“Dec. 7 was a special day at St. Ambrose Parish and School in Brunswick. It marked the feast day of their patronal saint, St. Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, Italy and one of the four original doctors of the Church. Born about 340 to a Roman Christian family, St. Ambrose was well educated, studying law, literature and rhetoric before serving as governor of Liguria and Emilia. Originally, he refused the bishop’s post, believing he was not worthy. However, in 374, he was baptized, ordained and consecrated bishop within a short period of time.
St. Ambrose donated all of his land and gave his money to the poor. He continued to study and became a popular preacher. Among those he baptized was St. Augustine of Hippo. He died in 397 and is known as the patron saint of beekeepers, beggars, learners and Milan.
Each year on his feast day, St. Ambrose visits the school named in his honor. The student body, numbering about 500, starts the day with Mass. This year, Bishop Edward Malesic was the celebrant with Father Bob Stec, St. Ambrose pastor, and Father Andrew Hoover, parochial vicar, concelebrating. Deacons Thom Sheridan and Matthew Harley assisted. Deacon Dan Galla, an alumnus of St. Ambrose School, served as the bishop’s master of ceremonies.
After Mass, St. Ambrose and some members of Student Council, accompanied by Principal Lisa Cindr, led the bishop through their school, pointing out various classrooms, explaining some of the courses and special programs offered at the school, the first in Ohio to earn the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) designation in 2018. The bishop, who spent three years as a biology major in college, also visited the school’s Gillingham Innovation Center, known as “the GIC,” where he experimented with the Augmented Reality Sandbox and scanned a QR code to view videos of students.
Bishop Malesic, Cinadr and Father Stec also made a quick trip to St. Ambrose Crossing, a new building across the street that houses the parish’s Littlest Angels preschool program and the gym. The facility opened last year and Cinadr said the additional space it provides was a blessing during the height of the pandemic. The new multi-sport, multi-team athletic facility has hardwood courts and an indoor, turfed training area.
Prior to the school visit, students filed into the church for Mass. During the homily, the bishop told the students he’s a native of Pennsylvania, where the geography is much different from Ohio. “The Appalachian Mountain chain takes up a big part of Pennsylvania,” he explained, which means the roads are “twisty and sometimes very steep. Because there are mountains in the way, you can’t always see far ahead. It’s difficult to know where you’re going and going from point A to point B is not always clear cut.” He aid sometimes to go 3 miles as the crow flies, you have to drive 10 miles and may have to wind through mountains and tunnels cut into the middle of mountains. In fact, when he visits his family in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he drives through four tunnels.
In Ohio, things are much flatter. Bishop Malesic admitted he prefers driving in Ohio because the roads are flatter and it’s easier to see further ahead.
He connected those thoughts to the day’s first reading, where we are told to “Prepare the way of the Lord” to make it easier for God to come to us. Rather than literally meaning to straighten highways, level mountains and fill valleys, we are being asked to make it easier for God to come into our hearts, he explained.
“Take away the obstacles to God. And sometimes, we need to let God do the heavy lifting. If we can’t remove an obstacle – or if the mountain is too big – ask God to take it away. Jesus said that if we have faith the size of a small mustard seed, mountains can be moved,” he added.
During Advent, we are waiting for God to come to us, the bishop said. He listed six recommendations the Church has to help us get ready:
- Confession, where we can admit we sinned, that we were lost and did wrong things. It helps us get back on track and focus on Jesus.
- Eucharist, in which we give ourselves to God and he gives himself to us. We can see Mass with different eyes – eyes of faith. God thirsts for our faith, he said.
- Read from the Bible, which God will use to change s.
- Pray. Never forget to pray – pray before meals; pray when you get up; pray when you go to sleep. It should be as natural for you to talk to God as it is for you to talk to your friends, the bishop said.
- Practice your faith by going to Mass and putting your love into action. Care for one another. Defend people from bullies; sit with the child who is alone at lunch; talk to the new person at school; love your parents; clean your room; listen to your teachers and respect life in all forms.
- Stay close to Jesus. He is your friend.
“St. Ambrose, the namesake of this parish and school, is a man we remember in a special way today. He helped many people straighten their live out so God could come to them on an easy highway. He preached God’s love; he preached God’s truth; he preached Jesus Christ,” the bishop said, adding the students can be inspired by St. Ambrose to do the same thing.
He told them they are special to him and he is proud of them, their priests, the principal, staff and school administration. He reminded them those special adults are not there because they have a job. “They feel called by God to serve you – the young Church among us.”
The bishop also gave the students a task: to thank their parents for him. “Without them, you wouldn’t be here. Thank them for giving you the opportunity to have a Catholic education and to learn how to make it easier for Jesus to come into your hearts,” he added.
After Mass, Father Stec and some students presented the bishop with some St. Ambrose swag, including a STEAM T-shirt.” – Diocese of Cleveland Reporting.
