· 

 

 

As many of you know, I had an accident on August 19, 2022. While serving at a funeral Mass at St Bernadette Church in Monroeville, I fell off the altar. I was returning to my chair after just completing my homily and addressing the family; I missed several steps as I crossed the front of the altar table. It was an unbelievable experience as I fell into
the Holy Water, Easter candle and just missed the casket. Can you imagine how the family felt?
 
When I woke up on the floor of the church, I found out I broke my right ankle on both sides and both sides of my right knee. Compound fractures left me in the hospital with four surgeries over a two week period of time. I then spent two weeks in Vincentian rehab on McKnight Road. For the past several weeks I have been attending physical therapy two or three times a week regaining my strength and my ability to walk. I now have a noticeable limp and use a walking aid. Hopefully that will eventually improve and I will be able to walk on my own.
 
As a brother deacon said to me " Deacon Al, it's better to fall from the altar than from the grace of God" That's certainly true, but the altar fall really hurt too!
 
With the incomparable help from my wife Donna and the support of my adult children, I am recovering … but slowly.
 
As I continue to rely on a miracle of healing in my fourth stage of cancer, we go through the frequent, usual blood work, scans and doctor exams at Cleveland Clinic. We have a way to go to know before cancer is no longer something I need to worry about, but we remain in prayers to Our Lady Undoer of Knots and to Jesus Christ for God's will to be done.
 
Over the next several weeks, I hope to be released from the doctor’s care and will be able to resume our service at St. Aidan Parish as deacon. The exact date is still unclear, but we are hopeful it will be shortly after April 17.
 
I would like to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for all of your cards, Masses of healing, text messages and mostly thoughts and prayers.
 
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
 
Deacon Al
 
 

PLEASE READ: St. Aidan Parish Will Be Participating in a Parish-Wide Survey!
 
Saint Aidan Parish will be participating in a parish survey about discipleship conducted by the Catholic Leadership Institute! We need your help by participating in a 10-15 minute survey online. The survey can be accessed through an online link from February 22 until March 31 and will ask you to reflect on your own spiritual growth and enable you to provide feedback on our parish’s efforts to help you grow. All responses will be confidential and the parish will only receive information about the community as a whole. We will share the link with you a bit closer to the launch of the survey.
 
We are trying to get the highest response rate possible. This information will be invaluable to Fr. Will and our various ministries as we plan for the future and strive to be the best disciples we can be. We will receive the results this spring/summer at which time we will share what we have learned with the entire parish. If you prefer a paper copy of the survey, you may pick one up after daily and Sunday Masses. They will be located at the back of both churches or at the parish office. To submit the completed paper survey, please drop it off at the parish office. To make arrangements for getting a paper copy, please contact Sr. Linda at 724-935-4343.
 
“Make Us Believers” 
Passion Play practices will be on the new side of Saint Alphonsus Church from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, see schedule below. All ages are welcome to be in the Passion Play. We need people to be apostles and townspeople. Please contact Mary Heagy with for more info at mheagy@saintaidanparish.org. 
Tuesday, February 14
Tuesday, February 21
Thursday, February 23
Tuesday, February 28
  
Hospitality Weekend 
Please gather in the narthex after the 4:00 pm, 10:00 am and 5:00 pm Masses the weekend of February 18/19 for cookies/donuts and fellowship, hosted by the Hospitality Ministry.

Knights of Columbus ASAP Program 
St. Aidan Parish and the Knights of Columbus Council #3907 are committed to serving Mothers in need and their children. The Knights' ASAP (Aid & Support After Pregnancy) program is sponsoring an item drive beginning next weekend, February 18/19. All proceeds will benefit Angels’ Place, an organization supporting low-income single parents and their children. A list of critical needs will be detailed on baby feet cards on the Giving Baby Bottle display in the narthex at St. Alexis Church. Parish support is requested to provide for the needs of the single parent mothers and their children by taking an item from the Giving Baby Bottle display and purchasing the item listed. All purchased items must be returned to the St. Alexis narthex by Sunday, March 12. Knights of Columbus representatives will be handing out ASAP program information with further details after all Masses the weekend of February 18/19.

A Plan to Achieve Our Call To Holiness 
Please join us on Monday, February 20, at 6:00 pm as the St. Aidan Men’s Fellowship continues its discussion series on Re-Evangelizing Greater Wexford. These discussions will support faithful lay Christian men in living their apostolic vocation that is entrusted to them by God. The Men’s Fellowship strives to establish lasting friendships while acquiring a deeper practical adult understanding of the Catholic Faith. We also engage in fellowship and service-related activities. Bi-weekly Monday meetings are held at The Ark & the Dove on Babcock Blvd., from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. All men are welcome. For more information, please contact cmf@saintaidanparish.org or Paul Spence at 
724-713-8633.