Colin Rahill

December 22, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Effective November 1, 2023

Reverend Simon Peter Wankya (from Soroti Catholic Diocese – Uganda), Parochial Vicar of SE4 Family of Parishes which includes St. Columban and St. Margaret of York, Loveland.

Effective December 1, 2023

Reverend Gadagotti Arogyaiah (from Nalgonda Diocese – India), Parochial Vicar of SW4 Family of Parishes which includes Resurrection of Our Lord, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Lawrence, and St. William, Cincinnati.

Effective December 3, 2023

Reverend Paul Lickteig, SJ, Pastor of S-15 Family of Parishes which includes St. Francis Xavier, and St. Robert Bellarmine, Cincinnati.

Effective December 10, 2023

Reverend W. Michael Hay, retirement from active ministry.

Effective January 5, 2024

Reverend James Romanello, Pastor of C-1 Family of Parishes which includes St. John the Evangelist, New Paris; St. Mary, Camden; St. Mary, Oxford; Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Eaton.

Effective January 8, 2024

Reverend David Doseck, Pastor of S10 Family of Parishes which includes St. Monica-St. George, Holy Name, and Annunciation, Cincinnati.

December 21, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Release Date: Dec. 21, 2023

New Superintendent of Schools Appointed

Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has announced the appointment of Matthew J. Daniels as Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, effective July 1, 2024. Mr. Daniels will assume this responsibility from Kathleen C. Kane, who is serving as Interim Superintendent for the 2023-24 academic year following the retirement of Susan M. Gibbons at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

Mr. Daniels is currently the Senior Director, Department of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Toledo in Ohio, overseeing 60 schools educating nearly 16,000 students, a position he has held since November 2018. Prior to his current position as Senior Director, Daniels served as principal at St. Rocco Catholic School in Cleveland, Ohio and principal at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Assumption, Ohio. He began his career in education as a member of the English faculty and as Faculty Technology Coordinator for St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo.

Mr. Daniels earned his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University, where he was a four-year member of the Buckeyes football team, and holds a Master of Arts in Education Administration from the University of Notre Dame. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Catholic Educational Leadership from Saint Louis University. He and his wife Jennifer are the parents of seven children.

Archbishop Schnurr commented, “Matt Daniels is a true champion of the critical importance of Catholic education to the evangelizing mission of the Church. His strong, faithful leadership will be a blessing to the schools of our archdiocese. At the same time, I am deeply grateful for the servant leadership shown by Kathy Kane who is guiding our Catholic Schools Office so professionally during this interim period.”

“I am humbled by the great tradition of Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese of Cincinnati,” said Mr. Daniels. He continued, “I am grateful to serve alongside an excellent team in the Catholic Schools Office, and thrilled to toil with school leaders, faculty, staff, students and families to make Jesus Christ known, loved, and served in our Catholic schools. Catholic education is at the heart of the Church, so we educators must joyfully and zealously work to form saints and scholars for God’s greater glory.”

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 51^stlargest 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 206 canonical parishes organized into 57 Families of Parishes, and 109 Catholic primary and secondary schools.

Jennifer Schack

Director of Media Relations

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Office | 513.263.6618

Cell | 859.512.5626

[email protected]

December 20, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Release Date: December 19, 2023

Closure of St. Martin of Tours Catholic School, Cincinnati

St. Martin of Tours Catholic School, operated by St. Martin of Tours Parish in Cheviot, will close following the completion of the 2023-2024 school year.

The pastor, pastoral council and finance council of St. Martin of Tours Parish — in consultation with the Catholic Schools Office of the archdiocese — recommended closure of St. Martin of Tours Catholic School, after the completion of the current school year. In accordance with archdiocesan procedures, the recommendation for closure was submitted to, and accepted by, Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr.

In October of this year, Saint Martin of Tours Parish began an evaluation process to examine the future viability of the school. As part of the announcement of the evaluation process, Fr. Matthew Robben, Pastor of St. Martin of Tours Parish reported the following:

“Over the last five years, St. Martin of Tours School has incurred a cumulative deficit of $1.9 million. This deficit is projected to grow to $2.3 million by the end of this school year. Despite parish cost-cutting measures that have reduced annual expenses by about $125,000, the parish net surplus over the past five years has totaled only $106,500 which is obviously not enough to cover the school deficit. This trend is not projected to improve. . . .

What has caused this rapid decline in revenue? There are two major factors: stewardship and enrollment/tuition. The parish and school continue to experience decline in donations and tithing. Total income in FY 2018-2019 was $1,182,786 but by FY 2022-2023 had declined by more than 36% to $756,335. Our projections for FY 2023-2024 anticipate another 3-5% decline. Secondly, our School continues to experience a decline in enrollment, which reduces tuition revenue. In the 2018-2019 academic year we enrolled 271 students. In the 2022-2023 academic year, that number dropped to 202. The current 2023-2024 academic year has seen another 20-student decline to 182 students. In addition, data from the most recent Census, projects that the number of eligible grade-school aged students in our area will decline over the next five years.”

Upon conclusion of the evaluation process, after an extensive review of the parish and school finances and giving trends, it was determined that the parish could no longer afford to subsidize the school at the current rate due to the depletion of its financial reserves.

“It is with great sadness that St. Martin of Tours Catholic School is closing for the 2024-2025 school year,” said Ms. Kathy Kane, Interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools. “St. Martin has provided spiritual development and academic excellence for more than 100 years on the west side of Cincinnati. The Catholic Schools Office remains committed to supporting the students, families, staff and community during the upcoming transition.”

St. Martin of Tours Parish is part of The Family of the Most Holy Eucharist Family of Parishes. In addition to St. Martin School the Family has four additional schools: Our Lady of Lourdes School, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga School, Saint Antoninus School, and Saint Catharine of Siena School. The four other Catholic schools within The Family of the Most Holy Eucharist have been asked to give priority acceptance to St. Martin of Tours Catholic School students.

St. Martin of Tours Catholic School was founded in 1912, in conjunction with the establishment of St. Martin of Tours Parish. The school’s present enrollment is 182 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school employs 22 paid teachers and staff.

Fr. Matthew Robben has informed the staff, school and parish families of the upcoming closure. “The decision to close St. Martin School naturally comes with many emotions such as anger, sadness, fear and anxiety . . . As we move through this difficult transition, please pray for our school families, faculty, and staff as we begin this journey. May Saint Martin of Tours lead us, guide us, and pray for us!”

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 110 Catholic primary and secondary schools.

Jennifer Schack

Director of Media Relations

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Office | 513.263.6618

Cell | 859.512.5626

[email protected]

October 17, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Reverend Harry J. Meyer passed away on Thursday, October 5, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born on November 10, 1939, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and baptized at St. William Church, Cincinnati. He did his preparatory studies at St. Gregory Seminary, studied two years of philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in Norwood, Ohio, and received his S.T.L. from the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. He was ordained on December 16, 1964, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by Bishop Francis F. Reh.

Father Meyer received his first assignment on August 25, 1965, as assistant at Our Lady of Victory Parish, Delhi (Cincinnati) and to teach part-time at Elder High School, Cincinnati. On June 16, 1967, he was appointed Assistant Pastor at St. Aloysius on-the-Ohio Parish, Sayler Park (Cincinnati) and to teach full-time at Elder High School. On June 19, 1969, Father Meyer was named a Newman Chaplain for service at the University of Cincinnati. On June 3, 1970, he was appointed assistant at St. Pius Parish, Cumminsville (Cincinnati) while continuing in Campus Ministry for UC. On March 1, 1971, Father Meyer was appointed as Associate Pastor at Assumption Parish, Walnut Hills (Cincinnati). On June 15, 1972, Father Meyer was appointed to St. Leo Parish, North Fairmount (Cincinnati), Our Lady of Presentation of the BVM Parish, English Woods (Cincinnati), and St. Monica, Clifton (Cincinnati), while continuing in Campus Ministry. On June 20, 1973, he was appointed Director of the U.C. Newman Center and on June 20, 1975, he was appointed Director of Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese. On July 28, 1975, Father Meyer was appointed associate at St. George Parish, Clifton (Cincinnati), while continuing to act as associate ad cautellam, at St. Monica. In June 1978 Father Meyer was released from his duties in Campus Ministry to pursue summer studies at the University of San Francisco in the field of theology. On September 4, 1978, he was appointed associate at St. Andrew Parish, Avondale (Cincinnati). On January 15, 1979, he was appointed Administrator pro-tem of St. Andrew Parish, and on April 27, 1979, he was appointed Pastor of St. Andrew Parish. On November 14, 1988, Father Meyer was appointed temporary Administrator of St. Susanna Parish, Mason. On August 24, 1989, he was appointed pastor of St. Susanna Parish where he served until 2005. During his years of ministry Father Meyer was also sent for a year of study at the National Center for Campus Ministry in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was elected as Chairperson of the Association of Cincinnati priests, served on the Board of Trustees of the Newman Foundation of Cincinnati, Inc., agreed to take care of the sacramental responsibilities of St. Joseph Parish, North Bend (Cincinnati) while under the pastorate of Father Joseph Robinson, and along with Father William Williams, served as Chaplain to the Cincinnati Workhouse. Father Meyer retired from active ministry on July 1, 2005.

Reception of the Body: Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. at St. Susanna Church, 616 Reading Road, Mason, Ohio 45040; 513-398-3821. Celebrant and Homilist: Reverend Philip O. Seher. Visitation: following Reception of the Body until 5:45 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial: Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at St. Susanna Church. Celebrant: Reverend Philip O. Seher. Homilist: Reverend James W. Meade. Celebration of Life: Immediately following the Mass at the Meyer Center (located behind St. Susanna School).

Burial: Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Old Cemetery, 3819 West 8th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45205. Celebrant: Reverend Michael A. Savino.

May God welcome His faithful servant to his eternal home in heaven. May he rest in peace. Amen.

October 10, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Release Date: October 10, 2023

Closure of St. Anthony of Padua School in Dayton

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, operated by St. Anthony of Padua Parish in East Dayton, will close following the completion of the 2023-2024 school year.

The pastor, parish council and parish finance committee of St. Anthony of Padua Parish — in consultation with the Catholic Schools Office of the archdiocese — recommended closure of St. Anthony Catholic School, after the completion of the current school year. In accordance with archdiocesan procedures, the recommendation for closure was submitted to, and accepted by, Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr.

Over the past several years, the ceiling structure for the underground boiler room, independent of the 108-year-old school building, has deteriorated to the point of being structurally unsound. The weight from the parking lot above has taken a toll. Steps were taken to temporarily shore up the room. Despite the work already done the structural integrity of the underground boiler room remained a major concern. Last year in an effort to explore a permanent solution parish and school leaders hired a professional engineering firm to conduct a Facility Conditions Assessment. The assessment included inspection of the entire working of the mechanical system and associated costs of repair.

The assessment concluded that most of the school building’s mechanical systems are at the end of their functional life and therefore must be repaired, upgraded or replaced. The boiler room structure needs permanent repair. If all the identified needs were addressed, the total cost would be close to $13 million.

“Maintenance of a school building is always a priority, however, the dollars needed for repairs and upgrades can be limited. St. Anthony School has reached a point where maintenance, especially deferred maintenance, has become a serious concern,” said Fr. Satish Joseph, Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, part of the NE 7 Family of Parishes. “Such decisions are both unwanted and heartbreaking. Unless we can offer excellent education in a building that safely meets the needs of students and staff, we are not fulfilling our responsibility as a parish community.”

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School was founded in 1915, two years after the establishment of St. Anthony of Padua Parish. The school’s present enrollment is 156 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school employs 14 paid teachers and staff.

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School families, staff, and parishioners have recently been made aware of this decision. For the 2023-2024 school year the three other Catholic schools within the NE 7 Family of Parishes, and surrounding Catholic schools, will be asked to give priority acceptance to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School students.

Jennifer Schack

Director of Media Relations

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Office | 513.263.6618

Cell | 859.512.5626

[email protected]

September 27, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Deacon John D. Thamann, a deacon of the Archdiocese, died on September 19, 2023 at the age of 94. Deacon John was ordained by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on September 26, 1992. He served the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as a permanent deacon for nearly thirty-one years.

Upon his ordination, Deacon John was assigned to St. Mary Parish, Hyde Park. He remained assigned to the parish for all of his ordained ministry. He was granted Senior Status from Archbishop Dennis Schnurr in 2010.

Deacon John was married to his wife, Marge, for fifty years before her death in 2006.

Visitation will be Monday, October 2, 2023, from 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM at Geo. H. Rohde & Son Funeral Home, 3183 Linwood Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208.

Mass of Christian Burial will be Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at 10:30 AM at St. Mary Church (Hyde Park), 2853 Erie Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45208.

The obituary can be viewed here on the funeral home website.

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

August 12, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Release Date: August 12, 2023

Letter Opposing November Amendment

Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati released the following letter to the faithful, today:

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, On November 7, 2023, Ohioans will have the opportunity to demonstrate how our state views the sacredness of life and the dignity of women. On the November ballot will be a proposed amendment (deceptively named “The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety”) to the Ohio Constitution that would enshrine the “right” to take the lives of innocent children in the womb while harming women and families in the process.

An expectant mother of any age can face many challenges, including lack of support from the father, financial strains, concerns about her own health and that of her child, and pressures from family and friends. Every woman, regardless of circumstances, should be able to depend upon a community of support. That is why Catholic social service agencies, in collaboration with many other faith-based and secular organizations, assist pregnant women in need with material resources and personal accompaniment, both during pregnancy and after their child is born.

By contrast, the proposed amendment does none of that. If enacted, it would amend the Constitution of Ohio to effectively:

• Put women at risk. This amendment would enable elimination of some of the most basic, fundamental safety regulations on abortion clinics, including the current requirement for an abortion to be performed by a licensed physician.

• Threaten parental rights. The vague language in the amendment opens the door to anyone under 18 having an abortion, or even beginning cross-sex hormone treatment, without parental consent or notification.

• Allow abortion through 9 months of pregnancy. The amendment provides caveats such that a healthy, fully-formed infant in the womb who otherwise could be delivered with no issues would still be a candidate for a surgical dismemberment abortion.

We must reject this extraordinary and dangerous attempt to radically reshape Ohio through a constitutional amendment that does nothing to aid women or promote life.

The amendment’s supporters will claim that its passage is necessary to preserve medical treatment for women who experience miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies. This is not true. No Ohio laws – or the laws of any U.S. state, for that matter – prevent such treatment. Hospitals, including Catholic hospitals, and physicians have always provided comprehensive miscarriage care, and will continue to do so regardless of the outcome of this vote.

Some may insist that the Catholic Church should not be involved in politics. However, the defense of life and care for women compels our participation in this critical moral issue. As Catholics, we are morally obliged to uphold the dignity of life of all vulnerable humans – immigrants, the poor, preborn children. We cannot remain silent on a direct ballot question like the one in November. The Church must not remain on the sidelines when confronted with such a clear threat to human life and dignity and the primacy of the family.

Ohio does not need a constitutional amendment that only perpetuates violence and a culture of death. I urge Catholics and all people of goodwill to pray earnestly for the defeat of this extreme amendment; to educate yourselves and your family and friends about the dangers of the proposed amendment; and to vote NO on November 7. Beyond that, we must continue our commitment to caring for women, children and families.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of our Lord and Savior, and St. Joseph, protector of the family, intercede for Ohio and its families in the weeks ahead.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr

Archbishop of Cincinnati

Jennifer Schack

Director of Media Relations

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Office | 513.263.6618

Cell | 859.512.5626

[email protected]

August 11, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Download PDF Version – English | Download PDF Version – Spanish

August 12, 2023

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

On November 7, 2023, Ohioans will have the opportunity to demonstrate how our state views the sacredness of life and the dignity of women. On the November ballot will be a proposed amendment (deceptively named “The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety”) to the Ohio Constitution that would enshrine the “right” to take the lives of innocent children in the womb while harming women and families in the process.

By contrast, the proposed amendment does none of that. If enacted, it would amend the Constitution of Ohio to effectively:

Put women at risk. This amendment would enable elimination of some of the most basic, fundamental safety regulations on abortion clinics, including the current requirement for an abortion to be performed by a licensed physician.
Threaten parental rights. The vague language in the amendment opens the door to anyone under 18 having an abortion, or even beginning cross-sex hormone treatment, without parental consent or notification.
Allow abortion through 9 months of pregnancy. The amendment provides caveats such that a healthy, fully-formed infant in the womb who otherwise could be delivered with no issues would still be a candidate for a surgical dismemberment abortion.

We must reject this extraordinary and dangerous attempt to radically reshape Ohio through a constitutional amendment that does nothing to aid women or promote life.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of our Lord and Savior, and St. Joseph, protector of the family, intercede for Ohio and its families in the weeks ahead.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr

Archbishop of Cincinnati

July 19, 2023 by Colin Rahill

Reverend Joseph A. Robinson passed away on Monday, July 17, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born on October 14, 1937 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and baptized at St. William Church, Cincinnati. He did his preparatory studies at St. Gregory Seminary and studied theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in Norwood, Ohio. Father Robinson also received a Master’s degree in psychology from Xavier University, Cincinnati. He was ordained on May 30, 1964 at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati by Archbishop Karl J. Alter.

Father Robinson received his first assignment on June 17, 1964, as assistant at Guardian Angels Parish and on faculty of McNicholas High School, Cincinnati. On January 28, 1965, he was appointed assistant at Holy Family Parish and to teach at Seton High School, Cincinnati. On June 16, 1967, he was appointed assistant at Guardian Angels Parish, and to teach one class daily at McNicholas. He was appointed assistant at St. Margaret Mary Parish, N. College Hill on September 24, 1971. He was appointed assistant at St. Anthony Parish, Madisonville, on June 20, 1973, with full-time studies at Xavier University. On December 30, 1974, he was appointed assistant at St. Columban Parish, Loveland and then appointed pastor of St. Columban Parish on January 3, 1977. On November 15, 1985, he was appointed Consultor of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (term of five years). Father Robinson was appointed temporary administrator of St. Patrick Parish, Cincinnati, effective December 4, 1990, and appointed pastor of St. Patrick Parish on March 17, 1991, for a period of six years. He was appointed pastor of St. Boniface Parish, Cincinnati for a period of six years on January 1, 1992, while continuing as pastor of St. Patrick Parish (parishes to be merged). Father Robinson was appointed Dean of the Cathedral Deanery, effective January 1, 2001, for a four-year term, ending December 31, 2004. He was re-appointed Dean of the Cathedral Deanery for two more consecutive four-year terms, Dec. 2004 – Dec. 2008 and again, Dec. 2008 – Dec. 2012. He was appointed temporary parochial administrator of St. Joseph Parish, Cincinnati, effective January 25, 2005, and appointed pastor of St. Joseph Parish, effective August 1, 2005, while continuing as pastor of St. Boniface Parish. He was appointed temporary parochial administrator of St. Joseph Parish, Cincinnati effective July 1, 2007 – October 1, 2007. He was appointed parochial administrator of St. Leo the Great Parish, Cincinnati, while continuing as pastor of St. Boniface Parish, effective August 6, 2012 – October 30, 2012. He was appointed pastor of St. Bernard Parish, Spring Grove Village, which includes the administration of Mother of Christ, Cincinnati, effective July 1, 2018, while continuing as pastor of St. Boniface Parish. Father Robinson retired from active ministry on January 31, 2020.

Reception of the Body: Monday, July 24, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Boniface Church, 1750 Chase Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45223; 513-541-1563. Celebrant and Homilist: Reverend James R. Schutte.

Visitation: following Reception of the Body until 9:00 p.m.; also on Tuesday, July 25 from 9:00 a.m. until 10:15 a.m.

Mass of Christian Burial: Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Boniface Church. Celebrant: Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer. Homilist: Reverend Gerald E. Bensman.

Burial: Tuesday, July 25, 2023, immediately following Mass, at Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45232. Celebrant: Reverend Gerald E. Bensman.

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

Colin Rahill

Colin Rahill

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