St. John the Evangelist Leadership Guild gathers for prayer, fellowship

March 12, 2018

Members of the St. John the Evangelist Leadership Guild gathered on March 7 at Holy Family Hospice in Parma with Father Daniel Schlegel, vicar for clergy and religious at the Diocese of Cleveland, to hear him speak on the Lenten topic of ?Living the Paschal Mystery.? Father Schlegel also serves as spiritual director for the guild.

In his presentation, which included prayer and song, Father Schlegel provided insight on how we might look at our own lives through the lens of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. He also shared with attendees an explanation of the Easter triduum, the summit of the liturgical year, from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ's paschal mystery. The single celebration of the triduum marks the end of the Lenten season and leads to the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil.

The liturgical services that take place during the triduum are:

Mass of the Lord's Supper

Good Friday of the Lord's Passion

Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord

Attendees also heard from Kristen Graham, administrator of the Holy Family Hospice, part of St. Augustine Health Ministries of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland, and Patrick Gareau, executive director of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland. Graham spoke about the history and services available at the hospice. Founded in 1956 by the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, Holy Family has been a leader in Greater Cleveland in caring for patients and families facing a terminal illness when life expectancy is measured in months, weeks or days.

The St. John the Evangelist Leadership Guild represents a group of generous benefactors of the diocese who gather regularly for the encouragement of personal spiritual development.