ARCHDIOCESE

Prayer for Vocation Awareness Week

Vocation Awareness Week concludes on Saturday, Jan. 15. In a letter to pastors, Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr noted that the week’s theme focuses on “the disciples’ request of Jesus to ‘Teach us how to pray.’ In that vein, I would like to introduce a regular prayer for vocations in all parishes of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.”

The archbishop began a similar endeavor when he served as Bishop of Duluth and has asked that the prayer be recited in every parish at weekend, and if possible, weekday Masses. Parishes that are already using their own prayer for vocations may continue to do so, but the archbishop provided a copy to every parish of the prayer he composed in collaboration with the Vocation Office of the archdiocese.

“The Lord of the harvest will not fail to hear and answer our prayer,” he wrote to pastors.

For families and individuals wishing to use the prayer at home, here is the text.

Prayer for Vocations

Almighty Father,
You have created us from some definite purpose.
Grant us the grace to know the path
You have planned for us in this life
And to respond with a generous “yes.”

Make our archdiocese, parishes, homes and hearts
Fruitful ground for Your gift of vocations.
May our young people response to Your call
With courage and zeal.

Stir among our men a desire and the strength
To be good and holy priests.
Bless us with consecrated religious and those called to a
Chaste single life, permanent deacons,
And faithful husbands and wives
Who are a sign of Christ’s love for His church.

We commend our prayer for vocations to You, Father,
Through the intercession of Mary, our Mother,
In the Holy Spirit,
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

ARCHDIOCESE

Meet cathedral chef/author at local library branches

Local cookbook author and head chef at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral Giovanna Trimpe will be appearing at several branches of the Public Library of Hamilton County. Trimpe, a resident of Delhi, is the author of Holy Chow! and has lived and cooked on three continents. Hear her culinary adventures, enjoy a cooking demonstration and savor some sample dishes from her cookbook, Holy Chow! at the following dates/times:
• Saturday, Jan. 22, 2 p.m., Main Library, 800 Vine St., Cincinnati, Huenefeld Tower Room.
• Saturday, January 29, 1 p.m., Blue Ash Branch Library, 4911 Cooper Rd.
• Tuesday, February 15, 7 p.m., Delhi Township Branch Library, 5095 Foley Rd.
• Thursday, March 3, 6 p.m.,Westwood Branch Library, 3345 Epworth Ave.,
513-369-4474 (Please call to register.)
• Monday, March 21, 7 p.m., Harrison Branch Library, 10398 New Haven Rd.
• Tuesday, April 5, 6:30 p.m., Monfort Heights Branch Library, 3825 West Fork Rd.
• Monday, April 11, 6:30 p.m., Mariemont Branch Library, 3810 Pocahontas Ave.
• Saturday, May 7, 2 p.m. Groesbeck Branch Library, 2994 Galbraith Rd.

 ST. FRANCIS DE SALES DEANERY

Seminary exchange program with Honduras continues

The exchange program between the Athenaeum of Ohio’s/Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, continued for its ninth year this winter as the Athenaeum welcomed three seminarians from Honduras.

Honduran seminarians Lenin Cruz, Hector Antonio Lopez, and Carlos Manuel Cardona arrived in Cincinnati Jan. 1 and will depart Jan. 25.
The program has been made possible through grants from the Lange Foundation and the German-based Aid to the Church in Need, along with a financial contribution from St. Michael Parish in Ripley.

During their stay, the Honduran seminarians are expected to attend a Xavier University basketball game, visit the Cincinnati Zoo, participate in parish programs at St. Margaret of York, Twenty Mile Stand, and Holy Angels, Sidney, and join Mount St. Mary’s Seminarians on their annual trip to Washington, D.C., for this year’s March for Life Jan. 23 and 24.

ARCHDIOCESE

Catholic Schools Week Jan. 30-Feb. 6

Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated nationally and in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Jan. 30-Feb. 6. Two masses will celebrate the heritage of excellence of local Catholic schools: Tuesday, Feb. 1, 10 a.m., at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in Cincinnati, and Wednesday, Feb. 2, 10 a.m., at Precious Blood Church in Dayton. Area schools will be represented at each Mass.

As part of the annual campaign for Catholic schools, the Catholic Schools Office has kicked off an iPad giveaway on Facebook. If you “friend” the Catholic Schools Office page on Facebook, you will be entered to win one of three iPads which will be given away in February.

On Jan. 3, a new campaign was launched that allows parents, students, grandparents — all Facebook members with an interest in local Catholic schools — to vote for their favorite Catholic school.

In addition to boosting school spirit, students and their schools get the chance to engage in some friendly competition and have a little fun. At deadline time, more than 4,700 persons were voting, which can be done daily through http://apps.facebook.com/cath-schools-vote/

The top three winners will be announced at the end of Catholic Schools Week.  The students attending the two Catholic schools that show the most school spirit will win a dress-down day, a school-wide pizza party lunch and a trophy. The second-place school wins a dress-down day, a school-wide ice cream party and a certificate. Third place earns a dress-down day and a certificate. Both grade schools and high schools are included in the contest, so sign on and vote often! Please encourage friends, parishioners and family to participate.

ST. LAWRENCE DEANERY

Harrison parish robbed, vandalized

St. John the Baptist Church in Harrison was robbed and vandalized in the early hours of Jan. 8. Vincent Huddleston, 21, of Elmwood Place, and Robert J. Newhouse, 19, of Harrison, have been charged with breaking and entering, desecration and safecracking.

Parish staff arriving for morning Mass discovered a broken side door; the altar, candle stands and holy water fonts had been overturned, according to police reports. The tabernacle had been tampered with, but was unopened, and the surrounding wall was damaged. The two men allegedly took $18 from poorboxes and stole two bottles of altar wine.

Parishioners quickly pitched in to assist with repairs and cleaning before Masses. Psalm 51 was prayed before each Mass and the walls of the church were blessed with holy water.

Both men are being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center on bond of $11,000 and are scheduled to appear in court Jan. 18. Newhouse has previously been arrested on charges of theft, forgery, drug trafficking and possession.

ARCHDIOCESE

Family Rosary contest deadline Feb. 1

Feb. 1 is the deadline for entry submission in the 16th annual “Try Prayer! It Works!” national contest sponsored by the Family Rosary. The contest encourags children to express their faith through art, poetry and prose.

This year’s theme, “Speak, Lord Your Servant is Listening,” focuses on the Annunciation, which celebrates the announcement that Mary would become the mother of Jesus. The contest asks entrants to use creativity to depict their thoughts and feelings about how they listen when God speaks to them.

The contest is open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade who attend a Catholic school, are enrolled in a religious education program or are active in a parish or other Catholic organization. Applications can be downloaded from the website at www.FamilyRosary.org/tryprayer. All entries must be postmarked by Feb. 1.

Up to three winners are chosen per grade: First-place winners are awarded $100, while the sponsoring organization earns $200.

Judges choose the winners based on the content of the submissions and entrants’ ability to capture and interpret the theme, their artistic and technical proficiency and their adherence to contest rules.