August 10: Pray for all Priests
Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Divine Providence Family,
Greetings! I write this as the convocation of priests of the Archdiocese begins, on the feast of St. John Marie Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests (who devoted himself to spending hours in the confessional and became an agent of transformation in the lives of untold thousands of people). Please pray for all priests - especially myself and those who serve you in our parishes - that we become like him! As the Scriptures say, when the priests are clothed with righteousness, then all the people will shout for joy.
I recently returned from receiving a certificate in church management from Villanova Business School. It was a great program, and it was exciting to be with other young priests. I was encouraged by the fact that nothing I learned was a surprise; it was reassuring to know that I already knew most of the things. I did, however, learn new, cutting edge ideas in finance and fundraising, which I look forward to putting to use. One of the hot topics which we covered is the issue of ‘synodality.’ This is one of those buzz-words which we might hear frequently, and which does not have a precise meaning. Taking the example of Pope Francis’ leadership of the synod on synodality, the church management certificate clarified the concept of “inclusive leadership.” I’ll be writing more about this concept in future bulletins. One interesting area of research study showed that Christian congregations which practiced inclusive leadership across denominations showed strong and consistent growth after COVID disruptions in 2020.
Two other important things for your consideration:
Safe Haven Sunday – The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has designed August 10 as “Safe Haven Sunday.” This is because of its proximity to the feast of St. Philomena, a martyr for chastity and the heavenly friend of St. John Vianney. Safe Haven Sunday is a time to offer healing from the corrosive impact of pornography in our families and society. The average age at which children begin watching pornography in America is 11 years old. 80% of men, and 60% of women, report watching pornography at least monthly in America. This vice is scientifically demonstrated to warp the brain, decrease empathy and the capacity for relationships, and destroy marriages. But there is great opportunity for healing, freedom, and hope! There are many resources available to empower individuals to become free from this negative influence. Parents can check out https://www.centerforthenewevangelization.org/safe-haven-sunday/ parent-resources for resources for themselves and their children, to help make our homes a safe haven for virtue again. I have a plethora of other resources as well; don’t hesitate to reach out!
Assumption Mass Time Change – Beginning Labor Day weekend, the Sunday Mass at Assumption will begin at 9:00am, instead of 9:30am. This change was initiated by the parish and finance councils at Assumption to allow the priests and Scot Buzza to serve our family of parishes more effectively. I would like to thank Assumption Parish for this generous contribution to the common good of us all! This is a great example of the forward thinking and the selfless, generous change that I would like to put forward as a model for other parishes to consider. This is a small step forward along the journey of transformation that we will be walking together.
That’s all for now, folks. God bless you, and be sure of my prayers! Please pray for me, and know that Our Lady of Divine Providence is caring for us all.
Fr. Henry
