Next Sunday: Third Sunday of Advent Celebrant: Fr. Tharp
Advent Communal Penance Service
At least four priests will be available to hear confessions on Wednesday, December 11 for the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Family Advent Communal Penance Service which will be held at Sacred Heart Church at 7:00 p.m. With this many priests, the wait time to go to confession will be minimal, whereas if you wait until a week before Christmas, you can be assured of a long wait in line. Therefore, I strongly suggest not waiting until time before Christmas is short! Avoid the rush and come to the Communal Penance Service on December 11.
December 9th IS a Holyday of Obligation!
Since Vatican II, the Conference of Catholic Bishops for each country or region has determined when the precept obligation for a Holyday could be rescinded because of proximity to another Sunday or Solemnity. This year the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (which is typically December 8) falls on a Sunday. Thus the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is moved to December 9 for this year. The recent tradition of the Church has been to abrogate the obligation for a Monday Holyday, but the Holy See has informed us that because Monday, December 9th is the Feast Day, and Mary’s Immaculate Conception is the patronal feast for the United States, the precept obligation remains for this year. Therefore, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Monday, December 9 IS a Holyday of Obligation this year. Calendars will say it is not, but the Holy See has abrogated the exception.
Masses for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Monday, December 9 at St. Ann at 6:30 a.m. Sacred Heart at 7:30 a.m. Sacred Heart School Mass at 8:15 a.m. (access only through the school) St. Ann School Mass10:00 a.m. (limited access) St. Ann at 5:30 p.m. and Sacred Heart at 7:00 p.m. There will be no anticipatory Masses for the Immaculate Conception on Sunday evening!
Beacons of Light: Canonical and Legal Unification of Two Locations into one Parish
For about the last ten years, Sacred Heart and St. Ann have existed as two parishes in one Pastoral Region. About two years ago, the St. Ann / Sacred Heart Pastoral Region was designated by the Archbishop to no longer operate as a simple Pastoral Region, but as a “Family of Parishes” under the Beacons of Light initiative. Being designated as a Family of Parishes means that our destiny is to become one canonical “parish” in our case with two worship space (aka church) locations or campuses. Having consulted with the directors of Beacons as well as the Chancellor and Finance Office of the Archdiocese, it has been determined that St. Ann and Sacred Heart are now ready for canonical unification as one parish to be known by the name you the congregation picked. Under the law of the Catholic Church, individual parishes are called “juridic persons.” Thus our target is to canonically “merge” the juridic person named Saint Ann Church with the juridic person named Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. At 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2025, the two churches will be merged into one new parish known as the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church of Butler County. Both locations and schools will still operate as they have, but as of 12:00 a.m. July 1, 2025 the two will be known as the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, St. Ann Campus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Sacred Heart Campus. In that one minute, two parishes will cease to legally exist as two separate juridic persons; and one new parish will be constituted as the accumulation of the assets and territories of both.
It is very important to note that this is not the END of Beacons of Light initiative but rather the “end of the beginning of one new parish born of the two. After the merge, both congregations (now one) will begin to work for the fulfillment of the goal to become an evangelical tool and not just the maintenance of what once was! Therefore, this is not the end of Beacons, but rather the Beginning of the evangelical community known as the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
I hope to have two “question and answer” meetings (one at St. Ann and one at Sacred Heart) to explain all aspects of this during the months of December and January. With the approval of our combined Pastoral (parish) Council and combined Finance Council the matter will be recommended to the Archbishop by the Finance Council of the Archdiocese and the College of Consulters of the Archdiocese. This will give the Archdiocese the necessary time for all the changes of name and issuance of new identification numbers. The end of the beginning stages of Beacons will trigger as of July 1, 2025. Remember however that this is simply the end of the beginning process. The work of becoming an evangelical parish (not a maintenance parish) will only have begun.
Archdiocese discontinues any partnership with GSUSA
In a letter dated October 28, 2024, the Archbishop has informed all pastors and administrators in the Archdiocese of the decision to discontinue any partnership with the Girl Scouts. The following is a quote from the third paragraph of the letter, “Unfortunately in recent years, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has embraced and promoted an impoverished worldview regarding gender and sexuality.” Thus, because Girl Scouts has apparently taken a position at odds with traditional Catholic moral teaching; any support and partnerships Girl Scouts has with the Archdiocese and its parishes must be suspended. An unabridged copy of the referenced letter is available at church doors.
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:
John the Baptist is the last and greatest prophet. Why? He announces the truth of the “Incarnation.” All prophets are charged with putting forth the truth. John announces that the “Truth” is Emmanuel. But in addition to his pinnacle role in salvation history, John the Baptist also reveals that the prophet must be ready to pay a high personal price for speaking the truth. We often consider persecutions of the faithful as being confined to history. Sadly, the reality is the opposite in our contemporary world. John pointed to Jesus as the messiah. Are we willing to conform our hearts to the way of Jesus so as to confront the evils in our world? Do we have the courage of John the Baptist? If you give yourself to the message of Jesus, it may cost you your head; but you will save your soul.
NEXT SUNDAY Third Sunday of Advent
Zep 3:14-18a
Phil 4:4-7
Lk 3:10-18
Theme: Rejoice