Parish Weekly Bulletin

2006-2007

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

Chairperson Tom Kronenberger 792-0109

Vice-Chairperson Gerald Shannon 791-9313

Member-at-Large Bill Mountel 793-7634

Member-at-Large Mary Kay Lynch 731-7155

Member-at-Large Chris Homan 745-9958

Member-at-Large Mark Maxwell 793-6559

Member-at-Large Angie Broughton 793-1926

Athletics Rick Sanz 791-0545

Building & Finance Ray Bauman 984-4239

Religious Ed. Sue Gleason 891-4280

School Comm. Allen Arthur 984-1984

Worship Karen Hulefeld 984-3664

Development Comm. Patty Lowe 793-1112

Community Life Sandie Wubbolding 561-1911

Social Justice Comm. Chris Homan 745-9958

Festival Comm. Sharon Molinaro 936-0004

Communication & Volunteer Recruitment Comm.

Mitch Baker 793-1992

Communion Visits to the Homebound -Members of this ministry take Holy Communion and visit with parishioners who are unable to attend Mass. This service is available for short and long term convalescence. Please call Tom Sweeney (791-3939) or Judy Verny (791-6321).

Driving Ministry– For parishioners needing transportation to weekend Mass, for health related appointments and grocery shopping. Please call Donna Piening (791-7449) or the Parish Office (791-9030).

Prayer Chain – To request prayers for a special intention call the Parish Office (791-9030),

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Friday, February 2, 2007

Monday, January 29, 2007

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Friday, February 2, 2007

Sunday, February 4, 2007

In today’s Gospel, the very same people who were amazed at Jesus’ words – that we heard in last week’s Gospel – are enraged with him. They like hearing the Good News preached to them, but they don’t like to hear that the Good News is for their benefit and for the benefit al all. As followers of Jesus, we often are challenged with the power of the Good News. The Gospel proclaims universal salvation – and that can be disturbing to our expectations of justice.

Living the Word: Have a discussion with others about some of the teachings of Jesus that you find especially difficult.

This week we join with Catholic Schools throughout the country in thanking God for the blessings we receive through Catholic education.

I take this opportunity to thank our principal Steve Zinser and our faculty and support staff who work so hard to make our school a place where Christ is the center of what we teach and model – and also a school of academic excellence.

I am grateful too for the generosity of our parishioners who by your financial commitment to the parish help to fund the school – and to the many parents who volunteer countless hours to help with all the school activities.

Friday February 2^nd the liturgy celebrates Jesus being presented in the temple by Mary and Joseph forty days after his birth. It was during this ceremony of dedication and blessing that the prophet Simeon declared that Jesus was to be “a light of revelation for all people.” Because of this reference to Jesus as “the light of the world”, the Church in the Middle Ages began to bless candles on this day and February 2^nd became known as Candlemas Day. (My apologies to the ground hog!) As part of our 8:30 am Mass on Friday, we will bless the candles and votive lights that we will use in our liturgical celebrations throughout the year.

Saturday February 3^rd is the feast of St. Blaise who was a bishop in the fourth century. According to an ancient legend, be blessed a young boy who was choking on a fish bone. The youth recovered and after Bishop Blaise died he was proclaimed patron of those suffering from diseases of the throat. We will celebrate the Blessing of Throats at the 5:00 p.m. Mass on Saturday, February 3.

Fr. George Kunkel distributed the report cards to the children in grades one thru four and Mr. Steve Zinser, our principal, distributed the report cards to grades five thru eight. This enabled Fr. George and Mr. Zinser to further reinforce individual accomplishments and goals.

Can you believe that Lent is only about three weeks away? We invite you to bring to Church next Sunday the palm you received last Palm Sunday (baskets will be at the main entrance of the Church). These palms will be burned and their ashes used this year on Ash Wednesday February 21^st. The cycle continues as we remember year after year the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection.

In order to use those forty days as a time of prayer and fasting to prepare for the celebration of the Easter sacraments with our Catechumens and Candidates, we do not plan to schedule any baptisms during Lent (February 21 thru April 4th) except in cases of an emergency or pastoral necessity. We are looking forward to celebrating the living waters of baptism with the new members of our faith community throughout the Easter season.

“Love never fails.” Trust the love of God and follow your heart. (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:4-13)

Thank you for the $1532 collection for the Catholic Inner City School (CISE). Also, thanks for the $2408 collected for the Pregnancy Center East. We are grateful for your generosity.

Thanks to the many parishioners who used their FOCAS 50 cards at Kroger over the holiday season. This continues to be an important source of revenue for St. Vincent, generating over $30,000 a year for our church and school. Please continue to support this program!

So that as a parish we can keep in our prayers those in our community who are ill, St. Vincent Ferrer Parish would like to publish the names of those parishioners and their families who are in the hospital, recovering from an illness or going through treatments. We ask that you contact the Parish Office at 791-9030.

Marilyn Arthur, Florence Bailey, Jean Funch-Conrad, Jean Cornett, Anne Durkin, Ferd Forney, Brenda Kroeger, Sarah Kuczaj, Harry McCormick, Mary Lou Runge, Melvin Speed, Thomas Tressler, Phyllis Villari.

ALL ST. VINCENT FERRER

FALL VOLUNTEERS & CHAPERONES

must participate in a Child Protection Workshop and be Fingerprinted

Workshop & Fingerprinting Dates

New parish volunteers who will be working with children this school year, or those who have not yet had a chance to be fingerprinted or take the workshop will have the opportunity to participate in them at neighboring parishes.

WORKSHOPS:

Immaculate Heart of Mary – Beechmont

Call 388-4466 to confirm!

2^nd Monday of each month @7:30PM

3^rd Wednesday of each month @ 4PM

PERMANENT FINGERPRINTING SITES:

Archdiocese of Cincinnati - 421-3131

100 E. 8th Street

Mon. ~ Fri., 9:00AM - 4:00 PM

Holy Trinity, Norwood – 366-4400

Mon. ~ Thurs., 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

St. John, West Chester – 777-6433

Wed., 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Mon. & Tues., 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Sat., 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Additional Child Protection Orientation Workshop and Fingerprinting dates and times can be found at www.catholiccincinnati.org , the Archdiocesan website. Click on “Fingerprinting Information”, then onto “Sites” and “Calendar.” For further information please call Pastoral Associate, Judy Verny, in the Parish Office at 791-6321.

Mass at 8:30AM followed by coffee & pastries in Hamilton Hall, conference/reflection, and lunch

Due to last Sunday’s unexpected PREP “snow day” envelopes from Confirmation candidates requesting parishioners to Be a Friend in Prayer will not be available until next weekend. We ask that you keep all of these young men and women in prayer as their Confirmation draws near. Thank you. - Sister Kaye

Plan to make the Parish Mission part of your Lenten Journey. The Mission sponsored by St. Vincent Ferrer and All Saints Churches will be presented on March 12, 13, 14 and 15^th by Al Cucchetti, Retreat Coordinator at the Jesuit Spiritual Center at Milford and Jeanne Hunt, Director of Faith Formation, at Sacred Heart Church in Fairfield, Ohio. These will be both morning and evening sessions held alternately between the two parish sites. Watch for further upcoming information.

BOOKSHELF SPOTLIGHT

Anyone concerned about the rise of violence and social disintegration in our culture and who wants to understand what is really happening will find Violence Unveiled a convincing revelation. Bailie merges history with the daily news, the Bible with literature, to make a powerful case that humanity is at a crossroads. The choice between violence and love has never been clearer, or more urgent. Bailie offers hope.

The author mines the groundbreaking scholarship of Rene’ Girard, the boldest cultural theorist of our age. He shows how the system of sacred violence at the heart of conventional culture is being undermined by the biblical tradition, especially the gospel. Bailie documents this astonishing claim with quotations form history, myth, poetry and, what is most telling, the daily newspaper. He explains the paradox that we face today: that violence is growing more menacing at the same time that it is losing its moral legitimacy. He shows us that as the gospel’s exposure of sacred violence has gradually thrown conventional culture into its greatest crisis, the gospel’s message of hope – its inspiration for living without sacred violence – has largely gone unheeded. He unveils a truth that can set us free.

Those who have read the book claim that they will never read the Bible or study history or watch the evening news the same way again.

Breadrunners is calling on parishioners that regularly drive downtown. We are in desperate need of volunteers to stop by Kroger and Bonnie Lynn Bakery, pick up day-old bread and drop it off at a location in downtown Cincinnati (TBD to meet your schedule). If this is something you can fit into your commute to work once a week, you would be providing a great service to the hungry people of Cincinnati and Breadrunners would be happy to hear from you! Please call Marley Belair at 792- 0110 or 328-6022

Social Justice and Outreach Commission Meetings
SVF Social Justice and Outreach Commission meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in Room B (old Music Room). All are invited to attend. During the meetings we discuss and select Social Justice and Outreach activities to sponsor/promote. Meeting time is also spent planning events that will raise awareness of social action concerns supported by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Catholic Relief Services. If you are interested in joining or have any questions, please call Chris Homan at 745-9958.

Jeff Nymberg and Patrick McWilliams received the "Award of Distinction" from Moeller High School. These young men scored above the 90th percentile on their entrance test! Jeff and Patrick are students in Mrs. Neubauer's 8th grade class. We are very proud of their accomplishments.

See you at our Catholic Schools' Week-Open House this Sunday, January 28 from 11:30am to 12:30 pm.

St. Vincent Ferrer School-Kindergarten Registration for the 2007/2008 School Year

Meet Mrs. Cindy Domis, Kindergarten teacher and Principal, Mr. Stephen Zinser, at the school. They will talk about the St. Vincent Ferrer Community and what we do to help our “Little Ones” have a faith-filled early childhood experience. Interested families should bring: 1. Your child’s birth certificate

Interested parents may contact Mr. Zinser at 791-6320 or e-mail zinser_svf-school.org

Today marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week, the national celebration of the value and excellence of Catholic education. Please join us for this week's events: Sunday, January 28 The Good News in Education: Join us in our school for an open house with donuts, coffee and refreshments following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. Let our student share the "good news in education" with you! Wednesday January 31st is designated “National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools”. At 10:00 a.m. all Catholic Churches will ring their Bells in recognition of Catholic Schools Week.

You are invited to the LaRosa's Spaghetti Dinner …sponsored by the SVF PTO!

Suffering from the post Christmas blues? Mark your calendar now to get out of the house and join your friends at the Annual SVF Spaghetti Dinner! The dinner will be held in the SVF Community Building Cafeteria on Friday,

February 9, 2007 from 5:30-9 p.m. Food Service stops at 8:15 p.m. and carryout is also available. The menu will include a LaRosa's spaghetti dinner and salad, fresh bread from Ferrari's restaurant in Madeira and soft drinks. All for the low, low price of $6 per person or $24 for your entire family! Again this year, wine will be available by the glass for $2 or 3 tickets for $5. Tickets available at the door to win a fun and valuable raffle prize being created by event co-chair Karen King!

Please bring a small dessert to share and join us for an evening of good food, games in the gym for kids of all ages and a great time with your friends. Contact event chairs: Toni Sweeney 583-8711, Jeeney Antenucci, 891-6889 or Karen King 936-8824 with any questions. Thanks for your support of this important SVF PTO fundraiser!

Forty-seven donors said, “I care” at our winter blood drive. We collected thirty-nine units. This is a big improvement over last summer’s collection of 30. Approximately 340 units of blood are needed each day in the tri-state. But, while 60% of the US population is eligible to donate, only about 5% do so on a yearly basis. A big “Thank You” goes to all our parishioners who have supported this outreach. If you weren’t able to donate at the drive, please schedule an appointment at a neighborhood center by calling 451-0910.

The Lectors' new schedule for March, April and May - We are about to put together the next quarterly schedule for lectors. Any questions or concerns should be directed to Paul Rich (561-2493) by Monday, February 12.

Calling all moms of young children of St. Vincent Ferrer. The SVF Moms Group is holding its next meeting on Wednesday February 7,2007 from 7-9pm in Hamilton Hall. We would love you to come join us this month and bring someone you know. This month we will be decorating Valentine cookies and having a speaker from Hamilton Co. Parks District. It should be a lot of fun and we look forward to seeing you there. Any questions please contact Heather Leland at (513) 985-0617 or dhleland@fuse.net.

Since SVF does not have a Boy Scout troop, our older scouts end up in various troops in the community and we lose track of all their great accomplishments. We'd like put together a complete listing of the Boy Scouts of our parish both to be able to highlight their achievements in an upcoming edition of the SVF newsletter, Living Church, and to share news with the scouts about opportunities that may come up here at St. Vincent for both service projects and religious programs for scouts. To be included, please forward any Boy Scout's name, troop number, rank, email and phone number to Jamie Eifert at jke84nd@aol.com or 563-7866.

The Golden Wedding Jubilee Anniversary Mass, for couples celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary, will be at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains. Please call the Parish Office, 791-9030 if you are celebrating your 50^th Anniversary so that your name can be given to the Archdiocese and an invitation to the Mass issued. All couples celebrating their 25^th, 50^th, 60^th, 70^th or 75^th Anniversary will be mailed a scroll.

Our next meeting will be Monday, January 29 at 10:00 a.m. in Room B. Please note this is a change in date from our regular schedule.

Unlocking the secrets contained in this final and most difficult book of the Bible has never been easier with The End: A Study on the Book of Revelation audio series and study guide! Dr. Hahn's clear and comprehensive analysis opens up new avenues of understanding and spiritual insight into God's covenantal love, the infinite value of the Mass, the powerful intercession of the Saints, the critical role of the Blessed Virgin Mary and significant details concerning the end of the world.
This Bible Study begins in late January on Friday mornings and Sunday evenings. The topic for this session will be the book of Revelation. Study guides can be ordered from catholiccompany.com. Call Kathy Revalee for Friday morning information (891-6352) or Sally Godschalk for Sunday evening information (984-0174).

There is still time to sign up for boy’s baseball for grade 3 - 8. Extra forms can be found in the community building (hanging in the hallway across form the gym door entrance). For questions contact Mike Pohlman 891 - 3784.

The upcoming Cincinnati Catholic Men’s Conference is Saturday, March 3, 2007. We are planning to have all St. Vincent attendees sit together; therefore we need to know your interest by February 1^st. For more information call Mark Wellinghoff at 891-3511. Conference speakers include: Archbishop for the U.S. Military Services, Edwin O’Brien; U.S. Senator Sam Brownback; and former NFL player and coach, Danny Abramowicz. Tickets are $35 and include lunch.

Dee Printing, the publisher of our bulletin would like to re-emphasize the importance of deadlines. In order for them to provide us with a professionally printed bulletin we need to receive all articles in writing by Monday at 3:00 p.m. You should indicate the dates you would like your bulletin article to appear. Unless otherwise indicated, all articles will run for 2 weeks.

Join us for a Eucharist -centered weekend of prayer, fellowship and excitement with great speakers, fantastic music and hundreds of youth from across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. For more information visit www.cincy2000.org or call 527-3975

The popular Adult Spirituality Institute will continue its sixth year of study this winter with the theme “Giants of Faith.”

Mondays, 10AM – Noon, Feb. 26^th – Mar. 19^th, Rev. Timothy Schehr, PhD will present “Healing Passages in the Bible” – stories of Naamah, Job and Tobit.

Mondays, 10AM – Noon, Apr. 16^th – May 7^th, Sr. Deborah Harmeling will present “Medieval Women Mystics.”

The series will be held at the Athenaeum of Ohio. Fees are nominal. For additional information, please call 231-2223, ext. 143.

At 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31, Rev. Martin Zielinski PhD will speak on the topic "The Catholic Church and Racism in the 20^th Century" at The Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary's Seminary, 6616 Beechmont Ave. The lecture will focus on the how the Catholic Church in the United States addressed the issue of racism in the 20^th century. It will discuss the initiatives taken by both African-American Catholics and other prominent Catholics interested in promoting racial justice, especially Rev. John LaFarge SJ and the Catholic Interracial Council movement. Some attention will be given to the various pastoral letters and initiatives of the American Catholic bishops.Fr. Zielinski is Associate Professor of Church History at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, the major seminary of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

A Spiritual Retreat for persons grieving a lost through death - On Saturday, February 24 from 9:00 am – 4:00 p.m. at Good Shepherd Parish with presenters Kathleen Cassini and Ken Czillinger. Cost is $45.00 including breakfast and lunch. Questions call 697-9197.

Communion Visits to the Homebound -Members of this ministry take Holy Communion and visit with parishioners who are unable to attend Mass. This service is available for short and long term convalescence. Please call Tom Sweeney (791-3939) or Judy Verny (791-6321).

Driving Ministry– For parishioners needing transportation to weekend Mass, for health related appointments and grocery shopping. Please call Donna Piening (791-7449) or the Parish Office (791-9030).

Mass Intentions & Readings

for the Week

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Friday, February 2, 2007

Calendar for the Week

Monday, January 29, 2007

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Friday, February 2, 2007

Sunday, February 4, 2007

PARISH LIBRARY

BOOKSHELF SPOTLIGHT