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Catherine Connette

Catherine Connette

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

Release Date: May 27, 2020

Pastoral Letter in Anticipation of Bicentennial Celebration

Next year the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will celebrate the two centuries of faith since its establishment as a diocese in June of 1821. In anticipation of the bicentennial celebration, Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has written a pastoral letter to encourage each of us to “Radiate Christ” by rediscovering “the joy of knowing Christ deeply and following Him, thereby becoming a witness to the world.”

It is Archbishop Schnurr’s hope that all Catholics of the archdiocese will reflect upon and discuss how we can individually and collectively Radiate Christ as we prepare to joyfully celebrate our bicentennial.

The letter can be found on The Catholic Telegraph website here: https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/radiate-christ/66606

The pastoral letter can also be read in the June edition of The Catholic Telegraph magazine that is being mailed to homes this week.

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ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, with great joy and gratitude, will celebrate the elevation of St. Peter in Chains Cathedral to the rank of minor basilica with a special Mass on Sat., Nov. 7, the 175th anniversary of its dedication. As we approach the bicentennial of our archdiocese next year, this designation is a fitting tribute to the vital role St. Peter in Chains has played in Midwestern Catholic life for seven generations. You will learn much more about the cathedral’s history and what it means to be a basilica in this edition of The Catholic Telegraph.

That same week, Americans will take part in Election Day on Nov. 3. Across the street from St. Peter in Chains is Cincinnati’s City Hall, built in 1893. The proximity of these two impressive structures is a reminder that church and state, though separate and distinct, are each important in their spheres. The prophet Jeremiah quotes the Lord as saying, “Promote the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you” (Jer. 29:7). We are all in exile until we reach the Heavenly City. Meanwhile, we are called to radiate Christ and help build the Kingdom of God in our city, state and nation by applying Christian principles to the society in which we live.

An essential element of faithful citizenship is not only voting but, as the U.S. bishops said, voting “in the light of a properly formed conscience.” To help that conscience formation, the Pastoral Center of the archdiocese has created iVoteCatholic, an initiative providing educational resources to introduce you, or reintroduce you, to the seven themes of Catholic social teaching. A different theme will be highlighted each Sunday through Oct. 25. The aim is not to tell you for whom or what to vote, but to help you decide on how to vote in conformity with Catholic doctrine.

Social justice is a not a new concept in the Church. The first great papal encyclical on that topic, Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum in 1891, drew heavily on Holy Scripture and the 13th Century writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Subsequent popes have added to our treasury of social doctrine in response to the circumstances of their times. The one enduring, pervasive tenet of this teaching throughout the centuries has been concern for the common good. The Church cares not only for its members, but for everyone – because God has bestowed dignity on every person. The seven themes explored in the iVoteCatholic initiative reflect that fundamental premise.

As the iVoteCatholic website notes, “The right to life is the first and most fundamental principle of human rights and leads Catholics to actively work for a world of greater respect for human life and greater commitment to justice and peace.” Life and Dignity of the Human Person is the iVoteCatholic theme for Oct. 4. That is quite appropriate, because the U.S. bishops have for several years observed October as Respect Life Month. In addition to the tragedy of abortion, other urgent respect life issues to consider include racism, war and terrorism, the death penalty and assisted suicide.

To learn more about all seven key issues of Catholic social teaching, I invite you to visit iVoteCatholic.org.

The Church has a vital role in the public square as she guides her members to build up the kingdom of God on earth. I urge you to vote on Nov. 3, and to do so in the light of a properly formed conscience. And, whatever the outcome, please pray for all our civic leaders as they struggle with the extraordinary challenges of these difficult times.

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

Lisa Fletcher
Center for the New Evangelization, Communications
Office | 513.263.6688
[email protected]

Release Date: Oct. 1, 2020

A Renewed Emphasis on Evangelization: Center for the New Evangelization

The effort to evangelize local Catholics, by sharing Christ’s message of salvation, and inviting people into a relationship with Jesus, has been extremely important to Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr. In light of this priority, the Office for the New Evangelization at the Archdiocese of Cincinnati was founded in 2013. In addition to the New Evangelization Office, several other offices at the Pastoral Center have been working towards the evangelization of specific groups. These offices included the Youth Office, Young Adult Office, Marriage and Family Life Office, Campus Ministry Office and Evangelization and Discipleship Office.

As more offices were created it became apparent that all of the offices that work in the field of evangelization would benefit from a leadership structure that allowed more collaboration and the sharing of resources. This recognition resulted in the creation of the Center for the New Evangelization which was launched earlier this summer.

All previous offices of the Pastoral Center that worked in the field of evangelization have now merged into the Center for the New Evangelization. The directors of previous offices now form a leadership team, under the direction of Sean Ater. The leadership team structure receives its inspiration from the Amazing Parish model introduced at the Amazing Parish Conference hosted by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 2019.

The Center for the New Evangelization consists of around 20 people. They are spread throughout the geographic boundaries of the archdiocese. Retreats, conferences, workshops and events that will be put on by the Center are expected to reach all parishes and families in the archdiocese. The team is tasked with assisting pastors and pastoral staff in new opportunities for evangelization as well as directly evangelizing individuals.

What is ahead for the Center:

  • Oversee the longest Marian Pilgrimage in the United States, a 33-day pilgrimage leading up to the Bicentennial Celebration for the archdiocese in June of 2021.
  • Annual “Radiate Christ” evangelization conference that aims to train parish leaders in evangelization (the first of which was held Aug. 29)
  • Assist in the reception of Radiate Christ, Archbishop Schnurr’s Pastoral Letter released in May 2020.
  • Direct efforts concerning evangelization and outreach to the local Hispanic community.
  • Hosting retreats, workshops on evangelization, and days of reflection for the pastoral staff of parishes.
  • Expanded evangelization efforts for young adults including candlelight Masses, adoration and social events.
  • New emphasis on youth evangelization that focuses on a holistic approach to ministering to young people from baptism through high school.
  • Increased number of marriage preparation retreats, Genesis, to allow for fewer participants and a more intimate experience.
  • Growing the anti-pornography initiative that began in the archdiocese in 2019.

Fr. Jan Schmidt, who leads the Department for Pastoral Vitality and Evangelization of which the Center for the New Evangelization is a part has emphasized the critical need for a closer look at how we “do” evangelization. “My experience of pastoring for twenty-one years put me very closely in touch with the concept and ministry of evangelization. It seems that most people understand evangelization as a singular subject matter, when in reality it is the whole of what we are called to do: calling others into a life in relationship with Jesus.”

“The parish is ‘ground zero’ for all of our evangelization efforts,” says Sean Ater. “It is the pastor and his team that have the potential to radiate Christ to every family in their territory and beyond. We want to evangelize the family because we know that the faith is most practically lived out and passed on in the family. In the end, we are convinced that it is the community of disciples formed in the local parish that will reach each and every family in our archdiocese with the Gospel.”

For more information about the Center for the New Evangelization, visit its website, www.centerforthenewevangelization.org.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 44th largest Catholic diocese in the country, with more than 450,000 Catholics, and has the fifth largest Catholic school system in terms of enrollment with more than 40,000 students. The 19-county territory includes 211 parishes and 111 Catholic primary and secondary schools.

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

W H A T | 16th Annual Blue Mass to Honor Members of Police/Fire
W H E N | Sunday, Sept. 27, outdoor blessing at 10:45 A.M. with Mass beginning at 11 A.M.
W H E R E | Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains: 325 W. 8th St., Cincinnati OH

Release Date: September 23, 2020

Annual Blessing of Vehicles and Mass for Police/Fire Being Held this Weekend

Police Chaplain and Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Rev. Steve Angi will be the celebrant again this year for the annual Blue Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. This is the 16th annual Blue Mass, in honor of police, fire, and public safety personnel. A blessing of first responder vehicles will take place outside the cathedral basilica before the Mass begins.

This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements, only first responders and their families are encouraged to attend the Mass. This Mass will be live-streamed on the Archdiocese of Cincinnati YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/cincyArchdiocese) and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains website (www.stpeterinchainscathedral.org).

More information:

Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains: (513) 421-5354
Captain Bridget M. Bardua, CPD (513) 564-2219
Fire District Chief Jason Vollmer, CFD (513) 564-1743

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 44th largest Catholic diocese in the country, with more than 450,000 Catholics, and has the fifth largest Catholic school system in terms of enrollment with more than 40,000 students. The 19-county territory includes 211 parishes and 111 Catholic primary and secondary schools.

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ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR

Since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting shutdown of many businesses, we have often heard the term “essential workers.” But as I pointed out in my recent pastoral letter, Radiate Christ, everyone is essential. Each of us has a role to play in the Church and in civil society because God works through human hands.

In the past six months our country has been rocked by the pandemic, by the disruption to lives and jobs from the resulting lockdown, and by the social upheaval that followed the senseless and brutal killing of George Floyd. It is understandable that in the face of such daunting challenges, we turn to government and other human institutions for solutions. At the same time, however, we are each called to be part of the answer by our own individual actions.

Laws, rules and policies by themselves will never obliterate the sin of racism, for example, because human beings can break laws, ignore rules and flout policies. In a letter announcing the “Holy Hour for Conversion” held at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains on June 3, I called for the necessary conversion of hearts that will compel change and ultimately reform our institutions and society. For by changing ourselves, we can help to change the world.

To that end, a key element of the holy hour was a very moving examination of conscience led by Deacon Royce Winters, director of the Office for African American Pastoral Ministries. This reflection helped participants confront their own responsibility to radiate the love of Christ to all people and be witnesses to His kingdom on earth, particularly in the area of racial justice.

Racial disharmony is only one aspect of the deep division we see all around us, however. Even the war against COVID-19 has not brought our country together. Instead, it has fostered more division as both government actions and personal behaviors have become flashpoints for controversy. On this issue, as with so many others today, respectful exchanges of opinion are rare, while mean-spirited judgmentalism is all too common.

This disharmony is a problem for which there is no simple government fix. It can only be solved by conversion of hearts, with God’s help, through prayer. That is why the Pastoral Center of the archdiocese has launched the Pray a Minute campaign to encourage prayer for the intention of peace, justice and goodwill in our archdiocese and in our country.

The ambitious goal of the Pray a Minute project is one million hours of prayer specifically for this intention for our country by January 1, 2021, the Catholic Church’s World Day of Prayer for Peace. That target number reflects in a very practical way both the importance of the individual person and the power of prayer. The sum is large, and yet it would only take one extra minute of prayer per day by every Catholic in the archdiocese to reach the hoped-for total. Of course, you may feel called to do more.

Although the Pray a Minute initiative is already underway, do not feel that it is too late if you have not yet joined. Additional prayer at any time will help to change you and change the world. Go to PrayAMinute.com now, if you have not already done so, to make a prayer pledge. You will also find resources there that may inspire you to try new forms of prayer.

To paraphrase the Christian writer C.S. Lewis, the purpose of prayer is not to change God, but to change ourselves. In other words, prayer is not magical thinking. It is the pathway to a deeper, life-altering personal relationship with Jesus so that we can radiate Christ and thereby be instruments of the peace, justice and goodwill that we seek. For that, we are all essential workers.

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

Release Date: August 15, 2020

Pope Francis Designates the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains a Minor Basilica

The Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains is First in the Cincinnati Archdiocese to Hold the Title of Minor Basilica

Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr announced today that the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has granted the title of Minor Basilica to the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains located at 325 W. Eighth Street in Cincinnati, Ohio. The title is given to churches around the world in recognition of their historical or cultural importance, artistic beauty and significance in the life of the Church. The title denotes a closer relationship to the Pope. The title of Major Basilica is reserved to certain churches in Rome only. The Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains will now go by the name Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains and becomes the 89th basilica in the United States.

“For all of us who live and worship in our archdiocese, this is a great blessing and honor that has been bestowed on our cathedral church,” said Archbishop Schnurr. “Let us pray on this day, as we honor Our Lady in her Assumption, that the Church of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, her clergy and faithful, along with all the people of this great city, may benefit from this blessing and give thanks for all that the Lord has brought to fruition.”

In 2018, Father Jan Kevin Schmidt, Rector of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains since 2017, with permission from Archbishop Schnurr, requested that the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments grant the title of minor basilica to the historic church in Cincinnati. The cathedral, which will celebrate its 175th anniversary this November, is the oldest cathedral, built as a cathedral, that is still in use in the United States.

The designation of minor basilica, the first such in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, is both an honor for the region and a reason for the local faithful to celebrate, said Father Schmidt. “It’s the quality of the cathedral’s structure, the absolute beauty of its architecture, the biblical symbolism throughout, the quality and prayerfulness of its liturgy and ecclesiastical significance as a cathedral that make it very important and very special for the archdiocese and in the American Catholic scene,” he said.

Designed by Henry Walter, architect of the Ohio capitol building in Columbus, the cornerstone of St. Peter in Chains was laid on May 20, 1841. It was formally dedicated on Nov. 2, 1845. Its striking single spire, constructed of pure white limestone and soaring 220 feet above street level, was the tallest manmade structure in the city for many decades. The cathedral’s interior is dominated by a large mosaic portraying three scriptural events from the life of St. Peter. Its eclectic design style also incorporates artistic inspiration from diverse sources, including Art Deco, Ancient Greek, Eastern Christian and early Roman Christian basilica architecture. A significant renovation of the structure, overseen by renowned Cincinnati architect Edward Schulte, was completed in 1957.

The announcement of the minor basilica designation was made today, on the Solemnity of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the beginning of Mass celebrated by Archbishop Dennis Schnurr along with Father Jan Schmidt, Rector, and Father Ray Larger, Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains. The Mass was open to the public but included social distancing and other safety precautions due to COVID-19. The Mass was also livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnG_41UiMh0

In attendance at the Mass to hear the historic announcement were Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley and his family. “The Catholic Church and the large number of Catholics in our region have helped make the Greater Cincinnati area the great place it is to live, work, play and pray,” said Mayor Cranley. “ From starting the major hospitals that have cared for the sick, to feeding the hungry and helping the poor, to educating generations of Catholics who have risen out of poverty and to the heights of civic and business leadership, the Catholic Church has provided a living testament to its core beliefs, and this Basilica has served as beautiful physical embodiment–a sort of Statue of Liberty– of these good works and serves as an ever present reminder to Catholic Cincinnatians that they have a proud spiritual home.”

In addition, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine offered words of congratulations to mark the occasion, “Fran and I are delighted that Pope Francis has bestowed this honor upon St. Peter in Chains Cathedral and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The Cathedral is one of the oldest operating Roman Catholic cathedrals in the United States, and it is a historic place special to Cincinnati and to Ohio. I congratulate Archbishop Schnurr, Fr. Schmidt, and the entire Archdiocese. Having St. Peter in Chains Cathedral named as a Basilica by the Pope is an honor that the Catholic faithful across Ohio should celebrate!” said Governor DeWine.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains has a rich liturgical life. Prior to the decreased Mass schedule amid the current pandemic, the cathedral celebrated more than 1,000 Masses a year, including the archdiocesan liturgies. It serves as a pilgrimage site for many local Catholics. In addition to the beautiful liturgies, the cathedral is available for tours. More information can be found here: https://www.stpeterinchainscathedral.org/

In addition to the announcement today, a special Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains on Saturday November 7, at 11:00 a.m. to mark the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the dedication of the church. During the Mass, the symbols granted in virtue of the church’s designation as a minor basilica will debut for the first time and be enshrined.

For additional information about today’s announcement please visit https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/cathedral-basilica-of-st-peter-in-chains/68495 and https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/cathedral-of-st-peter-in-chains-a-minorbasilica/68489

Digital copies of this release and a Basilica Fact Sheet can be found here http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/ministries-offices/communication-office/live-streaming/

Photos will be posted on The Catholic Telegraph website after the Mass.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 44th largest Catholic diocese in the country, with more than 450,000 Catholics, and has the fifth largest Catholic school system in terms of enrollment with more than 40,000 students. The 19-county territory includes 211 parishes and 111 Catholic primary and secondary schools.

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ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR

With August comes a new school year, and, with that, a sense of starting fresh and the expectation that something will be different. Never, perhaps, has that been more the case than in 2020.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions taken to mitigate its spread, the 2019-2020 school year ended in a way that no one could have imagined 12 months ago. Our Catholic school students, along with all other K-12 students in the state of Ohio, switched to online learning and never returned to their classrooms after mid-March. Students felt an understandable sense of loss as they missed their classmates and their teachers. And at the end of the school year, eighth graders and high school seniors lamented not being able to celebrate their achievements with a traditional graduation ceremony.

All of us, in fact, were stressed by the disruption to our lives resulting from the state’s stay-at-home order and other precautions necessary to keep ourselves and others safe. The full long-term economic and social consequences of COVID-19 cannot yet be known. However, there was already much talk of a coming “new normal” well before restaurants, recreation centers, gyms, libraries and day care centers were permitted to reopen. What might “new normal” mean for our Catholic schools?

While not every step ahead is clear at this point, there are some things we do know. Most importantly, there is no change in the archdiocesan Catholic schools’ mission as “Christ-centered communities dedicated to the faith formation, academic excellence and individual growth of our students, all rooted in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.” It is in the DNA of our schools to Radiate Christ while educating students for this life and preparing them for the life to come.

Ever since Bishop Edward Fenwick opened the first Catholic school in the archdiocese in 1825 with 25 female students under the direction of a Sister of Mercy from France and a lay woman, teacher-ministers have fostered the mental, physical and spiritual growth of the young people under their care. They are not just teachers of the faith, but witnesses of the faith. For to radiate Christ means to witness Christ, not just talk about Christ. And this happens in every part of the Catholic school experience – including, for example, the cafeteria, the gym and the playing fields – not just in the religion classroom.

In this important role, teacher-ministers and principal ministers partner with parents, who are their children’s first and primary teachers of the faith by word and by example. Inevitably, the nature of that partnership changed this spring. Just as the domestic church – the family – became the primary center of worship while public Masses were no longer celebrated, so homes became virtual classrooms when schools closed. Our teacher-ministers and their principal ministers adapted to meet this challenge, demonstrating the commitment for which they are well known and appreciated. For this, I am most grateful.

As you will read in this issue of The Catholic Telegraph, the School of Faith program supported by the archdiocese is providing doctrinal and spiritual formation for Catholic school teachers, administrators and spiritual mentors so that they can even more effectively witness and teach the faith.

Just as teachers are also witnesses, so are students. We all have a role to play in the Church, and the role of young people is not just in the future. Students already have the opportunity to radiate Christ to their peers and to the rest of the community as they contribute their special God-given gifts and talents.

As a new school year begins, with its unique challenges and opportunities, please know that all students, parents, teachers, principals and school staff are in my prayers. May you have a fruitful year of growth in knowledge, wisdom, success and, especially, in relationship with Christ, who offers us peace, joy and the fullness of life.

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Reverend Thomas W. Schmidt died on July 24, 2020 in Dayton, Ohio. He was born on May 31, 1948 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received a B.S.Ed. from Edgecliff College/Xavier University, Cincinnati, a M.A.Ed. from Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas, and a M.Div. from The Athenaeum of Ohio, Cincinnati. He was ordained on May 15, 1999 at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, Cincinnati, by Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk.

Father Schmidt received his first assignment on July 2, 1999 as Parochial Vicar at St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Kettering. On July 1, 2002, he was appointed Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Centerville for a period of six years. He was appointed Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish for two more consecutive six-year terms, commencing on July 2, 2008 and on July 1, 2014. Additionally, Father Schmidt served on the Presbyteral Council for the Dayton Deanery from 2009 – 2010. He served on the Child Protection Review Board of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati starting in 2006 and continued to serve until his retirement from active ministry. Father Schmidt retired from active ministry on June 30, 2018.

Reception of the Body: Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 6245 Wilmington Pike, Centerville, Ohio 45459; (937-433-1013). Celebrant: Reverend Brian W. Phelps. Homilist: Reverend Christopher J. Worland. Visitation: immediately following until 8:00 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial: Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church. Celebrant: Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr. Homilist: Deacon Christopher A. Rauch.

Burial: Wednesday, July 29, 2020, immediately following Mass of Christian Burial at Calvary Cemetery, 1625 Calvary Drive, Dayton, Ohio 45409. Celebrant: Reverend Christopher J. Worland.

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ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR

It is almost impossible to exaggerate the devastating effect social isolation has had in recent months on our lives as citizens, as workers and as members of a faith community for whom communal worship is a defining practice. At the same time, however, it has been heartening to hear stories of families drawing closer together and sharing live-streamed Masses in their homes.

In these dark days, the light of Christ continued to burn brightly in what the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, calls “the domestic church” (LG 11), meaning the family – even though for months Catholics throughout the world could only virtually assemble at the Eucharistic table.

The Church is universal, crossing time and space, but most of us experience it first through our families: our parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and extended family. Experiencing the Church through friends, neighbors, coworkers and classmates comes next. It has always been that way, reflecting Christianity’s roots in a Jewish religious tradition based largely on family rituals. The Holy Family was, in a sense, a domestic church before there was the Church.

Lumen Gentium notes that “parents, by word and example, are the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children.” Teacher-ministers in Catholic schools and Parish Schools of Religion offer crucial support for this task, but the primary responsibility belongs to parents. It is an obligation that can be shared with godparents and teachers, but not delegated away.

In my pastoral letter marking the upcoming 200th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Cincinnati, I call upon the faithful of our local Church to join me in reflecting on how we can better radiate Christ. Clearly, the place to start is in our own families. That is where we are first called to seek the face of the Lord, convert to Him and allow Him to shine through us. No evangelistic efforts initiated from the pastoral center, parishes or schools of the archdiocese, no matter how well-planned or how well-executed, can be effective if the faith is not alive in the home.

The work of the domestic church is not primarily a matter of instruction, but of example. It has been wisely said that “faith is not so much taught as caught.” A joyful belief in the Lord who loves us is contagious. Thus, parents chiefly pass on the faith day-to-day by modeling it in their own loving actions, while also encouraging their children to pray frequently and to develop their own relationship with the Lord. Parents are the first and most important disciples and witnesses of Christ in the lives of their children.

It is my hope that all Catholics of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will strive to become more effective, joyful witnesses to their families and to their broader communities. In my bicentennial pastoral letter, entitled “Radiate Christ,” I offer 12 reflection questions that I again urge you to spend some time with as part of nurturing your own faith. The letter appeared in the June issue of The Catholic Telegraph and is available online at thecatholictelegraph.com/radiate-christ.

Within this issue of the magazine, which is dedicated to the domestic church, you will find hopeful stories and faith resources to help you no matter what your stage in life or family situation. Each month The Catholic Telegraph connects the domestic church of your home to the local Church and the Church universal, providing inspiration and information for your faith journey. You do not walk that path alone.

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