Little ghosts and goblins gathered in the back parking lot of St. Mary Church in Chardon to celebrate Halloween a little bit early at the annual Trunk or Treat event.
St. Mary Trunk or Treat
Little ghosts and goblins gathered in the back parking lot of St. Mary Church in Chardon to celebrate Halloween a little bit early at the annual Trunk or Treat event. It is the third year for the gathering hosted at the church and school and with each year, the event pulls in more and more people from the Chardon community.
Maureen Intihar, of St. Mary, said, “Its a great time of year to host an event that allows us all to come together as a community. We are able to host this free event by having volunteers agree to decorate their cars and come to hand out candy that they provide along with other donations. We hope this event helps to provide some old fashioned family fun and give our community time to come together.”
St. Mary Booster Club also provided free food for the event.
Kindergartner Leon Rios’ family won first place trunk with samplings of Mexican hot chocolate and showcasing The Day of the Dead celebration items. Second place trunk featured a life-size fire hydrant from Marc F. Burr Funeral Services and third place was a rocking dance party trailer from the Wilson family. Other participants included the Chardon Fire Department, Life Teen, local Boy and Girl Scout troops, UH Geauga and NovaCare, along with many area families.
The weather provided a beautiful night for the event and a fun time was had by all. Watch for next year’s date as this will be an annual event.
St. Mary’s Welcomes New Bishop Nelson Perez
St. Mary’s fifth-grade students huddled around piles of rocks, paper and baggies preparing to help host a visit from the new bishop of Cleveland, Nelson Perez. The students buzzed with excitement as if their favorite musician would be putting on a concert for their school.
Addison Boehnlein said, “I am so nervous to serve Mass tonight. I volunteered but I never thought they would pick me.”
Laney Mardula responded by saying, “You are just so lucky. Maybe you can meet him.”
Unfortunately, the event was by invitation only to accommodate representatives from all the Catholic churches in Lake and Geauga county, so all the students could not attend, but each contributed in their own way via cards, rocks or other volunteering. St. Mary students and members of the Beacon of Light service group, along with parents and volunteers helped to paint Prayer Rocks for each guest that would visit the school and church.
The evening kicked off with a special dinner for the clergy guests, which included more than 20 priests. All other guests were then invited to celebrate Mass led by Bishop Perez and members of St. Mary Church.
St. Mary student Elizabeth Passow began with a greeting for the bishop and students presented a basket of items unique to the area including maple syrup, which the bishop was quick to recognize and excited to receive. He quickly won over the guests by referencing the Cavs and displaying a warm and inviting message throughout the evening. Bishop Perez said that prior to his appointment he had never visited Cleveland, but is excited to learn all about his new district.
During the Mass celebration, Bishop Perez said that everyone should remember the church is “not just a place we come to, but a place that we go from to serve,” referencing the idea that people should be working to spread the news of the church to others through what they say and what they do. Following Mass, each attendee was presented with the handmade Prayer Rocks that represented a promise from member of St. Mary Chardon to keep all attendees in their prayers.
Described as a kind, joyous and hard-working person, Bishop Perez concluded the evening by demonstrating each of those features and staying to meet all members who attended, taking multiple photos and selfies until the long greeting line ended.
To follow up, Mrs. Mary Petelin, principal of the school, received a hand written, personalized card to the school within one day of the meeting. It looks like the Diocese of Cleveland has a new leader who is excited to bring great things to the area.
Bishop Perez was installed on Sept. 5 as the 11th Bishop to the Diocese of Cleveland by Pope Francis. Read more about him on the Cleveland Diocese website: dioceseofcleveland.org.
