502
or register on line at: www.clevelandclinic.org/health/healthtalk.

Concert: The Amherst Community Chorus will present its annual spring concert, a Celtic Celebration, on Friday, May 23, at
7:30 p.m. at Saint Joseph Parish social hall. Refreshments will be served. Tickets are available at the door.

Bus tour: The Carpatho-Rusyn Society is sponsoring a wooden church bus tour in the Pennsylvania area Sunday, June 1, from
8:15 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $40 for the bus and a brunch. For more information call Marcia Benko at (440) 331-3856. See the flyer on
the bulletin board in the parking lot entrance to church.

Stained glass tour: Invite your mother to a lecture/tour of exquisite ecclesiastical stained glass windows at two of Lorain County’s houses of
worship on Sunday, May 11, beginning at 1:30 p.m. This self-drive tour begins at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary church, 418 15th Street
and concludes at Agudath B’nai Israel Synagogue, 1715 Meister Road. The choir of Nativity Parish will provide music while the tour is at their
church.
 

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St. Nicholas Parish Pastoral Council

The meeting opened with prayer at 7 p.m. by Father Nick. Also present were: Sue Druga, Sandy Farnsworth, John Gresh, Judy Naymik and Mike Naymik.

There were no changes to the notes from the Jan. 28 meeting.

Father Nick explained the Forerunner Award and that it would be presented at the cathedral on June 22. He ask that recommendations for nominations be submitted to him by Thursday, May 1.

In the absence of Don Penrod, Father Nick said that the plans for the Mothers’ Day celebration were underway. So far 70 people have signed up to attend. The menu is the usual type of scrambled eggs, sausage, toast, nut roll, coffee and juice.

Father Nick also informed Council members of the upcoming ByzanTEEN youth rally scheduled for July 31-Aug. 3. There will be a bus going from St. Joseph church, Brecksville; reservations are due by July 1. The Shrine Shine teen camp at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch will be from Thursday, June 5, to Sunday, June 8.

Sandy Farnsworth asked about the parish’s youth ministry Venturing Crew (Boy Scouts of America). Father Nick said that the youths of the parish are registered in this Crew primarily for the BSA’s insurance policy in case our group go somewhere. In addition, all of the facilities of the Boy Scouts are available to our youths, including the high adventure bases and Scout camps throughout the country.

Father Nick announced the upcoming cantor follow-up workshop on May 17 and the schedule for the workshop. Five of our parish cantors will be attending.

Next on the agenda was the ongoing parish evaluation in preparation for the next three-year plan. Father Nick said that we have gained a few parishioners over the past three years, even though many others have died.

The questions for this meeting’s evaluation are, first, are homilies well-prepared and meaningful. The response was that yes, they have improved over the past several years. Next was how could the priest improve his homilies. Members answered that they are continuing to improve.

Moving to questions about religious education, the next question was whether there were a religious education program in the parish; the answer was yes, both elementary and high school. Father Nick is currently teaching the junior high and high school students. To the question of what is the participation in the religious education program. Father Nick said that there are about half of the potential participants who were attending the ECF program.¹

Sue Druga reported that plans for the summer ECF week for elementary school students are moving along well. The teachers had a meeting on April 20. Debbie Obergas will teach kindergarten through second grade; Becky Camp will have third through fifth grades and Madeline Zaworski will take sixth through eighth grades. The program will run each day from 8:25 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday there will be Divine Liturgy at 8:30. The first part of each day’s program schedule will be a gathering activity followed by a snack. Next will be the lesson followed by activity then lunch. After lunch will be an exercise and play period followed by a lesson, and another activity. The program will also include some homework for the parents to complete. Sister Celeste and Father Dennis will come to talk about vocations. The older students may take a field trip to the Vatican exhibit at the Western Reserve Historical Society Some of our high school students and Tim Byers will be program assistants.

Moving to the question of adult education, Father Nick said that there is an annual program on some topic. Last year and this year the programs have been about the Divine Liturgy and the revisions. The participation was not very good.

Sandy Farnsworth asked about the various greetings during special seasons and Father Nick responded about what they are. Sandy also suggested that the bulletin have announcements before the feast days when there are special blessings such as fruit or flowers. Mike Naymik pointed out that a lot of bulletins are never taken home.

The meeting adjourned with prayer at 8:10 p.m.

Next meeting will be on June 23, 2008

Please note any changes that need to be made in the April 28 notes.

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