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July 2026

Archives for July 2026

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Reverend Paul F. DeLuca passed away on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born on March 6, 1955, in Amelia, Ohio, and was baptized at St. Bernadette Church, Amelia. He received his B.A. in Philosophy at St. Gregory Seminary, Cincinnati, and a M.Div. in Theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in Norwood, Ohio. He was ordained on June 13, 1981, at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati by Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin. 

Father DeLuca received his first assignment on July 1, 1981, as resident associate at St. Ignatius Loyola Parish and appointed to the faculty of McAuley High School, Cincinnati.  On July 1, 1982, he was appointed full-time associate pastor of Nativity of Our Lord Parish, Pleasant Ridge.  On July 1, 1987, he was appointed associate pastor of Our Lady of the Visitation Parish, Cincinnati.  Father DeLuca was appointed pastor of St. Helen Parish, Dayton on June 16, 1992, for a period of six years, and re-appointed as pastor of St. Helen Parish for another six–year term, commencing on June 17, 1998.  He was appointed acting dean of the Dayton Deanery effective February 10, 2003 through May 18, 2003.  He was appointed pastor of Nativity of Our Lord Parish for a period of six years, effective July 1, 2004, and re-appointed as pastor of Nativity of Our Lord Parish for a six–year term on July 1, 2010, and on July 1, 2016.  Father DeLuca retired from active ministry on June 30, 2020. 

Reception of the Body: Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, 3547 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati OH, 45220; 513-381-6400. Celebrant: Reverend James Meade; Homilist: Reverend Todd Grogan. Visitation: Following the Reception of the Body and continuing until 8:00 p.m. 

Mass of Christian Burial: Friday, July 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church.  Celebrant: Most Reverend Joseph Binzer; Homilist: Reverend Todd Grogan. 

Committal: Immediately following the Mass of Christian Burial at Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45232; Reverend Todd Grogan, presiding.   

Associates of the Marian Pact are asked to offer, as soon as possible, one Mass for the repose of the soul of Father DeLuca, 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.

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Deacon George Schmidl, a deacon of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, died on July 15, 2026, at the age of 88.

Deacon Schmidl was ordained by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk on April 28, 2007 at the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Dayton, Ohio. Upon ordination, he was assigned to serve at St. Joseph Parish, North Bend. In March, 2009, he was reassigned to St. Ann Parish, Hamilton, where he continued to serve until being granted Senior Status by Archbishop Dennis Schnurr in 2012.

Deacon Schmidl was preceded in death by his wife, Kay, in 2011. He leaves their children Teresa, Paul, Deacon Mark, Jane, and Joan, and their spouses. He also leaves 26 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, July 22, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 25 East Harrison Ave, North Bend Ohio. Mass of Christian Burial will immediately follow the visitation at 10:00 a.m.

You may read the full obituary for Deacon Schmidl on the funeral home website here George L. Schmidl Obituary Jul 15, 2026 – Dennis George Funeral Home

Please keep the repose of the soul of Deacon George Schmidl in your prayers, as well as peace and comfort for his family.

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Deacon James C. Olinger, a deacon of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, died on July 1, 2026, at the age of 84.

Deacon Olinger was ordained September 26, 1998, by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. Upon ordination, he was assigned to St. Rita Parish, Dayton, where he served all of his twenty-seven years of ordained ministry. He was granted Senior Status by Archbishop Dennis Schnurr October 10, 2020.

In addition to many ministries, Deacon Jim led the Miraculous Medal Novena Prayer Group for several decades at St. Rita’s. This Novena was special to Deacon Jim, as well as the Stations of the Cross.

Deacon Olinger was preceded in death by his parents, his step-daughter, Lori, and brothers Gerald and David. He leaves his daughter, Kathy and niece Elizabeth Wysong.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Friday, July 10, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Rita Catholic Church, 5410 N. Main St, Dayton, OH 45415. Visitation will precede the Mass from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

You may read the full obituary for Deacon Olinger on the funeral home website here Obituary information for Deacon Jim Olinger.

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Download PDF Version – ENG | Download PDF Version – SPA

Into Your Hands column featured in the July edition of The Catholic Telegraph

You Gotta Have Heart is a classic showtune from the 1955 musical Damn Yankees. Sung by a group of baseball players trying to keep their spirits up amidst a losing season, the lyrics reveal that only with each teammate giving his all will their hapless team find its way to victory. They sing out, “You gotta have heart… All you really need is heart… When the odds are sayin’ you’ll never win… That’s when the grin should start… You’ve gotta have hope.” The song reminds us of our own challenge as Church today to be united in efforts, one in heart and one in hope, one body and one spirit in Christ.

This year, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America’s Declaration of Independence, the bishops of this nation remind us that within America’s independence resides a continual and necessary dependence upon God and each other.

Our bishops recently made the most of this milestone in our history by consecrating this nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a heart that strives to unite us with God and with one another.

At a time when so many people feel compelled to separate and divide, to build walls and ramparts, and to hold at arm’s length those deemed enemies and adversaries, our Church proclaims her Eucharistic identity. Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are a Church centered on communion, seeking to pattern our heart after the heart of our Savior.

The “Pledge of Allegiance” proudly proclaims us to be “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” That profound experience of unity can only be achieved with the help of a higher power—God, who challenges us to greater love and mercy. When we try to “go it alone” or believe that we have the fullness of all wisdom and knowledge, God will, no doubt, shake us awake and remind us of our interdependence. The consecration of this nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can be for us the wake-up call we need.

The Sacred Heart burns with the passion of Christ’s love and the fire of the Holy Spirit. How do we allow that divine love to burn in our hearts? Are we directed by the Holy Spirit—that God’s will be done—or by our own wants and ambitions?

The Sacred Heart is crowned with thorns, reminding us of the wounds caused by our shared sinfulness. Can we allow Christ’s divine mercy to bring about healing and reconciliation, that we might find our hearts encircled by love and not thorns?

The Sacred Heart is wounded and bleeding. Will we permit our stony hearts to be softened, that they may be pierced by the sharp and forceful call of Christ to allow God’s grace and mercy to flow forth from our every word and action?

As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence, we’ve gotta have heart. Specifically, we need hearts modeled after the example of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In this “land of the free and home of the brave,” may we boldly choose to love our neighbor and extend the Lord’s mercy to all, so that with our hearts aflame we may truly live as one nation, under God.

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Deacon Walter Hucke, Jr., a deacon of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, died on June 23, 2026, at the age of 72.

Deacon Hucke was ordained April 28, 2007, by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk at the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Dayton. Upon ordination, he was assigned to Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Greenhills. In 2012, he requested an additional ministerial assignment at St. Matthias Parish, Cincinnati. He was granted that assignment by Archbishop Dennis Schnurr. In 2016, he requested another assignment to St. James of the Valley Parish in Wyoming. He was again granted this assignment by Archbishop Schnurr.

Deacon Hucke leaves his wife, Karen, to whom he has been married for 52 years. He also leaves children Jules, Phil, and Eric, five grandchildren and five siblings.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, 17 Farragut Rd, Cincinnati, OH, 45218.

Please keep the repose of the soul of Deacon Walt Hucke, Jr. in your prayers.