April 5, 2009

Best wishes to Ona Banioniene, Ruta Degutis, and Marija Marcinkevicius, who celebrated birthdays this week.

A special welcome to all athletes who are in town for this weekend’s Zaibas Seniors Basketball Tournament.

The pastors of St. George and Our Lady of Perpetual Help parishes, together with their two representatives met this past Tuesday, March 31st.

Their first job is to decide on the closing date for both parishes and submit the closing date document to the bishop by April 22nd. Committee members will be continuing their discussions and consult with their respective parish councils in order to come to the final decision regarding the closing date of both parishes. They have agreed to come to a final decision about the closing date at their next meeting scheduled for April 14th.

An informational letter addressing various questions about the merger process will be distributed at both parishes today. Please take a copy home and read it. The English version of this letter is also available online in a posting below.

Father Bacevicius, pastor of St. George Parish, will hold the second open parish meeting today.

The meeting will take place in the St. George parish hall, immediately following the 10:30 Mass. He will give the latest information concerning the merger of St. George and Our Lady of Perpetual Help parishes and answer any questions you may have.

Vaiko Vartai i Moksla will present a fundraising dinner today after 10:00 mass, in the lower hall at OLPH. All proceeds go to fund programs supporting disadvantaged and orphaned children in Lithuania.

Also this morning, OLPH will be collecting non-perishable food items for those in need during the Easter season. Collection boxes are available in the back of the church.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help church will celebrate the Easter Vigil at 8:00 pm on Saturday, April 11th, and Easter Sunday masses at 8:00 and 12 noon on April 12th. The full schedule for Holy Week Services at OLPH can be found online at olphofcleveland.org.

On Good Friday, April 10, Lithuanian Village will offer a Lenten Buffet from 5 – 8 pm, along with a book signing by Dorothy Chapon Kazel, sister-in-law of missionary nun Dorothy Kazel who was killed in El Salvador in 1980. Chapon-Kazel’s new book "The Voice: A Missionary's Call to Give her Life" will be on sale.

The Lithuanian Club & Village will be closed Easter Sunday, April 12th.

Last Sunday, when I announced the 2009 officers for Council 25 of the Knights of Lithuania, I neglected to mention that Fr. Gediminas Kijauskas is the spiritual advisor to the Cleveland Vyciai, as he has been for many, many years.

If you missed the glass jewelry making class at Lithuanian Village back in February, you have another chance coming up on Saturday, April 25. Contact John Yagoda at 440-309-0488 for more information and reservations.