Excitement is in the Air!

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”--Inigo Montoya Dear Parishioners:  Retreat . We often think of that word in the sense of the forced or strategic withdrawal of an armed force from an enemy or “an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable” ( Merriam-Webster.) Monty Python’s grail-seeking knights fleeing from their foes with cries of “Run away!” illustrates the common concept of retreat. In the Church, retreat has a different meaning, but it is about withdrawing, getting away is a temporary escape, not to flee the world and the challenges of life, but to strengthen the Christian to reenter the fray renewed and refreshed. The Code of Canon Law speaks of clerics (bishops, priests, deacons) in Canon 276 4° which says, “[clerics] are also obliged to make spiritual retreats, in accordance with the provision of particular law.” That particular law of the Diocese of Cleveland instructs, “Each priest is required to make an annual retreat. He is entitled to take up to five days.” So…I will be away on retreat this week. I will be back for next weekend’s Masses and confessions. Retreats are not just for clergy, they are good for all the Christian Faithful, including lay persons. I know most people can’t get away for five days of prayer and reflection, but can you find a couple days a year? I bet you can. Chris Hoag, our Parish Catechetical Leader, is offering days of recollection (“mini-retreats”) this fall and spring. Details of the fall mini-retreat, Resting with the Sacred Heart , on Saturday, October 17, are in this week’s bulletin. There will also be a Marian consecration with sessions on Monday nights at 7:00 pm running from October 12 through November 16 . I hope you have an opportunity to avail yourself of some of these opportunities. Not to do so would be… inconceivable . Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

“Part of being successful is about asking questions and listening to the answers.” --Anne Burrell Dear Parishioners: I received some questions--as to be expected--as we go into the capital campaign to raise the funds for refurbishing the church and addressing our deteriorating, insufficient office situation. I figure if one person is asking, then several probably are, so I’ll address the some of the questions asked so far. The bulletin mentioned a parish’s goal for the capital project is 140% of its annual collection/offering, and that half of that is retained by the parish and half goes to the diocese. Amounts above the goal are either an 80-20 spilt or 100-0 depending on need. My question is, what will the diocese do with what we send from our capital collection? The easiest response is to point you to the Called to Flourish website: https://www.catholiccommunity.org/support/other-ministries/called-to-flourish/case-for-support The preliminary statement expressed a goal of $5 million. If I’m understanding correctly, this would put our annual collections at $3.5 million, but this doesn’t seem correct. My question is, is the $5 million figure in the preliminary statement related to the 140% figure mentioned in the bulletin? No, our official goal if we had not had our own major fundraising needs would have been around $915,000 with around $457,500 thousand going to the diocese. The $5,000,000 is what we think we need to achieve our goal and to meet the diocese’s goal for us together. I’m not clear about the project. Are there separate Holy Spirit and diocesan capital projects, or one unified capital project? Are the parishes allowed to conduct capital projects independent of the diocese? There are two campaign projects for Holy Spirit, the church and the offices. It was thought best to try to raise the funds for both of these together rather than to do one for the church and then one in a year or two for the offices. I have said often that I really wish it could have been one of the other-which would be easier to fund--but both building are at the point needing major work, so we’re shooting big to try to do both. The diocese is running its own campaign, so our campaign is referred to as a joint campaign, since we are running ours concurrent with the diocese's. Normally parishes can do their own campaigns, which the approval of the diocese. Knowing that the Called to Flourish campaign was coming, for the last couple of years the diocese was not approving new campaigns and requiring them to be combined with the Diocese’s campaign. What are the average annual collections Holy Spirit receives? What percentage of those collections go to the diocese? How much (if any) comes back from the diocese? We brought in $681,473 in collections last year. We pay assessment on our collections of 11.5% on the first $575,000 and 16.5% of the collection over that, billed based on the previous year’s collections. We do not pay an assessment on gifts, repairs and improvement donations, etc. If someone gifted us $1,000,00, we would not be assessed on that. If they gave us $20,00 a week in the collection, that would be assessed. While we do not get money from the diocese, we get the services of the legal office, Tribunal, finance office, and the other offices. When I was working for the Tribunal, one of my priest friends, a new pastor said, “You know what I could do with the money I send to the diocese each month?” I replied, “You know what the diocese could do with it?—Pay my salary!” I have never thought of the assessments as unjust. I also prefer assessment to some diocese where there is an annual appeal to raise money for the diocese’s work; a mini-campaign every year, and if the parishioners don’t meet the goal, the parish still has to provide the difference. As such, please allow me to suggest a meeting dedicated to the capital project for parishioners to get a better understanding of all this. Perhaps such a meeting is already in the works. This will come as we move from the feasibility study to the more active campaign. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

“So it begins.”--King Théoden, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. I introduced the idea of renovating the church in either late February or early March of 2020. (We know what happened within weeks of that.) I pointed out that the cornerstone of the church says “1967”, and so do the lights hanging in the Narthex, and asked, “Who has not updated something in your house since 1967?” After a slight detour for work on the church air-conditioning and the boiler room, since the summer of 2023, I have been working with an advisory group of parishioners on the church and office projects. We have met with architects for designs. In presentations to the parish and pastor’s columns, I have kept you informed on our progress and at times asked you advice. The group has been in hiatus for a while, awaiting the green light from the diocese to proceed. The pause was because the diocese was planning a diocesan-wide capital campaign. All projects and campaigns were paused until the Diocese campaign began. There are two ways that parishes can participate. The first is the parish is given a goal (140% of its yearly collection). Up to reaching the goal, the parish keeps 50% and the diocese gets 50%. Over the goal, the split is 80% to the parish and 20% to the diocese. The second way is when a parish needs significant fundraising, like we do. There is still the same goal with the 50/50 split, but 100% over the goal stays with the parish. Holy Spirit was approved for this kind of campaign. The fundraising group that is advising the diocese and the parishes is CCS. It is time for Holy Spirit to begin its campaign. The first step is a feasibility study to determine a realistic fundraising goal for the parish. We know what we want/need for our projects; this study tells us what we can actually raise. To do this, CCS will be interviewing a sample of parishioners in the next few weeks, usually via Zoom. From these interviews CCS will set the goal for Holy Spirit. If you receive an invite to participate, I ask that you please do so. You will be doing a great service to the parish and your fellow parishioners. The results will be in mid-October. From there we will move into our actual capital campaign. Be assured there will be much more information that I will share with you in this column in the future. As always, if you have any questions, please address them to me and not to your friends and neighbors since they don’t have the answers. This is going to be a big project, a significant time in the history of Holy Spirit Parish that will have continuing effect for years, even decades into the future. It will be a wild, occasionally bumpy ride, but it is a ride that we are all taking together. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

“This striking observation reminds us that the Church’s worship and her service of charity cannot be separated. The deacon, who stands at the altar and also ministers among the poor, visibly embodies this unity within the life of the Church. When the deacon encounters those who suffer or live on the margins, he encounters Christ who identifies himself with the least of his brothers and sisters (cf. Matthew 25:40).”--St. John Chrysostom, Homily 50 on the Gospel of Matthew. Dear Parishioners: Holy Spirit again this year is a field education placement for a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate, Jason Klueber (not to be confused with the Australian tennis player, Jason Kubler.) Jason offers this introduction: Hello everyone! My name is Jason Klueber, and I'm excited to be helping at Holy Spirit Parish in Avon Lake for the next 9 months! I'm in my second year of Aspirancy, the second year of the five-year Diaconate Formation program, and this will be my first time in field education at a parish. My wife Catherine (Cat) and I have been married for 16 years. We met in college at Baldwin-Wallace College where we both studied music therapy. Our favorite thing to do together is sing at weddings, which we still get to do occasionally. We stayed in the area after college and were married at St. Mary's Church in Berea. We currently live in North Olmsted and are parishioners at St. Clarence Church. We have been blessed with three wonderful children. Rachel is 15 and a junior at Padua Franciscan High School. Joshua (13) and Hannah (11) are in 8th grade and 6th grade respectively at St. Angela Merici in Fairview Park. All three keep us (mainly Cat) very busy running around with their extracurricular activities. At St. Clarence, I have served as a lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, greeter, cantor, and server. In collaboration with another couple, Cat and I also started a ministry for couples and families about 4 years ago that we have loved. Building community is a charism of ours, and my personal favorite way to do that is over a meal. We often joke that feeding people is our love language. If any of you are interested, we'd love to have you over for dinner sometime. Outside of spending time with my family and formation, I work as a supply chain consultant for a small company called Chainsight, primarily assisting companies with supply chain software implementations. I've worked in multiple aspects of supply chain for the past 16 years at companies of various sizes, from small ones such as Darice (the parent company for Pat Catan's) and large ones like Nestle. I have always enjoyed the complexity and interconnectedness of the elements in a supply chain and have a passion for my work. I look forward to meeting you personally over the coming weeks and I am excited to see what God has in store for my time with all of you! Please don't be a stranger! Jason will be at Holy Spirit through April of next year. He will be involved with liturgical ministries, Communion to the homebound, and other aspects of life at Holy Spirit.  Welcome, Jason! Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

"Evangelization is about the opportunity to “enlighten all people with the brightness of Christ, which gleams over the face of the Church, by preaching the Gospel to every creature.” - (Lumen Gentium) Dear Parishioners: I am excited to announce Karen Howell as Holy Spirit’s new Evangelization Minister! Karen offers this introduction to the parish: Hello! I am Karen Howell, and I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the staff at Holy Spirit Parish in Avon Lake! I feel as though I already know many of you, having prayed for God’s plan to lead me to this next chapter of my earthly journey. I am a lifelong Lorain County resident, a cradle Catholic, and someone whose faith and relationship with the Lord mean everything to me. I strive to be down-to-earth, cheerful, friendly, creative, supportive, understanding, and a good listener with a good sense of humor—and I believe in spreading “random acts of kindness” like confetti! My husband, Terrance, and I have been married for 35 years. We met while in Cleveland area bands and back when making music was our vision and passion. We have owned and operated a Disc Jockey Service for many years, but most importantly we are blessed with two wonderful children, Nicolas Adam and Cassandra Eve, both grown. I have been a lifelong parishioner of St. Agnes Church in Elyria and have had the privilege of serving in many ministries over the years, including Parish Council, Altar and Rosary, PSR, Youth Group, music ministries, lector and Eucharistic minister, bereavement ministry, prayer line, Pro-Life ministry, and family and discipleship ministries. After college and the birth of my son, my professional journey began, which has included working as a preschool teacher, nanny, City of Elyria employee, and, for nearly 25 years, within the Diocese. Most recently, I spent 15 years as Director of Admissions and Communications at St. Bernadette School in Westlake. Each position has been a blessing and has taught me so much. Outside of work, I love attending morning Mass, praying, reading, writing, visiting local coffee shops, book and record stores, walking in nature, feeding the birds, gardening, cooking and baking, attending concerts and local events, and spending time with family and friends. I am especially proud of my Hungarian heritage and love nothing more than a quiet day by the lake with my toes in the sand and a lemonade in my hand! I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming weeks and becoming part of this wonderful parish community. I’ll leave you with a favorite passage attributed to my cherished patron saint, St. Thérèse of Lisieux: “For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trail as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.” I am grateful and excited to see where God leads us together! Welcome, Karen! Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

“The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ.” – St. John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae (1979) Dear Parishioners: Registration is underway for the 2026-2027 PSR year at Holy Spirit, Avon Lake. We offer in-person session for PSR on Tuesday evening from 5:30-6:45 p.m. and there is also an option for at home/online course. Parents must choose one or the other for their students, the different curricula do not allow for switching between. If an in-person student needs to move online, the student will need to begin the online program from the start. The registration fee for one child is $75.00. There is a $5.00 off discount per child when registering two or more children. Use the code 5OFF to receive this discount. You can register your child online at Realm for Grades 1 through 8. The 2026-2027 PSR year begins on Tuesday, September 1 for both the in-person and online programs. Parent meetings for the new school year will be held on Sunday, September 20 at 6:00 p.m. or on Tuesday, September 1 at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Katherine Drexel Room off the Atrium in the Holy Spirit Parish Center. At least one parent must attend one or the other of these meetings. Preparation for sacraments is above and beyond the regular curriculum. First Confession and Communion prep sessions are held once monthly on Sunday morning from 10:15-11:30 a.m. A Parent Meeting for parents of children in Grade 2 who anticipate receiving First Holy Communion in Spring 2027 will be held on Tuesday, October 13 at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Katherine Drexel Room in the Parish Center. At least one parent must attend. Confirmation is conferred in Grade 9 (or high school generally) at Holy Spirit, Avon Lake. The Confirmation Preparation Program consists of preparation sessions held once monthly on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. as well as an online component. A Parent Meeting for parents of teens in Grade 9 who anticipate receiving Confirmation in Spring 2027 will be held on Tuesday, September 8 at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Katherine Drexel Room in the Parish Center. At least one parent must attend. Dr. Hoag and I both take seriously that Christian Education is not about knowing about Jesus, but is about knowing Jesus, having a real relationship with Him. We also affirm that parents are the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith. I hold that the places for religious education are: Sunday and Holy Day Mass, the home, and then PSR—in that order! If the first two are not happening, then PSR is not going to do much intellectually or spiritually. This is true not just for our PSR students, but for all of us. We never cease to be learners. Sunday Mass and a home/life where the Lord is present is the foundation on which our intellectual growth is built. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

“Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."—John F. Kennedy Dear Parishioners: There is a very close working relationship between Holy Spirt and St. Joseph in Avon Lake. We have a common rectory for the two parishes, we share some staff members, we work together on meals for the St. Elizabeth Center in Lorain, we divide the Masses on weekdays, Holy Days of Obligation, and national holidays. The pastors of the parishes know that the people of Avon Lake have their primary parish, but will attend the Sunday Mass that best fits into their schedule, even if it is at the “other” parish. Fr. Ron Wearsch has let me know that beginning the first weekend in September—September 5/6—St. Joseph’s Parish Mass schedule will be changing. It will be: Saturday: 4:30 pm Sunday: 8:15 am 11:15 am 5:00 pm Both parishes will be collaborating to provide confessions on Tuesdays from 6:00 pm to 6:45 pm in Holy Spirit Church beginning Tuesday, September 1, 2026. I have said it in some venues, but I want to say it publicly: If Fr. Joe Koopman ever moves on from Holy Spirit we will drop a Mass on Sunday morning and only have two Sunday morning Masses. At this time, I am able to call on a retired priest to assist, but the time may come where that isn’t an option. The church has a capacity of 850 people, and we only get mid-six hundred people total on a weekend; one Mass could serve all our weekend Mass attendees, but we will still have three (One Saturday, tow Sunday.) I promise you that the decision on the new Holy Spirit Sunday schedule will be determined in consultation with the staff, the Parish Pastoral Council, and the parishioners. To be clear: If Fr. Joe Koopman ever moves on from Holy Spirit. He has not given me any indication that he is planning on doing so anytime soon. I can imagine that someday that will happen, whether it is Fr. Koopman leaving his seminary teaching position and becoming a pastor of his own parish or it is decided that he is needed somewhere else in the Diocese for weekend assistance. That day is not here yet We are hoping and happy to have him for many more years of priestly service at Holy Spirit. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

“By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”—Prayer for the adding of water to the wine at Mass Dear Parishioners: People used to extol Pope Francis for his humility. What I like about Pope Leo is his humanity . · His brother was being interviewed on the day of Leo’s election. During the interview, the brother answered the phone. Leo’s voice was heard asking his brother, “Don’t you answer your phone?” · Robert Prevost called his bank in Chicago to change the information on his account. The customer service rep told him he would have to come in person to a branch to do that. He said that that was not possible. The rep says it must be done this way. Prevost says, “What if I told you I am Pope Leo?” The rep hung up on him. (It did get sorted out by a priest friend of his speaking to the president of the bank.) · Visting a mosque in Istanbul, Pope Leo was told, “If you wish, you may pray.” He replied, “No, thank you.”—which one commentator called the most Midwest response ever. · Someone told me of a friend (I know, with a provenance like that it has to be true) who was in a Peloton group and found that Robert Prevost was in the same group. · Pope Leo goes to get into a car. As he reaches for the door handle, the car begins to drive away. He responds with a gesture of befuddlement and frustration, just like I and, I imagine, some of you would. These are very human situations, ones that you can imagine yourself or your family or friends finding themselves. His Holiness is His humanness. Which is good for us because it reminds us that in our humanness we can find holiness. Not, of course, in our broken, fallen humanity, but in Christ, in whom humanity comes to full stature. Pope St. John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation on the formation of priests, Pastores Dabo Vobis , calls human formation the basis of all priestly formation. He writes, The whole work of priestly formation would be deprived of its necessary foundation if it lacked a suitable human formation. He continues, So, we see that the human formation of the priest shows its special importance when related to the receivers of the mission: In order that his ministry may be humanly as credible and acceptable as possible, it is important that the priest should mold his human personality in such a way that it becomes a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humanity. It is necessary that, following the example of Jesus who "knew what was in humanity" (Jn. 2:25; cf. 8:3-11). What is true for priests, it is true of all baptized Christians. If we are preaching to humans, we need to be human in our preaching. We are not angels without temptations and aloof from human realities. It is in sharing the realities of human life with others that we can share the good news of the God who became one with us to truly know our humanity. It also tells us that we can find holiness is the mundane human activities; shopping, household tasks, homework, cooking, are all part of our road to holiness. I am thankful for the example of Leo, the human. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

“Yeah, two yutes.” “What is a yute?”—My Cousin Vinny. Dear Parishioners: Oh, excuse me, your honor: two youths groups. Yes, we have two youth groups in Avon Lake shared between the parishes of Holy Spirit and St. Joseph: sALt and sALt Lite. sALt, the high school group meets on Sundays from 6:15pm until 8:15pm at Holy Spirit in Fr. Mosovsky Hall. You may have seen that room in the hall on southeast corner by the maintenance office that is the youth group space. The group’s activities range from gathering around the fire pit in our parking lot to local diocesan gatherings and even national youth rallies. Holy Spirit Confirmation students can go from the Confirmation sessions to sALt. sALt Lite (grades 6 through 8) meets Sundays from 6pm until 8pm at St. Joseph in their Social Hall. People can use this link to sign up for the youth group newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/0BIFtpm Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor