Friday, June 11, 2010

DAYTON DEANERY — The Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Cincinnati Province, have elected Father Larry Hemmelgarn as their next provincial director. Father Hemmelgarn, 53, currently serves the province as its provincial secretary and director of mission advancement at the provincial office in Dayton. He was chosen to lead the province during an assembly held May 24-28 at St. Charles Center in Carthagena. He will replace Father Angelo Anthony, who is completing his third term as provincial director.

Father Larry Hemmelgarn (in red) with members of the provincial council (from left) Fathers Ken Schnipke, Tom Hemm, Ben Berinit, Brother Rob Reuter and Fathers Jeff Kirch and Tony Fortman. (Courtesy photo)

A native of Philothea, Father Hemmelgarn entered the Society in 1971 and was ordained in 1984.  He was an associate pastor at Precious Blood Church in Dayton and lived at St. Mark Parish in Cincinnati before becoming director of the Office of Liturgy for the Diocese of Columbus in 1996, a position he held until 1999 when he joined the provincial administrative team. Father Hemmelgarn is the chaplain of the Glen at St. Joseph in Dayton and serves on the mission advisory board of the archdiocese.
 
Joining him on the next leadership team will be Father Benjamin Berinti, vice provincial. Elected to the provincial council were Father Thomas Hemm, the pastor of the St. Henry cluster of parishes in and around St. Henry, Ohio; Brother Robert Reuter, a professor of philosophy at Saint Joseph’s College; Father Anthony Fortman, pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Glandorf; Father Kenneth Schnipke, the director of vocation ministry and personnel director for the province; and Father Jeffrey Kirch, a professor of theology at Saint Joseph’s College.