Pastor's Message

Pastor's Message
May 30, 1998

PERSISTENCY

A purple martin was busy building a nest in a birdhouse as I watched through a backyard window. With its beak holding stalks of grass or bits of twigs, it continued to bring the nesting materials to the small opening of the bird house.

All was going smoothly until the small bird returned with an oversized stick. This new addition for the nest was about five or six inches long. Unfortunately, the birdhouse hole was only about an inch wide. I laughed as the bird tried its best to enter with the new twig. Alas, the stick was far too wide, hitting both sides of the hole. The bird flitted around and tried again and again, but nothing made the stick fit the hole.

Then to my amazement, the purple martin managed to turn the stick so that one end entered the opening. With the skills of a master artisan, the bird then proceeded to drag the stick into the birdhouse. I applauded the bird both for its skill and its tenacity. Persistency had paid off once again.

It is easy to give up when we run into what seems impossible. Too many ideals and dreams get lost in the process. When something really matters to us, we have to keep trying, and -- like the purple martin -- we can find new possibilities.

Fr. Herb
St. Joseph

May 24, 1998

READY TO MAKE A SPLASH

I drove by one of the city's swim clubs the other day. Workers were in the pool, hosing it down and cleaning it, getting it ready to be refilled. Another summer is on its way. With Memorial Day this week we all turn our attention to summer. Soon the younger set will be out of school and excited about swimming and all those other hot-weather activities. It seems to me that we can all learn a lesson from kids.

Playing and relaxing together can be so good for a family. It's great when families go camping, hike together at Mohican, hit the bike trail, or go on picnics at the local parks. I treasure the moments when I have been able to be with families at the beach or at Cedar Point. Seeing life through the eyes of children refreshes me. Just goofing around and laughing can be as important as doing a day's work.

Perhaps God created summer as a time for all of us to redevelop our playful side, to make a splash in the pool like the kids do.

Fr. Herb

May 17, 1998
SLEEPLESS IN MANSFIELD

I was on my way to anoint someone in the emergency room of Med Central
Hospital at three in the morning when I noticed lights burning in various houses along the way. Maybe some folks were coming home from or going to work. Others were simply awake at that late hour. A few days later I was talking to a group of parishioners. Several commented how they occasionally find themselves unable to sleep. Perhaps there are worries that keep them up, or just thoughts about what has to be done the next day. Sometimes they are up because someone in the family is sick and needs attention.

With all this in mind I have concluded that on any given night there are members of the parish who are unable to sleep. Being awake during those hours between midnight and sunrise can be very hard for people. One can feel alone and lonely, wondering if anyone else out there knows or cares what they are going through. The next time you are unable to sleep, please take a moment to think about the others in this community who are having a hard time that same night. And pray for each other. In this way, the unity that is found in prayer and the strength that is found in the Lord will help the night pass safely.

Fr. Herb

May 10, 1998

WITH A LITTLE HELP
I was driving through Amish Country when I saw freshly laundered wash hanging on the line behind a house. Shirts, towels, and various children's clothes were drying in the sun, dancing in the breeze. With a closer look, I could see that the clothes line extended from the back door of the house to a pulley some thirty feet up a pole. Thus the laundress was able to hang the clothes on the line and then pull them high into the air, leaving room below for the garden and other backyard plants.

Perhaps I am the one with a poor imagination, but I would never have thought of constructing a clothes line so high in the sky. Yet it made all the sense in the world. And the pulley (actually two pulleys, with the other one attached to the house) made it possible.

Some people say the pulley was one of the first great inventions because it made it possible for people to overcome otherwise-impossible feats. Pulleys
allow us to extend ourselves beyond our normal limits. If we stop to reflect, we all have people in our lives who function as pulleys. Those are the ones who challenge us and help us stretch. I know for me, my mother was a prime example of that kind of person. She taught me to aim for the stars and reach for the unreachable. Sometimes, like a pulley, her words and encouragement helped lift me to new heights.

Thanks to all mothers who are pulleys for their children. Happy Mother's Day!
- Fr. Herb

May 3, 1998

IN MEMORIAM

Sr. Fran Schismenos, a valued member of the St. Peter's Pastoral Team for nine years, died on April 23. Many in the parish have been touched by this gentle woman during her years of ministry. Many, including me, have found her to be a trusting friend.

Within half an hour of Fran's dying, two different persons approached me to say that who they are today is because of her. She had a gift of reaching out, listening with true interest and attention, and inviting in. Those who have participated in RCIA over the years know what I mean.

Fran was a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Tiffin, Ohio. she was truly Franciscan in spirit and temperament. Love for life and love of nature flowed through her veins. Although she was not well enough to join us for the prayer vigil in front of MANCI the night Wilford Berry was scheduled to be executed, she did come to church for the earlier prayer service. Knowing that she was dying, she treasured God's gift of life and saw the tragedy of taking anyone's life.

Perhaps Fran's greatest contribution to all of us was her approach to death. She was open in talking about dying, knowing that this was also part of God's plan for her. Her struggle with cancer and her handling of the pain and weakness that came with it was a profile in courage.

I will never forget this year's Holy Saturday Easter Vigil. It was glorious as forty-two men, women, and children joined the church through the RCIA program. It turned out to be the final time Fran was able to attend Mass. Imposing hands on the heads of the candidates, she prayed over each person who was to be confirmed. I have no doubts that God heard that prayer.

Requiescat in pacem.

-Fr. Herb

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Pastor's Message May 30, 1998 PERSISTENCY A purple martin was busy building a nest in a birdhouse as I watched through a backyard window. With its beak holding stalks of grass or bits of twigs, it continued to bring the nesting materials to the small opening of the bird house. All was going smoothly until the small bird returned with an oversized stick. This new addition for the nest was about five or six inches long. Unfortunately, the birdhouse hole was only about an inch wide. I laughed as the bird tried its best to enter with the new twig. Alas, the stick was far too wide, hitting both sides of the hole. The bird flitted around and tried again and again, but nothing made the stick fit the hole. Then to my amazement, the purple martin managed to turn the stick so that one end entered the opening. With the skills of a master artisan, the bird then proceeded to drag the stick into the birdhouse. I applauded the bird both for its skill and its tenacity. Persistency had paid off once again. It is easy to give up when we run into what seems impossible. Too many ideals and dreams get lost in the process. When something really matters to us, we have to keep trying, and -- like the purple martin -- we can find new possibilities. Fr. Herb
May 24, 1998 READY TO MAKE A SPLASH I drove by one of the city's swim clubs the other day. Workers were in the pool, hosing it down and cleaning it, getting it ready to be refilled. Another summer is on its way. With Memorial Day this week we all turn our attention to summer. Soon the younger set will be out of school and excited about swimming and all those other hot-weather activities. It seems to me that we can all learn a lesson from kids. Playing and relaxing together can be so good for a family. It's great when families go camping, hike together at Mohican, hit the bike trail, or go on picnics at the local parks. I treasure the moments when I have been able to be with families at the beach or at Cedar Point. Seeing life through the eyes of children refreshes me. Just goofing around and laughing can be as important as doing a day's work. Perhaps God created summer as a time for all of us to redevelop our playful side, to make a splash in the pool like the kids do. Fr. Herb
May 17, 1998 SLEEPLESS IN MANSFIELD I was on my way to anoint someone in the emergency room of Med Central Hospital at three in the morning when I noticed lights burning in various houses along the way. Maybe some folks were coming home from or going to work. Others were simply awake at that late hour. A few days later I was talking to a group of parishioners. Several commented how they occasionally find themselves unable to sleep. Perhaps there are worries that keep them up, or just thoughts about what has to be done the next day. Sometimes they are up because someone in the family is sick and needs attention. With all this in mind I have concluded that on any given night there are members of the parish who are unable to sleep. Being awake during those hours between midnight and sunrise can be very hard for people. One can feel alone and lonely, wondering if anyone else out there knows or cares what they are going through. The next time you are unable to sleep, please take a moment to think about the others in this community who are having a hard time that same night. And pray for each other. In this way, the unity that is found in prayer and the strength that is found in the Lord will help the night pass safely. Fr. Herb
May 10, 1998 WITH A LITTLE HELP I was driving through Amish Country when I saw freshly laundered wash hanging on the line behind a house. Shirts, towels, and various children's clothes were drying in the sun, dancing in the breeze. With a closer look, I could see that the clothes line extended from the back door of the house to a pulley some thirty feet up a pole. Thus the laundress was able to hang the clothes on the line and then pull them high into the air, leaving room below for the garden and other backyard plants. Perhaps I am the one with a poor imagination, but I would never have thought of constructing a clothes line so high in the sky. Yet it made all the sense in the world. And the pulley (actually two pulleys, with the other one attached to the house) made it possible. Some people say the pulley was one of the first great inventions because it made it possible for people to overcome otherwise-impossible feats. Pulleys allow us to extend ourselves beyond our normal limits. If we stop to reflect, we all have people in our lives who function as pulleys. Those are the ones who challenge us and help us stretch. I know for me, my mother was a prime example of that kind of person. She taught me to aim for the stars and reach for the unreachable. Sometimes, like a pulley, her words and encouragement helped lift me to new heights. Thanks to all mothers who are pulleys for their children. Happy Mother's Day! - Fr. Herb
May 3, 1998 IN MEMORIAM Sr. Fran Schismenos, a valued member of the St. Peter's Pastoral Team for nine years, died on April 23. Many in the parish have been touched by this gentle woman during her years of ministry. Many, including me, have found her to be a trusting friend. Within half an hour of Fran's dying, two different persons approached me to say that who they are today is because of her. She had a gift of reaching out, listening with true interest and attention, and inviting in. Those who have participated in RCIA over the years know what I mean. Fran was a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Tiffin, Ohio. she was truly Franciscan in spirit and temperament. Love for life and love of nature flowed through her veins. Although she was not well enough to join us for the prayer vigil in front of MANCI the night Wilford Berry was scheduled to be executed, she did come to church for the earlier prayer service. Knowing that she was dying, she treasured God's gift of life and saw the tragedy of taking anyone's life. Perhaps Fran's greatest contribution to all of us was her approach to death. She was open in talking about dying, knowing that this was also part of God's plan for her. Her struggle with cancer and her handling of the pain and weakness that came with it was a profile in courage. I will never forget this year's Holy Saturday Easter Vigil. It was glorious as forty-two men, women, and children joined the church through the RCIA program. It turned out to be the final time Fran was able to attend Mass. Imposing hands on the heads of the candidates, she prayed over each person who was to be confirmed. I have no doubts that God heard that prayer. Requiescat in pacem. -Fr. Herb