Posted on April 23, 2017 View all news
Laudetur Jesus Christus! Gelobt sei Jesus Christus! Sia lodato Gesù Cristo! Praised be Jesus Christ!
This is just a reminder that the Archbishop will be at our Parish this Tuesday, April 25, to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving for the establishment of the Cincinnati Oratory. Mass begins at 5:00 p.m. The Decree issued by the Holy Father will be read at the end of the Mass, and presented to the Community. Fr. Mario Aviles, the Procurator General, who has visited us before, will be with us. Fr. Felix Selden, the Apostolic Delegate, will also be with us. He is from Austria and is very excited to hear about our German heritage. He looks forward to a future visit when he can be the celebrant for the German Mass. A social will follow Mass in Fr. Felten Hall and the courtyard. Please sign up here if you plan to come, so that we have a count for the caterer.
Parking on this day will be very tight. If you are familiar with the neighborhood, please try to park on one of the nearby streets, or in one of the nearby parking lots or garages. Please find a map of parking here. This will keep space open for those who need to park close (i.e. the handicapped) and for those who are not as familiar with Over-the-Rhine. We will have many guests with us this day, so please show them our usual hospitality. Please give any assistance to anyone who looks to be confused or unsure of what to do or where to find the hymnals, etc. Many clergy will also be with us, with most of the Dominicans from St. Gertrude taking the evening to celebrate with us.
Please try to attend if at all possible. I realize the time is a little earlier than normal. However, this is an important moment not just in the lives of the Fathers and Brothers of Old St. Mary’s, but in the life of the Parish itself. As we celebrate our 175th Anniversary as a Parish Church, this gift by the Holy Father ensures that Old St. Mary’s will have priests for generations to come. At a time when so many parishes are closing or merging, we are ensured pastoral care by many priests, as long as both the Oratory and the Parish exists. This is something for which we can be particularly thankful, as it allows our diversity and many traditions to continue for generations.
There are now nine different Oratories in the United States and eighty-seven throughout the whole world. It isn’t often that an Oratory is established. So this is a special event for us here in Cincinnati.
If you haven’t already, please be sure to write the Archbishop, or thank him in person on April 25, for his gift to Old St. Mary’s. Without his unconditional support and enthusiasm for this endeavor, from the moment he was named coadjutor in 2008, we would not be celebrating today. So please do thank him, and have a blessed week ahead!
