Path of a Permanent Deacon

"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

“Having played many roles of scientific intellect I do have an empathy for that world. It's been hard on me because flying the Enterprise for seven years in Star Trek and sitting in Cerebro in X-men has led people to believe that I know what I'm talking about. But I'm still trying to work out how to operate the air conditioning unit on my car.”—Patrick Stewart Dear Parishioners: I don’t think I have to tell you that we have had some issues with the church air-conditioning recently—unless you only attend the Saturday, 5 pm Mass, for some reason the system works on Saturday, but not on Sunday. I expect that this is a concern for you, the parishioners. It is very much a concern for me. I have said that a couple of weeks ago when we had the heavy rains and the A/C was not working well, “The parishioners were getting soaked from the outside, I was getting soaked from the inside, sweating under my vestments.” I am very frustrated with the situation. While the A/C unit is just a couple years old, the control system is much older. However, the real problem with the control system is that we cannot fully access it. Jim Allen took the access codes for the system to his grave. We cannot at this time adjust the times of the system and other issues. This may be one of the issues with the current system. We found out last Sunday that in addition to the A/C, the boiler was running. We have had several experts look at the system and try to figure out how to access it to take control of it. There has been no success. I have instructed Tony Smith, our Multi-Campus Facility Director, that getting these controls sorted out is a priority. This is one of those “what it costs—it costs” situations. We need to get a system that we can set, reset, and control. I ask for your patience—which is ironic since mine is almost gone—as we try to get this situation sorted out. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

“There is nothing more serious than the sacrilege of schism because there is no just cause for severing the unity of the Church.”— Saint Augustine Dear Parishioners: You may have been hearing about the fuss in the Catholic Church in the last couple of weeks and are wondering what it is all about. There is group in the Church called The Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X ( SSPX ). They follow the teachings of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who rejected parts of the Second Vatican Council, including the current formulation of the Mass. The group ordained four men as bishops on July 1 st without a papal mandate—the authorization of the pope. This was after several warnings from the Vatican and Pope Leo not to do so. This is an act of schism, which is defined by the Church as “the withdrawal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or from communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” Because of the seriousness of the act, any bishop ordained without a papal mandate and the bishops ordaining him are automatically excommunicated for doing so. The Vatican declared the excommunication, which makes the situation even more serious because it sets even stricter penalties on the one excommunicated. This is being portrayed as being merely about the old Mass in Latin, the Tridentine Liturgy, but is about much more. If you have seen any social media about the situation, many of the Lefebvrists followers do not acknowledge Pope Leo as a legitimate pope and reject the Second Vatican Council. Somehow, they know better than the popes, the bishops, and the Church. They are right and everyone else—the vast majority of Catholics—are wrong. Lefebvrists made the choice to follow their course. Now they face the consequences. A note about excommunication since the word is bandied about these days with little precision. Excommunication is seen as the Church’s hammer for punishment. This is incorrect. Excommunication is called by the Church a medicinal penalty. It is meant to make it clear to the offender that a line has been crossed that should not be crossed. Excommunication is a call to repentance and return and reconciliation. It is not meant as a punishment but as a corrective. People get it wrong when they ask, “Why were not the priests who abused children excommunicated?” That situation did not call for a medicinal penalty, it called for an expiatory penalty, which is not about reform but are punitive. Such penalties can include being removed from the clerical state, which was done to many of the abusers, or a life of prayer and penance which others received. Another common misconception is that excommunication puts a person “outside” the Church. This is not the case. Though the relationship with the Church is strained, it is never broken. It is like sending a child who disrupted Thanksgiving Dinner to his or her room. That child is not permitted to be with the family but is not considered not to be a part of the family anymore. When the child considers the bad choices and actions made and apologizes, the child is welcomed back to the table. This situation with the Lefebvrists is a wound in the Body of Christ. We pray for the unity of the Church, in all those separated from her that the “High Priestly” of Christ on the night of the last supper, “that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

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