May 07, 2026

Greetings,

I was away this past week, so if you were trying to get in touch with me and have not heard back, you may want to try again. At first, I was uneasy about being away during such a busy time at the parish, but then my phone reception became spotty and I took it as a sign to focus on my studies and not worry about anything. I knew you were in capable hands.

This was the final installment of classes that I took on behalf of the seminary to help form intern seminarians and assist transitional deacons and the newly ordained in their transition to ordained life. Fr. Brunovsky, of St. Hilary is also here completing the same course of work. This is why we are receiving Fr. Joseph Ho as a newly ordained parochial vicar and Mr. Johannes Benninghoff as an intern. St. Hilary, likewise, received a newly ordained last year, Fr. Brian Peters, and this year will have a summer intern by the name of Mr. Simon Park. You may remember Simon living with us at St. Sebastian Parish in the past.

I hope you enjoy having these young men, who are on fire for the Lord, around as much as I do. Please keep them, and the parish, in your prayers.

IN OTHER NEWS:

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY: To all of our Moms, those who have tended to us as mothers, for those who are living and those who are no longer with us we give thanks and offer prayers on this upcoming Mother’s Day. May Mary, Our Mother watch over you, guide you, protect you and finally, bring you to her Son.

ORDINATION WEEKEND: Ordination is next weekend. You are invited to our Cathedral of St. John at 10am on Saturday, May 16, or you may watch it live-streamed on the diocesan website. Please pray for soon to be Fr. Joesph Ho, our new Parochial Vicar beginning in June.

CONFESSIONS ON MAY 16: Fr. Dismas and Fr. Bahati will be here for confessions on Saturday, May 16, from 9:30-10:00am, while Fr. Marcelli and I are at the Cathedral for Priesthood Ordination.

HELP NEEDED!: This news came to me a little late, but I know many of you read this letter before the weekend. So there is hope that this plea will be met by some kindly hearts. Mulch Day is this Saturday, May 9. The mulch will be delivered on Friday at various locations around our campus, and then we will need as many people as we can muster on Saturday to help spread it. Not everybody has to have a strong back, but the more strong backs we have, the better! “Many hands make light work!” We have nine acres of campus on which we will need people to shovel, haul and spread.

Work begins at 9:30am and is generally wrapped up by 11:30am. If you can make the whole time, that would be greatly appreciated. But if you can only work an hour or so, you are most welcome to drop by whenever you have time, and stay as long as you can. Just walk up to someone and say, “I’m here to help. What can I do?” Thank you to everybody who turns out on such days. We have such a beautiful campus, and it doesn’t just happen out of the blue. It happens because people like you care. And for those unable to do the physical part, please pray for the parish and this project.

ANGEL SCHOLARSHIP: Thank you to everybody who participated in the Angel Scholarship Program this year. These are your state tax dollars that are steered toward education. This year, you directed $145,484 of your state taxes to directly benefit St. Sebastian Parish School students. Of the 106 Catholic organizations in our diocese that participated in this program, we were 23rd in the amount collected. Most of the organizations that raised more than we did are much larger parishes/schools. Julie Billiart, Akron was also able to raise $10,325 through this program. Thank you to those who helped support JBA, as well as St. Sebatian Parish School.

God bless,
Fr. Valencheck