News of Little Flower Catholic ParishToledo, Ohio January, 2014

Also in CONNECTIONS: LF member receives honor, Page 5 The Pope and the Little Flower, Page 8

Saint Thérèse ‘visits’ Little FlowerThis pen was held by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the ‘LittleFlower of Jesus,’ for whom the parish is named. Her writingdesk was at LF for two days. - Pages 2, 3

STUDENTS, left,and others,marvel at theceramic mural inthe Little Flower‘art gallery,’created bySylvaniaFranciscan artistSr. Jane MarySorisiak.See Pages 6-7

KINDLY ALLOW ME to recommend fouractions to families and everyone else who willbenefit from your consideration of them.FIRST, constantly strive for good under-standing. Don’t ever give up seeking to under-stand. Resist all temptations to make hardenedjudgments that announce we no longer will tryto understand. Hatred is a choice and when we accept it we arereally saying that we quit.

Instead, reach out to others with hope every day. Most espe-cially, let us extend ourselves to those who find hope elusive anddistant. I always can change for the better and so can others. Ican help others change for the better. As a follower of JesusChrist and member of His Church, God expects me to be an in-strument of His peace and a change agent. Relentlessly pursueunderstanding circumstances so that misunderstandings will beclarified and resolved.

SECOND, live each day reflectively andinwardly. Recognize the particular giftsGod has given you as well as gifts that oth-ers have received. Stop comparing andcompeting, which only fuel temptations ofenvy and discouragement. Instead, noticethe gifts of those whom the Lord Jesus hasput near us and receive them gratefully.

To live reflectively and inwardly means to look at the goodqualities like compassion and courage, and also the supernaturalsacramental gifts like the Holy Eucharist and forgiveness of sinsin Reconciliation. God deeply desires that we discover theunique treasures He has placed within each of us. Of course, it isfor us not only to discover the splendid gifts, but then to sharethem in ways that help the treasures of others to shine.

Turn to Page 11

Rx for healthier, holier daily living

Pastor

Little Flower Parish News January, 2014 Page 2

MANY ROUTESled to LittleFlower Church inToledo during twodays in October.Visitors from To-ledo and milesaway filed rever-ently into LittleFlower to viewrare sights -- arti-facts from the lifeof one ofChristendom’smost beloved andrevered figures, St.Thérèse of Li-sieux, known asthe “Little Flowerof Jesus.”

It was a signal honor for Toledo LittleFlower Parish. In an unusual turn ofevents, the small parish was picked to beone of only a handful of places in Amer-ica where the writing desk of St. Thérèsewas displayed to the public.

The tour took the important mementoof the saint to only a few cities in theUnited States. Toledo was one of them.

"It is an extraordinary privilege to havebeen selected as a site for the relics to beviewed by the faithful. Only 10 diocesesnationally (out of 187 total) received thishonor and Little Flower and Rosary Ca-

thedral are the only two parishes wherethe relics (were) viewed locally," saidRev. Dave Nuss,, Little Flower pastor.

"Little Flower Parish was privileged tobe part of a national tour featuring relicsof St. Thérèse," said Sr. Marilyn MarieEllerbrock, parish director of adult faithformation.

"The relics included the writing case,pen, and inkwell of Saint Thérèsethat were used by her almost daily from1894 until her death in 1897. Sr. MarilynMarie lectured on the life of the saint priorto the tour stop.

The writing desk ar-rived Oct. 9 for Eucha-ristic adoration andviewing. St. BenedictSchool students and oth-ers saw the simple deskthe next day, before itwas taken to Rosary Ca-thedral for public view-ing there.

The tour, sponsoredby the Pontifical Mis-sion Societies, began inCalifornia. St. Thérèseis the patron of mis-sions and missionaries.

It was the first timethe writing desk of theLittle Flower had everbeen allowed to betaken from the Carmel-

ite convent in France where she studied,lived, and died when only 24.

A gifted writer, Thérèse penned most ofher writings on the desk, including hermasterwork, "The Story of a Soul," andmany plays, poems, and letters.

TOLEDO Little Flower Church also hastwo sacred relics, tiny pieces of bone, ofSt. Thérèse of Lisieux (below). Both aresealed in the altar that was built not longbefore the tour reached Toledo.

Toledo Little Flower was a siteof national ‘Saint Thérèse tour’

Photo: © Archives of the Lisieux Carmel

Amazing words were written on this desk

The relic at left isa piece of boneembedded in astylized cross. Itwas obtained forthe parish throughthe work of LittleFlower’s pastor,Rev. Dave Nuss.

This authenticated relic ofSt. Thérèse also is sealed within

the new altar in Little Flower Church.The altar was dedicated and consecratedjust weeks before the public viewings at

Little Flower and Rosary Cathedral.

Page 3 January, 2014 Little Flower Parish News

St. Benedict studentsviewed the relics andheard about St.Thérèse (above) fromMsgr. RobertFuhrman from thePontifical MissionSociety.

Thérèse reportedlywrote daily on the‘laptop’ desk, as imag-ined and drawn (left) by her family sister. Above, the saint’s desk, her pen, andher ink bottle, have been preserved since her death in 1897, at only 24.

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Photos: Debbie Appert

What brought ‘her’ desk to Little Flower Parish?THE WRITING desk of St. Thérèse of Li-sieux is a prized relic of a sainted girl whoseshort, simple life has had profound impacton the Catholic Church.

For the first time, the desk was taken fromits home in France and displayed in just 20U.S. dioceses. The Diocese of Toledo wasone of them and Toledo Little Flower Parishwas the only Ohio church -- other than To-ledo's Rosary Cathedral -- to house the deskon its tour.

That honor came about unexpectedly."The moment I heard the Diocese of Toledowas selected as a tour stop, I contacted dioc-esan officials to relay how eager our parishwas to host the relics for whatever time wewould be permitted to do so," said Rev.Dave Nuss, Little Flower pastor.

"Undoubtedly Thérèse herself saw to itthat the relics found their way to thecommunity of faith bearing her name inToledo, Ohio, (that had) recently un-veiled a beautiful remodeled church mar-velously blending traditional and contemporary aspects for thepraise and honor of God."

"We are delighted that the Pontifical Mis-sions Society responded to our request to bepart of this tour as a way ofhonoring Thérèse as our parish patronessand giving us the opportunity to learn evenmore of her 'little way'," said Sr. MarilynMarie Ellerbrock, Little Flower adult faithformation director.

Thérèse Martin was born in France in1873. She entered a Carmelite convent inLisieux at age 15. Four of her sisters werenuns. Thérèse made final vows and took thename Thérèse of the Child Jesus of theHoly Face.

But poor health ended her dream of beinga missionary and she never left the convent.She spent many hours over that small desk,writing words that later astonished theolo-

gians. Thérèse died in 1897, at age 24.Canonized in 1925, St. Thérèse was de-clared patroness of missions in 1927.

In 1997, Pope John Paul II made her a"Doctor of the Church,” saying “the in-

sights expressed in her writings are so vast and profound thatthey deserve a place among the great spiritual masters."

Photo: from Wikipedia

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the LittleFlower of Jesus

Little Flower Parish News January, 2014 Page 4

Building projects complete, committee is dissolvedLITTLE FLOWER Church now standsstrong and visible on a long stretch of DorrStreet. An iconic new tower entrance beck-ons members and visitors.

Inside the church, a transformed sanctu-ary, warm and inviting, welcomes worship-pers with a renewed air of Catholictradition and holiness.

Outside and in, the Seeds of Faith build-ing project is finished and those LF parish-ioners who spent more than a half-decadeplanning, re-planning, and making the dream into reality canenjoy the results.

The long project was guided by a Steer-ing Committee. Over time, membership inthat group sometimes changed, althoughsome original members served from startto finish. The committee was led by co-chairmen Paul Figliomeni and JohnGentle. "The Steering Committee has nowbeen dissolved," declared a letter over boththeir names.

Other Steering Committee memberswere Vicki Flahie, Sue Madden, Mari-anne Hassen, Jim Frey, Chris Lewinski,

Carol Huss, Jackie Bensman, Martha Nasset, Joel Ned-row, Mike Tressler, and Fr. Dave Nuss.

Paul Figliomeni John Gentle

Transformed: Inside . . . and out

WHEN Sr. Josephine Dybza returnedto Haiti in October, she took with her$400 from the Little Flower Haiti Out-reach Committee. The money was to buybreadfruit trees and had been collected bychildren of St. Benedict School.

Breadfruit is a staple of rural Haitiandiets. Because of that, the trees will notbe harvested for charcoal. It also willhelp restore some land where deforesta-tion has taken place.

Another nun, Sister Jordan Schaefer,and LF member Christie Soltman also

have arranged with Sue VanHersett, Lit-tle Flower's Director of Youth Faith For-mation, for a “bag project” by the Schoolof Religion students. The children havebeen be asked to put pictures, notes, artprojects, letters, or other objects in clothbags to send to children of Pestel.

Said Cathy Rice, of Little Flower'sHaiti Committee: "Please continue topray for our brothers and sisters inHaiti and the missionaries there, Sr.Fidelis Rubio and Sr. Josephine. Thecommittee greatly appreciates dona-

tions from Little Flower members andstudents of St. Benedict School thatlive that stewardship mission.”

Little Flower Parish is not alone in ded-ication to helping the devastated islandcountry. In November, a team of eightfrom another U.S. outreach group trav-eled to Pestel with 10-year water-filtra-tion units, enough to supply each familyin section three of Pestel. Each unit costabout $65. That group also donated alarge water filter for the sisters’ houseand a large filtration system for the mainclinic in Pestel.

Students dig deep to fund breadfruit trees for Haiti

Page 5 January, 2014 Little Flower Parish News

Photo: Dawn Ando

Dave Westfall, left, and John Andoload goods for SVdP to distribute.

IN DECEMBER, members of the St.Vincent de Paul ministry welcomed St.Benedict School pre-school students,with teacher Laurie Baker and helpers,to the Bob Kertesz Community Out-reach Center. The schoolchildrenbrought canned goods for the food pan-try, groceries that were given to areafamilies in need.

The 4-year-olds were thanked by theSVDP ministry for helping less fortunatefamilies. The SVDP workers prayedwith the children and workers and stu-dents sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.

"We are so pleased that the childrenare learning how to share with others.Many thanks to the families of the St.Benedict schoolchildren who donatedcanned goods to be included in Christ-mas baskets that were given to ourneighbors in need," said JoAnn New-meyer, LF chapter president.

In 2013, LF SVdP gave groceries to650-700 families each month. The min-istry distributed 85 Thanksgiving basketsand 135 Christmas baskets and contin-ued to provide families with coats,shoes, clothing, and household goods atno cost to those who need such help.

Children help LF’s SVdP serve needy families

LITTLE FLOWER'S Dianne Brandtwas awarded the prestigious Top HatAward, the highest honor of the St. Vin-cent DePaul ministry.

Dianne is the second LF parishioner inrecent years to be so honored by theworld-wide organization. The late BobKertesz was given the award in 2012.

The Top Hat is annually awarded by theSVdP District, to the "Outstanding Vin-centian of the Year for diligent dedica-tion to the poor and suffering in our area."

The ministry, especially active at LittleFlower, serves area families in need offood, clothing, furnishings, financial help,and other necessities.

Parish members who have workedalongside Dianne were not surprised ather receiving the honor. "It was an easydecision to nominate Dianne," saidJoAnn Newmeyer, LF chapter president."Dianne is very deserving. We are blessedto be part of her SVdP family."

But Dianne herself was surprised whenher name was called as the 2013 honoree.

"I was shocked," she said. "I didn'tknow about it. There were a lot of peoplethere and I was listening to what was go-ing on. Whenthey announcedmy name, I al-most dropped mycoffee cup. I wasjust shocked."

The award wasannounced by LFparishioner Jim

Bayer, a worker in the organization, whonoted that “the Little Flower Vincentians,and the people we serve, have beenblessed to have Dianne as a member andleader.”

"Dianne is a mentor and role modelwhose spirituality, commitment to theneeds of others, calming presence, andorganizational skills, are the driving forcebehind the work we do," he said.

Mentioning her many jobs in the minis-try -- organizing financial assistance andfiling programs, personally thanking do-nors, tracking bills, serving as vice presi-dent and president, he added: "You nameit, she did it, and she did it well!"

Noting that Dianne's faith serves herSVdP work, Jim said: "Dianne’s calmingmanner is an ever- present fixture at thefood pantry. We provide groceries to over700 hundred people each month and

things can get hectic, feelings hurt, nervesfrayed. But we can count on Dianne tosmooth things over, and remind us thatwe are doing the work that Christ askedus to do.

"She can be seen holding clients' handsas they tell their story, hugging those whothank us, giving a smile and comfortingword to those in need. Dianne will go theextra mile to help those we serve. Whenyou see Dianne in action, you realize thather faith and love of Christ is guiding herin all she does."

Dianne Brandt given the Top Hat awardLF parishioner issecond to receivethat honor from

St. Vincent de Paul

Photo: Ron Finn

Dianne Brandt, right, and LF’sSVdP president JoAnn Newmeyer atthe ceremony when Dianne receivedthe ministry's highest honor.

'Dianne epitomizes the Vincentianexample of living a God-centered

life, service to others, trusting thatGod will take care of our needs.'

Jim Bayer, left, announcingthe Top Hat Award

Little Flower Parish News January, 2014 Page 6

Photos: Mike Tressler

WORSHIPPERS and students alike have paused in wonderment to study‘Mysteries of the Rosary,' a one-of-a-kind relief mural by the amazing Sr. JaneMary Sorisiak. The ceramic art flows across the gathering space west wall.

SISTER Jane Mary Sorisiak's mu-ral art has enriched walls insideand out on the Sylvania Franciscancampus and other places. How didLittle Flower come to have two ofher creations? After the WorshipDesign Team recommended the en-trance be spiritually enhanced, Fa-ther Dave Nuss asked Sr. JaneMary if she would create an origi-nal work. She would and was com-missioned. "The idea for the'Mysteries' subject was her ownspiritual inspiration," said LF's Sr.Marilyn Marie Ellerbrock.

At left, detail shows the intricate,almost magical pattern of theglazed pieces.

How did it happen?

Page 7 January, 2014 Little Flower Parish News

A magnificent muralgreets worshippers and studentsAN EXCLAMATION POINT, no less, catches all eyes in the gatheringspace of Little Flower Church. Not long after a new tower entrance wasfinished, an astounding work of art was installed. The colorful glazed-claymural --"Mysteries of the Rosary" -- was created by Sr. Jane MarieSorisiak, renowned Sylvania Franciscan artist.

AN ARTIST AT WORK: The last phase of creating and installing themural by Sr. Jane Mary (at left and below) was fitting pieces on the wall.Parishioner Dawn Ando was there with her camera, as students watched.

WORSHIPPERS and students alike have paused in wonderment to study‘Mysteries of the Rosary,' a one-of-a-kind relief mural by the amazing Sr. JaneMary Sorisiak. The ceramic art flows across the gathering space west wall.

Little Flower Parish News January, 2014 Page 8

A-R women hear Heartbeat speakerHeartbeat, the life-affirming organization that helps women who have chosen birth of their

babies rather than abortion, was a special January topic for Little Flower's chapter of AltarRosary . First the LF women collected supplies for that city-wide ministry. Then A-R met forits January luncheon meeting with speaker Meg Bohman, of Heartbeat.

Pope Francisand the

Little FlowerTHE POPE contin-ues to amaze theworld. Reports of PopeFrancis urging betterattention to the poorand his non-judgmen-tal stance toward allhave revealed a com-passionate and proac-tive pontiff. Some heremay also have noted alink between PopeFrancis and LittleFlower Parish. ATIME magazine articlenaming Francis Per-son of the Year de-scribed his intent ofwomen having a stron-ger role in the church.Two women were de-scribed in TIME as be-ing influential andinspirational to theleader of the CatholicChurch:

“. . . and hisfavorite spiritual ex-

amples include Augus-tine's mother Monica

andSt. Thérèseof Lisieux”

. . . who is, of course,known as the “LittleFlower of Jesus.”

WHILE WE ARE in thatpart of the liturgical yearthat the Church names“Ordinary Time,” the mis-sion and opportunities atLittle Flower are anythingbut ordinary. We arecalled to nothing less than a deepening andgrowing personal relationship with Jesus, andthere is nothing ordinary about that!

As sisters and brothers of a Christian faithcommunity here at Little Flower, we areobliged to help one another move forward onour journey of faith and we do not travelalone. It is a joy for each of us when we wel-come a new member in baptism and as wewatch our children grow in their faith throughsuch opportunities as Catechesis of the GoodShepherd, the Little Flower Girls’ Club, oras students at St. Benedict Catholic School.Many of our young people are involved withsacramental preparation as they look forwardto meeting Jesus in the Sacrament of Recon-ciliation and First Eucharist.

The pre-teens and teens are engaged inpreparation for Confirmation and in Ignitefaith formation nights. They bring a vitalityand energy we cannot do without. Our youngadults continue to search for nearness to Jesus

through study of scriptureand other activitiesthrough which they ex-plore and share faith. Wepray with and for thosewho are preparing for thesacrament of marriage anda life of faithful commit-

ment to God and family.Parish adults participate in Bible study and

preparation for ACTS Retreats (see below),or serve in Altar Rosary, Men’s Club, Tarci-sians, music, and other liturgical ministries.Some missions reach beyond the parish: St.Vincent de Paul Society and Haiti Ministry.

Little Flower's newest ministry, the Simeonand Anna gatherings (Page 9), strives tothank and involve parish members 65 yearsand older -- truly gifts to the communitythrough their prayer, presence, and service.

The bonds we have as a parish communityare anything but ordinary. We rejoice withthose who rejoice, seek with those who seek,suffer with those who suffer, and grow witheach and every member as we make our waycloser to Jesus. I invite everyone to accom-pany each other through prayer and supporton whatever leg of a fellow parishioner'sjourney he or she may be traveling. Life atLittle Flower is truly extraordinary!

Sr. MarilynEllerbrock

Life at LF anything but ordinary

Dinner and a Show!Coming Saturday, March 15: A dinner theater night out.

“Conundrum at the Cathedral,”a churchy mystery, will be presented at O’Grady Hall.

Proceeds will benefit St. Benedict Catholic School.Show time: 6 p.m.

Tickets ($35) will include entertainment, dinner, and(attention amateur detectives) a chance to win "hush

money" for a sleuth who can find the crime’s guilty party.

ACTS are on the wayThe Acts Retreat mission will be introduced

to Little Flower members, starting in March. Itwill arrive with a men's retreat March 20-24and a women's ACTS April 24-27. Parishio-ners can register at the parish office. WatchSunday bulletins for information.

Page 9 January, 2014 Little Flower Parish News

Sunday Night at churchMass now is celebrated at 5:30 p.m. Sunday evenings. For those who prefer to end the Sabbath

with the Holy Mass, it is now celebrated then at Little Flower. All are invited. Since its scheduling,it has become especially popular with young people in the parish.

Communion ministerssought to visit homeboundThe Little Flower Tarcisian ministry is in great need

of persons to take the Holy Eucharist to homeboundmembers of the parish, reports Sandie Roccia. Sheurges any parishioners who feel called to be part of thatway to serve to call her at 419-841-7616 or contact theparish center at 419-537-6655.

MORE THAN a brown baglunch, less than a banquet,that's what Little Flower mem-bers who are 65 and older canexpect of the newest parishministry.

This month (Jan. 3) was thefirst of monthly gatherings ofthat age group for lunch andfellowship.

Those parishioners are in-vited to the St. FrancisRoom each First Friday, atnoon. Following lunch therewill be short presentations on a variety of topics and, ofcourse, some socializing.

A Sunday bulletin announcement of the new ministry forseniors linked it to two characters who appear briefly in theGospel of Luke: Simeonand Anna. Both wereolder persons who hungaround the Jerusalemtemple "anticipating thecoming of the Messiah."

While waiting andwatching temple visi-tors, the two saw and

welcomed Joseph and Marywho had brought their infant,Jesus.

In fact, it was noted, the twohad grown old while "engaged inpreparing their hearts to recog-nize and receive the Messiahupon His arrival."

The Little Flower staff does notask its "elderly parishioners" tosit against the wall scanningpassersby for signs of holiness;rather, wrote Sr. Marilyn Ma-rie Ellerbrock, Director of

Evangelization and Adult Faith Formation, the ministry is"for those who, like Simeon and Anna, have spent yearsdeveloping a relationship with Jesus."

Thus, she wrote, inviting those over 65: "We celebrate themany ways our ‘wisdom pa-rishioners’ have been a sourceof encouragement to us just asSimeon and Anna were anencouragement to Joseph andMary. We pray this new offer-ing will feed your souls as youcontinue on your faith jour-ney"

SENIOR ALERT . . .LF starts a new ministry

WHAT? Lunch and fellowship.. . . AND? A short talk/discussion.

WHO FOR? Parishioners and visitors 65 and older.WHERE? St. Francis Room, Little Flower Parish

WHEN? First Friday each month.TIME? Noon

Detail of Simeon and Anna recognizing the savior, froma larger work by 14th-century artist Lorenzetti Ambrogio

Just for MenMonthly gatherings in the Parish

House have been a hit with men of theparish and will continue. Since theirbeginning, Little Flower men have metfor fellowship, conversation, and dis-cussion on that evening's spiritual top-ic. The next Men's Night, beginning at7 p.m., will be Saturday, Feb. 15. Formore info, contact Eric Zatko (419-320-3225), Paul Figliomeni (419-699-1458) or Ed Gillig (419-537-1065).

Little Flower Parish News January, 2014 Page 10

THE MID-POINT of the school yearmeans many things. It is a good time toreflect on successes and challenges of thefirst half of the year and to make plans tocelebrate success and meet new challeng-es. Like a coach at halftime who plans tomake a second half better, we approachthe second half of a school year with thesame zeal as the first half.

To that end and to progress in the re-ac-creditation process for the Ohio CatholicSchools Accreditation Association, wesurvey all the groups who have a "stake"in the school: students, parents, faculty,and some parishioners. We also use testscores, demographic information, andother facts to formulate a Catholic Identityand learning goals for the next 5 years.

Catholic Schools Week also comes atabout the half point of the school year.We take that time to celebrate what we areas a Catholic School. What makes us dif-ferent from a school down the road? Ourtheme for this year is "Catholic SchoolsCommunities of Faith, Knowledge, and

Service." It is no accident that faithcomes first, for that is truly what makes usdifferent: All schools should be communi-ties of knowledge and service but we, asCatholic schools, must be communities offaith for students---not neglecting knowl-edge and service but also infusing faith. Itis what makes us different.

January is a busy time for academiccompetition. We have had middle schoolstudents compete in Science Fair, HistoryFair, and Power of the Pen. We are proudof their hard work and preparation. In latefall, our Quiz Bowl team placed second inits division.

Our middle school students had a won-derful opportunity in December. Theywere invited to participate in the taping of

a Sunday television mass, at Rosary Ca-thedral. St. Benedict students were read-ers, servers, gift bearers, andcongregation. Father Dave was the cele-brant.

The televised masses will be Feb. 2 andFeb. 9. I hope many will watch at leastone of them and see why we are so proudof our Middle School students. Followingtaping, Father Dave gave students a per-sonal tour of the cathedral. The building'sbeauty and Father Dave's knowledge ofthe cathedral and diocese capped a fineday for the students.

St. Benedict's annual open house will beSunday, March 2. We hope that manywill take time to visit and see some of thestudents and activities that make it a won-derful school. We are proud of what wedo and how we do it and would love toshare that. Parents and all parishioners:Know of families with potential studentsfor St. Benedict? Tell them about the openhouse or, better yet, come and visit andbring them along

Carol HussPrincipal

St. BenedictCatholic School

Administration goal: a five-year planOpen House will be March 2

To parents and parishioners: Thank you for continued support of the school ministry. It is a privilege to be partof this joint effort with Little Flower and Our Lady of Lourdes parishes. Carol Huss, principal

Page 11 January, 2014 Little Flower Parish News

New members of Little Flower ParishWelcome!

Brenda and Stanley Mbang-AsahKathleen and Thomas SallahLarry and Jacquelyn LehmanMaria Fe Valdez and Alfredo VasquezDarla SouthardDavid and Jane CurrySteven and Bonnie HalseyDavid and Marilyn KukuraGreg and Liz KissnerGreg Koepf and Chynna FiferMaria Velasco

Ryan and Erica HobbsRichard and Bernadette BechtelRae BechtelAmy-Jo BekongAlbert and Annette ScottMichael and Jennifer HoelscherAnnette & Albert ScottGregory KoepfKaren Villarreal

. . . and their families

. . . and just baptizedKaveh Brooklyn Danesh,

son of Kaveh and Brooke DaneshOwen Brooks Poulton,

son of Charles and Melanie PoultonElizabeth Harper Poulton,

daughter of Charles and Melanie Poulton

Marisol Margarita Mendoza,daughter of Gabriel and Carmen Mendoza

Logan Mackenzie Zombek,son of Thomas Zombekand Lauren Lennox-Zombek

Fr. Dave: Rx for a new yearContinued from Page 1

THIRD, let us look beyond ourselves. This means going out-side of our comfort zone and opening up to that larger commu-nity which is given us by God’s loving grace through listeningto His Word. Looking beyond means not letting our own prob-

lems be all consuming no matter how pressing they seem. It isessential that we open up to the community of faith and live ascaring members of the Church of Christ. To the degree we seethe needs of others we can see that there are many problemsthat can be resolved by our genuine caring and patient helping.

FOURTH, entrust all our concerns confidently to Our Lady.

Fr. Dave, shortlyafter arriving at Lit-tle Flower Parish

THE 12 MONTHS just past made the first full calendar year for Fr.Dave Nuss to hold the pastoral reins at Little Flower Parish. And what ayear it was for both parish and pastor! Taking over the direction of liturgi-cal, educational, and social parts of a Catholic community was one thingbut, whoa!, almost before he had his coat off, there was not one, but twobuilding projects for him to shepherd into reality. Most members wouldsay he did it with reverence and aplomb.

There was more for a busy and innovative parish leader: New ministriesto create, a start-up retreat program, a parish house to transform, a newmain entrance to turn into a stunning art gallery, an Annunciation Radioshow, arms to gently twist, projects to direct, and ideas to suggest. Oh, andsometime in 2013, he turned up with a slightly new, bespectacled look.

When does he sleep?

Time flies for a busy pastorFr. Dave now sees Little Flower a little clearer (with new glasses)

Still smiling, Fr Davelooks at the congrega-tion with new glasses

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TIME DATED MATERIAL

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Little Flower Church5522 Dorr StreetToledo, OH 43615

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Doug Bullimore, DeaconSue VanHersett, Youth Faith FormationSr. Marilyn Ellerbrock, Adult Faith FormationTom Williams, Liturgist & Music Director

Chris Lewinski, Business ManagerLynn Harman, Laurie Fitzpatrick, SecretariesMissy Gillig, Parish BookkeeperJeff Sharp, Parish Head Custodian

Parish office: 5522 Dorr St..open Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.419-537-6655 - FAX: 419-537-1469parishcenter@littleflowertoledo.org

Little Flower of Jesus Catholic CommunityThe Rev. Dave Nuss, Pastor

Masses: Saturday 4:30 p.m., Sunday 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5:30 p.m.Monday-Thursday 8:15 a.m.; Tuesday 7 a.m.; First Fridays 8:15 a.m.

Little Flower Connections. . . is a journal containing news for and about the people and ministries of LittleFlower of Jesus Catholic Parish. Parishioners and organizations wishing to submit reports or notes for writing, editing, and publicationshould follow guidelines or request guidelines from the Parish Center or from Mike Tressler. All submissions are welcome and will beconsidered. Submit by email to parishcenter@littleflowertoledo.org or to miketwriter@gmail.com. Deadlines are noted in Sunday bulle-tins. Please note that editing, design, printing, and mailing take several weeks beyond a deadline date and submissions should not includeinformation that will be outdated or events that will be past by the time Connections is delivered.

Copyright © 2014

St. Benedict Catholic SchoolCarol Huss, Principal The Rev. Joseph Cardone, Superintendent

419-536-1194 www.stbenedicttoledo.com

Website: www.littleflowertoledo.org