Oct 07, 2026

Greetings,

This is just a reminder that your priests were away most of this past week at a convocation with Bishop Malesic and our fellow priests throughout the diocese. If you were attempting to be in contact and have not heard from us, it might be wise to try and make contact again. A big thank you to the priests who filled in for us while we were gone on this mandatory visit.

Please say a prayer for them.

IN OTHER NEWS:

OCTOBER COUNTS: You may notice our ushers walking down the aisles about halfway through the Mass counting all of those in attendance. This is a requirement of the diocese that we count how many people show up for Mass on two weekends in October so that they have data with which to work when distributing resources throughout the diocese, including priest assignments.

CONGRATULATIONS TO PARISH FOUNDATION: The St. Sebastian Parish Foundation recently celebrated its 55th anniversary! Established in 1971, the Foundation – which manages 90+ endowments, funds and scholarships – has provided over $13.2 million in support to our parish church and school over the years. We are so lucky to have them!

CONCERT THIS WEEKEND: There will be a concert this Sunday, October 11th, at 4pm in the church featuring Flautists Barbara O’Brien and Julie McGough. The program is free and open to the public.

If you weren’t there, the concert last weekend with Paul Fey was phenomenal! There was also a good-sized crowd with people hailing from Toledo, Pittsburgh and Detroit! You can catch snippets of it online.

DON’T WAIT FOR THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK: This week is a perfect example of why one should not wait for imminent danger of death to call for a priest for the Anointing of the Sick, since most of the priests in the area will be away. Not since the Council of Trent in the mid-1500s has danger of death been a requirement for this Sacrament, which is why the name of it was changed at the Second Vatican Council to Anointing of the Sick. In James it says, “Are there people sick among you? Let them send for the priests of the Church and let the priests pray over them anointing with oil in the name of the Lord.” Waiting until the last moment could deprive the sick person of the graces that might be needed to help cope with their illness, and it may also cause the person to miss the opportunity altogether if a priest is not available in time. (Please pray for vocations!) Keep these things in mind:

Anointing of the Sick is called for at the onset of a serious illness. Extreme old age can also be an occasion. If you have been anointed and recovered but relapsed, if your condition has seriously worsened, or if a significant amount of time has passed, you may be anointed again.

Inform the hospital that you are Catholic when admitted. They are no longer permitted to ask you about your faith. But if you inform them that you are Catholic, they will make sure that you are visited by the chaplain and receive the sacraments.

There are priests on call for the hospitals. The local hospitals have priests on call (including Fr. Joseph or myself, depending on the day). If you inform the chaplain, they will contact the priest who is supposed to be ready to go to the hospital if needed. They have a far better chance of getting there in a timely manner than trying to catch a priest at the parish who may be away, such as we are this week, or have a prior committment like a wedding or funeral.

Anointing of the Sick is a beautiful source of God’s comfort and strength during times of illness. I want to make sure that you and your loved ones have the opportunity to receive this sacrament when it is needed. Please keep these helpful guidelines in mind.

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck