“Story of Sacrifice”

with Fr. Joseph Mamich & Jim Lechko

In 2014,  Jim Lechko donated a kidney to Father Joseph Mamich, the pastor of his parish, saving the priest’s life. Join us to hear their incredible story! Lechko described the act as laying down his life for his friend in the spirit of Christian charity. Fr. Joe and Jim Lechko have maintained a close friendship and are advocates for organ donation, sharing their story to raise awareness about the “consistent ethic of life” and the critical need for living donors. 

Fr. Joe Mamich serves as Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Cathedral. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland in 2006. Assigned as a newly ordained priest at Holy Family (Stow) he served there until 2010, then at St. Basil the Great (Brecksville) until beginning his first pastorate at St. Joseph (Strongsville) in October 2011. He began ministry as the Secretary and Vicar for Clergy and Religious in November 2023 and was appointed, in addition to this ministry, as Pastor of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on June 30, 2025. Additionally, since 2015, he has served as the Safety Forces Chaplain for the City of Strongsville. He is excited to exercise his priesthood both in the parish as well as at the diocesan level as he feels it brings a wide perspective to both realms. 

Jim Lechko is retired from a 44 year career in the banking industry. The last 21 years with First Federal Lakewood where he served as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and AVP and Manager of the Investment Services Department. He keeps busy with a number of volunteer activities, primarily at Holy Family Hospice and St. Joseph Catholic Church Strongsville. He enjoys participating in fitness activities, specifically the sport of CrossFit. He has been married to Sue for fifty years, and their daughter Angela is an RN at Southwest General. His therapy dog is Duke. 

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Doors open at 11:00 a.m. – Connect with other attendees!
Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m. 
Program begins at 12:00 noon
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

Center for Pastoral Leadership
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

Always Forward

with

Fr. John Bambrick, V.F.

In the Gospel of Matthew (13:45-46) Jesus uses the image of a pearl, one of great price. The Pearl of Great price is valuable but it did not start out that way. The Mollusk encountered a trauma it could not remove and thus began to coat the irritant over many years. This trauma was outwardly changed into a beautiful pearl of great price, yet at its core the trauma remains, forever encapsulated; the core is ugly but the result is beautiful. This can be an image of the trauma of Clergy Sexual Abuse for the Survivor. The Book of Revelation describes Heaven’s Twelve gates being made of pearl (Rev. 21:21), the very entry to paradise is through the trauma at the heart of the pearl. This talk will reflect on the pain, price, purpose, advocacy, human and spiritual aspects of Clergy Sexual Abuse from the experiences of a Priest Survivor.

The Very Rev. John P. Bambrick, V.F. was ordained for the Diocese of Trenton in 1991.  His Undergraduate Degree in Christian Tradition/Theology is from the University of Scranton and he holds graduate Degrees from Seton Hall University and the Bartley School of Business at Villanova University. He has Certificates in Leadership from the Catholic Leadership Institute. He has done continuing education studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He has served in Parish and School settings for 35 years.  He is a Survivor of Clergy Child Sexual Abuse and has done advocacy on behalf of those sexually abused by Priests for four decades.  He was the first NJ State Director for the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), the first Legislative Director for SNAP in New Jersey, Link-up, Survivor Connections, Jordon’s Crossing and Catholic Whistleblowers .  He testified at the 2001 USCCB Meeting on Sexual Abuse of Minors by the Clergy in Dallas, Texas.  He worked with Kathleen McChesney of the USCCB Office of Child Protection on a number of Initiatives post Dallas. He has served on the Boards of the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, The New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA) and The New Jersey Coalition Against Child Assault (NJCAP).  He has done commentary on the Sexual Abuse of Minors by the Clergy for all the major Broadcast and Print Media Outlets across the Country including NBC Universal, CBS, CNN, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, Milwaukee Sentinel Journal, Boston Globe and many more.  He has spoken on the issue of Clergy Sexual Abuse to Dioceses, Universities, Parishes and Various Organizations over the last 40 years.  He currently is Pastor of St. Aloysius Church in Jackson, New Jersey and Dean of Northern Ocean County Deanery.

WHEN
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Doors open at 11:00–connect with other attendees!
Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Center for Pastoral Leadership
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

Register here

We hope you will be able to join us on Thursday, September 3, to meet some Deacons of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland and learn more about the Deaconate!

Deacon Roundtable

REGISTER HEREMODERATOR:

Deacon Matt Lawler; Ordained May 2021, assigned to Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist; Spiritual Director for the First Friday Club of Cleveland

PANELISTS:

Deacon Bill Prebel; newly Ordained May 2026, assigned to SS. Cosmas & Damian; Past President of the First Friday Club of Cleveland; Vice President, Senior Investment Advisor, PNC Bank

Deacon Mike Hayes; Ordained May 2024, assigned to St. Christopher Parish; Diocesan Director of Chaplaincy Services; Bishop’s Delegate for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations; Delegate for Active Deacons

Deacon Chris DePenti; Ordained May 2019, assigned to St. Augustine Parish (Cleveland); established the St. Augustine Community Cupboard & Closet

WHEN
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Doors open at 11:00–connect with other attendees!
Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Center for Pastoral Leadership
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092

REGISTER HERE

Register here.

UPDATED LOCATION FOR THIS LUNCHEON: Rappe Conference Room (this is the lower level of the Catholic Diocese Office Bldg), 1404 East 9th Street, Cleveland, OH 44114

Doors open at 11:00 a.m. – Connect with other attendees!
Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m. 
Program begins at 12:00 noon
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

Register here

Catholic Women’s Colleges: Negotiating an Identity for the Future   

with

Dr. Kathryn LaFontana

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost, Ursuline College

Click here for a preview podcast of this talk!

Dr. Kathryn LaFontana is a seasoned academic leader in her 30th year in Catholic higher education, with expertise in mission-focused strategic planning, new program development, data-informed decision-making, and innovative instructional technology solutions. She came to Ursuline in 2017 from The College of New Rochelle, where she served in academic leadership roles over her six-year tenure.  Widely published in academic journals, the former Sacred Heart University psychology professor has more than two dozen peer-reviewed presentations and publications and is the 2024 recipient of the Collegium Visionary Award. She has a doctorate in social psychology from the University of Connecticut.

Doors open at 11:00 a.m. – Connect with other attendees!
Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m. 
Program begins at 12:00 noon
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.

Register here

The 2026 Bishop’s Luncheon will be on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at Windows on the River. We look forward to hearing from The Most Reverend Edward C. Malesic. As part of this event, the Heart of a Servant Award will also be presented. The 2026 Heart of a Servant Awardee will be the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine.

We are happy to announce that, due to the generosity of our sponsors, we will be able to keep our ticket price at $35.

Get your tickets here!

Interested in sponsoring? Sponsorships will remain open for a limited time!

Alternatively, download a pdf with the same information:

 2026 Bishop’s Luncheon Sponsorship form (pdf)

click here to view press release announcing Bishop’s luncheon