Archives for September 2024

September 25, 2024 by Colin Rahill

Reverend James J. Manning died on Sunday, September 22, 2024 in Dayton, Ohio. He was born on February 19, 1948, in Dayton, and baptized at Holy Trinity Church, Dayton. He did his preparatory studies at St. Gregory Seminary and studied Philosophy and Theology at Mount St. Mary Seminary of the West, Cincinnati. He was ordained on May 31, 1975, by Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, Cincinnati.

Father Manning received his first assignment on June 20, 1975, as associate at St. Bernard Parish, Taylor Creek, and to teach at La Salle High School, Cincinnati. On November 20, 1978, he was appointed associate at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish, Bridgetown, and to continue teaching at La Salle High School. On July 18, 1983, he was appointed resident associate at St. James Parish, White Oak, and to continue at La Salle High School. On July 5, 1988, he was appointed associate of St. Henry Parish, Dayton. Father Manning was appointed pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish, Kettering on July 8, 1991. He was appointed a member of the College of Consultors in February 1992, and in November 1995 he was appointed to another five-year term. He was reappointed pastor of St. Albert the Great for a six-year term, commencing on July 9, 1997. He was appointed President of Alter High School, Dayton in October 2005 through spring 2006. On July 1, 2006, he was appointed parochial vicar of St. Henry Parish, Dayton while continuing as President of Archbishop Alter High School. On January 26, 2007, he was appointed temporary parochial administrator of St. Mary Parish, Franklin while continuing as President of Archbishop Alter High School. Father Manning was appointed pastor of St. Mary Parish, Franklin on July 1, 2007 for a period of six years, while continuing as President of Archbishop Alter High School. He was appointed to another six-year term as pastor of St. Mary, Franklin while continuing as President of Archbishop Alter High School, commencing on July 1, 2013. Father Manning retired from Alter High School in July 2016. He was appointed pastor of St. Augustine Parish, Waynesville on July 1, 2017 for a period of six years while continuing as pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Springboro (formerly known as St. Mary Parish, Franklin) and appointed to another six-year term as pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish on July 1, 2019, while continuing as pastor of St. Augustine Parish. On July 1, 2022, Father Manning was appointed parochial vicar of the NE9 Family of Parishes which includes Our Lady of Good Hope, Miamisburg, St. Henry, Dayton and St. Mary of the Assumption, Springboro.

Reception of the Body: Friday, September 27, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, 9579 Yankee Road, Springboro, Ohio 45066; (937-557-1711.) Celebrant and Homilist: Reverend Brian W. Phelps. Visitation: following Reception of the Body until 8:00 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial: Saturday, September 28, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Springboro. Celebrant: Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr. Homilist: Reverend Martin E. Fox.

Burial: Saturday, September 28, 2024, following the Mass of Christian Burial, at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 1625 Calvary Drive, Dayton, Ohio 45409. (937-293-1221) Celebrant: Reverend Brian W. Phelps.

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

May God welcome Father Manning, His servant and priest, into the glory of heaven. May he rest in peace.

September 20, 2024 by Colin Rahill

Effective July 1, 2024

Reverend Thien Toan Nguyen, CRM, appointed Chaplain/Moderator of the Catholic Vietnamese Community of Dayton and to assist with hospital ministry.
Reverend Chau Pham SVD, renewed as Chaplain/Moderator of the Catholic Vietnamese Community of Our Lady of Lavang Parish, Cincinnati.
Reverend Miguel Torres, MCCJ, appointed Parochial Vicar of S-12 Family of Parishes which includes Holy Family, St. Boniface, St. Joseph, St. Leo the Great and St. Therese Little Flower, Cincinnati.
Reverend Samuel Yacob Langena, MCCJ, appointed Parochial Vicar of S-12 Family of Parishes which includes Holy Family, St. Boniface, St. Joseph, St. Leo the Great and St. Therese Little Flower.

Effective July 3, 2024

Reverend Thomas Bolte appointed temporary parochial administrator of SW-8 Family of Parishes which includes St. Ignatius Loyola, Monfort Heights.

Effective July 30, 2024

Reverend Jeff Kemper appointed temporary parochial administrator of C-5 Family of Parishes which includes St. Susanna, Mason.

Effective October 1, 2024

Reverend Matthew Lee appointed Parochial Vicar SE-2 Family of Parishes which includes St. Benignus, Greenfield, St. Mary, Hillsboro, Holy Trinity, West Union and St. Mary Queen of Heaven, Peebles.

Effective October 12, 2024

Reverend Andrew J. Umberg, appointed Pastor of SW-8 Family of Parishes which includes St. Ignatius Loyola, Cincinnati.
Reverend Ronald C. Haft appointed temporary parochial administrator of S-7 Family of Parishes which includes St. Bartholomew, Cincinnati, Assumption, Mt. Healthy, St. Vivian, Cincinnati, St. Clare, Cincinnati, Mother of Christ, Cincinnati and St. Bernard, Spring Grove Village.
Reverend Henry Hoffmann appointed Parochial Vicar of S-7 Family of Parishes which includes St. Bartholomew, Cincinnati, Assumption, Mt. Healthy, St. Vivian, Cincinnati, St. Clare, Cincinnati, Mother of Christ, Cincinnati and St. Bernard, Spring Grove Village.

Effective October 14, 2024

Reverend Michael A. Willig, appointed Director of Vocations Office for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Reverend Barry Stechschulte appointed Parochial Vicar of NW-1 Family of Parishes which includes Holy Trinity, Coldwater, Mary Help of Christians, Ft. Recovery, St. Anthony, St. Anthony, St. Joseph, St. Joseph, St. Mary, Philothea, St. Paul, Sharpsburg and St. Peter, St. Peter.
Reverend Ethan Hoying appointed Parochial Vicar of NW-4 Holy Face of Jesus Parish which includes Immaculate Conception, Botkins, St. John, Fryburg, St. Joseph, Wapakoneta, and St. Lawrence, Rhine.

Effective November 1, 2024

Reverend Bernard J. Weldishofer, appointed Pastor of C-5 Family of Parishes which includes St. Susanna, Mason.
Reverend Gregory J. Konerman, appointed temporary parochial administrator of SE-1 Family of Parishes which includes St. Augustine, Waynesville, and St. Columbkille, Wilmington.

Convocation 2024 Information

The Priests’ Convocation is Thursday, October 3, 2024, at a new location: St. Francis of Assisi, 6245 Wilmington Pike, Centerville, Ohio. The day begins at 10:00 am – 2:30 pm. Assistance needed.

Catholic Engaged Encounter

Catholic Engaged Encounter (marriage prep. course) is searching for priests to assist in their marriage prep weekends. The marriage preparation weekends are held 5 – 6 times a year at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, Bergamo, or St. Antoninus Church.

September 16, 2024 by Colin Rahill

W H A T | 20^th Annual Blue Mass Celebration

W H E N | Sunday, September 29, 2024 – Blessing 10:45 A.M. followed by Mass at 11 A.M.

W H E R E | Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains: 325 W. 8^th St., Cincinnati OH

Release Date: Sept. 16, 2023

A Blessing and Mass for those who Protect the Community

Reverend Steve Angi, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Police Chaplain, will celebrate a Mass to honor those who protect our community each day. An outdoor blessing of first response vehicles will take place outside the Cathedral Basilica along 8^th and Plum Street beginning at 10:45 A.M. This will be followed by Mass at 11 A.M.. Both Greater Cincinnati Police and Public Safety Personnel are expected to be in attendance. People of all faiths are invited to join in prayer for the men and women who work tirelessly to ensure safe communities. Refreshment and fellowship will follow Mass.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 45^thlargest Catholic diocese in the country, with nearly 440,000 Catholics, and has the fifth largest Catholic school system in terms of enrollment with more than 40,000 students. The 19-county territory includes 199 canonical parishes organized into 57 Families of Parishes, and 108 Catholic primary and secondary schools.

Jennifer Schack

Director of Media Relations

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Office | 513.263.6618

Cell | 859.512.5626

[email protected]

Event Contact

Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains

Office | 513.421.5354

September 1, 2024 by Colin Rahill

Download PDF Version – English | Download PDF Version – Spanish

God created the heavens and the earth, establishing an ordered universe from what had been chaos. Among all that exists – the land and sea, the trees and flowers, the birds, fish and animals – man and woman stand out as those creatures created in God’s own image and likeness. He has gifted us with intellect and free will and has given us dominion over all creation. Moreover, from the beginning, God entrusted human beings with the task of cultivating and caring for His handiwork. We, then, are stewards of the whole of creation, and we each share in the responsibility to ensure that the goodness which God saw at the beginning continues to radiate testimony to His glory.

From Leo XIII’s promulgation of Rerum Novarum in 1891 to Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, the popes have consistently reminded Christians and all people of good will of this responsibility. However, we are successful only to the degree that we consistently remember that we too are creatures, not the Creator. Since the Fall, our tendency is to determine for ourselves what is best for us, often to the detriment of our neighbors and the world around us.

Pope Benedict XVI reflected on this reality in his 2010 message for the World Day of Peace, saying, “The harmony between the Creator, mankind and the created world, as described by Sacred Scripture, was disrupted by the sin of Adam and Eve, by man and woman, who wanted to take the place of God and refused to acknowledge that they were his creatures. As a result, the work of ‘exercising dominion’ over the earth, ‘tilling it and keeping it’, was also disrupted, and conflict arose within and between mankind and the rest of creation (cf. Gen. 3:17-19). Human beings let themselves be mastered by selfishness; they misunderstood the meaning of God’s command and exploited creation out of a desire to exercise absolute domination over it” (n. 6). How sadly evident is the destruction caused by this attitude of domination in our world today!

As Christians we have a great opportunity to foster a proper understanding of humanity’s dominion over creation. We are not lords over the world in which we live, but rather its servants. God asks us to watch over, protect and nurture creation, not as an end in itself, but as the means by which life is sustained and flourishes.

Pope Francis reminds us, “This responsibility for God’s earth means that human beings, endowed with intelligence, must respect the laws of nature and the delicate equilibria existing between the creatures of this world, for ‘he commanded and they were created; and he established them for ever and ever; he fixed their bounds and he set a law which cannot pass away’ (Ps. 148:5b-6)” (Laudato Si’, n. 68). Therefore, we must strive to the best of our ability to observe, safeguard and promote awareness of the natural order which God has woven throughout creation.

As God created, He paused and looked at what He had done, recognizing that it was very good. It was good because God had put order into the chaos. It was very good because God made man and woman in His own image and likeness. The order with which God endowed creation unravels with human sin but is restored by divine grace. Care for creation, then, begins with care for our own souls, always seeking to live according to the purpose for which God has made us.