Celebrating the Feast of Saint Francis Assisi (Oct. 4th) with a Pet Blessing on Saturday, October 5th. We celebrate this special blessing near Saint Francis' feast day because of his love of animals. We thank God for the joy that they bring.

As of October 3rd, the Diocese of Youngstown is just 5% away from meeting their goal of $4 Million with pledges and gifts totaling $3,804,066. THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to help provide hope to the countless clients at Catholic Charities, as well as continuing the mission of the Church in the Diocese of Youngstown. St. Ambrose Parish has reached 76.99% of our goal thanks to 77 households who have pledged $12,550.00. If you did not get a chance to donate, the diocese still needs your support. To learn more and/or make a gift online, please scan the QR code or visit https://doy.org/appeal/.

The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi is October 4. There will be an annual Pet Blessing on Saturday, October 5, at 11 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc and at Noon at St. Joseph and St. Ambrose. Our Lady of Perpetual Help will hold the event on Sunday, October 6, at 3 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring their pets and/or farm animals for this special blessing in honor of our patron saint of animals.

The October 15 Bingo night will now be moved to October 22 with the same workers. Also, we will be cancelling the November 5 Bingo due to Christmas Walk preparations. St. Ambrose’s Bingo program supports parish programs and is usually held the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of the month (doors open at 5:45 p.m.). Delicious food is available throughout the evening. Come out and have some fun!

As many of you know, Deacon Steve Gies was recently diagnosed with stage 3 cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. His wife, Linda, has suffered three strokes and is receiving rehab. We have had several inquiries from parishioners on how they may help them. Patti and Bill Wisniewski will be collecting gift cards from anyone who would like to help. There will be a collection bin/basket in the narthex/vestibules of the four Portage North parishes. Please feel free to drop off a gift card if you wish to do so (or you may place them in the collection basket marked Gies). If you have any questions, please contact the Wisniewski's at 330-297-7624.  We also have permission from the Diocese to share the link to their Go Fund Me account if you would like to support them in this way (https://gofund.me/ce6c7d40).

The Christmas Walk planning has begun. St. Ambrose will be the featured church this year. Lots of work has to be done so everybody's help would be appreciated. Please contact John Wolanin (330-268-4304) or Sue Wolanin (330-204-5568). The event will be held on Thursday, November 7 (Candlelight Walk) from 5 to 8 p.m. Then on Friday, November 8 & 15 and Saturday, November 9 & 22 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday, November 10 & 17 from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tickets and maps will be available at the James A. Garfield Historical Society (8107 Main St, Garrettsville, OH 44231). Cost is $20.00 per walker and $30 for Candlelight Walk which has to be reserved ahead of time. Please mark your calendars now for this wonderful event. Hope to see you there!

St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Warren is planning a celebration for Father Ed Stafford's 25th Anniversary of Ordination to the Priesthood. The event will be held in Covelli Hall at the Blessed Sacrament Church location (3020 Reeves Rd., Warren, OH 44483), on Saturday, November 23, after their 4 p.m. Mass. They are also making him a book that parishioners can donate $25.00 and send a memory that will be put into the keepsake for him. Please forward them to the Office of St. Joseph & St. Ambrose Parishes no later than October 27th.

About two months ago, the Knights of Columbus Councils of Portage North parishes partnered to raise enough money to purchase an ultrasound machine for a women's health center opening in Ravenna. The fundraising was expected to take about 18 months to complete. We are pleased to announce that through the generous donations from our Portage North parishioners and many K of C councils from Northeast Ohio, we have raised over $44,500 for the purchase of the machine, which will be housed in a building renovated by NOVA Women's Health (an organization providing non-judgmental services to women questioning the future of their pregnancies). The original goal was to raise about $21,400 towards the purchase of the machine, with the Knights of Columbus Ohio Supreme Council matching the $21,400 to help purchase the machine. With more money being raised, a special machine used to clean the ultrasound equipment will be purchased as well as a year of consumable items used with the ultrasound machine. We couldn't have done this without the generosity of the many individuals and the Knights councils from all over Northeast Ohio. Thank you!

Beginning September 1st, Lydia Kulesza will be serving as the Music Minister for both St. Joseph and St. Ambrose Parishes. We are grateful to Pat Strainer for offering her time and talent during the time of transition. While her decision to step down as Music Minister of St. Ambrose is an emotional one, she will continue to be involved as a pianist when needed. We appreciate you, Pat!

Have you heard about Portage North Life Teen? Several options are available for programs for the four parishes of Portage North. The GOAL is to provide a safe and fun place for high school teens to find a solid Catholic community, get answers to their questions and most importantly, to experience and encounter Jesus in a real and personal way. Check it out!

Every week we send out a parish newsletter through Flocknote. If you are not receiving it via email or text and would like to, please contact the Office of St. Joseph & St. Ambrose Parishes (330-274-2253 or [email protected]) with your email address and/or cell number.

St. Ambrose Parish’s Social Life Committee has been granted permission to stream season 4 of this biblically based series about the life of Christ and His followers. If you have not watched seasons 1-3 yet, you can binge them for free on “The Chosen” app, Prime, or Disney Plus to catch up. We will meet in the parish hall on the third Monday of each month following the 6:30 p.m. Mass through November. Popcorn is provided! All you need to bring is a friend and your drink.

Portage North Parishes present . . . SHRINES OF ITALY with optional 2-night Venice & St. Anthony Padua Post Tour Extension April 29 - May 9, 2025 Join Rev. Francis Katrinak, Spiritual Director, on this 11 day tour of Italy! Highlights include Rome, Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Holy House of Nazareth in Loreto, San Giovanni Rotondo, Tomb of Padre Pio, Tomb of Saint Matthew the Apostle in Salemo, Abbey of Montecassino, Catacombs, Papal Audience, Christian Rome City Tour, Vatican City, and St. Peter’s Basilica. All the details for the trip can be found on the flyer and registration form that located is in the Vestibule or at the Office of St. Joseph & St. Ambrose Parishes. In addition, you may download the flyer from the links section on the Portage North page (https://stjosephmantua.com/portage-north-region) or contact The Travel Connection (Pat Hollywood 330-562-3178 or [email protected]).

VIRTUS TRAINING & BACKGROUND CHECKS Diocesan Virtus Compliance and background checks are not just for those working with children anymore. Any adult who is an altar server or anyone bringing communion to or visiting the homebound, needs to be virtus compliant. Training is done online at your convenience. Please contact Jennifer Berczik (330-274-2253- T,W,TH) to find out how to get started.

This year’s Chicken Dinner Festival was the best ever! We received the last of the festival expenses and are now able to share with you the bottom line. Our two day festival brought in $41,946.32. Our festival expenses were $15,112.88. Our 2024 festival profit is $26,833.44. This is the largest profit total our festival has ever made. Thank you everyone once again for all your hard work and time you put into the festival weekend. You truly outdid yourselves!

Many thanks to all those who worked so hard to put together this year’s Chicken Dinner Festival weekend. A special word of thanks goes out to the Festival Planning Committee and to the co-chairs, Lenny Barcikoski and Pat Johnston. Many thanks, also, to all the men, women, and children who worked our weekend. They give of their time and talent working hard to make sure that all are having a great time. And, finally, thank you to everyone who supports our annual event. We couldn’t do it without you! May God bless you! Visit our Chicken Dinner Festival page for raffle winners.