St. Mary
Parish
&
School
750 South Main St.
Akron, OH 44311
Winter 2016
Sunday Mass
9:00 a.m.
School and Holyday Masses
See Mass Intentions inside for times
Devotions
Rosary - recited communally prior to the
Sunday Mass
Eucharistic Adoration - held the first Monday
of each month during the school year.
Sacraments
Initiation - Contact the parish office to request
preparation for Baptism, Communion,
or Confirmation.
RCIA – Interested in becoming Catholic? Attend
an Inquiry Session or call our Parish Office.
Penance - Celebrated 9:30-10:00am on first Monday
or by making an appointment with a priest.
Marriage – Weddings for parishioners are arranged
through the Parish Office. Please allow six
months for sacramental preparations.
Anointing of the Sick – Any time upon request;
Call the Parish Office or the hospital chaplain.
Parish Office at St. Bernard church
(Mailing Address: 44 University Avenue
Akron, OH 44308)
Phone: 330-253-5161 / 330-253-6949 (Fax)
Hours: 8 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Mon. – Fri.
info@stbernardstmary.org (Email)
www.stmaryakron.com (Website)
St. Mary Elementary School
Mr. Terry Kowalski, Principal
Mrs. Maryanne Williams, Secretary
Hours: 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
330-253-1233
Pastoral Staff
(Se habla español *)
Fr. Daniel J. Reed, Pastor *
Fr. Frank Basa, Parochial Vicar
Mrs. Patsy O’Connor, Business Manager
Mrs. Nancy Cabrera, Secretary *
Miss Cindy Badran, Music Ministry
Mr. Jim Spraggins, Custodian
Funerals
Please have your Funeral Director contact the Parish
Office to arrange a day and time for a Mass or Service.
Our Mass Intentions and Prayers
Sunday, Jan. 3 – The Epiphany of the Lord
9:00am
Pro Populo
Wednesday, Jan. 6
2:00pm
+Jack McCarthy
Sunday, Jan. 10 - The Baptism of the Lord
9:00am
+Barbara Cirignano
FIRST MONDAY ADORATION - will be held
from 9:30 - 11:30am with Confessions the first half
hour tomorrow, January 4th.
ST. MARY SCHOOL - will resume tomorrow
morning, January 4th . The School Mass will be
held on Wednesday, January 6th at 2:00pm. All are
welcome to attend to support this parish ministry.
FIRST FRIDAY CLUB OF GREATER AKRON
Your Sacrificial Offerings
Subscribe now! The program begins January 8 with
“The Joys and Challenges of the Modern Priesthood”
with a clergy panel consisting of Rev. Jeremy
Merzweiler, Rev. Michael McCandless, Rev. Steven
Brunovsky and Rev. Norm Douglas. Programs will be
held at The Tangier, 532 W. Market Street. Please be
aware that the individual program price has increased to
$20 this year, and subscriptions do offer savings of at
least 10%. Please make checks payable to The First
Friday Club of Greater Akron and mail to 795 Russell
Avenue, Akron, 44307. Please contact 330-535-7668 for
further info. Featured Speaker in February will be
Due to the schedule of our bulletin printers, the
Collections will be published as we are able.
Sunday Collection - December 20 - $1,580.00
Sister Rita Mary Harwood. Her topic will be
“Putting a Face on the Struggles of Undocumented
Immigrants”.
Scripture Readings for the Week
Mon.1 Jn 1:5---2:2; Mt 2:13-18
Tue.
1 Jn 2:3-11; Lk 2:22-35
Wed. 1 Jn 2:12-17; Lk 2:36-40
Thur. 1 Jn 2:18-21; Jn 1:1-18
Fri.
Nm 6:22-27; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21
Sat.
1 Jn 2:22-28; Jn 1:19-28
Sun.
Is 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12
RESPECT LIFE COMMITTEE – will meet
SAINT MARY SCHOOL - RECYCLING
- In the Green/Yellow Bins in the parking lot:
Newspapers, junk mail, magazines, and flattened
cardboard.
- In the Shoe Box at the church door: Box Tops for
Education labels, Coke reward codes and ACME
grocery receipts.
PLEASE NOTE: We can no longer accept ink
cartridges.
Many thanks for your help in our recycling efforts.
ST. MARY CHRISTMAS BRUCH - Come join
us after TODAY'S Mass
for our annual Christmas
Brunch in the School
Cafeteria. Everyone is
welcome to join together
(Regulars and Visitors)
to celebrate the birth and Epiphany of the Savior
Jesus Christ. Our thanks to Lisa Crookston who
was the Star guiding all the food to the table, and to
the many magi bearing gifts to consume. Come and
Enjoy the food and fellowship.
Monday, January 11 at 1:00 pm in the Parish House at
St. Bernard. All are welcome to join us!
“EVENING PRAYER THROUGH SONG”
Sunday, January 24 4:00 pm, Sacred Heart
Church (Wadsworth). International Recording
Artist David Parkes from Ireland will perform.
2016
Offering Envelopes

Can be picked up in the church proper

Thanks to many of you who retrieved
your box of envelopes already.

God bless you for your generous and
consistent support to St. Mary Parish
and School
THE CHRISTMAS GIVING TREES - A couple
folks from St. Mary shopped, then delivered Gift
Baskets to 10 Seniors at Callis Tower on Dec. 23rd.
The gifts were greatly appreciated. A monetary gift
was sent to Sr. Catherine at Catholic Worker from
over half the donations on our Giving Trees. Thank
you for gifting those in need here in our parish.
Years
Bishop Richard G. Lennon, Bishop of Cleveland,
accepted our invitation to celebrate the Mass of the
church's Dedication on October 1, 2016 at 4:00 pm.
A dinner to mark the Centennial of the church will
follow immediately in the school cafeteria, as a
number of you preferred.
From the Annals of St. Mary, Akron "Father Brady, who had served the parish from Oct.
1909, was forced to resign in Oct. 1914 because of
ill health. he was of a kindly nature, loved by all,
active in the interests of the parish, and an
administrator of note. During the years of his
pastorate, Father Brady had labored earnestly and
had saved the resources of the parish, having
cherished the thought of erecting a new church for
the parish. He had purchased four properties at
the corner of Coburn and Thornton Streets, the site
of the present parish buildings, and had
accumulated the sum of $53,000.
Father Joseph S. O'Keefe was appointed by Bishop
Farrelly to succeed Father Brady, effective Oct. 23,
1914. Oct. 22nd was chosen for his arrival in Akron
becaue on that day the funeral services of the Rev.
Thomas F. Mahar, D.D., the founder of St. Mary's
mission, were being conducted in the parish church
of St. Vincent's which he had served as pastor for
thirty-four years.
Akron's population in Oct. 1914 was reported to be
98,000. An influx of people from Pennsylvania and
the South as well as from neighboring counties of
Ohio greatly increased the Catholic population.
The frame church located on Main St. was no
longer adequate for the congregation. Father
Richard Gibbons, the assistant pastor, cooperated
generously and tendered invaluable service, but
despite his efforts and those of the pastor, the
situation became unmanageable. The assistance of
a Franciscan Father was secured. The number of
Masses was increased, but each Sunday the church
was crowded beyond capacity.
In view of these conditions, two months after his
coming Father O'Keefe engaged the services of Mr.
Edward T. P. Graham, a Boston architect, to draw
plans for a new church. At once the problem of
securing more ground came to the fore. Five
additional properties were bought at a cost of
$27,000.
The plans of the new church were approved and a
contract entered into with the Carmichael
Construction Company for the construction of the
church at a cost of $120,000."
(To be continued...)
Dear St. Mary Community,
At Mass on Christmas Day, I announced that
a contractor will be here to look at constructing a
new restroom. We want to install a new, modern,
family-friendly, and ADA compliant facility without
stairs or steps. If possible, it would be located
where the baptistery originally was in the south
side alcove. Also, in this location - directly above
the present restroom - we are hoping the
infrastructure will be minimal and also the costs. If
so, this would not be considered a 'capital
improvement' project requiring diocesan approval.
I hope this improvement is a welcomed
change as we mark the Centennial Year of the
church building.
Two other changes will begin now in 2016:
1) On Federal Holidays (except Christmas): Dr.
King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, and Thanksgiving Day - Mass will be
celebrated only at St. Bernard for both parishes.
Time to be determined, but likely 9:30am. Then in
2017, holidays can be held in St. Mary for that year.
2) On Holy Days of Obligation (except Christmas):
There will no longer be a Vigil Mass scheduled for
January 1, August 15, November 1, and December
8th. Masses on a Holy Day of Obligation for both
parishes will be Midday at St. Bernard, and, an
evening Mass at St. Mary. Times to be announced.
Given recent projections for available
priests, the seating capacity at both St. Mary and
St. Bernard churches, the few people who attend on
a Holy Day, and the Mass schedule of surrounding
parishes in your areas, this change will allow for
just one priest on staff to serve the sacramental
needs of all at both parishes. Change is coming!
Blessings on your New Year, Fr. Dan