Bishop Nelson Perez visited parishes in two more districts of the Diocese of Cleveland this week as he continues getting acquainted with the faithful.
He was at Holy Family Parish in Stow on Oct. 24 for a Mass and reception with people from the 28 parishes in Summit County.
The following night, Oct. 25, he visited Gesu Parish in University Heights to celebrate Mass and meet people from the Cuyahoga Suburban East District.
He gathered with priests for a meal and discussion before each of the district Masses.
At Holy Family more than two dozen priests concelebrated the liturgy that was attended by several hundred people. Father Paul Rosing, Holy Family pastor, welcomed Bishop Perez to the district.
Before Mass began, the bishop asked the congregation to remember in prayer the family of a kindergartener from nearby St. Francis De Sales School in Akron who was accidentally struck by a car and killed that morning after he was dropped off at school. ?I am also offering this Mass for all of you,? he added.
In his homily, Bishop Perez reflected on the apostles and their flaws, noting how one betrayed Jesus and another denied him. ?They were a real piece of work,? he said. ?If we were picking people today to run a Church that would last thousands of years, we?d never pick a group like them.? In fact, the bishop said when he gets disappointed in himself, he just thinks about the apostles. Despite their flaws, Jesus saw something in them and picked them to do his work.
?A suffering servant is how Jesus described himself,? he said, adding, he can only imagine how frustrating it must have been at times for Jesus to deal with Peter.
?He (Peter) probably told Jesus to stop saying all that stuff because people won?t want to follow you. And remember, Jesus called Peter Satan and told him to get behind him,? the bishop said.
After the crucifixion, he said the apostles were scared and hid in the Upper Room. When Jesus appeared to them, he said, ?shalom,? which means peace. ?But it meant something different in those days. He was making them whole again in the Lord,? he said. After that encounter, he said the disciples were never the same. They soon left on their ministry to spread the Gospel.
?Just think
