Three special liturgies will be celebrated during the next few weeks.
On Oct.7, Bishop Nelson Perez is scheduled to be the celebrant at the annual Asian Mass at noon at St. Clarence Church, 30106 Lorain Road, North Olmsted.
The theme of this year?s Mass is ?So that they may be one, as we are one.?
Members of the diocesan Asian ministry, including Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Pakistani, Samoan and others welcome all to the 21st annual celebration, which will include the music, language and native dress of many countries as part of the Mass.
Traditionally, a gong sounds to signal the beginning of Mass. The entrance procession features representatives of the various nationalities.
After Mass, all are invited to the parish pavilion for a feast that features homemade food from the different groups, including rice dishes, egg rolls and more.
Later that day, Bishop Perez is scheduled to be the celebrant for Silent Sorrow, a special liturgy for those who have suffered miscarriage, infertility or neonatal death. That Mass will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland.
Organized by the diocesan Office for Worship, the Silent Sorrow Mass is offered to assist parents in their grief and to console them with the blessing of God.
The third Mass will celebrate the canonization of Blessed Oscar Romero, the saint who has accompanied our diocesan mission in life, in death and in spirit.
Bishop Perez is scheduled to celebrate a Mass in his honor at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at St. John Cathedral. All are invited to attend. Archbishop Romero?s canonization will take place that day in Rome.
The fourth bishop of San Salvador, Archbishop Romero was shot and killed as he celebrated Mass on March 24, 1980. The diocese established a mission in El Salvador more than 50 years ago and since then, many diocesan priests, religious sisters and others have served at the mission. An estimated 250,000 mourners attended the archbishop?s funeral Mass. He was an outspoken social activist who railed against poverty, social injustice, assassinations, torture and other injustices in his country.
In 1997, Pope St. John Paul II declared him a Servant of God. His case for canonization was reopened in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Francis declared him a martyr on Feb. 3, 2015 and he was beatified on May 23, 2015.
