Celebration of Eucharist Saturday Vigil ............................... 4:00 pm Sunday……….……..9:00 am & 11:00 am

Monday & Thursday ..................... 6:30 pm Tuesday & Friday ......................... 8:15 am Holy Day ..... 8:15 am, 12:00pm & 6:30 pm

Eucharistic Adoration First Friday .................... 9:00 am−4:00 pm

Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturday ........................................ 3:00 pm

Rosary is prayed after the Tuesday and Friday

morning Masses.

Marriage Arrangements are to be made at least six

months in advance. Please call Fr. Sal at the Parish Office.

Baptisms Expectant parents are to attend a Baptism

Class prior to making Baptismal arrangements.

140 RICHMOND ROAD

EUCLID, OHIO 44143

Website: www.saintjohnofthecross.org

Parish Office: 216-289-0770

Parish Staff Rev. Salvatore M. Ruggeri..................................................... Pastor

Rev. Timothy Buyansky, OSB .................................... Weekend Assistant

Rev. Edward E. Mehok ............................................... Weekend Assistant

Rev. Mr. Charles Doerpers ............................................................ Deacon

Martha Dodd.......................................... Principal for Student Success at

Ss. Robert and William School

Kate Fraser………………………………………………..Youth Minister

Richard Grebenc……………………………………….Pastoral Associate

Ben Koval….………………….……………Director of Music & Liturgy

Kay Magri.. ................................................................. Business Manager

Parish Office Hours Monday−Friday ............................................................. 8:00 am−4:00 pm

Saturday ......................................................................... 9:00 am−1:00 pm

Parish Membership All are welcome!

Please register at the Parish Office.

SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS R O M A N C A T H O L I C P A R I S H

FEBRUARY 5, 2017 • 5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YOUTH AT MARCH FOR LIFE

Sunday: Is 58:7-10/Ps 112:4-9/1 Cor 2:1-5 Mt 5:13-16 Monday: Gn 1:1-19/Ps 104:1-2a, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35c/Mk 6:53-56 Tuesday: Gn 1:20--2:4a/Ps 8:4-9/Mk 7:1-13 Wednesday: Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17/Ps 104:1-2a, 27-28, 29bc-30/Mk 7:14-23 Thursday: Gn 2:18-25/Ps 128:1-5/Mk 7:24-30 Friday: Gn 3:1-8/Ps 32:1-2, 5-7/Mk 7:31-37 Saturday: Gn 3:9-24/Ps 90:2-4abc, 5-6, 12-13 Mk 8:1-10 Next Sunday: Sir 15:15-20/Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34/1 Cor 2:6-10/Mt 5:17-37 or 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37

5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 2 FEBRUARY 5, 2017

Our Mission

We are the Catholic Community of

St. John of the Cross, established in 2009.

Uniting the people of God as one family,

we are rooted in, and empowered by, our

sacramental life and Eucharistic celebrations.

Living as disciples of Jesus Christ,

we recognize our God given potential and

challenge one another to share our giftedness,

embrace our diversity, and engage in

social outreach, service and education.

In doing so, we seek to extend the reign of God

in Euclid and the wider community.

ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS PRAYER NETWORK HOTLINE

216-289-0770 ext. 33

Call and leave a short message regarding your re-quest. Let us know when your request has been answered. We can also offer prayers of thanksgiv-ing. All information will be kept confidential.

BLESSING OF THROATS: Friday, February 3rd was the feast of St. Blaise. We will have Blessing of Throats at all Masses this weekend; February 4-5th. St. Blaise was a Physician who lived in Armenia in the fourth century. He was arrested and imprisoned for his faith. While in prison, Blaise ministered to and healed fellow prisoners including saving a child who was choking on a fish bone. This was the origin of blessing throats on St. Blaise Day. FR. MEHOK’S SCRIPTURE STUDY will resume on February 13th, Monday evening at 7:30pm in Room 6 of the Parish Community Center, studying the Gospel of St. Matthew.

PRAYER FOR LIFE

Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Creator and Redeemer of all Life. As your creation we thank

you for the life we now enjoy. But we humbly pray in this moment for the lives which are in danger of

being ended right now because of abortion. We pray for those children in danger of abortion, and for the mothers, for the fathers, and for the doctors involved. We pray that they may see as you have allowed us to see, that all life is sacred, holy, and made in your image. We pray O Jesus,

that men and women of all walks of life will come to see the inherent dignity of all of your creation and

that one day, all life from the moment of conception to natural death, will enjoy the great gift of life in all its fullness that can only be experienced because of the love you showed on the Cross. We pray all this

through Christ, our Savior. Amen.

OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES TO THE

FAMILY OF:

Irene Plevelich

MAY THEY KNOW THE PEACE AND COMFORT OF GOD’S LOVE AND FIND STRENGTH IN THE

SUPPORT OF FAMILY AND OUR PARISH COMMUNITY.

REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THE SICK AND THEIR CAREGIVERS...

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS

COUNTERS

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Counters for Monday, Feb. 13th…………...”C” Team

MONDAY St. Paul Miki FEB. 6 6:30 p.m. SJOC Parish Family TUESDAY Weekday FEB. 7

8:15 a.m. SJOC Parish Family

WEDNESDAY Weekday FEB. 8 THURSDAY Weekday FEB. 9 6:30 p.m. Frank Piunno FRIDAY St. Scholastica FEB. 10 8:15 a.m. Jack Freas SATURDAY Weekday FEB. 11 4:00 p.m. Anthony Lemmo

SUNDAY Sixth Sunday in FEB. 12 Ordinary Time 9:00 a.m. Deceased Members of Ferko Family 11:00 a.m. Joseph Loparo

Richmond Hts. Hospital-Wed. Feb. 8th………….Teri Pointe-Sunday, Feb. 12th……………Legion of Mary

MINISTERS SCHEDULE — FEBRUARY 11-12, 2017

MASS PRESIDER GREETERS LECTOR 1 LECTOR 2 EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS SERVERS

Sat. 4:00pm

Fr. Timothy P. Kiikka A. Molle

E. Koval L. McVoy C. Barni, K. Brown, T. Burrello, M. Malta, P. McVoy, B. Pophal, R. Raguz, S. Thomas-Greaves

K. Brokamp J. Monger

Sun. 9:00am

Fr. Timothy H. Drozin M. Singer

C. Hainrihar G.Haritonovich L. Ashcroft, T. Davisson, M. Haritonovich, G. Petrof, L. Petrof, N. Powell, D. Szafranski, R. Tepley

A. Champa E. Somich

Sun. 11:00am

Fr. Timothy D. Mallet R. Simek

J. Hocevar T. Wetzel J. Bretz, J. Bretz, K. Burke, E. Dulaney, D. Hocevar, F. Koballa, A. Koballa, J. Matlock

O. Matlock K. Matlock

Beverley Argento, Trovatore Briganti, Noella Burrows, Jane DePalma, David DeProspero,

Deacon Charles Doerpers, Lillian Dolenc, Constance Durrah, Mary Frain, Ann Grossman, Joe Hocevar, Marlene Hoageson, Andrew Jarm,

Doris Kowalski, Evelyn Kublin, Joan Latessa, Marie Lipold, Joe Matejka, Ronald Maxey,

Fr. Edward Mehok, Joe Pastore, Anna Pepock, Joan Raddell, Martha Rymer, Carole Smigelski, Frank Somrack, John Tousel, and Marcie Vanek

Please remember our elderly

and homebound as well.

Please notify the Parish Office when a name can be removed from this list.

5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 3 FEBRUARY 5, 2017

5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 4 FEBRUARY 5, 2017

FROM THE DESK OF OUR PASTORAL ASSOCIATE You probably have seen the attention-grabbing billboards around town, like the one pic-tured here, with shocking messages like “Sold for Sex,” “Forced Labor,” and “Modern Day Slavery.” Undoubtedly, the vast majority of those noticing these signs are thinking that hu-man trafficking is either a problem eradicated in this country years ago or that it is only in other parts of the world where this could possibly happen. In fact, these billboards are part of an awareness campaign from the Ohio state govern-ment’s Human Trafficking Task Force letting Buckeye travelers know that this scourge is occurring in our great state today (check out humantrafficking.ohio.gov). And we are not

alone. “Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. terri-tories.” (Source: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/oshs/factsheet.html) The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is certainly working to address this issue. Its Anti-Trafficking Program’s mission is to “educate on the scourge of human trafficking as an offense against funda-mental dignity of the human person; to advocate for an end to modern day slavery; and to provide training and technical assistance on this issue.” (http://usccb.org/about/anti-trafficking-program/ is chock full or re-sources and information on this terrible injustice.) This USCCB website suggests many important ways to help, including being an ethical consumer, reporting trafficking concerns, and making a donation to the Catholic Fund against Human Trafficking. There is an ad-ditional way to support this effort, as well. Wednesday, February 8th, is the International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking. This day was chosen because it is the Feast Day of St. Josephine Bakhita who “was born in Sudan in 1869 and enslaved as a child. Eventually she was sold to an Italian diplomat and taken to Italy, where she was later brought to freedom through the help of the Canossian Daughters of Charity. Through their guidance, she learned about God and served him faithfully until her death in 1947.” (Source of this quote and the prayer at bottom: http://www.usccb.org/about/migration-and-refugee-services/national-migration-week/upload/M7-266-Josephine-Bakhita-Prayer-Card.pdf) Please say the prayer below now and again on Wednesday. And consider making it part of your personal devotions. It is a powerful way to help those affected by this menace.

Prayer to St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Bakhita, you were sold into slavery as a child and endured untold hardship and suffering. Once liberated from your physical enslavement, you found true redemption in your encounter with Christ and his Church.

O St. Bakhita, assist all those who are trapped in a state of slavery; Intercede with God on their behalf so that they will be released from their chains of captivity. Those whom man enslaves, let God set free.

Provide comfort to survivors of slavery and let them look to you as an example of hope and faith. Help all survivors find healing from their wounds. We ask for your prayers and intercessions for those enslaved among us.

Amen.

See our parish website for all of these links and more. God bless you………………………...Richard Grebenc

5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 5 FEBRUARY 5, 2017

NEWS AT ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS

Annual Extravaganza

Saturday, April 29, 2017

In the Parish Community Center This year we honor a special priest,

Fr. Edward Mehok.

At this time we are collecting “Silent Auction” items. Many of the Ministries will be working on

items but you can also make a personal donation in cash, gift certificates or new items (books, pictures, electronics, etc.) by dropping

your item(s) off at the Parish Office before March 12th.

We will begin taking dinner reservations in March. Ticket prices this year will be $50.00 per person. Don’t miss out on this wonderful

evening. Stay tuned for more announcements and fun surprises as we welcome Spring at

St. John of the Cross. Questions, please call Marilyn Wagner at

216-235-4018

NEW WAY OF LIVING: As we enter the 2017 calen-dar year, we must continue in our Christian journey for growth, penitence, conversion and to enrich our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. we invite you to join us at: THE NEW WAY of LIVING. This one and one half day program will be life-changing and help you find Peace and Purpose in your life! Sponsored by: Families in Christ Jesus, Catholic Men's Fellowship and Men of Praise; Date: February 17 and 18th Time: Friday evening from 7:00pm-10:00pm, Saturday from 8:30am-5:00pm Breakfast and Lunch will be included; a free will offering will be taken. Location: Saints Robert and William Catholic Parish (Upper Hall). For any questions, or to register please call Ross Federico - 440-646-2556 or Matt & Mary Chinchar - 216-486-3310. Open to all men and women over the age of 18.

PASTA DINNER: Please join us for the Annual St. John of the Cross Pas-ta Dinner on Saturday, February 18th, after the 4:00pm Mass. We’ll start the evening with light appetizers

and Wedding Soup. Beer ($1.00) and wine ($1.25) will be available for purchase, (so no BYOB will be permitted). About 5:45pm we will serve salad and our special homemade bread tableside and then open the buffet lines around 6:00pm and you can enjoy all you can eat pasta, with Frank’s signature sauce, meatballs and sausage. We’ll clear up the tables and serve dessert around 7:15pm. Remem-ber to hang on to your fork for dessert! Tickets are still only $10.00 and children under 12 are free. Come and join us for a night of good food and good friends. Tickets will be available at the parish office and after weekend Masses until February 12th.

IS PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEOGRAPHY YOUR HOBBY OR PROFESSION? We are looking for a few parishioners willing to take pictures and video at our events. We want to be able to share those great moments with all of our parishioners and post them on our website and in our bulletin but we need your help! If you are interested, please contact the parish office.

5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 6 FEBRUARY 5, 2017

SS. ROBERT & WILLIAM SCHOOL: Meet Mrs. Beth Warneka. Mrs. Warneka teaches Math, Science and Social Studies to our SRW first graders. Here is her mission: Gifts are exciting! The box is pretty, and there is a mystery gently tucked inside it. All of my students are like those gifts. Their wrappings are beautiful and there lies a mystery within each of them. That is the gift. My mission as a teacher is to help your children realize their potential and use the God giv-en gift of their lives. In life, it is rare to receive a pre-sent that just gets ignored. Just as every gift is unique, I know that every child learns differently, yet all children are capable learners. I honor and re-spond to those differences in a gentle and loving way to empower your children as students. I estab-lish respectful relationships among all students and the adults who care for them. I recognize that par-ents are the primary educators of their children in this journey of faith and academic excellence. A solid parent-teacher relationship is the vital core of school success. As we work together, we are build-ing a community of support and encouragement for the children. Together we are constructing a firm foundation to center their lives as they learn and grow in love. As the first grade teacher of these young children, I will help the students realize that through education, they can positively enhance their lives. I want to help all of my students trust in themselves and to aspire to making a difference in their own life. I do my best each day to help your children learn new things so they are prepared so-cially, emotionally and cognitively for the real world in which they live. I nurture their courage to try new things and their curiosity to seek answers. Learning in the classroom should be meaningful and build connections to their previous knowledge and expe-riences. I provide a safe, secure and loving environ-ment for each child to create a space for developing their confidence as they learn and explore. As always thank you for your support of our school.

Kaleidoscope Days: Take a look at a day in Ss. Robert and William Catholic School Early Learning classrooms. Your time will include a guided tour with a Preschool teacher as well as a question and answer session with the principal. Student guests will participate in a classroom activity. Kaleidoscope Days for prospective parents and students are the following Thursdays: February 9, 23, or March 9, 23 from 8:30AM-9:30AM. Registration is required. Please contact Angela Casey at 216-731-3060.

FAMILY PERSPECTIVES Relationships die from neglect or harsh criticism. They need at least five positive to each negative

interaction. Be light and salt in your family by saying that kind word with a note or flowers.

Go the extra mile in helping with family chores. Give encouragement rather than criticism. Let those you love hear and see that love! Let your light shine through good deeds.

NEWS FROM OUR NEIGHBORS

SS. ROBERT & WILLIAM SCHOOL—NOW EN-ROLLING: Ss. Robert and William Catholic School is pleased to announce that we are now en-rolling students from Preschool through Grade 6. Our mission is to foster student success by provid-ing a nurturing environment focusing on faith, aca-demics, and service. We provide a traditional learn-ing environment enhanced with the integration of STREAM lessons. Contact Angela Casey in the school office at 216-731-3060 for application and enrollment information. CATHOLIC MEN’S CONFERENCE-MARCH 25TH: Men of all ages are invited to attend the Cleveland Diocese Catholic Men’s Conference from 9am-4pm Saturday, March 25th at the Holiday Inn Rockside, at Interstates 480 and 77 in Independence. Regis-tration begins at 8am. Tim Staples, a nationally known Catholic evangelist, will be the featured speaker. He will address men’s issues. Other speakers include Fr. Michael Denk, parochial vicar at St. Gabriel Parish, and a blogger at the prodi-galfather.org, and Elvis Grbac, a former NFL quar-terback, who was a star football player at St. Jo-seph High School in Cleveland and University of Michigan. More than 600 men attended last year’s conference, which provides a unique opportunity for men to bond and share with other Christian men, as well as to improve their relationship with Jesus. Register through our Men’s Prayer Group (Richard Volk; 216-383-6525) or online at cmfneo.com, or by mail to P.O. Box 2171, S. Euclid, OH 44121. Indi-vidual registration is $38; $34. for groups of eight or more; $15. for students. Cost includes continental breakfast and lunch.

YOUR FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 7 FEBRUARY 5, 2017

Last Week’s Giving…………………………$4,601.00

Last Week’s Online Giving..…….………...…$983.00

Last Week’s Maintenance Giving……………$344.00

Last Week’s Online Maintenance Giving...…$357.50

Total…………………….…………..……..…$6,285.50

God bless you for your generosity. Your support is needed and greatly appreciated.

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6TH

MONDAY-FEBRUARY 6th 6:30pm PSR Gr. 7-8 (PCB) 7:00pm Edge (PCB) TUESDAY-FEBRUARY 7th 6:30pm Art & Environment (C) 7:00pm Legion of Mary (MR2) WEDNESDAY-FEBRUARY 8th 7:00pm Prayer Shawl Ministry (MR2) 7:00pm Women in Faith (SHR) 7:00pm Adult Ensemble (C) THURSDAY-FEBRUARY 9th 6:30pm Bingo Team #3 (G) 7:00pm Evangelization Meeting (SHR) 7:00pm Areopagus (SRW) FRIDAY-FEBRUARY 10th 8:00pm AA Meeting (Rm. 6) SATURDAY-FEBRUARY 11th Donut Weekend 7:00am Men’s Prayer Group (Rm. 6) SUNDAY-FEBRUARY 12th Donut Weekend 9:30am PSR (PC) 6:00pm Life Teen (SRW)

C-Church MR2-Meeting Room #2 SHR-Sacred Heart Room P-Parish Office PG-Parish Grounds G-Gym PC-Parish Community Center PCB-Parish Community Basement Rm. 6 in Parish Community Center SRW-Ss. Robert and William

PARISH SCHEDULE Pledge Progress

312 responses

Annual Pledge Increase $33,075.

“YOU DID IT FOR ME”: The 2017 Catholic Char-ities Annual Appeal begins in each parish this weekend! Please refer to the insert in this week’s bulletin which includes parish goal information and an overview of the importance of Catholic Charities in our communities. This year’s theme is You Did it for Me. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus states, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for the least among us, you did it for me.” With your help, we are able to feed the hungry, take care of the sick, and welcome the stranger, just as Jesus has asked us to do. How will we respond as a community of faith? As in the past, an in-pew commitment process will take place next weekend, February 11-12th. All who have not received the mailing from Bishop Thomas, or have not had a chance to respond to it, will be asked to consider making a generous pledge to support the ministries and services provided by Catholic Charities. If you have received the mailing, please respond to it. There is a box on the in-pew envelope to indicate that you have responded by mail. We invite you to view the stories of inspiration and more information at; www.catholiccommunity.org/2017Appeal