Spring 2018 Volume 72 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14 St. Aloysius, St. Francis, St. Joseph (Egypt), St. Anthony, Immaculate Conception, St. Bernard, St. Henry, St. Augustine, St. Wendelin, Precious Blood, St. Rose, St. Patrick, St. Joseph (St. Joseph), St. Teresa, St. Peter, St. Mary, St. John the Baptist, Holy Trinity, St. Paul, St. Sebastian, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Holy Redeemer, Holy Rosary, Mary Help of Christians, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary www.stmarysdeanery.com smdeanery@bright.net 419-925-5022 From the Desk of the Dean... Spring 2018 Volume 72 As I was counting blessings in our local church these days Eastertime, springtime (however much delayed by April snow showers), preparing fields and gardens for planting, first communions, confirmations, proms, upcoming May crownings, graduations, weddings, and ordinations yet another blessing came my way from beyond our local church in the form of Rejoice And Be Glad, an apostolic exhortation from Pope Francis on, of all things, holiness. In this short space, I share with you just a few gems from among our Holy Father s teachings: The Lord asks everything of us, and in return he offers us true life, the happiness for which we were created. He wants us to be saints and not to settle for a bland and mediocre existence. The call to holiness is present in various ways from the very first pages of the Bible. We see it expressed in the Lord s words to Abraham: Walk before me and be blameless (Genesis 17:1) [#1] Fr. Richard Walling My modest goal is to repropose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities. For the Lord has chosen each one of us to be holy and blameless before him in love (Ephesians 1:40). [#2] I like to contemplate the holiness present in the patience of God s people: in those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in elderly religious who never lose their smile. In their daily perseverance I see the holiness of the Church militant. Very often it is found in our next-door neighbor, those who, living in our midst, reflect God s presence. We might call them the middle class of holiness [#7] Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away none of your energy, vitality or joy. On the contrary, you will become what the Father had in mind when he created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self. To depend on God sets us free from every form of enslavement and leads us to recognize our great dignity. [#32] The St. Marys Deanery Center is on Facebook and Twier! Be sure to Follow Us for access to news and events from our local parishes, and engage in conversaon with fellow parishioners of the St. Marys Deanery! Visit our Facebook page hps://www.facebook.com/stmarysdeanery/ Visit @smdeanery on Twier, or go to hps://twier.com/smdeanery And be sure to check our website - Find parish Mass schedules and confession mes, links to parish websites, and area religious organizaons. Your parish s Deanery Center Board representave is listed, electronic versions of the Northern Lights Newsle+er, informaon on upcoming events and many great resources to enrich your faith! Visit www.stmarysdeanery.com
Events in the St. Mary s Deanery - All are Welcome! RURAL LIFE FARM MASS, JULY 19TH: This yearly Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Joseph Binzer at the farm of Doug and Sara Franck, 5750 Carthagena Road in Carthagena OH at 7PM that evening. Soil and water will be blessed, and Catholic Century Farm awards will be presented to Catholic families who applied for the award, and have farmed the same land for 100 years or more. Some seating will be provided, but everyone is encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. A reception will be held after the Mass, sponsored by St. Aloysius parish. SALT & LIGHT IS COMING TO THE NORTH: On Sept 13th the Catholic Social Action office will present their 5 week Salt & Light course at the St. Charles Center in Carthagena. Experience a transformative journey into Catholic social teaching and building parish social ministry. We are happy to accommodate parish councils or outreach/social justice ministry teams. The Sept 20th session will include recording artist Kevin Heider. More information will be available on our website this summer. LAY PASTORAL MINISTRY PROGRAM NOW INTERVIEWING FOR FALL CLASSES Have you ever said, Someone should start a Scripture study group in our parish? Or, Someone should organize a visitation team for elderly, housebound parishioners? Maybe that someone is you. The Archdiocesan Lay Pastoral Ministry Program has been educating and forming lay people just like you for service to their parishes and communities since 1975. We offer a non-degreed Certificate in Ministry, spiritual & pastoral formation and the opportunity to grow in faith, knowledge and skills. Saturday classes, flexible components and a great support system allow busy adults to maintain work and family commitments while preparing for new opportunities. Classes are available in 2018-19 at Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in McCartyville. Call Deacon Hal Belcher at 419-305-5486 or email hbelcher001@woh.rr.com for more information or to set up a personal interview. You too, go into my vineyard! St. Paul Parish 150 Anniversary: St. Paul parish in the Fort Recovery Cluster will be celebrating its 150th anniversary June 23rd-24th! Events will include tours and speakers on Saturday, and Sunday 11AM Mass celebrated by Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, followed by a lunch and celebration. All are welcome, see our website for more details. Summer Events held by Catholic parishes or organizations in the Deanery: 5/31-6/2 Holy Rosary Garage Sale 6/1-6/3 Coldwater K of C Picnic 6/8-6/10 Holy Rosary Picnic 6/22-6/24 Holy Relic Shrine Countryfest Picnic Holy Rosary Campus, St. Marys Holy Trinity Campus, Coldwater Holy Rosary Campus, St. Marys Holy Relic Shrine, Maria Stein 6/24 Deanery Servers Picnic; Montezuma Spiritual Center Spiritual Center, Montezuma 7/15-7/17 Immaculate Conception Garage Sale 7/20-7/22 Immaculate Conception Parish Festival 8/5 Bishop Binzer, 10AM Mass (thank you for CMA) 8/5 Archbishop Schnurr, 11AM Mass (blessing church) Immaculate Conception, Celina Immaculate Conception, Celina Our Lady of Guadalupe, Montezuma Holy Rosary, St. Marys Page 2
We also have joy with our troubles, Celebrating the ordinations of Matt Keller & Jarred Kohn! because we know that these troubles produce patience., The St. Mary Deanery will be celebrating the ordination of 2 local men as priests this spring! Matt Keller of St. John s Maria Stein is being ordained a priest with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S), and Jarred Kohn of St. Mary s Philothea is being ordained as a priest in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati! For both men the journey to become a priest started many years ago, from initial calling through seminary; but each one has taken a different path to the same goal. Matt s initial call to priesthood came from a JH career project where he interviewed the parish priest, then proceeded on through HS when he was invited to attend an ordination at the St. Charles Center. While many people experience the joy celebrating the sacrament of Marriage and the wedding reception, Matt was very moved by celebrating the religious profession and the following dinner with the religious community. After graduation from Marion Local HS in 2007, Matt joined the C.PP.S community in Dayton for initial formation and received his bachelor s degree from St. Xavier University in Chicago. He also spent 15 months serving with Precious Blood communities across the country, but in particular 9 months in Cincinnati at the Church of the Resurrection, where he saw the spirit of hospitality in action. Matt then attended the Catholic Theological Union where he received his degree in theology and is now a transitional deacon. His ordination will be celebrated this spring June 9th at St. John s in Maria Stein. Fr. Steve Dos Santos (Vocations Director, C.PP.S) explained that while diocesan and religious order priests share the same mission of serving God s people, priests from religious orders have a different charism or focus on their mission. The Missionaries of the Precious Blood focus on reconciliation and renewal. Matt expanded on this to state that the priests and brothers in the Precious Blood have a strong sense of community and support of each other; through community prayer as well as everyday activities like meals and recreation. Many different hands God provides though this journey to priesthood Matt stated, and he wants to thank all the people who have helped his formation; including his family, college professors and classmates, his brothers in community, the African-American community at Church of the Resurrection, and all the people who have been supporting him through their prayers. Congratulations Matt and thank you for your service to God s people! Deacon Ma Keller (center) celebrang his first Mass as Deacon at St. John s in Maria Stein. Fr. Ken Schroeder (Le) and Fr. Gene Schnipke (Right) Page 3
Celebrating the ordinations of Matt Keller & Jarred Kohn! Jarred Kohn (from St. Mary s Philothea) first considered becoming a priest shortly after high school graduation during an evening of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. During this time, he said The Lord put it in my heart that I should become a priest. So he started talking to Fr. Dan Schmitmeyer about vocations, and ended up starting his journey in 2009 by attending college seminary at Bishop Simon Brute Seminary in Indianapolis. After Jarred completed his degree in theology at Brute in 2013, he then applied for major seminary at Mt. St. Mary s Seminary of the West in Cincinnati. The major seminary program takes 5 years, and seminarians start with 2 years of theology followed by a pastoral year in a parish. During the following two years they study more theology and are ordained to the diaconate, then at the end of the last year are ordained priests. Fr. Dan Schmitmeyer, the Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati said the entire formation process is designed to help the man discern if God is calling him to be a priest and to help the Church know if the man is called to be a priest. Through the formation process, the man has to ask to continue at the seminary and he must be invited to come back to the seminary every year. Jarred s advice for anyone considering a vocation is to continue praying, participating in Mass & sacraments, and find a spiritual director for guidance. After adequate prayer and discernment one should then follow the Lord's will which is the true longing of our hearts. The time spent discerning will be valuable even if you choose not to continue, as it will make you a better spouse and parent later in life. There are many people Jarred would like to thank for their support, especially his parents. He also acknowledged his fellow seminarians and the priests who have helped him on this path; in particular Fr. James Reutter at Our Lady of Victory in Delhi. Jarred is currently a transitional Deacon, and will be formally ordained a priest on May 19th at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati. Congratulations Jarred and thank you for your service to God s people! Deacon Jarred Kohn aer bapzing his nephew and Godson at his home parish St. Mary in Philothea, OH More vocations being followed! We also want to acknowledge two other young men following their call to priesthood by serving their pastoral year here in the St. Mary s Deanery. Greg Evers, a member of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Parish (Marion Catholic Community) has spent this last school year working at Immaculate Conception School in Celina. Like Matt Keller, Greg is following his call to serve with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, and will be continuing his studies at Catholic Theological Union this fall. Michael Mazzei, a member of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Cincinnati is serving his pastoral year at Holy Rosary Parish in St. Marys. As a seminarian with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Michael will be continuing his studies this fall at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. Thank you to both Greg and Michael for your service to our Deanery this year! Page 4
Holy Relic Shrine Growing Traditions It s been an exciting 2018 so far for the Maria Stein Shrine! The staff and volunteers have been busy expanding on our traditional ministries while introducing new programming, offering new online services through the Pilgrim Gift Shop, as well as preparing to open the doors to our new Upper Room this spring! In February, we introduced two new events; a Shrove Pancake Dinner, which included the ceremonial burying of the Alleluia, and St. John Prayers for the Heart. Other events included our annual Wrapped in God s love sewing project, the First Communion Sale in the Gift Shop and the first installment of Sister Joyce Ann Zimmerman s Lenten series The Daily Journey to Heaven which had such a large turnout that it was moved to the Adoration Chapel. A mix of new and traditional programming continued in March and with the introduction of a Tenebrae Service, led by Father John Tonkin, a rare veneration of the Passion Relics while the altar was under renovation and our St. Peregrine Cancer Prayer Service. Looking forward, spring and summer ministries are quickly filling up with great events such as a Behind the Shrine Dinner and Tour, Mother s Day Tours and a Blue Mass for first responders in May. The new Pilgrim Gift Shop website is available as a convenient Remembrance/Memorial Gift ordering option (www.pilgrimgiftshop.com) and includes local funeral home delivery. For more information about this service, the Upper Room and all our ministries, be sure to follow us on Facebook and join our monthly email newsletter! Sister Joyce Ann Zimmerman, C.PP.S. speaks to a full Adoration Chapel Maria Stein Spiritual Center Celebrating New Montezuma Location! The Spiritual Center Retreat House has had a lot happening in 2018! Our Maria Stein Retreat Center has been busy, and now the Montezuma Retreat Center is up and running. The "Saint John Bosco Chapel" was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Binzer on April 12. The Holy Spirit filled the building as the standing room only crowd prayed, sang, and worshipped. The Chapel was beautiful before the Dedication Mass, but once the Blessed Sacrament was placed in the tabernacle and the candle was lit, it became a Holy place. After Mass, guests traveled through the building singing "On Holy Ground" as the Bishop blessed each room. The building is now blessed and ready to serve all people on their faith journey. An Open House will take place in Montezuma this summer, see our website for details. High School youth are encouraged to attend Discipleship Week led by NET Ministries at our Maria Stein location from June 4-7. June 25-29 will be "Praying in Color" at Maria Stein for those who enjoy art as their prayer medium. We host our first Bosco Boys Catholic Camp for junior high boys at Montezuma on June 29-30. Camp Encourage, hosted by State of the Heart Hospice, is the following weekend (July 13-15) at Montezuma. Our summer programming concludes with kids camp Totus Tuus, in the evenings for Junior High youth (July 22- July 26) and during the day for elementary aged youth (July 23-27) at Montezuma. Stop by either retreat house for a flyer or our website www.spiritualcenter.net for more info. Page 5
Saint Charles Senior Living Community By: Teresa DiSalvo, Senior Living