Week of April 13, 2008

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Dear Parishioner,

After eight successful and blessed years as Director of our Music Ministry, Marc Weagraff will be leaving his position when his contract ends this June. As you all know Marc is an extremely talented person who performed his responsibilities with skill and grace. He was able to deepen the excellence of our music ministry. Even though Marc’s departure will be a real loss to us, it will allow him to pursue his goal of teaching in a college setting. Next year Marc will be able to devote himself fully to teaching at Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory in Berea. Fortunately, Marc and his wife Julie and their son Nathan plan to remain parishioners of St. Noel. Therefore our upcoming good-bye will be less painful. 

We have already begun a national search to seek a new Director of Music Ministry. I know that you recognize the centrality of worship in our parish life and the essential role which a music director supplies. I have reprinted our job listing below and ask you to spread the word to qualified applicants whom you may know. I also ask for your patience as we seek to fill the position. Remember that when Kevin Keil left in 1999 it took us a full year of searching before we were able to find Marc. I know that our music ministry will step forward to assure that our liturgies are covered until a new director can be found. Marc himself is willing to assist us in a limited way during our search period.

With the departures of both Anthony Camino and Marc Weagraff our parish staff has entered a significant period of transition. We must as a parish enter that transition with diligence and faith. We must diligently seek to find the best candidates to keep our youth ministry and music ministry programs strong. We do believe that God will be faithful. It was God, of course, who sent Anthony and Marc to us in the past. We must believe that we will find quality ministers in the future who will lead our parish in new and fruitful directions.  Please keep our parish in your prayers so that we might find the right people to further our mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ.

Fr. George Smiga

St. Noel is a vibrant Catholic parish of 1,600 households in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland. It holds parish liturgy as a high priority, encouraging full, conscious, and active participation according to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The parish is seeking a full-time person to direct a long-standing music program of high quality. Responsibilities include the planning and execution of music for the three weekend liturgies, funerals, weddings, and special parish celebrations. The Director would lead a music ministry consisting of 65 vocalists and instrumentalists and a five-octave hand bell choir. The repertoire is integrated, including traditional, contemporary, and classical music.

( Steinway Concert Grand and Ahlborn-Galanti Chronicler II.) Applicants should possess formal musical training, keyboard and choir skills, knowledge of Catholic liturgy, and previous experience in church music. Salary $40,000 to $55,000 with proper qualifications. Full benefits. Contact Rev. George Smiga at 35200 Chardon Road, Willoughby Hills, Ohio 44094.

REMINDER – There will be no 6:45 p.m. Liturgy on Wednesday, April 16, 2008. Plan to attend the GIFT Program that evening or on Friday, April 18, 2008.

WINE TASTING AT THE BANQUET CENTER – The date has been changed to May 3rd. The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m.  An elegant five course meal will be served. A different wine will accompany each course. The cost is $40.00 per person. Please call the Banquet Center for menu details and reservations 440-946-6635.

TWIST AT THE BANQUET CENTER – The date has changed to May 24th for the show band Twist. They play a variety of Mo-town favorites and oldies from the past. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. A pasta buffet will be served and a cash bar will be available. The cost is $25.00 per person. The evening concludes at 11:30 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling the Banquet Center at 440-946-6635.

DON’T FORGET – COME TO GIFT THIS WEEK.  Fr. George will lead adults in Mass Appeal: Resurrecting Your Prayer at Sunday Liturgy. Families, teens, and preschoolers will work in age-appropriate groups. The goal of each group is to find inspirations for fuller participation at mass. We will explore the words we say at mass and why we say them. Groups will focus on the story telling and shared meal portions of the liturgy and then everyone comes back together for a sending forth to do God’s work. Registration forms are on the GIFT table in the Narthex or you can register at stnoel.org. See you Wednesday, April 16th or FRIDAY (not Sunday!), April 18th.

FOOD PANTRY NEEDS!  Our pantry is low on the following items:  pasta, spaghetti sauce, tuna, peanut butter and jelly.  If you are able to pick up an extra jar, can or box of any of these the next time you shop and place it in the white bin in the food pantry area it would be much appreciated!  Currently we are serving an average of 65 households a month so our shelves need frequent restocking, especially with the things we cannot purchase from the Cleveland Food Bank.  Thank you! 

WOMEN’S PRAYER BREAKFAST – Please join us for our Springtime Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, May 3, 2008 from 8-10:00 a.m., in the Banquet Center/small hall. We are privileged to have Sister Jacqueline Gusdane, the President of Notre Dame Cathedral Latin School, as our guest speaker.  Her topic will focus on “Women’s Voice in a Global Community.” Bring a friend for a morning of good conversation, fellowship and prayer. As always we will enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet following the program. The suggested donation is $5.00. There will be a sign-up sheet on the kiosk. Any questions, please call the parish office at 440-946-0887.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST – the middle school youth group is sponsoring a pancake breakfast on Sunday, April 20th from 10-1pm. Adults $5 and children $2.

     We had an exciting year:    

•  39 6-8th grade students in the group
•  kick-off picnic event
•  hayride
•  service projects
•  trip to Kalahari Water Park
•  movie night
•  great sessions and food
•  trained adult catechists

All the money raised will support these efforts.

PRIME TIME - F5 tonight!!  Dinner at 6:00pm in the teen center with Divine Word.  What’s F5?? It’s a category 5 night of Friends, Film, Faith, Food and Fun.  Bring your forms & money for retreat.

COR RETREAT – members of PRIME TIME will join other teens on a “Christ in Others” (COR) retreat on April 18-20 at the St. Leonard Retreat Center in Avon.  Please pray for our teens

HAM SALES – The PRIME TIME ham sale raised over $800 to support our youth ministry.  The money will be used to help pay for our retreat and summer service trips.  Many thanks to all who purchased hams.

MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH GROUP – our next session is Tuesday, April 22nd at 7:00pm in the lower level.

PENNY ROLLING MONEY – after a wonderful discussion with our 6-8 graders, the middle school group is purchasing a “wii” game system for the residents of Jennings Hall in Garfield Hts.  The residents play golf and bowling to build community and engage in physical activity.  Thanks to all who donated pennies!!

DECATHLON – 4 members of our parish, Brittany Shrefler, Lindsey Shrefler, Hannah Scott and Christian Kissig, are participating in the National Academic Decathlon competition in Anaheim, CA along with their team from South High School.  The team is sponsoring a fundraiser spaghetti dinner on Thursday, April 17th from 5-8pm at South High.  Check out the flyer on the kiosk and pray for our awesome teens as they put their gifts to good use!

CARING FOR CREATION: "The New Cosmology"

Sunday, April 27, 5:30-7:30 pm in the banquet Center/ small hall. Do you still think there are nine planets in our solar system?  There are now eight plus three little cousins.  We now know so much more about cosmology than ever before.  Learn the latest information about

the heavens from Cleveland Museum of Natural History astronomy educator Joe DeRocher. As with previous programs in this series, there will be a potluck dinner; please bring a dish to share as well as your own non-disposable place setting.  There will be time for prayer, reflection, discussion and questions.

AROUND THE WORLD IN MUSIC, a recital featuring flutist Linda White and pianist Denella Sing, will be presented at St. Noel on Friday, April 25 at 7:00 PM.  Around the World in Music is a highly imaginative, fascinating and beautiful program.  Much of the music is from living composers from around the world.  While the music is fresh and contemporary, all of the composers employ folk techniques that represent their region of the world.  The music is at once both modern and yet beautifully accessible to the general music audience.  The program includes works from Japan, Argentina, Haiti, Russia, and more.  The concert is free of charge.  A free-will offering will be taken to benefit the Water for Life Project, an initiative of the Cleveland Diocese Council on Global Solidarity and the Social Action Office which aims to provide healthy drinking, cooking and hygiene water to school children in sub-Saharan Africa.  Please plan to join us for this exciting musical program and to support this important health initiative.

ST. NOEL FELLOWSHIP – Activities for April are as follows: - April 17th - socializing, meeting, and then at 12:30 p.m. we will have our luncheon menu: breaded pork chops, apple sauce, potatoes, vegetable, salad, rolls, and cheese cake. Cost is $6.00 per person and deadline for tickets and payment is April 14th.  April 24th – Bingo- we will celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Also, please remember to bring your food donation for the food pantry to this meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend the Senior Fellowship on Thursdays.

BABY BOTTLE BOOMERANG – Hannah’s Home is a Christian facility located in Mentor, which provides a home and supportive services to young single women who are pregnant and in need. As a fund raiser, they are launching their “Baby Bottle Boomerang” project on Mother’s Day and concluding it on Father’s Day. You will find baby bottles on the table in the narthex, which we ask you to pick up on Mother’s Day (or after) and fill with change, and then return it to the office on Father’s Day (or before). You will also find brochures on the table in the narthex giving an extensive explanation of Hannah’s Home and their services.

CLIMATE CHANGE – A VISION FOR THE COMMON GOOD - Archbishop Celestino Migliore, a recognized expert on global issues concerning human development will be speaking at St. Hilary Catholic Church in Fairlawn on Wednesday evening, April 30th at 7 p.m. on the topic of climate change.  More details can be found on the kiosk.

MARILYN KANE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP – Any senior in high school who graduated from All Saints Elementary is eligible to apply for a $1000 scholarship in memory of Marilyn Kane, a long-time teacher at All Saints and member of St. Noel.  Forms are available in the church office. Deadline for applications is April 15, 2008.

GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - Bishop Lennon will celebrate the annual Golden Wedding Anniversary Celebration this year at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Sunday, July 27, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. Registrations are now being accepted for couples married 50 years (married in 1958). Deadline for registration is June 15, 2008. Please call the parish office at 440-946-0887 to register

CPR UPDATE - It is official (according to this a.m.’s PD) we need only do chest compressions when doing CPR in case of cardiac arrest – no more mouth to mouth UNLESS the victim is a child or a victim of drowning.

ON MAY 31, 2008 – VATICAN SPLENDORS FROM SAINT PETER’S BASILICA, THE VATICAN MUSEUMS AND THE SWISS GUARD will make one of three exclusive U.S. stops in Cleveland at the Western Reserve Historical Society. The exhibit contains approximately 200 objects from the Vatican. For more details concerning price and discounts on tickets please see the fliers in the kiosk.

 SEEDS OF LITERACY - is a non-profit adult literacy organization that relies on the help of volunteer tutors to assist students at ten locations throughout Cleveland.  Seeds of Literacy provides basic education and GED preparation classes to adults free of charge. Interested adults should call (216) 661-7950 for more information or to register. Our currently scheduled training dates are:

Saturday, April 26th and May 3rd from 9 am to 1 pm

FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP – Save the date!  On Thursday evening, May 22, 2008 at 7 p.m. in our small hall, we will be hosting a forum on Faithful Citizenship, the document written by our Bishops which addresses the forming of our consciences for faithful citizenship and our call to political responsibility.  Speakers will be from St. Mary Seminary and our Diocesan Social Action office.  Registration is important to insure adequate materials for all in attendance.  You may register by calling 888-620-5280 or email axcoplan@clevelandcatholiccharities.org.  See you there!

NEEDED: VOLUNTEER COMPUTER ASSISTANTS - Sr. Sheilamarie Tobbe, from the Thea Bowman Center in Cleveland, is looking for volunteers to help economically disadvantaged people learn about assistance available through the Ohio Benefit Bank.  There is a special training session for volunteers taking place on May 17, 2008 from 9a.m. to 12 noon.  Call 216-491-0699 to register and learn more.

CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN TO END THE DEATH PENALTY –   Catholic teaching offers a unique perspective on crime and punishment.  It begins with the recognition that the dignity of the human person applies to both victims and offenders.  It affirms our commitment to comfort and support victims and their families.  It also acknowledges the God-given dignity of every human life, even those who do great harm.  Our Bishops remind us, “We cannot overcome crime by simply executing criminals, nor can we restore the lives of the innocent by ending the lives of those convicted of their murders.  The death penalty offers the tragic illusion that we can defend life by taking life.”   The Cleveland Coalition to End the Death Penalty is launching an effort to gain support for ending the death penalty in Ohio.  Specifically they want to put up four billboards protesting the death penalty in Ohio, at the cost of $2100 for one month. If you would like to support this effort please put your donation in what was formerly the “penny jar” in the narthex.   Checks can be made out to St. Noel and we will forward a check to the coalition.

MORTGAGE PROBLEMS? - Check the pockets of the Social Justice section of the kiosk for a brochure from United Way of Lake County with some ides on preventing foreclosure.

VOCATION PILGRIMAGE for single Catholic Women and men, junior and senior high school to 40-something, are invited to participate. We ask that these men and women be those who may be discerning a religious vocation. The men’s pilgrimage will take place on Saturday, April 26th and the women’s pilgrimage will take place on Sunday, April 27th.  To register please call Sister Lenore Thomas at 800-869-6525 ext 3460 or ithomas@dioceseofcleveland.org.

THE DYING POOR - The Church of the Resurrection is hosting Dr. David Muller, author of Dancing with Broken Bones, on Saturday, April 19th from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  His book describes what it is like to live and die in urban poverty.  You may register by calling Lisa Frey at 440-248-0980 X24.  A free will offering will be taken up to benefit Malachi House, a hospice on Cleveland’s west side for dying persons with little or no financial means.

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