Next Sunday: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Celebrant : Fr. Tharp
Parish Festival
The St. Ann Parish Festival takes place next Friday and Saturday (July 29 & 30). The best advertisement is word of mouth. Please invite people at work and in social settings to spend some time at our festival. A successful festival can turn budgets from red to black. Please help in any way you can.
Safety for both Schools in our Family
The Archbishop has issued some new directives as to approved security procedures for churches and schools involving the use of, and restrictions on the use of defensive weapons. It is my hope to have a meeting or meetings for parents and parishioners as the experts advise us on how to improve security in our schools and churches.
Mark your calendar now!
The determination has been made by the Beacons of Light process that EVERY active priest in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will be required to attend a Convocation at a distant location they have determined. This absence of priests will begin Monday, September 26. We should be permitted to return by evening Thursday, September 29. Just as it is during the Easter Triduum each year, there will be virtually no availability of priests for daily Mass, anointing of the sick, or funerals for the four day period. I will seek to advise our local funeral directors as well as hospitals and nursing homes. We have had mandatory convocations in the past decades, but forewarned is forearmed. As we approach the time, I should have more information.
Service Dog for Sacred Heart School
This coming year, Sacred Heart School will seek to reduce the emotional and psychological stress felt by many students by the introduction of a service dog; a Labrador named Argo. Part of his training will be how to behave in church during Mass. Therefore (before School reconvenes) if you happen to attend a Sunday Mass and see one of the training team bringing a dog to church, you will know that they are simply getting him used to the surroundings.
Beacons of Light
The 57 new “Families” under the Beacons of Light program are now officially promulgated as of July 1, 2022. The implementation of the “families” signals the beginning. It is the hope that over the next few years, parishioners of both parishes will meet and discern possibilities. Over the next five years (or possibly less due to the fact that your pastor is “long in the tooth”) you, the parishioners, will determine Leadership in Phase One, achieve a Vision in Phase Two, lift up and celebrate your Family’s history and Culture in Phase Three, engage in Planning in Phase Four, and determine Mission in Phase Five. This all happens according to your family’s time schedule; not some pre-determined calendar. The only caveat is that we cannot stand still or choose to do nothing.
Eucharistic Display created by Blessed Carlo Acutis
The Women of Faith group is sponsoring Eucharistic Miracle posters created by Blessed Carlo Acutis, who died of Leukemia at age 15, but had created a website displaying these accumulated Eucharistic miracles from throughout the world. There is little doubt that when canonized, he will almost certainly become the patron of the internet and social media. Remember that the three stages or “cause of sainthood” to having one’s name placed on the “list” or “canon” of Saints in Rome starts with the title “Venerable, “ moves to the title “Blessed, ” and then after miraculous interventions is verified by the Holy See, the pope may name the person to the “list” or “canon” of titled “Saint.”
To encourage especially the young to take note of these posters, the Women together have created a raffle for those who take note of each poster throughout the next year.
Servers at Sacred Heart
St. Ann reinstituted servers last month, but (for various reasons) we have been a bit delayed at Sacred Heart. However, as of the weekend of June 26, servers who have been trained in the past are invited to come to the sacristy and see if you are needed. There will be no formal schedule until additional servers are trained and ready to go by the beginning of school. During the rest of the summer, this will be informal, but if you have already been trained, feel free to come to the sacristy. If we get too many at any one Mass, I ask you to understand and offer to serve the next time you are here.
Re-introduction of Precious Blood at Communion
We are continuing to re-introduce communion under both species at as many Masses as possible. However, for the time being, we have only enough distributors for two cups at the 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon Masses at Sacred Heart, and for the time being the 11:00 a.m. Mass at St. Ann. Again, we can only do this to the degree we have enough Eucharistic ministers willing to do cups. Also, I have heard chatter regarding other viruses in the news. I continue to be cautiously optimistic with the emphasis on “cautious.”
DO NOT FALL FOR SCAMS!!!!
I keep running this article because there are new scams everyday
Remember I NEVER solicit funds, donations, favors, or any request of any kind over the telephone, text, email, carrier pigeon, drone, etc. NEVER! Do not allow yourself to be taken in by scammers. Even if they have my recorded voice, be assured it is computer generated fake! It is not me!!!
Reminder for volunteers who work with or around children
Please be aware that failure to register with and complete the requirements of Safe Parish will result in your inability to continue to work with or around children in any parish and/or school setting. We have been informed by the Archdiocese that there can be NO EXCEPTIONS.
Live Streaming for Precept Masses
Please remember to access the Sacred Heart / St. Ann Pastoral Region You Tube site by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVLLqbEY5hKWinwz069MVcg
Reflection on Scripture:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” (Prv. 3:5) The Proverbs of Solomon lift up the wisdom of adhering to the Lord’s way, even when it defies the philosophical syllogisms and logic of this world. Thus we say in faith, “I trust in the Lord!” But do we really trust the Lord, or do we hedge our bet? You trust the prediction that it will not rain, but you carry an umbrella in the car just in case. Sometimes we take precautions based on the presumption that we can “out think” God. Jesus calls us to follow his rules unequivocally, one hundred percent of the time. We respond with ninety nine percent, but keep that one percent open just in case. But Jesus is not happy when we believe we can out think God. Jesus wants one hundred percent loyalty. Nothing less will do.
Every day our resolve to follow the Lord is tested by the “false wisdom” of contemporary secular culture. How often do we see communications that say things like “abortion is the compassionate choice.” Evil operates on the presumption that any little doubt will distract us to some degree from the truth of God. Joseph Goebbels is alleged to have said, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Evil, feigning sincerity, seeks to sell us on the proposition that bad can be good and vice versa. Jesus tells us to follow his path unwaveringly. It is the only way not to be fooled
NEXT WEEK Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Eccl 1:2, 2:91-93
Col 3:1-5, 9-11
Lk 12:13-21
Theme: Jesus is the antidote to vanity and greed!