Our cluster parish, St. Francis de Sales, is one of eight parishes in the diocese participating in Nine Nights of Night Prayer, November 30 through December 8. This is an opportunity to pray Night Prayer, the short, ancient prayer of the Catholic Church in union with others throughout our diocese. Every night, our church will be open for those who come to church often, those who have never been, and everyone in between. After prayer on December 8, come to the Memorare Center for an ice cream social featuring a custom ice cream flavor inspired by the Virgin Mary. Come join us! Doors open at 8:00 p.m. Night Prayer starts at 8:15 p.m.
Friday, December 22, 6:30 p.m. Queen of Heaven Church Invite your family and friends to this free concert sponsored by the Holy Name Society to celebrate the beauty of the Christmas Season! A social will follow. Click on the title for details.
Please join us for Mass on the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Holy Day of Obligation. Click on title for schedule of Mass Times on Thursday, December 7 & Friday December 8.
To celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Queen of Heaven will have a taco dinner and a presentation by parishioners who went on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Mass in the church will follow the dinner. Reservations are required for the taco dinner only by calling the parish office at (330) 896-2345, or registering below before Friday, December 8.
We are inviting children in 1st - 8th grade to join our Christmas Choir this season! Children will be expected to lead and sing the music at the 4:00 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve. Students must attend three of four rehearsals listed below (all rehearsals will be held in the church): Wednesday, November 29 from 6-7:30; Wednesday, December 6 from 6-7:30; Wednesday, December 13 from 6-7:30; Wednesday, December 20 from 6-7:30. Please register on our parish website (click on title). We would love to have many children join us for this special time of year! Children will lead the known Christmas hymns along with learning some special songs to help bring others to prayer this Christmas! Please register your child by Sunday, November 26. If you have any questions, conflicts, or concerns, do not hesitate to contact Abby Schad at [email protected].
Monday, December 4, 6:30 pm at Queen of Heaven Church. During this time of prayer, song, and storytelling we will discern how to more effectively capture the wonder and awe of the encounter of Christ in our own lives. Stop by and rest in God’s grace during this Advent season, listen to some engaging stories, and enjoy lively, prayerful music.
The Sacrament of Confession will be offered on the following Tuesdays at 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. during Advent: November 28 - St. Paul Parish 1580 Brown Street, Akron; December 5 - Nativity of The Lord Jesus Parish 2425 Myersville Road, Akron; December 12 - Queen of Heaven Parish 1800 Steese Road, Uniontown; December 19 - St. Francis de Sales Parish 4019 Manchester Road, Akron. Check the website of each parish for additional Confession times.
The Young at Heart Christmas luncheon is at Briar Creek Estates Lodge on Monday, December 4, at 1:00 p.m.. Those who want to attend must have reservation turned by Monday, November 20, 2023.
Nativity of the Lord Jesus Parish (our cluster parish) will be having their annual craft show on Saturday, November 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please click on the title for details.
A Saint Monica Ministry information meeting, for those interested in forming a dedicated community and prayer network offering hope and support to the families and friends of fallen-away Catholics, will be on Thursday, November 30, at 7:00 p.m. in the PLC, Classroom 3. Like St. Monica, the members will pray, fast, and care unconditionally for loved ones who have left the Church. Please contact the parish office at (330) 896-2345 if you have any questions, or if you are interested but are unable to attend the information meeting.
Please join us for a Mass for the Sanctification of Priests on Thursday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul Parish, 1580 Brown St. Akron. Mass will be followed by a holy hour of Adoration with praying the Rosary and Benediction. Mark your calendar as we will have a Mass and holy hour of Adoration every third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Our priests and Our Holy Mother Church are in desperate need of more pray-ers!!! The Holy Mass is the most powerful form of prayer.
St. Francis de Sales Parish invites you to our annual Eucharistic Devotions weekend, November 17-19. Please come to the church during our 40 Hours of Adoration and also experience the exhibit, Miracles of the Eucharist in the World, created by Bl. Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager beatified in 2020. This exhibit documents 151 miracles of the Eucharist that have been confirmed by the Vatican with posters directly adapted from the website Bl. Carlo developed. Eucharistic Devotions include opening Mass at 9:00 a.m. on Friday the 17 followed by 40 hours of Adoration until the closing Vespers at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday the 19. All are welcome to come to the liturgies or to pay a visit to Our Lord during Adoration! The exhibit will be available in the Memorare Center, 4019 Manchester Rd. Akron, OH 44319: Friday November 17 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Saturday November 18 from 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Sunday November 19 from 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Loss comes in many different forms: the loss of a loved one, loss of health, loss of security and peace for example. We grieve with each loss and may find it difficult to hold on to hope. Join us for a presentation by Grief Specialist Ellen Barber to learn how loss affects us and how we can discover or rediscover hope for our unsettled hearts. This class is on Thursday, November 16 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at St. Francis de Sales Memorare Center (4019 Manchester Rd., Akron, OH 44319). This ministry is sponsored by the Stephen Ministry & the Consolation Ministry of St. Francis de Sales Parish. The event is open to all who are experiencing or supporting someone who is experiencing a loss or suffering in any way. Please contact Ann if you have any questions at (330) 612-5234.
The City of Green and the Catherine Richards Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution are partnering with Wreaths Across America to place wreaths on the graves of veterans at Green’s East Liberty Cemetery and Greensburg Cemetery on Saturday, December 16. In Green, on National Wreaths Across America Day, December 16, the city will host a ceremony at each of the cemeteries before volunteers place the wreaths on the final resting place of our local veterans. The ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. at East Liberty Cemetery located at 740 E. Turkeyfoot Lake Rd., and at 2:00 p.m. at Greensburg Cemetery, 4890 Thursby Rd. To date more than 200 wreaths have been donated with a goal of 600 to ensure each veteran buried in a cemetery in Green is not forgotten. Each hand made, fresh, live wreath costs $17.00 to sponsor and is made in the United States with Maine balsam. To sponsor a wreath or register to volunteer, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/OH0109P, or follow the link from the Green City’s website at www.cityofgreen.org.
The St. Monica Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, November 25, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. in St. Benedict School (13633 Rockside Rd, Garfield Heights, OH 44125. Admission is $1.00 per adult. We have a wide variety of crafters and vendors for you to do your holiday shopping with! Santa will be making an appearance! There is limited vendor space available. Please email [email protected] with questions.
Calling all parents and prospective high school students! Come shadow at Akron's first classical high school in the Catholic tradition and find out why a Chesterton Academy education could be for you. Please call us at (330) 299-5117 or email us at [email protected] to set up your shadow day.
Gennesaret's 32nd-annual Home Run for the Homeless benefit run/walk is being held in-person AND virtually. The in-person event is Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23, 2023, in west Akron (near/through Glendale Cemetery), and the virtual run or walk is anytime in November. Register via www.gennesaret.net. Cleveland Clinic Akron General is the presenting sponsor. This is Gennesaret’s only fundraiser and the need to help the poor is urgent. Per-person registration fees are: four-mile run—in-person for $25.00 (includes free gloves; first 1,000 also receive finisher medals) or virtual for $20.00; and a one-mile run/walk—in-person or virtual is $2.50. Four-mile run discounts are 50% off for anyone 18 and under. For more info, call (330) 858-6777. Proceeds benefit (the all-volunteer) Gennesaret, which serves poor families and individuals approximately 500 meals weekly and provides bags of groceries in Akron where there is the greatest need.
Catholic Cemeteries Association, in collaboration with AM 1260 The Rock, invite you to attend a Graveside Prayer Service for Deceased Priests of the Diocese of Cleveland. The service will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery, Brook Park, in the priests' section (section10) on Monday, November 20, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. The Divine Mercy Chaplet will be recited at 3:00 p.m., the Hour of Mercy, followed by placing flowers on the graves of the priests. Rain or shine, all are welcome. A tent will be erected in case of inclement weather. For more information, please go to our website at www.am1260therock.com/event/graveside-prayers-for-deceased-priests-2.
Join us on Monday, November 20, at 7:00 p.m., as we welcome our guest speaker Fr. Joseph Koopman, Professor of Moral Theology, St. Mary Seminary, Wickliffe, at Our Lady of the Cedars, 507 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road in Fairlawn. He will be speaking on the topic: “Critical Issues in Bioethics: A Catholic Response.” The doors will open at 7:00 p.m. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. There will be a $15.00 admission fee; light appetizers are included. A cash bar will also be available. To ensure an accurate count for our venue, RSVP to Keith Johnson by Monday, November 13, at [email protected] or (330) 836-2233 ext. 134. Sponsored by St. Sebastian Parish, Akron
The Peter Maurin Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose focus is to aid and shelter, and to give food and clothing to those who suffer from hunger, addiction and homelessness. Once a year WAYSIDE FURNITURE IN AKRON has an AFTER THANKSGIVING MATCHING FUNDS EVENT: if anyone who walks into their store (at 1367 Canton Rd., Akron, OH 44312) on Friday, November 24, Saturday, November 25, Sunday, November 26, or Monday, November 27, and drops off a personal check or money order/cashier’s check made out to THE PETER MAURIN CENTER, it will be matched dollar for dollar up to $100.00 per check, per individual. If the check is for more than $100.00, they will match the first $100.00 of that check. If it is under $100.00, they will match dollar for dollar whatever the amount is on the check. This is such an important opportunity for us with all the different programs we have: food pantry, hot meal dine-in programs, street ministry and camp visits for meals and clothing, toiletry and clothing distribution, emergency shelter, bus pass program, etc. If anyone is unable to drop off a check, please call or text Karen McNeill, Director of Community Relations at (330) 814-4320 or Dave Churbock, PMC Director, at (330) 328-3199, to arrange pick up.