Bishop Edward Malesic’s recent visit to St. Paschal Baylon School in Highland Heights had a dual purpose: to celebrate Vocation Day and the 170th anniversary of the founding of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. The congregation has been entrusted with leading the St. Paschal Baylon Catholic community since the parish was established in 1953.
Vocation Day began with a school Mass on May 13. It included opportunities for students to learn about the four primary vocations in the Church: married life, single life, religious life and ordained ministry. In his homily, Bishop Malesic reflected on his own vocation and discernment.
(See photo gallery above.)
“There's a highway to heaven and there are four lanes you can take to get there. The largest one is marriage in the Church. Then there's the single life, religious life and holy orders. The Blessed Sacrament fathers, whose founding we celebrate today, are an example of religious life. They are a religious community journeying toward heaven with the charism to promote love of the Blessed Sacrament. Holy orders, life as a deacon, priest and bishop is the lane God chose me to be on,” Bishop Malesic said.
“I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be a priest, let alone the bishop of Cleveland,” he added, telling the students he was interested in two things growing up: music and science. Soon after starting college, someone gave him a small Bible, which began a change in his life.
“I went to Mass every Sunday, but when I began to read that Bible, something amazing happened to me. Jesus came to me in a very real way. He spoke into my heart saying, ‘Ed, I love you; Ed, listen to my voice. Open your heart. Let me in.’ ”
Father John Thomas Lane, SSS, St. Paschal Baylon pastor and 14th provincial superior of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, concelebrated the Mass.
He and the St. Paschal Baylon School community presented Bishop Malesic with a spiritual bouquet of prayers, good works and personal sacrifices for his intentions. After Mass, the bishop and Father Lane returned to the sanctuary for a student-led question and answer session.
“The first vocation we have is to holiness, to be saints. Your call is to be in heaven and your vocation is to bring a bit of heaven down here,” the bishop told the students. “Then answer the question, ‘What does Jesus want me to do?’ I'm happy because I did what Jesus called me to do. That's my prayer for all of you. Find what your purpose is in life. There's a reason why you're here.”
To learn more about St. Paschal Baylon Church and School click here.