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April 2026

Archives for April 2026

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Effective February 1, 2026

  • Reverend Louis Okot Ochermoi Tony, MCCJ, appointed Pastor 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 Ignatius Dang Hoang, CRM, appointed Parochial Vicar of NE-5 Family of Parishes which includes Ascension, Kettering, St. Albert the Great, Dayton and St. Charles Borromeo, Kettering.

Effective February 6, 2026 (awaiting visa approval)

  • Reverend Jario Jose Pravia Flores appointed Parochial Vicar of S-6 Family of Parishes which includes Holy Trinity, Nativity of Our Lord, Church of the Resurrection, St. John the Evangelist, St. Saviour and St. Ann, Groesbeck.

To be ordained May 16, 2026, and their assignments effective July 1, 2026

  • Rev. Mr. Nicholas C. Emmerling, to be appointed as Parochial Vicar of SE-4 Family of Parishes which includes St. Columban, Loveland and St. Margaret of York, Loveland.
  • Rev. Mr. Curtis J. Gross, to be appointed Parochial Vicar of NE-3 Family of Parishes which includes Mary Help of Christians, Fairborn, Sacred Heart, New Carlisle, St. Augustine, Jamestown, St. Brigid, Xenia, St. Luke, Beavercreek and St. Paul, Yellow Springs.
  • Rev. Mr. Kraig E. Gruss, to be appointed Parochial Vicar of C-4 Family of Parishes which includes Sacred Heart, Fairfield and St. Ann, Hamilton.
  • Rev. Mr. David B. Homoelle, to be appointed Parochial Vicar of S-1 Family of Parishes which includes St. Gabriel, Glendale, St. John the Evangelist, West Chester and St. Michael, Sharonville.
  • Rev. Mr. Daniel J. Jasek, to be appointed Parochial Vicar of SW-1 Family of Parishes which includes Our Lady of Visitation, Cincinnati, St. Joseph, North Bend, and St. Jude, Bridgetown.
  • Rev. Mr. Benjamin J. Klare, to be appointed Parochial Vicar of S-9 Family of Parishes which includes St. Cecilia, Cincinnati and St. Mary, Hyde Park.
  • Rev. Mr. Douglas Moore, to be appointed Parochial Vicar of NE-3 Family of Parishes which includes Mary Help of Christians, Fairborn, Sacred Heart, New Carlisle, St. Augustine, Jamestown, St. Brigid, Xenia, St. Luke, Beavercreek and St. Paul, Yellow Springs.
  • Rev. Mr. Benjamin Packer, to be appointed Parochial Vicar of SE-6 Family of Parishes which includes St. Bernadette, Amelia, St. Mary, Bethel, St. Peter, New Richmond and St. Thomas More, Withamsville.
  • Rev. Mr. Jacob G. Schmiesing, to be appointed Parochial Vicar of NW-6 Family of Parishes which includes St. Boniface, Piqua, St. Mary, Piqua, St. Patrick, Troy, St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus, Covington and Transfiguration, West Milton.

Effective June 1, 2026

  • Reverend Alex Dugas, appointed to part-time studies in Canon Law at the Catholic University of America.
  • Reverend Louis Bethea, OP, appointed Parochial Vicar of S-13 Family of Parishes which includes St. Gertrude, Madeira.

Effective July 1, 2026

  • Reverend W. Robert Hale IV, appointed Pastor of NE-2 Family of Parishes which includes St. Bernard, Springfield, St. Charles Borromeo, South Charleston, St. Joseph, Springfield, St. Raphael, Springfield, and St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, Springfield.
  • Reverend Patrick H. Blenman appointed Parochial Vicar of NE-2 Family of Parishes which includes St. Bernard, Springfield, St. Charles Borromeo, South Charleston, St. Joseph, Springfield, St. Raphael, Springfield, and St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, Springfield.
  • Reverend Isaiah M. Callan appointed Parochial Vicar of NE-4 Family of Parishes which includes Incarnation, Centerville and St. Francis of Assisi, Centerville.
  • Reverend Ronald P. Combs appointed Parochial Vicar of NE-7 Family of Parishes which includes Holy Angels, Dayton, Immaculate Conception, Dayton, St. Anthony, Dayton, St. Helen, Dayton and St. Mary, Dayton.
  • Reverend Alex Dugas appointed Parochial Vicar of SW-3 Family of Parishes which includes Our Lady of Victory, Delhi Township, St. Aloysius on the Ohio, Cincinnati, St. Dominic, Delhi, St. Simon the Apostle, Cincinnati, and St. Vincent de Paul, Cincinnati in addition to part-time studies in Canon Law.
  • Reverend Thomas Dorn appointed Parochial Vicar of SW-8 Family of Parishes which includes St. Ignatius of Loyola, Cincinnati.
  • Reverend Christopher M. Komoroski, appointed Chaplain to Miami University Newman Center/St. Mary’s Catholic Campus Ministry.
  • Reverend Uriel Garcia Santos appointed Parochial Vicar of C-5 Family of Parishes which includes St. Susanna, Mason.
  • Reverend Masilamani Suakkin (Diocese of Great Falls-Billing) appointed Parochial Vicar of SE-2 Family of Parishes which includes Holy Trinity, West Union, St. Benignus, Greenfield, St. Mary, Hillsboro and St. Mary Queen of Heaven, Peebles.
  • Reverend David Duy Tran appointed Parochial Vicar of NE-10 Family of Parishes which includes Holy Cross, Dayton, Our Lady of the Rosary, Dayton, St. Christopher, Vandalia, St. John the Baptist, Tipp City and St. Peter, Huber Heights.
  • Reverend Leonard C. Wenke, appointed Moderator of Pastoral Care for St. Joseph, Cincinnati.
  • Reverend Jacob Willig, appointed to the Formation Team and Director of the Propaedeutic Stage at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology.

Retirement from Active Ministry

  • Reverend Steven L. Shoup, Parochial Vicar of NW-6, effective July 1, 2026.

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Deacon Charles Jenkins, a deacon of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, died on April 17, 2026, at the age of 90.

Deacon Jenkins was ordained on September 26, 1976, by Archbishop Joseph Bernadin at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains. He was a proud member of the first ordination cohort in the Archdiocese, which began its Deacon Formation Program in 1974 and ordained its first permanent deacons in 1976. Upon ordination, he was assigned to Our Lady of Victory Parish, Cincinnati. He served continuously at his home parish for forty-four years of active ministry until transitioning to Senior Status in 2020.

Deacon Jenkins was preceded in death by his wife, Marlene, to whom he was married for sixty-five years before her death in December, 2021. He is survived by their four children Donald, David, Jeanette, and Richard, their spouses, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was also preceded in death by two children, Deborah and Robert.

Visitation will be at Radel Funeral Home, 650 Neeb Road Cincinnati, OH 45233 on Friday, April 24th from 5-8pm. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11am on Saturday, April 25th at Our Lady of Victory Church, 810 Neeb Road, Cincinnati, OH 45233 at 11 AM. You may read Deacon Charley’s obituary at the funeral home’s website here: Charles J. Jenkins Obituary

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Reverend William H. Cross, Jr., died on Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born on October 19, 1946, in Cincinnati. He was baptized at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, Cincinnati. He did his preparatory studies at St. Gregory Seminary and studied theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West and was ordained on May 25, 1974, at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral by Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin.

Father Cross received his first assignment on June 19, 1974, as associate at Resurrection Parish, Dayton. On July 20, 1975, he was appointed associate at St. Joseph Parish, Cincinnati.  On August 9, 1979, he was appointed to the faculty at McNicholas High School and (beginning October 1, 1979) appointed resident associate of Guardian Angels Parish, Cincinnati.  On August 1, 1981, he was appointed to the faculty at St. Ursula High School, Cincinnati, while continuing at Guardian Angels as resident associate.  On July 1, 1983, he was appointed full-time associate of St. Margaret Mary Parish, Cincinnati.  On July 18, 1988, he was appointed pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Cincinnati for a term of six years.  Father Cross was appointed to the College of Consultors for two consecutive terms – October 1991 for a four-year term and in November 1995 he was appointed for a five-year term. On July 1, 1994, he was appointed to the faculty at Purcell Marian High School, Cincinnati and to sacramental help at St. Andrew Parish and Holy Name Parish, Cincinnati.  He was re-appointed to the faculty at Purcell Marian High School on July 1, 2005, and continued teaching at Purcell Marian until he retired.  Father Cross retired from active ministry on June 30, 2012.  After retirement, on July 1, 2014, he was appointed as assistant director of formation at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, for a term of three years.

Reception of the Body: Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, 325 W. Eighth St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202; (513-421-5354.) Celebrant and Homilist: Reverend Reynaldo S. Taylor. Visitation: immediately following Reception of the Body until 8:00 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial: Friday, April 10, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. Celebrant: Most Reverend Robert G. Casey. Homilist: Deacon Royce Winters.

Committal: Friday, April 10, 2026, following the Mass of Christian Burial, at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 11000 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45249. Celebrant: Reverend Thomas P. DiFolco.

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

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

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A New Heart and a New Spirit

Consider the tomb. Think about a tight, closed-off space without the fresh air of a new day. Consider the cold, stagnant darkness of that space, with no possibility of seeing the first light of a sunrise. Think about the lifeless silence that surrounds you, with no hope of hearing the chirping of birds and the chatter of creation at dawn.

Reflecting on the notion of being entombed after death might provide perspective on the current state of our life above ground. For we know that from time to time in life, we may find ourselves feeling lifeless, disheartened, and hopeless. We may find ourselves alone, cut off from others and the world around us, and confined to breathe only the stagnant air of our sad state of life or the unfortunate state of the world.

How do we free ourselves from those tomb-like moments in life? One opportunity comes at Mass, when we pray the Confiteor (“I confess…”) and seek God’s love and mercy for those times when we have found ourselves restricted, isolated, and closed off by our thoughts and our words, by what we have done and what we have failed to do. The stale air of sin and sadness must be replaced by the fresh air of a new day and a renewed life.

However, we often discover a great stone fixed between us and the fresh air we long to breathe. That stone, stubborn and immovable, prevents us from engaging with the world around us in healthy and life-giving ways. That stone holds us back from joining in the song of creation at the dawn of a new day. If we hope to embrace Christ’s call to discipleship, we must get that bothersome boulder out of the way.

It is utterly impossible for us to roll away the stone on our own. Yet, what may be impossible for us is not impossible for God. The new life we long for, the possibility for renewed relationships, and the potential to transform our weary world and renew God’s creation, all become possible when we surrender ourselves to God.

Our God is an awesome God, who does not abandon us to the darkness of the tomb but instead frees us from its confines. We see this clearly in the story of Jesus that we proclaim each Easter. After so much pain and sorrow, Jesus’ body was laid in a tomb. The Son of God surrendered unto death and succumbed to the darkness and silence of the tomb. But, in an early morning’s light, the tomb is found empty and Christ is found alive and present in the light of a new day.

The soldiers who kept watch over the tomb by night did not remove the stone. The disciples who had fearfully hidden in the upper room did not remove the stone. The faithful women who went to the tomb that morning did not remove the stone.

For them, as for us, it was impossible to get the stone out of the way. But not for God. The prophet Ezekiel reveals God’s desire for us; God says to us, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ez 36:26).

In the holy season of Easter, may we be attentive to our surroundings. If we find ourselves buried under a rockslide of doubt and despair, with hearts hardened and hope waning, may we not hesitate to call upon God. May we hear God’s voice, harden not our hearts, and allow God to remove all barriers between us and the dawning of a new day of peace, joy, and love.

May God bless you and your family with a joyous Easter!