St. Leo Church

We, the members of St. Leo Parish in Versailles, KY are a Roman Catholic faith community of diverse and caring people.  We come together to worship and to be nourished by the Eucharist and the Scriptures to strengthen us in order to fulfill the present and future spiritual needs of our members.  We strive to provide religious education for all members and to serve the community at large. 

Dear Friends,  

This is an unsettling time for our country and our community, as we are in a public health emergency due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Your elected leaders and public health officials are working around the clock to slow the spread of the virus and provide care to those who need it. It is important to remember that we need to be prepared, not scared. Heed the advice of public health experts who agree that the most effective way to “flatten the curve,” or slow the spread of the virus, is to practice social distancing. Below is some helpful information regarding COVID-19: 

How do I stay informed?  

It is important to remain informed with accurate information from an official source. Visit the state’s COVID-19 resource page for the most up-to-date and trustworthy information: www.kycovid19.ky.gov.   

How can you be infected? 

·Coronavirus can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Because these droplets can travel up to six feet, public health experts advise maintaining six feet of distance from others. 

·The virus can also remain on a surface or object and enter the body through the mouth, nose, or eyes. This is why it is important to wash your hands before touching your face. 

How long does it take to show symptoms after being infected? 

It takes 2 to 14 days to develop symptoms after exposure to the virus. The average is about 5 days. 

What are the symptoms? 

·         Fever 

·         Dry cough 

·         Shortness of breath 

When should you seek testing? 

·         If you are exhibiting symptoms 

·If you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus 

·If you have recently traveled to one of the high-risk countries 

Except in the case of an emergency, please call your healthcare provider before seeking treatment in person.  

While it is normal to feel anxious, there are ways to take control of the situation and be prepared. I urge you to take the following precautions to keep yourself and our community safe. 

·        Wash your hands often and for at least              20 seconds 

·        Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and                   mouth 

·        Avoid physical contacts like handshakes           and hugs 

·        Stay home if you feel sick 

·        Avoid large crowds 

·        Abstain from unnecessary travel 

What is the difference between “Healthy at Home” and “social distancing”? 

Healthy at Home is a stricter form of social distancing. There are some differences. Healthy at home means: 

Non-essential retail and businesses are closed. These types of businesses include entertainment, sporting goods, clothing, shoes, jewelry, book stores, florists, furniture and auto dealers.  

·Stay home (stay unexposed and do not expose others) 

·         Only go out for essential services 

·         Stay six feet or more away from others 

·         Don’t gather in groups 

It is important during this national emergency that we unite as a community, follow the advice of experts, and take responsibility for our actions to #SlowTheSpread of coronavirus. For more information, visit www.kycovid19.ky.gov or call the Kentucky COVID-19 Hotline: (800) 722-5725.  

Fr. Miguel Alvizures along with Dcn. Nick Nickl, from Mary Queen, is leading a pilgrimage to Guatemala.  For more information contact Cindy Vogelsang at covogelsang224@gmail.com or
859 351-4661.

March 27, 2020

Dear St. Leo School Family:

In these times of such gravity and uncertainty, some good news can be something we can be grateful for to God.

Since Dr. DiBiasie announced her retirement, we have all been concerned about who our next principal would be. Thanks to the principal search committee of Beth Carrico (chair), Rosie Fedorchuk, Rikki Gayou, Dave Melanson, and Kelly Rabinowitz the process of interviewing a well-qualified group of educators with a passion for teaching and a desire to move St. Leo forward was a really enjoyable and enlightening experience.

With the committee’s able direction and diligence, I am pleased to announce that they unanimously recommended, Leo Labrillazo, as St. Leo School’s next principal. In agreement with their discernment, I offered the position to him and he accepted on March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph. This past Wednesday, on the celebration of the Annunciation, we signed the contract to make it official. This is to highlight that the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph has blessed our St. Leo family through this whole process and in the selection of Mr. Labrillazo.

Mr. Labrillazo brings 29-years of classroom and administrative experience in the Kentucky public school system with five years as principal at Mary G. Hogsett Primary School in Danville. He combines that with his strong Catholic faith as a parishioner of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton where he has been involved as a catechist teaching PREP classes, Confirmation classes and serving on the Core Team for the middle school youth group since 2004.

Mr. Labrillazo shares: “I am so excited about being the next principal of St. Leo School. It has such a wonderful reputation for its Catholic faith-filled academic accomplishments, but also for being able to create such a family atmosphere. I am looking forward to being able to combine my love for my Catholic faith and my passion for serving students, families, and teachers. In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to a time to be able to meet and speak with everyone.” 

When the restrictions on social gatherings have been lifted, we look forward to you meeting Mr. Labrillazo and welcoming him into our St. Leo family.

In addition, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who took time to share what they wanted in our next principal. These were very helpful for everyone on the committee as we went through the interviews. I thank also Dr. DiBiasie for her wise counsel in giving a roadmap for the search and, lastly, for the members of the search committee for the generous commitment of their time, wisdom and perspectives which they brought through this whole process. When you see them please convey a word of thanks for their efforts.

We are all filled with great joy for this moment. At the same time, we realize the great need for us to pray for each other. Let’s include in our intentions Dr. DiBiasie and Mr. Labrillazo during this time of transition, for our faculty and staff, for our students and their families, for those who are going through financial difficulties and also during this coronavirus pandemic for the health and safety of everyone, and the containment of the virus. We entrust our prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. Leo.

May our Lord also bless all of you for a well-needed spring break after these two weeks of Non-Traditional Instruction.

In God’s peace,
Fr. Chris Clay
Pastor
St. Leo Catholic Church
 

Diocese Will Stream Chrism Mass April 7, Asks That Catholics Pray Along to Triduum at  Home

 LEXINGTON — The Catholic Diocese of Lexington will stream its Chrism Mass on the Tuesday of Holy Week, April 7, at 10 a.m. While the suspension of public Masses remains in force across the diocese, Catholics are encouraged to follow the Facebook Live broadcast of this diocesan event, courtesy of Lexington’s Cathedral of Christ the King: www.facebook.com/pg/ctklexky/videos

 At the annual Chrism Mass, celebrated in dioceses all over the world, bishops bless and distribute the three sacred oils that will be used in parishes throughout their dioceses for celebrating baptisms, confirmations and the anointing of the sick. Diocesan priests also renew their promises of obedience to their bishop. In this case, the oils will be distributed to parishes and missions in the Diocese of Lexington after the Mass, and priests will renew their promises remotely.
 
“This Mass will be an opportunity for our local Church to pray together as one and can serve as an opportunity in religious education for parents currently homeschooling their children in the midst of this pandemic,” said Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., of Lexington. “This Mass will also give us an opportunity to reflect on the healing presence of Jesus Christ in the Church as we bless the oils that will be used to anoint the sick in the year ahead.”
 
As the Church also approaches Triduum, the holiest days of the year leading into Easter Sunday, Catholics are encouraged to pray along at home, following either the Livestream from Christ the King or their own local parish. Some rituals of the Triduum, such as venerating the cross on Good Friday, can be celebrated by families in their homes. Bishop Stowe will celebrate live-streamed services for Holy Thursday night (April 9), two on Good Friday (April 10), in English and Spanish, and a modified Easter Vigil the night of April 11. 
 
Resources for Praying the Triduum can be found on the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/triduum/index.cfm
 
This year the diocese will not be able to celebrate the Rites of Initiation as usual. The baptisms of the Elect and the receptions of candidates into the Catholic Church, normally celebrated at the Easter Vigil, will need to be postponed until they can be done safely and with some representation of the community present.

*** A Message from Char Banta -
Diocese Food Service ***

 
Dear Parents,
During this time of uncertainty, the Catholic Diocese Foodservice program would like to do its part in helping those in need.  We encourage all families in our Catholic Diocese school and parish communities, who are in need of assistance, to take part in this no-cost meal service program for children 18 years of age and younger.   But because this is a pandemic, all children 18 and younger qualify to eat for free.
 
The Catholic Diocese Foodservice program is committed to doing all that we can to meet the needs of our school and parish community during this unprecedented time. This free meal service will help to ensure the well-being of our children by meeting their nutritional needs while easing some of the financial burdens to families.
 
Beginning Monday, March 30^th, we will start serving a FREE Breakfast and Lunch to children 18 years of age and younger.  It will be served in three of our school/parish parking lots in a meal pick-up service.  Children must be present to claim a meal.  Breakfast service will be served from 8:00-9:00 am and Lunch 11:00-12:00 noon.  Multiple days may be picked up at one time.  The locations of service are Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary School, Lexington, Good Shepherd School, Frankfort, and St Leo Catholic School, Versailles. 
 
May this mission to empower those in need and bring a community closer together in God.  Please pray for my staff and volunteers as we begin this challenge.  As St Patrick once said, “May the strength of God pilot us, may the wisdom of God instruct us, may the hand of God protect us, may the word of God direct us. Be always ours this day and evermore.”
 
Volunteers
If there is anyone who would like to volunteer, in our effort to feed children in the next coming weeks, please contact Char Banta at cbanta@cdlex.org.  We will be following the guidelines set forth by the governor and the CDC.  Anyone that is sick, falls in the ages of 60 and older,  or has a compromised immune system, while we would appreciate your help, your safety is our first priority, so prayers would be appreciated.

We are only going to have about 5 or 6 people working at a time each day so that social distancing can be observed.  Two will need to be outside and the rest in the kitchen preparing the meals.  There are no masks available unless you have your own but we have tons of gloves and sanitizer.  A bandanna or scarf will work if that makes you feel safer. 

This is going to be a joint effort and a group commitment.  But one that our parish and school communities will benefit from in these times of uncertainty.  Being able to relieve the burden of two meals a day for a family is not just great for the children but takes some financial burden from our families.
 
Blessings to All,
Char Banta
 

For Sunday, March 15

Don’t slow down! Boost your Lenten practice with a podcast, an Ebook, a movie or even a kid’s cartoon. Every St. Leo parishioner has FREE 24/7 access to the best Catholic content on any device, including your smart TV, computer, smartphone and tablet with internet access. It's been called the Catholic Netflix, though it's not just movies and documentaries. There are daily devotionals, weekly sermons, kids programming, audiobooks, ebooks, and Spanish-language content!

It’s all part of our parish subscription! It truly is the Catholic faith - on demand. If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s easy and FREE! Here’s how to get FORMED:

1. Go to www.FORMED.org.
2. Click signup
3. Select “I belong to a Parish or Organization”
4. Type in: St. Leo Versailles, Kentucky
5. Enter your email and you are good to go!
    

Here are this week’s recommendations.

Audio drama: The Truth to Inspire Series (9 Episodes)
The Truth to Inspire Series offers captivating dramatizations for children of the lives of saints and well-known Marian apparitions in order to teach them more about the Catholic Faith.
 
Documentary: The Fantasy Makers: Tolkien, Lewis, and MacDonald
 
Kids’ programs: The Saints and Heroes Collection (10 Episodes)
Heroes of the Faith. The Stories of real-life Saints &Christian Heroes all come to life in CCC of America's award-winning animated film series. Featuring authentic role models today's child can truly believe in.