Dear Parishioners
March 2021
Dear Parishioners,
Archbishop Dennis Schnurr shared a letter with us this week wishing us all a peaceful Lenten season and summarizing the events of this most unusual and difficult year caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
In the interest of the common good, the Catholic Bishops of Ohio voluntarily cooperated with the guidance of the public health authorities. A dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation was put in place last year and remains in place for now.
Our archbishop is grateful to the many parishes who are offering remote access to Mass. However, he notes, “nothing can adequately replace gathering together in person for the live celebration of the Mass.” There is good news in overcoming the pandemic and as vaccinations are becoming more available, we are being asked to prayerfully consider returning to in-person Mass this Easter season. If you do choose to return to in-person celebration of Mass, our churches are taking serious precautions to keep you safe and healthy:
· Seating has been arranged and marked for the required social distancing. Families who live in the same household may and should sit together.
· Masks are required and hand sanitizer is readily available.
· Touchless holy water dispensers are being used.
· Only one door will be open to enter each church. (You can exit any door in an emergency.)
· At the consecration, the ciborium will remain covered with a cloth.
· At Communion follow the markings on the floor to maintain proper social distancing.
· Communion will be distributed on a large paten without the Eucharistic Minister touching the host.
· The churches, and items used, including hymnals, are sanitized between Masses to ensure cleanliness.
Again, a reminder that the positive trend continues in our efforts to defeat the pandemic, but because it is still not over, the dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation will remain in place for the now.
I look forward to seeing you in-person again when you discern it is safe to return to Mass.
May God bless you and your loved ones.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Benoit Mukamba, C.S.Sp.
Pastor
Pastor - Fr. Benoit Mukamba, C.S.Sp.
From the Pulpit:
See also selected past homily reflections archived on Fr. Benoit's "The Pastor's Desk" page.
Divine Mercy Sunday, Year-B: The Five Wounds of Jesus.
Scripture: Acts 4: 32-35; Psalm 118; 1 John 5: 1-6; John 20: 19-31
In today’s Gospel, John the Evangelist begins with showing us the difficulty the Apostle Thomas had in believing the resurrection of our Lord and later testifies that Thomas became the first to profess Jesus as Lord and Gd. In this process toward faith, Thomas demanded empirical evidence and knowledge of the truth. Jesus proved him with the marks of his sufferings for Thomas and the World. Jesus’ five wounds answered to Thomas’ preoccupations. Stuck with the truth of Jesus raised from the dead, Thomas confessed Jesus as “My Lord and my God” (John 20: 28).
In the movie Fiddler on the Roof based on the writings by Sholem Aleichem, at a certain point the Jewish man turns to his wife and asks her, “Do you love me?” The wife begins a litany of all the sufferings she had endured for the sake of her husband; and finishing she says to him, “After all these, yet you ask me, do I love you”.
The story reminds me of our human way of proving our love for others. Isn’t it said that a friend in need is a friend indeed. We manifest our ultimate love when we are able to stand with someone in suffering and trouble moments. Jesus made known to Thomas and others present not only the truth of his resurrection but also the truth of his love for them. This kind of love to someone unworthy of it is called mercy. It is a free divine gift to a sinner. The parable of the prodigal son stands as a typical teaching on the divine mercy (Luke 15: 22-25).
Because of his great love for them, Jesus enabled the disciples to be instruments of his merciful love to their fellow brothers and sisters. He impacted them with the power of the Holy Spirit that breaks and crushes the sins of the world and sets people free to rebuild their relationship with God. The ministry of reconciliation that Christ gave his Church is a stewardship of God’s undeserved gift of life to sinners. And during the sacrament of reconciliation (Confessions), the priest invokes the absolution on the penitent through the ministry of the Church. He recognizes the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the gift of God’s unconditional love to sinners.
Let’s be thankful to God for his everlasting mercy and labor wholeheartedly in response to the divine gift. May the five wounds of Jesus strengthen us so that we may rejoice in sharing Christ’s sufferings.
Spiritans:
Interesting facts about the Spiritans in Dayton, the USA, and around the globe on "The Pastor's Desk".
Today's Reading - NAB at USCCB.org
Saint of the Day - AmericanCatholic.org
USCCB on Religious Liberty
GROW & GO
GROW & GO
Grow+Go content is designed to help parishioners understand what it means to be an evangelizing disciple of Christ.
Using the Sunday Scriptures as the basis for reflection, Grow+Go offers insight into how we can all more fully GROW as disciples and then GO evangelize, fulfilling Christ's Great Commission to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19)
The concept behind the weekly series is to make discipleship and simple, concrete and relatable.
Look for Grow+Go each week in church, on our parish website, Facebook page, and Twitter.
Radiate Christ - The Pastoral Letter Study Guide
Father Benoit invites Our Lady of Grace parishioners to participate in the "Radiate Christ" Study Guide:
"On June 3, 2020, Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr released “Radiate Christ,” a pastoral
letter to Catholics of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The occasion for this document is the
anticipation of the 200th Anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Cincinnati, which
we will celebrate in 2021."
Click here to read the Study Guide
Facial Masks Required at Mass
Archdiocesan Holy Communion on the Tongue Guidelines
Archdiocesan COVID-19 Response
Public Mass in Ohio Resume on May 25th
"On May 8, the Bishops of Ohio issued a statement by which we informed Catholics in the State of Ohio that, while making every effort to respect the spirit of the governor’s “Responsible Restart Ohio Plan,” we will begin to make the public celebration of Mass available once again. In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, public Masses will begin on Monday, May 25.." Catholic Bishops of Ohio. May8th, 2020
Please read Archbishop Schnurr's Letter for Details:
http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AbpSchnurrLetter20200508.pdf
Additional COVID-19 information can be found on the archdiocesan website:
http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/ministries-offices/communication-office/covid-19-response/
In the interim No Masses will be publicly celebrated at either Our Lady of Grace Locations, Our Lady of Mercy Church or Corpus Christi Church.
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati website at the link above provides opportunities to watch live streaming Mass, including from St. Peter in Chains Cathedral via their Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/CatholicCincinnati/
Also please read Fr. Benoit's reflections "From the Pulpit" on the Pastor's Desk page of the OLOG Website.
We're Still Here!
During the current COVID-19 health crisis, the staff of Our Lady of Grace will follow the directives put forward by our state health department and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Effective immediately the staff will operate primarily on a telework basis, so the physical office will be closed.
Rest assured, we will be monitoring our phone messages, emails and postal mail to keep in touch with our parishioners.
Please keep up-to-date with parish information through the Weekly Bulletin posted on our web page, Facebook, and listen for “One Call Now” telephone notifications. You can send us an email info@ourladyofgracedayton.org call us at 937-274-2107 or drop us a letter.
We're here if you need us!
 
Our Lady of Grace Parish - Our Lady of Mercy Church + Corpus Christi Church
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5:30 P.M. Sunday Evening Mass at Corpus Christi
Our Lady of Grace Parish 5:30 P.M. Sunday Evening Mass at Corpus Christi
Everyone is welcome to attend. We especially hope that young adults from our parish and the Dayton area will be encouraged to attend. Fr. Ted Cassidy, a Marianist priest, will be presiding over most of the Masses. If you would like to participate in the Sunday evening services as a Eucharistic Minister, Server, Lector, Petition writer, Greeter, or Choir member, please contact our Parish office 937 274-2107 ext 100
SPIRITAN PARISHES IN DAYTON - OHIO
SPIRITAN PARISHES IN DAYTON - OHIO
The Spiritans began working in Ohio (Fr. Steurer in Troy, St Patrick's, 1872, and Fr. Ott in Piqua, St Boniface, with 5 mission stations, 1873) even before the arrival of their 1st Provincial (Fr. Strub in 1874).
- In 1928, they took over the ministry to the African Americans in Cincinnati (St. John the Baptist Church). That same year, the Archbishop asked them to take care of the growing African American Community in Dayton.
- Since then, the Spiritans have dedicated their ministry among African American Catholics and all who joined, and they still are continuing ministering among urban and rural parishes.
- At the moment they serve 5 churches in the Dayton area: Corpus Christi, Our Lady of Mercy (Our Lady of Grace Parish), Queen of Martyrs Parish, St. Benedict the Moor, and St. Mary, striving to be a light that shines to brighten the life of the people they serve in the Archdiocese of the Most Rev. Dennis Marion Schnurr.
https://youtu.be/NlkHvsYWU6I
Assumption Food Pantry Joins CSSMV
For 49 years the Assumption Food Pantry has been a part of many lives: those who have received a helping hand when in need and those who have volunteered with love and dedication. It is with mixed feelings that we are no longer operating independently at the former Assumption Church site.
By God's glory our sorrows are always transformed to new life. Tuesday, March 1, 2016, marked a new beginning as we partner with the Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley (CSSMV) Food Pantry. This partnership allows us to provide expanded services and resources to the Assumption Food Pantry clients. Cindy Rogerson will continue serving our brothers and sisters in need on-site at the CSSMV location, 922 West Riverview Avenue, and she will keep us up to date with news and information.
We would like to express our great appreciation to all who have volunteered their time and talent, and given monetary or food donations over the past 49 years. Our Lady of Grace Parish is committed to the success of this new partnership and we pray that you will continue to help us support this vital community resource as you have in the past. We will continue to provide food chests at each worship site for donations of staples and food pantry donation envelopes, and we encourage continued volunteerism at CSSMV.
Our Lady of Grace is possible because of those who give of their Time, Talent and Treasure.
Click here for more information about the CSSMV Food Pantry Website
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