Archives for March 2024

March 20, 2024 by Colin Rahill

Deacon William Mullaney, a deacon of the Archdiocese, died on March 17, 2024 at the age of 87. Deacon Bill was ordained by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on September 26, 1998. He served the Archdiocese as a permanent deacon for twenty-five years.

Upon his ordination, Deacon Bill was assigned to Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Anderson Township. He served faithfully at the parish throughout his entire ordained ministry.

Deacon Bill leaves his wife, Nancy, to whom he was married for 64 years. He also leaves their five children and their spouses, thirteen grandchildren and spouses, and four great-grandchildren.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 7820 Beechmont Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45255. There will be no visitation. A reception will be held immediately following the Mass in Heritage Hall at the church.

You may read the full obituary on the funeral home website here.

Please keep the repose of the soul of Deacon Bill Mullaney in your prayers, as well as peace and consolation for his entire family.

March 11, 2024 by Peter Garcia

Release Date: March 11, 2024

Media Release From The Archdiocese of Cincinnati & Moeller High School

The following email was sent to the Moeller High School community this afternoon by Carl Kremer, principal of Moeller High School. We have no further comment at this time.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Many of you may have seen the news reports about Moeller president, Marshall Hyzdu. Marshall has been placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, effective immediately. Moeller administration is working with the Pastoral Center of the Archdiocese and the Moeller Board concerning next steps.

I want to assure you that we are committed to maintaining our integrity and values as we work through this situation.

Moeller faculty and staff remain focused on their work and the education of your sons. We ask for your prayers and partnership during this time.

God Bless,

Carl Kremer

Principal of Moeller High School

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 51st largest Catholic diocese in the country, with around 435,000 Catholics, and has the fifth largest Catholic school system in terms of enrollment with nearly 40,000 students. The 19-county territory includes 208 canonical parishes organized into 57 Families of Parishes, and 113 Catholic primary and secondary schools.

Jennifer Schack
Director of Media Relations
Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Office | 513.263.6618
Cell | 859.512.5626
[email protected]

March 7, 2024 by Colin Rahill

Deacon Manuel “Manny” Vilaboy, a deacon of the Archdiocese, died on March 3, 2024 at the age of 95. Deacon Manny was ordained by Archbishop Joseph Bernadin for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on September 26, 1976. He was among the thirty-nine men ordained in the first permanent deacon ordination in the Archdiocese. He served the Archdiocese as a permanent deacon for forty-seven years.

Upon his ordination, Deacon Manny was assigned to St. Bartholomew Parish, Cincinnati. In 1983, he was assigned to minister to the Spanish-speaking community at Holy Angels Parish in Cincinnati. He was appointed Moderator of the Hispanic Catholic Community in the Cincinnati area in 1988 by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk. Deacon Manny was also dedicated to the Catholic Cursillo Movement of Cincinnati, serving as its Spiritual Director for many years until 2005.

Deacon Manny was married to his wife, Eileen, for 36 years before her death in April, 2020. They were the proud parents of eight children and fifteen grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Saint Mary Magdalene Church in Gilbert, Arizona, where he has been living with family for many years. The memorial service will be on Monday, March 11th. Burial will take place at the Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Gilbert.

You may read his full obituary here.

Please keep the repose of the soul of Deacon Manuel Vilaboy in your prayers, as well as peace and consolation for his entire family.

March 4, 2024 by Colin Rahill

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March 4, 2024

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

There is no doubt we live in polarized times. Virtually every topic seems to be fodder for political division. In such times, our Catholic faith can be tested even more intensely than usual, especially when our faith runs up against public policy. Of course, Catholic teaching is not just for the United States in the 21^st century; it is universal and enduring. When we strive to live our Catholic faith and pursue the common good, our work can alternatively be praised or attacked … and sometimes both at the same time.

We experience this dynamic regularly in our advocacy for the unborn and pregnant mothers in need, for example. Now, we are facing vitriolic backlash online and even in some mainstream media for our care for our migrant brothers and sisters who, like everyone else in our communities, are children of God.

Our nation has a broken immigration system. Our nation’s migration and border policies fail us. For decades, the U.S. Catholic bishops have urged Congress and administrations of both parties to revamp immigration law and processes in a way that restores order and promotes human dignity. To be clear, this does not mean that we condone unlawful immigration or advocate for open borders. However, in the midst of a broken system and broken world, we do always advocate for every person’s God-given dignity.

As faithful Catholics, we have a responsibility to carefully discern between provocative narratives and the truth of the Church’s work with migrants and refugees in need. The objectification of any human being or set of human beings is not in keeping with the commandment to love one another.

Through our parishes, schools, and social services agencies in which migrants find themselves, the Church provides an opportunity for us to leave behind political agendas and offer the goodness of basic human interactions inspired by the faith and charity which come from God. Any of the thousands of volunteers and supporters who help make our humanitarian work possible can attest to the great gift this has provided for their own faith journeys and our communities. Working with migrants and refugees is a wonderful way to put our Catholic faith into action, just as is serving any other person in need.

The types of services for which migrants are eligible varies greatly depending on their immigration status. In providing support for migrants and refugees, it is important to clarify what the Church does and does not do, especially through our local charitable agencies, Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio and Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley.

We provide humanitarian assistance to anyone who comes through our doors should we have a service for them. This may involve food assistance, case management and mental health counseling, all supported through private philanthropy.
We do not aide or assist in any unauthorized entry into the United States.
We provide legal refugee resettlement. This federal program, which has existed for over 40 years, partners with local agencies to resettle those who have been identified by the United Nations and thoroughly vetted by the U.S. government. “Refugee” is a formal designation given to a minority of U.S. migrants who have demonstrated a well-founded fear of persecution for their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. When a refugee is qualified for permanent resettlement, it is established through multiple federal agencies that they cannot return to their country of origin and that they pose no threat to our national security. Our agencies transparently receive federal and local funds to assist in this work.
We provide case management services to unaccompanied minors to ensure that they are safe and free from exploitation and human trafficking. Those children that receive these services are placed by the federal government in our area, and we have no role in directing them here. Our Catholic Charities is assigned their cases and receives federal funds to assist in this work as well.

If you have a concern about immigration law or practice, please address it with your government representatives. But always remember your deepest calling as Christians: “whatever you did for one of these least brothers [and sisters] of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr

Archbishop of Cincinnati

P.S. If you would like to learn more about this topic, please consult the following resources:

Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio’s “Frequently Asked Questions on Catholic Charities and Migrants”
Catholic Charities USA’s “FAQ’s on Our Service to Immigrants”
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign

March 1, 2024 by Colin Rahill

Download PDF Version – English | Download PDF Version – Spanish

Catholics mark the beginning of the holy season of Lent with the reception of blessed ashes, acknowledging our sinfulness and the reality that one day we ourselves will return to dust. Over the course of these 40 days, the Church encourages us to refocus our lives on the things of heaven and to turn away from the things of this passing world. The spiritual disciplines which we practice with increased fervor during these weeks have an effect beyond this liturgical season. Our prayer, fasting and almsgiving are all directed toward the ongoing conversion of our hearts, so that we who seek pardon for our sins may one day share in the newness of life of the Risen Son of God.

Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the integral relationship between Lent and Easter, saying, “As she awaits the definitive encounter with her Spouse in the eternal Easter, the Church community, assiduous in prayer and charitable works, intensifies her journey in purifying the spirit, so as to draw more abundantly from the Mystery of Redemption the new life in Christ the Lord” (2011 Message for Lent). God is inviting us to prepare ourselves to share in the new life which flows from the Resurrection of His Son. Sin blocks our reception of that new life, which is why the Church especially calls us to the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation during Lent. Other spiritual practices can also dispose our souls to more effectively receive the graces which God desires to pour out upon us.

God knows and loves each of us personally, as unique individuals, and He knows which gifts of His grace each of us needs in the particular circumstances of our lives. God does not encounter all of us in the same way, and not all of us experience God in the same way. For this reason, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “many and varied spiritualties have been developed throughout the history of the churches” (CCC 2684).

These spiritualities can be born from individuals’ experiences of God passed on through religious congregations or ecclesial movements. In this sense we refer to Dominican, Ignatian, Benedictine, or Franciscan spiritualities. These also “arise at the point of convergence of liturgical and theological currents, bearing witness to the integration of the faith into a particular human environment and its history” (CCC 2684). Based on our own personalities, it is common to find the devotional prayers, practices and emphases of a particular spirituality to be an attractive or comfortable aid to our encounter with God. This is a beautiful manifestation of the diverse ways the Spirit acts in the Church. Such varied action of the Spirit reminds us of the great desire of God to draw every person back to Himself for all eternity.

We make that journey back to the God who created us together. We each have a unique relationship with God, and He gives each of us unique gifts that we can contribute to the whole Church’s journey back to fullness of life with God. May these weeks of Lent, leading us to the joy of Easter, be a time when our individual spiritual growth builds up the entire Body of Christ!