Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Canceled Masses
This is just a reminder that since I am still out of town this weekend, the 9:30am Mass is canceled on July 10. I encourage parishioners who attend that Mass to join one of the other St. Paul’s Masses.  Please continue to pray for vocations to the priesthood and to pray for our bishop as he makes his decision on implementing new guidelines concerning the EF Mass.

July as Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus
The month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood. The feast of the Precious Blood of our Lord was instituted in 1849 by Pope Pius IX, but the devotion is as old as Christianity. The early Fathers say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ, and that the sacraments were brought forth through His Blood.
"The Precious Blood which we worship is the Blood which the Savior shed for us on Calvary and reassumed at His glorious Resurrection; it is the Blood which courses through the veins of His risen, glorified, living body at the right hand of God the Father in heaven; it is the Blood made present on our altars by the words of Consecration; it is the Blood which merited sanctifying grace for us and through it washes and beautifies our soul and inaugurates the beginning of eternal life in it."
The following is from John Hardon, SJ:
I found this passage in the oldest document, outside of sacred scripture, from the first century of the Christian era – to be exact, from Pope St. Clement I, dated about 96 A.D. Says Pope Clement: "Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ and realize how truly precious It is, seeing that it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of conversion to the whole world."
To understand the meaning of the Precious Blood we must get some comprehension of the gravity of sin, of the awfulness of offending God, because it required the Blood of the Son of God to forgive that sin. We are living in an age in which to sin has become fashionable.
This veneration of the Precious Blood, which is the first element in our devotion to the Precious Blood means that we have a deep sensitivity to the awfulness of sin. Sin must be terrible. It must be awful. It must be the most dreadful thing in the universe. Why? Because it cost the living God in human form the shedding of His Blood.
I encourage everyone to pray the litany of the Precious Blood this month or here is a shorter prayer to include:
Precious Blood,
Ocean of Divine Mercy:
Flow upon us.
Precious Blood,
Most pure Offering:
Procure us every Grace!
Precious Blood,
Hope and Refuge of sinners:
Atone for us!
Precious Blood,
Delight of holy souls:
Draw us! Amen.


Theology on the Rocks for July 18
The 3rd Monday of the month there will be faith formation but in a different format.  We are hosting the Akron “Theology on the Rocks” in our Parish Activity Center.  Please note the time change. Doors open at 7pm and the talk begins at 7:30.
The talk is entitled: The Spirituality of Baseball - the Most Liturgical Sport.
There will be alcohol available as well as light appetizers.  A cover charge of $10 will be required.

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Pfr