SCCR Parish Blog

  The Last Judgment by Michelangelo As we observe Halloween (really a Catholic holiday that got "co-opted" by the secularists) and move into the month of November, where we traditionally remember to pray for the dead, here's an article from the National Catholic Register that explains a bit about where Halloween came from and why the tradition of the Church has always reminded us that it is spiritually helpful to contemplate our own death.  More generally, thinking and praying about death, judgment, (purgatory leading to) heaven and hell (collectively  called the Four Last Things should be a very frequent practice in the life of every Christian.   Here's the section from the Catechism of the Catholic Church that addresses those important topics.   The "Reader's Digest" version of that from EWTN is here. 

  I have been looking for a while for a good impartial voting guide that both lays out Catholic principles for informing oneself before deciding how to vote and explains some of the complex principles for voters to understand how to weigh issues against each other, what is and isn't negotiable, and so on.  All while not endorsing a candidate or a party explicitly or implicitly. I finally found a good one , from the always-worth-reading Catholic newspaper, the National Catholic Register.  It explains candidate and party positions in light of Catholic teaching, rather than partisan politics. The guide consists mostly of direct quotes from candidates and the major political party platforms, without analysis.  (That's your task, as a Catholic voter). The issues listed are not the only issues that you might choose to weigh, so you may have to do additional research on your own, but they cover many important areas of concern to the Christian voter. You might want to "bookmark&q

  We remember today Fr. Michael McGivney .  He was beatified today, the first American priest to receive that designation (one step away from being declared a saint).  He was an ordinary parish priest in some ways, but famous for his founding of the fraternal order of Catholic men called the Knights of Columbus in 1882.  They are still very much around and have been doing great work for 138 years.  They started by providing fraternity for immigrants who were often despised by native Americans and by caring for those in need -- especially widows of those same immigrants.  Fr. McGivney was the son of Irish immigrant parents, so he certainly knew their needs.    In more modern times, the Knights have branched out into on pro-life work, support for the handicapped, support for priests and seminarians, and educational efforts.    Here's a great article about his beatification from the always information Catholic newspaper, the National Catholic Register.   There's also an inspirin

Here is a beautiful, brief reflection written by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (appearing in the Magnificat devotional magazine for today's date).  As usual,  in just a few short words, Pope Benedict "nails it."   I especially like his image of the saints being like stars which reflect the unspeakably beautiful light of Jesus the Son of God. It is so very important that we teach our children and grandchildren to read about the lives of the saints and, when possible, to read the saints' writings in their own words.   There are many good videos of the saints produced by Ignatius Press and others, as well as material on our formed.org platform.   (This is free to parishioners and includes videos that can stream on any internet device..  Contact the parish office or me for more info.) My young and formative years were in that unfortunate era (the late 1960s and the 1970s) when so many Catholics discarded devotion to the saints as "unimportant" and "irreleva

  UPDATED: 31 October 2020 I have had a few questions about the impact of the State's announcement of an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases here in Ohio. The Archbishop has recently assured us that unless something very drastic happens, we will continue to celebrate holy Mass publicly, with the same precautions already in place. Here is the most recent statement from the Archdiocese:  County Designation of “Purple” Due to COVID Cases Speculation that some counties in Ohio may be designated “Purple” based on rising COVID cases naturally raises the question of what this might mean for the public celebration of Mass. The Catholic bishops of Ohio have no desire to suspend the public celebration of Mass and neither does Governor DeWine. Therefore, unless notified otherwise, a “Purple” designation would indicate  no change  to our current protocol. This does, however, throw a spotlight on the importance of following that protocol as  masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing rema

This Sunday, November 1st, we celebrate the solemn feast of All Saints.  To set the tone, I recommend listening to some of the great hymns reminding us of how the Communion of Saints impacts our lives and praying over the lyrics. By All Your Saints Still Striving (Horatio Nelson, 1864): First Setting , Second Setting , Lyrics For All the Saints Williarm Walsham How, 1864) Video , Lyrics

  UPDATED: Oct. 30th There has been some  confusion over some recent remarks that Pope Francis made about so-called "civil unions" of homosexual couples.   Here are some notes that I hope will help to clarify the situation. * The Church's teaching is clear, unequivocal and unchangeable that homosexual acts are always gravely immoral.   * The Church's teaching is clear, unequivocal and unchangeable that entering into a same-sex (so-called) marriage can never be permissible.  Marriage, by its very nature, can only be between one man and one woman. * As a general principle, the secular media (outlets such as the Cincinnati Enquirer, National Public Radio, CNN and so on) do not get the stories correct.  Many are anti-Catholic and have an "agenda" to advance, so don't always report what the Pope says accurately or take quotes out of context.  Be very skeptical of what they report about the Church. * I recommend good Catholic media instead, such as  Our Sunday

  Robert Cardinal Sarah, the head of the Vatican's congregation (department) for the celebration of the Holy Sacraments has recently written a letter to the Church around the world encouraging people to attend holy Mass if they are not at high risk of contracting Covid.  It's entitled, " Let us return to the Eucharist with Joy !"  This beautiful letter and explains what the difference is between watching Mass on TV or the Internet, vs. celebrating it in person.  He explains that, if possible considering health circumstances and other factors, celebrating in person is always preferred.  That is why, in ordinary times, the bishops require the faithful to attend Sunday Mass unless there are extenuating circumstances.    As pastor, I certainly add my own strong encouragement to all parishioners to come back to Mass if you are not in a group that is high-risk for Covid complications.   The Our Sunday Visitor weekly periodical has a bit more about this letter.

  Throughout the year, but especially during election times, Catholics ask themselves, "How can I be a faith-filled citizen and a faithful citizen."  To help answer that question, our United States college of Catholic bishops (USCCB) has recently published a paper regarding principles that Catholic should use in deciding how to vote for candidates and issues before them. It is a complex topic, so I am posting the full document here and also will publish  some excerpts from it later.  Feel free to check back later. There is also a resource page regarding this topic available.

There is a free virtual conference on Catholic apologetics coming this weekend. The term apologetics means defending and explaining the Catholic faith.  Some top-notch Catholic thinkers, apologists and media personnel are presenting, so would be well worth your time.   Register here .

National Black Catholic History Month Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati, has sent the following letter to the faithful of the archdiocese asking them to join in a novena for National Black Catholic History Month. Please see this letter below:  This event starts on November 1st. To register for this novena, please click this link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/122107178859 A novena is a 9-day period of time in which specific prayers are said for a particular intention. Novena's are a rich tradition in the Church and one in which there are many novena's for many different intentions. Let us join together in praying for our brother and sisters in Christ.