May 10, 2009

Today is Mother’s Day, so don’t forget the flowers and a card, and maybe a nice dinner out somewhere to say thanks for all your mom has done for you. You know, no matter how old we get, our mothers never stop worrying about us, so make sure to give her the day off this one day of the year.

Parish Merger News
The process merging of St. George and Our Lady of Perpetual Help parishes continues. According to the bishop’s directives, spiritual and community events should be planned so that parishioners have the opportunity to properly remember, and say goodbye to their current parish before coming together into the new faith community.

The St. George Parish Council met last Tuesday and invited Ruta Degutis and Mike Blau to lead the “Farewell to St. George Parish” committee. All parishioners who are interested in helping, or have ideas or suggestions on how to plan the farewell events should contact Ruta, Mike, or Fr.Bacevice.

This Tuesday, May 12, the merger committees from both parishes will meet to finalize the subcommittees which will work on specific merger tasks, and to list the people who will serve on the committees. Listen to next Sunday’s program, when we expect to announce the names of committee members. Once announced, all parishioners should feel free to approach committee leaders with their ideas or concerns, as well as volunteer to join in the work of specific committees.

Remember, Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. George are your parishes, and the new united parish will be yours as well. Be sure to get involved in the merger process and provide your input and sweat equity to ensure that this new parish is a reflection of the vision of all its members.

APPLE, the American Professional Partnership for Lithuanian Education will hold their yearly fund raising campaign Our Lady of Perpetual Help today after the 10:00 Mass in the lower hall. Next Sunday, May 17th, APPLE will ask for your support at St. George church. More information about APPLE is available at applequest.org.

Gintaras at Lithuanian Village is offering a Mother’s Day brunch buffet today from 11:30 to 1:30. Reservations are required, and if you call Ruta at 440-669-4145 and ask nicely, she can probably still get you a table. Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish invites you stop by the upper hall for a cup of coffee next weekend after 4:00 pm mass on Saturday, May 16th, or after 12 noon mass on Sunday, May 17th.

Lithuanians will go to the polls to elect a new president week, and Lithuanian citizens living in Cleveland can cast their vote from 11:00 am to 12 noon in the lower hall at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sunday May 17th. Contact Honorary Consul Ingrida Bublys at 216-486-8692 for more information.

The Lietuviu Bendromene will hold its annual meeting on Sunday, May 24th at 12 noon in the conference room at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Today, and on May 16th and 17th, the Bendromene's Ohio Apygardos will hold elections, also at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

On Saturday, May 30th, the Lithuanian youth ensembles Svyturys and Naujoji Intriga will perform a concert entitled "Tree of Life: A Celebration of 1,000 years of Lithuania". There will be singing by Naujoji Intriga and dancing from Svyturys, including the little Svyturukai. The event gets underway at 6:00 pm on May 30th in the auditorium at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

The Lithuanian Cultural Garden Society reminds you that it's time to renew your membership, or to become a member for 2009. The Society will host a get-together at noon on Sunday May 31st in the Pavilion located at the north end of Neff Road, on Lake Erie. The event is free for Cultural Garden Society members, and you can join at the door.

Mark your calendar for Abiturientu Balius or Graduates Spring Fling, coming up on Saturday, June 6th at Lithuanian Village. The optional dinner buffet starts at 5:00 in the Gintaras dining room, followed by the official program, desert and dancing in the upstairs ballroom at 6:30. If you or a member of your family is a graduate this year, contact Vilija Nasvytis or Shirley Kizys right away to be included in this special event recognizing graduates in the Cleveland Lithuanian community. You can email Vilija at vilija@nasvytis.com or you can call Shirley at 216-554-9729.

The Baltic communities of Greater Cleveland will gather on Sunday June 14th at Our Lady of Perpetual Help to commemorate the 1941 deportations of Baltic peoples to Siberia. The prayer service begins at 3:00 pm.

A youth baseball team from Kaunas will be visiting Cleveland in late June and early July to play in the Continental Cup Tournament to he held right here at John Carroll University. They are looking for assistance with transportation while in Cleveland, and also lodging for players and coaches. They will arrive on June 24th and depart on July 6th. If you can help make a group of 13 to 15 year old athletes welcome in Cleveland this summer, please contact Algis Gudenas by email at linrik@adelphia.net.