To submit a question, please email:       [email protected]

As of May 27, 2023

Question: Is an official installation Mass planned and/or a meet & greet with the new pastoral leadership?
Answer:  Fr. Hawk, along with all of the pastoral staff for the Avon Catholic community, would love to have a meet and greet after the official start date. Fr. Cleaton will have a farewell gathering that coincides with that first weekend. Respectfully, the community of St. Mary's may celebrate and thank Fr. Cleaton for his years of service to the parish and planning for a meet and greet with new pastoral leadership may take place after this event.

Diocesan procedure of a pastor installation is that an installation Mass does not take place until a pastor is named.

As of May 19, 2023

Question: How will finances be handled between the two parishes?
Answer: Each parish will continue to be financially independent. Activity between parishes, the cost of staffing and/or other expenses may be shared.  

Question: What happens to collections if parishioners decide to move between Masses offered at either location and “bounce” between St. Mary’s and Holy Trinity for weekend Mass?
Answer:  Parishioners may deposit their collection envelope at either parish. Envelopes will be forwarded to the appropriate parish.

Question: What is a parish administrator and what is his role?
Answer: The bishop of the diocese names an administrator as a placeholder until a pastor of the parish is formally named. In time, the bishop may decide to appoint the administrator as the pastor. The administrator holds all of the rights and responsibilities of a pastor.

Question: What is a parochial vicar?
Answer: A parochial vicar is a priest assigned to a parish in addition to, and in collaboration with, the parish pastor or administrator. He exercises his ministry as an agent of the parish’s pastor, or administrator.

Question: Where will the clergy live?
Answer:  Fr. Deogratias will reside at St. Mary’s. Once accommodations are updated, Fr. Vince and seminarian intern Sean Neville, or any future intern, will also reside at St. Mary. Living in community provides clergy the ability to be spiritually focused, seek pastoral counsel from one another and share in daily social interactions while living out their priesthood.

Question: Will both priests be present at both parishes?
Answer: Yes. Fr. Hawk and Fr. Deogratias will celebrate Mass and perform their regular sacramental duties at both parishes.

Question: Will Fr. Pat Anderson continue to celebrate weekend Mass?
Answer: Yes. Fr. Pat Anderson is excited to support the Avon Catholic community in this next chapter of being a Church and will continue to see parishioners as he celebrates weekend Mass at either location.

Question: Will the time(s) of Mass/ Mass schedule change?
Answer: The Diocese of Cleveland is encouraging all parishes to review Mass schedules in effort to support all clergy within the eight counties the diocese serves; therefore, we will be looking at weekend Mass schedules as we move forward.  We will likely be looking at the weekday Mass schedule more immediately. 

Question: How are sacraments such as baptism, weddings and funerals handled moving forward?
Answer: Sacraments will continue to be celebrated at the parish of which you are a member.

Question: I am a Eucharistic minister / altar server/ lector. How do I continue to serve my parish?
Answer: Parishioners who offer ministries or serve weekdays/weekends are pivotal to supporting the celebration of Mass at each parish location. The schedule of servers and roles at each parish will remain.


The next update to the list of FAQs is slated for Friday, May 26, 2023. If there is no working update, a memo will be posted with the next expected release of information.