HOLY MASS LIVE ONLINE: WEEKEND (Sun @ 10am, St. Mary & St. Augustine)  WEEKDAY (M-F @ 8am, CIN Cathedral)

*NEW RECORDING* Mass, Ascension of the Lord, May 24, 2020

(View all recorded Masses on our parish YouTube channel.)

Message from Fr. Jim:

05/09/2020

Yesterday, Archbishop Schnurr issued another pastoral letter to the faithful in which he announced the public celebration of Mass will resume in our diocese on May 25th. This is glorious news of course and we give thanks to Jesus that we may soon worship again in His presence, and receive Him Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity!

Please read the Archbishop’s letter in its entirety, as he makes the point that we will be entering a new normal where health and safety concerns remain paramount. I will be working with the parish staff and members of our Safety Team on re-gathering plans specific to both St. Mary and St. Augustine. Expect further messaging in the days to come. Alleluia!

05/03/2020

At Thanksgiving time, you are no doubt familiar with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, hailed as the official start to the Christmas shopping frenzy. In recent years, there’s been an effort to put more mindfulness into consumerism, with the addition of Small Business Saturday and GivingTuesday, the latter becoming a global movement dedicated to charitable giving. 

As a response to the unprecedented need caused by Covid-19, another international day of giving is being launched. #GivingTuesdayNow will take place this Tuesday, May 5, 2020, and the Archdiocese will be going live on Facebook throughout the day to speak with ministries, organizations, and parishes. I will be speaking at 6:30pm on how St. Mary and St. Augustine continue ministering to families amidst the stay-at-home order: through live streaming Masses, phone outreach to families, feeding the local community (e.g. Box Lunch Wednesday), continuing formation online (e.g., RCIA, Youth Ministry), and launching a brand new ministry called Catholic in Recovery to assist Catholics seeking recovery from addiction.

Our mission has not been put on hold nor taken a break, but continues to change and adapt to the fluid circumstances in which we find ourselves. For this reason and for those who are able, we need your continued support. It’s not just about keeping the lights on, but rather about being a light for one another, especially in difficult times, and that’s what your parishes are doing. To participate, our donation page has been updated with links for both parishes. Thank you for helping us continue to make a meaningful difference in our communities!

03/31/2020

To all parishioners of St. Mary and St. Augustine parishes:

Recently, a couple I befriended at my first parish in 1975 downsized from a large home on a 10-acre yard with much social isolation to a smaller home surrounded by many neighbors. As they are my age, early 70s, my friends are now perceived as the “old couple” in the neighborhood. Last week in the midst of this pandemic, a younger family and their children started knocking at their door to see if they needed anything, especially groceries or medication. Although humbled to be perceived as the old couple in the neighborhood, my friends have been touched by the kindness and compassion of their new neighbors.

This present pandemic has surfaced needs that many of us did not even know we have. As with my friends, many of these needs are met by neighbors, friends, and family.

As pastor, I want to make sure we are meeting the needs of every member of our parish family. Not everyone receives the benefit of online ministry. We have many parishioners who have volunteered to pick up groceries and make deliveries or simply to make a phone call. Perhaps all they need is a phone call from the pastor. I am already making these phone calls throughout the week.

If you are aware of the needs of any individual and/or family, please let us know. You can leave a message on the parish office phone: 937-557-1711. Although our staff are presently working from home, we will be checking these messages on an hourly basis. We will respond to these messages through our St. Vincent de Paul Society, Box Lunch Ministry, Ladies Society, Knights of Columbus, BFF Mom’s Group, Faithful Friends, and Men’s Fellowship Group.

Please let us know of any individual and/or family who may need our ministry and prayers. As a parish family, we pray our way through this time.