Archives for July 2023

July 19, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Reverend Joseph A. Robinson passed away on Monday, July 17, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born on October 14, 1937 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and baptized at St. William Church, Cincinnati. He did his preparatory studies at St. Gregory Seminary and studied theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in Norwood, Ohio. Father Robinson also received a Master’s degree in psychology from Xavier University, Cincinnati. He was ordained on May 30, 1964 at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati by Archbishop Karl J. Alter.

Father Robinson received his first assignment on June 17, 1964, as assistant at Guardian Angels Parish and on faculty of McNicholas High School, Cincinnati. On January 28, 1965, he was appointed assistant at Holy Family Parish and to teach at Seton High School, Cincinnati. On June 16, 1967, he was appointed assistant at Guardian Angels Parish, and to teach one class daily at McNicholas. He was appointed assistant at St. Margaret Mary Parish, N. College Hill on September 24, 1971. He was appointed assistant at St. Anthony Parish, Madisonville, on June 20, 1973, with full-time studies at Xavier University. On December 30, 1974, he was appointed assistant at St. Columban Parish, Loveland and then appointed pastor of St. Columban Parish on January 3, 1977. On November 15, 1985, he was appointed Consultor of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (term of five years). Father Robinson was appointed temporary administrator of St. Patrick Parish, Cincinnati, effective December 4, 1990, and appointed pastor of St. Patrick Parish on March 17, 1991, for a period of six years. He was appointed pastor of St. Boniface Parish, Cincinnati for a period of six years on January 1, 1992, while continuing as pastor of St. Patrick Parish (parishes to be merged). Father Robinson was appointed Dean of the Cathedral Deanery, effective January 1, 2001, for a four-year term, ending December 31, 2004. He was re-appointed Dean of the Cathedral Deanery for two more consecutive four-year terms, Dec. 2004 – Dec. 2008 and again, Dec. 2008 – Dec. 2012. He was appointed temporary parochial administrator of St. Joseph Parish, Cincinnati, effective January 25, 2005, and appointed pastor of St. Joseph Parish, effective August 1, 2005, while continuing as pastor of St. Boniface Parish. He was appointed temporary parochial administrator of St. Joseph Parish, Cincinnati effective July 1, 2007 – October 1, 2007. He was appointed parochial administrator of St. Leo the Great Parish, Cincinnati, while continuing as pastor of St. Boniface Parish, effective August 6, 2012 – October 30, 2012. He was appointed pastor of St. Bernard Parish, Spring Grove Village, which includes the administration of Mother of Christ, Cincinnati, effective July 1, 2018, while continuing as pastor of St. Boniface Parish. Father Robinson retired from active ministry on January 31, 2020.

Reception of the Body: Monday, July 24, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Boniface Church, 1750 Chase Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45223; 513-541-1563. Celebrant and Homilist: Reverend James R. Schutte.

Visitation: following Reception of the Body until 9:00 p.m.; also on Tuesday, July 25 from 9:00 a.m. until 10:15 a.m.

Mass of Christian Burial: Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Boniface Church. Celebrant: Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer. Homilist: Reverend Gerald E. Bensman.

Burial: Tuesday, July 25, 2023, immediately following Mass, at Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45232. Celebrant: Reverend Gerald E. Bensman.

Associates of the Marian Pact are asked to offer, as soon as possible, one Mass for the repose of the soul of Father Robinson, and when convenient, to provide for the celebration of two other Masses.

May God welcome His faithful servant to his eternal home in heaven. May he rest in peace. Amen.

July 13, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Reverend Stephen J. Emerick passed away on Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born on July 27, 1926 in Dayton, Ohio, and baptized at St. Anthony Church, Dayton. Before entering the seminary, Father Emerick enlisted and served in the US Air Force, World War II, 1944-1945. He attended the University of Dayton and received a B.A. in 1949. He worked for the government in Dayton and Washington, D.C. from 1950-1951. He entered the seminary in 1952, studying philosophy and theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West, Norwood, Ohio. He was ordained on May 31, 1958 at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati, Ohio by Archbishop Karl J. Alter.

Father Emerick received his first assignment on June 20, 1958 as assistant at Holy Family Church, Dayton. On June 22, 1959, he was appointed assistant at St. Teresa Parish, Springfield, and to teach at Springfield Catholic High School. On October 25, 1963, he was appointed assistant at St. Vivian Parish, Cincinnati, and to teach at McAuley High School (1963-1966). He was appointed as assistant at St. Ann Parish, Groesbeck, on June 16, 1967. On June 19, 1974, he was appointed assistant at St. Albert the Great Parish, Kettering. Father Emerick was appointed pastor of St. Peter Parish, New Richmond, on June 20, 1975, and remained as pastor there until August 12, 1980, when he was appointed as associate chaplain of St. Theresa Home (for the Aged) in Cincinnati. On November 15, 1983, he was appointed chaplain of St. Theresa Home (for the Aged). Father Emerick retired from active ministry on July 31, 2008.

Reception of the Body: Monday, July 17, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Church, 10010 Carolina Trace, Harrison, Ohio 45030; 513-367-9086. Celebrant: Reverend Paul A. Ruwe. Visitation: until the Mass of Christian Burial.

Mass of Christian Burial: Monday, July 17, 2023, at 10:15 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Church, Harrison. Celebrant: Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr. Homilist: Reverend Michael L. Cordier.

Burial: Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 11000 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249. Celebrant: Reverend Steve J. Angi.

Associates of the Marian Pact are asked to offer, as soon as possible, one Mass for the repose of the soul of Father Emerick, and when convenient, to provide for the celebration of two other Masses.

May God welcome His faithful servant to his eternal home in heaven. May he rest in peace. Amen.

July 1, 2023 by Jennifer Schack

Download PDF Version – English | Download PDF Version – Spanish

Through wisdom and love, God has created all that is. The prophet Isaiah reflected on the mystery of creation asking, “Who has measured with his palm the waters, marked off the heavens with a span, held in his fingers the dust of the earth, weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?” (Is. 40:12). In His providential love, God continually guides and shapes creation such that the magnificence of His majesty is revealed to us. We experience this whenever we take in sweeping vistas, examine the wonders of the microscopic world, or simply reflect on the beauty of everyday life.

Summertime travel is an opportunity to explore new places and revisit favorite destinations. Seeing God’s handiwork in the natural world helps us to marvel at the order with which He created, transforming chaos into a home for us that is very good (cf. Genesis 1). The beauty of nature itself speaks to God’s glory and majesty. Additionally, when we travel and attend Mass at a different parish, we witness how Catholics live out their faith in another community. It is an experience of the universality of the Catholic Church.

Vacations aren’t the only things for which we travel, though. Deep in our faith’s tradition is the spiritual value of making pilgrimage to holy sites. For centuries, Catholics have traveled to places made holy by events which took place there or by the people whose lives brought God’s presence in a special way to that town or village. Pilgrimages are also made to implore God’s grace for a particular intention or to seek a more profound conversion of heart.

Fortunately, one is not limited to traveling to Europe or the Holy Land to make a pilgrimage. We are blessed to have the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics right here in our archdiocese, and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation is located in Carey, OH, in the southern part of the Diocese of Toledo. Both are sacred places where one can experience the love and power of God in a unique way. It is likely that there are churches or places significant to our Catholic faith near a destination to which you might be headed this summer. Taking the time to visit such sites could serve to deepen one’s understanding and appreciation of the history and meaning of our faith.

Before ascending into heaven, our Lord instructed the Apostles to go and “make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19). Since then, Christians have spread the Good News of salvation throughout the world, and we are able to view the natural world through the lens of the Gospel. Many places still bear witness to the lived faith of those in times past, as well as to the continued efforts of Christians to follow the Lord’s command to bring the Gospel to all peoples.

Wherever our summer travel may take us, it is an opportunity to know God more fully and encounter Him in every corner of His magnificent creation. Let’s be sure not to miss it!