SCCR Parish Blog

We have received word that Fr. Mike Leshney died today (March 27th).  He was the pastor of the South Clermont Region for many years (until 2018). Please pray for the repose of his soul. His biography and the details of his final services and funeral Mass are included below. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. - And let perpetual light shine upon him.  May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. =============== Nurre Funeral Home website and tribute   ================== Reverend Michael F. Leshney  died on Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born on November 15, 1945, in Cincinnati. He did his preparatory studies at St. Gregory Seminary and studied theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West.  He was ordained on June 2, 1973, at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, Cincinnati, by Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin.   Father Leshney received his first assignment on June 20, 1973, as a resident...

 From the Church's daily prayer cycle (the Liturgy of the Hours) here is today's reflection on the Annunciation. Second Reading From a letter of Saint Leo the Great, pope The mystery of man's reconciliation with God Lowliness is assumed by majesty, weakness by power, mortality by eternity. To pay the debt of our sinful state, a nature that was incapable of suffering was joined to one that could suffer. Thus, in keeping with the healing that we needed, one and the same mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, was able to die in one nature, and unable to die in the other.   He who is true God was therefore born in the complete and perfect nature of a true man, whole in his own nature, whole in ours. By our nature we mean what the Creator had fashioned in us from the beginning, and took to himself in order to restore it.   For in the Saviour there was no trace of what the deceiver introduced and man, being misled, allowed to enter. It does not follow th...

  UPDATED: March 25th   See the full text of Pope Francis' beautiful prayer for the consecration of the world to the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially Russia and Ukraine.  (Given on March 25th, the solemn feast of the Annunciation). During this time of war in Ukraine and grave threat of escalation of that war, Our Holy Father Pope Francis is renewing the consecration of Russia to Our Lady. Here's the news from the Archdiocese: Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Friday, March 25.  Archbishop Schnurr has asked the faithful of our archdiocese to join him in praying a Rosary novena from March 17-25. We invite all members of our [PARISH NAME] community to join the Archbishop in this special novena.   "May the Immaculate Heart of Mary, through her powerful intercession, lead to the conversion of hearts and minds and peace throughout the world, especially at this time in Ukraine." Read the entire letter from Archbishop Sch...

  I've always been fascinated by the saints of the English persecution of the 17th century -- both priests and laymen and women who gave their lives so that priests could celebrate Mass and hear confessions in the era where the royal crown put priests to death for administering the sacraments. Here's a brief story from the National Catholic Register about a layman, Nicholas Owen, who was a carpenter who built many "priest holes" (hiding places within homes to prevent the royal army from capturing these renegade priests) before he was eventually hanged for it. 

  As we prepare for the solemn feast of St. Joseph here in South Clermont, we will celebrate with a solemn Mass at 9:00 a.m. on March 19th at St. Peter followed by a St. Joseph table in the undercroft there (Fr. Kennedy Hall).  Please join us.  Here are some links regarding St. Joseph HowSt. Joseph was made the patron of the universal Church HowSt. Joseph’s day fits in with the history of the Soviet Union and her propaganda

The Lenten season is a time to engage in a spiritual campaign to strategize how to overcome sin and vice in our lives and to grow in holiness, especially through the aid of prayer and the sacraments. The first step in doing so is to know what sin is and how it entraps us. In that vein, I recommend an article on sins of the tongue , by Monsignor Charles Pope, which was published recently in the National Catholic Register. 

Dr. Scott Hahn, a tireless evangelist for the Catholic Faith, has helped found the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.  Their mission is to help Christians understand Sacred Scripture and put it into practice in their lives. They are offering a free Lenten video series  entitled "A Journey through Lent," on important topics in our faith. I highly recommend it.