Archives for April 2022

April 21, 2022 by Jennifer Schack

Notice of Death of Archdiocesan Deacon

Deacon John Gobbi, a Deacon of the Archdiocese, died on Tuesday April 12, 2022 at his home in Fort Myers, Florida, where he was living with his granddaughter. He was 90 years old. Deacon John was ordained on June 22, 1985 and has served the Archdiocese for thirty-six years. His wife Kathleen died in December, 2000.

Visitation will be Friday, April 22, at 10:00 a.m. at St. John Neumann Church, 12191 Mill Road, Cincinnati 45240. The Mass of Christian Burial will immediately follow at 11:00 a.m. Bishop Joseph Binzer will celebrate.

Deacon John’s remains will then be transported to St Peter’s Church, 620 Center Street, Lewiston, NY 14092 for Mass and burial on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Lewiston, next to his wife, Kathleen.

Please keep the repose of the soul of Deacon John Gobbi in your prayers, as well as consolation for his entire family.

April 14, 2022 by Jennifer Schack

Release Date: April 14, 2022

Holy Week Celebrations at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral Basilica & Praying the Steps

Holy Thursday Masses will be celebrated today, Thursday, April 14. On Holy Thursday, Catholics commemorate the institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, will celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains at 5 P.M.

Friday, April 15, is Good Friday. This day commemorates the day that Jesus was crucified. It is an obligatory day of fasting (one full meal and two smaller meals that together do not add up to the one full meal) and abstinence from meat for Catholics. The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion will be celebrated at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral at 12 P.M. Fr. Jan Schmidt, rector of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, will celebrate the liturgy.

For more than a century, thousands have gathered to “Pray the Steps” in Mount Adams on Good Friday. In preparation for the pilgrims who will pray the steps leading to Holy Cross-Immaculata Church, the faithful will gather at 11:30 P.M. on the evening of April 14, at the base of the steps on St. Gregory Street and, just before midnight, Fr. Anthony Brausch will bless the steps. Around 200 people are expected for the blessing. Fr. Brausch will then lead the group in prayer up the steps. Throughout Friday, April 15, around 10,000 to 12,000 pilgrims will ascend the steps in prayer.

The Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains will be held at 8:45 P.M. on Saturday, April 16. Archbishop Schnurr will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ for hundreds of local Catholics. The Easter Vigil Mass is also when new members are initiated into the Catholic Church. Many will be baptized and received into the Church through the R.C.I.A. program (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults).

Easter Sunday Masses at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains will be held at 9:00 A.M. and 11 A.M. on April 21. Fr. Jan Schmidt will celebrate the 11 A.M. Mass on Easter morning.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 44^th largest Catholic diocese in the country, with more than 450,000 Catholics, and has the fifth largest Catholic school system in terms of enrollment with more than 40,000 students. The 19-county territory includes 211 parishes and 111 Catholic primary and secondary schools.

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Jennifer Schack

Director of Media Relations

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Office | 513.263.6618

Cell | 859.512.5626

[email protected]

April 12, 2022 by Jennifer Schack

Deacon John R. Collins, a Deacon of the Archdiocese, died on Saturday, April 9, 2022, following an short illness. He was 79 years old.

Deacon John was ordained April 28, 2007 by Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk. He was assigned to St. Joseph and St. Raphael parishes in Springfield upon ordination. He served at the parishes until his death.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 32 years, Susan Irene Collins. He is survived by his children Mary (Bill) Padgett, Jeff (Helen) Collins, Tim (Aida) Scanlon, Vince (Jamie) Scanlon, and Nicholas (Melanie) Scanlon. John and Susan were the grandparents of twelve grandchildren.

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at St. Raphael Catholic Church, Springfield, at 1:00 p.m.

Please keep the repose of the soul of Deacon John Collins in your prayers, as well as consolation for his entire family.

April 8, 2022 by Deacon Mark Machuga

This article is the fourth in a series covering each of the six foundational principles of Beacons of Light, the pastoral planning process of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:18-19)

With these words, Jesus entrusted the leadership of the Church directly to Peter and his successors. In the years that followed, the hierarchy was established, and authority was passed on through the popes to bishops and pastors for the care and feeding of the flock in dioceses and parishes. It is important to recognize that the origins of authority within the Church can be traced back directly to Jesus himself.

It should be no surprise, then, that leadership is one of the six principles upon which Beacons of Light is built. Archbishop Schnurr approved those principles as the foundation for the plans each Family of Parishes will develop.

The Leadership principle states:

“Pastors, in collaboration with parochial vicars, deacons and lay ministers, according to their proper roles and charisms, share responsibility for pastoral leadership. The spiritual, physical and mental health and ongoing support of ordained and lay leaders is vital for Families of Parishes.”

This principle recognizes and celebrates the contributions of the many leaders within a parish community. While the ultimate authority and final decisions rest with the pastor, the gifts of many others contribute to the success and vitality of the parish. As the vision of cooperative leadership unfolds within our Family of Parishes, it will be good to explore the many dimensions which will bring this about effectively.

Our Pastor is Our Shepherd: The Family of Parishes is led by a single pastor who is appointed by the archbishop. He is ultimately entrusted with the care of souls and therefore is responsible for the leadership of the parish.
We Are Unified Under Our Pastor: The goal of Beacons of Light is the unification of parishes into one Family. Each Family of Parishes is moving toward becoming one parish led by one pastor.
Deacons Will Assist the Pastor and Parochial Vicars: Deacons are part of the diocesan clergy and are appointed by the archbishop to serve the Family of Parishes. Where before deacons were assigned primarily to their individual parish, all deacons will now serve the Family of Parishes, just as the pastor and parochial vicars will do.
We Show Concern for the Health and Well-being of Our Leaders: All members of the Family of Parishes support and foster the health and well-being of all leaders. Through these acts of fraternal charity and concern, we ensure the well-being of the Church and those to whom its success is entrusted.
Co-responsibility Is Essential for Success: Pastors, staffs, and parishioners share responsibility for bringing all relevant perspectives to the process of discernment, according to their proper roles and gifts. In this way, the contributions of all members of the Family are recognized, respected, and included.
We Plan for Tomorrow’s Leadership: Pastors actively cultivate skill in leadership and draw others into leadership with them. Planning and formation of future of leaders will sustain the Family for generations to come.
Leaders Embrace Personal Development: Clergy members participate in and are accountable for their spiritual and theological formation as well as leadership development. Clergy and laity are well-formed spiritually, theologically, and for leadership in support of their respective roles.

The leadership of our Family of Parishes includes many people and teams who have a common desire to bring the Gospel to life within the community. Clergy, pastoral council, finance council, competent and qualified staff, and numerous ministries, commissions, and associations share in this vision and participate as members of the Body of Christ. As we embark upon this journey, let our prayer be that each of us, endowed with special and unique gifts from God, contribute to the vitality and success of our Family. In this way, we can cooperate in the leadership conferred upon St. Peter by Jesus himself at the dawning of the Church.

April 2, 2022 by Jennifer Schack

Release Date: April 2,2022

Cincinnati’s Fr. Earl K. Fernandes Appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, announced today that Father Earl K. Fernandes, of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, has been appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus in Ohio. Bishop-elect Fernandes will be the 13th bishop of the Diocese of Columbus. The diocese has been under the governance of a diocesan administrator since Bishop Robert J. Brennan was installed as Bishop of Brooklyn in November of 2021. Bishop-elect Fernandes will be consecrated and installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

A press conference welcoming Bishop-elect Fernandes will be held at 10:30 a.m. this morning, in Columbus. For members of the media unable to attend, a public livestream of the press conference will be available here.

Bishop-elect Fernandes was ordained to the priesthood on May 18, 2002. Most recently he has been serving as pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Cincinnati since 2019. Bishop-elect Fernandes has faithfully served the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in many leadership roles throughout the last 20 years. He served as dean, pastor, parochial vicar, seminary academic dean and associate professor, and high school teacher. He holds a doctorate of moral theology from the Alphonsian Academy in Rome. He is the published author of one book and numerous articles and essays and has given presentations, talks, and retreats around the country. He has been a regular contributor to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s magazine The Catholic Telegraph.

Bishop-elect Fernandes is a native of Toledo, Ohio, the fourth of five boys, and the son of Indian immigrants. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Toledo and came to Cincinnati to study at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine before discerning a vocation to the priesthood. Additional biographical information about Bishop-elect Fernandes is available on the archdiocesan website: www.catholicaoc.org/bishopelectfernandes.

Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has released the following letter to the faithful announcing the appointment:

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today the Holy See announced that Pope Francis has appointed Father Earl K. Fernandes of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati the thirteenth bishop of the Diocese of Columbus. Father Fernandes will be consecrated and installed on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. We will miss his incredible intellect, unflagging energy, and concern for all people, but know that these traits will serve him well as he expands his ministry to shepherd the faithful people of Columbus.

Bishop-elect Fernandes has ministered to the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in many ways since his ordination to the priesthood on May 18, 2002. Over the past 20 years, he has served as dean, pastor, parochial vicar, seminary academic dean and associate professor, high school teacher, retreat leader, and regular contributor to The Catholic Telegraph and other publications. Father Fernandes also served on the staff of the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C. for three and a half years. Through all his assignments, Father Fernandes has been an ever-joyful witness to the goodness, beauty and truth of the Catholic faith.

Please join me in congratulating Bishop-elect Fernandes on this joyous news. Let us keep our beloved brother in prayer as he starts this new ministry.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr

Archbishop of Cincinnati