The Church of Saint John Neumann

St. John Neumann parish has often been carried on Eagles wings. The Eagles that we have been blessed by are of course Eagle Scouts. The Eagle Scout Award is the highest rank available to youth members of the Boy Scouts of America. It represents many years of dedicated effort, and the successful completion of a long process which started when the young man became a Boy Scout. It is a demonstration of how people, working together, can truly help mold a young man with a solid sense of leadership, citizenship, and responsibility. The attainment of the Eagle Scout Rank is indeed the highest honor that a Scout may achieve and only 4 percent of all scouts achieve the award.

When a boy enters Scouting, he starts a covenant journey to live out the Scout Oath. In the Oath, a young man promises upon his honor to do his best to do his duty 1) to God and his country 2) to other people, by helping them at all times 3) to himself, by keeping himself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. This Oath demands perseverance and tenacity to live out. It is formative in that one lives it to the best of their ability. This of course is done within a community that is constantly encouraging them and challenging them to live it out.

By the time a Boy Scout reaches Eagle then they have filled many requirements and done a great deal of service. For their final accomplishment they need to plan and lead a service project that consists of at least 100 service hours. This project is encouraged to be significant. At St. John Neumann we have been blessed with many Eagle Scouts over the years and this past year has been no exception. In fact, if you look around the SJN property you will easily notice some of the most recent Eagle Projects including a new one in the works out front. The recent projects include the new bridge, the Marian Garden with Memorial Bricks, a deck, patio and cleaned up back yard at the rectory.

We congratulate Chris Peters who recently received his Eagle Scout Award. Also, we extend congratulations to Tom Harlan, Robbie Flannigan and Michael Hale who will be receiving their Eagle Scout Awards in September. We thank Adam Wicktora for his project of beautifying the grounds in front of church. We wish him well as he is in the process of earning his Eagle Scout Award.

We thank our scouts for all of their generosity. Thank you to the Eagle Scouts for all their hard work as well. Let us all be grateful for scouting and the many ways our parish has been blessed by scouts. Congratulate our new Eagles and keep their organization in your prayers so that they may continue to form and bless our community with faithful citizens.

Do you know someone who has left the Church? Most of us do not have to look very far to find non-practicing Catholics in our circle of family and friends. Many of us are concerned about these loved ones, but we don’t know how to help them. Obviously, most of them are searching, but how can we help them find their way home?

As baptized, practicing Catholics, we have a precious gift of faith and love from the Lord that needs to be shared with our non-practicing brothers and sisters. First, we need to pray for them. Next, we need to extend a personal invitation to them to come home to the Catholic Church. Most non-practicing Catholics are waiting for an invitation to return. Many mistakenly think they are excommunicated and are not welcome to return for a variety of reasons.

Many non-practicing Catholics carry with them a tremendous amount of guilt and misinformation about the Church and are afraid of approaching the Church for fear of being rejected. You can make a tremendous difference in someone’s life simply by reaching out to them and telling to come back home to our Church family.

We have a special program to help non-practicing Catholics return to the Church entitled “Catholics Returning Home.” The series begins Tuesday, September 29, 7:00 pm at St. John the Baptist. The parishes of St. John Neumann, Corpus Christi and St. John the Baptist are sponsoring the program. Please pass this article on to anyone who might be interested. For more information, call Joan 385-9117 or email her at Jcre@fuse.net.

St. Louis YNIA Mission Trip Reflection
Please join us on Sunday, Sept. 13th after the 9:00 and 11:00 am Mass in Daniel Hall for the YNIA Mission Trip reflection. We had a great trip and we want to tell everyone about all that we learned from our experiences. Not only did we work with the poor while we were there, we did it in the context of learning about Catholic Social teachings. Come and listen to our teens share stories and pictures from their Young Neighbors in Action mission trip to St. Louis.

Happy 5th Anniversary SRES!!!

It’s hard to believe that our pastoral area Summer Religious Education Program has just finished its fifth year. This alternative model of religious education has been very successful and was our first collaborative effort for the three parishes of Corpus Christi, St. John Neumann and St. John the Baptist. Parents as well as their children like this two week, 40 hour program. It is held each year during the last two weeks of June for our public school students going into grades First through Eighth.

            Since this year was the fifth and final year for our current religion curriculum of “Blest Are We” it was decided to make that the theme for our two weeks.

            Our art project was a basket of blessings. It was on display in the gathering space for a few weeks at St. John the Baptist. It has since come to St. John Neumann Parish, and by the time you have read this it will have been at Corpus Christi for a few weeks. Each student in the program cut out a handprint and listed their blessings on the fingers. They filled the basket to overflowing. Students also made thank you cards for their respective pastors, thanking them for being a blessing to our parishes. We even had a special blessing for the pastors at our closing Mass.

            Every year our eighth graders go on a field trip to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. This year our seventh graders were taken downtown and given a tour of our Cathedral.   We are grateful for all who volunteered, donated snacks and to all who helped make the program operate.

            Our program is scheduled for June 14-25, 2010 with a brand new curriculum entitled “Call To Faith”.

Year of the Priest Continues…
Please remember to pray for the Priests in our midst especially our pastor Fr. Steve. As we have priests visit pray for them and their vocation. Also, remember the many diocesan and religious order priests who have served here through the life of this parish. In gratitude we remember the gifts they have shared with us. In the back of church are Holy Cards that includes a prayer for priests, who are often taken for granted. Thank you Lord for the Priests!

St. Vincent DePaul Bundle Weekend
Please mark your calendars for September 26 and 27. On that weekend, we will have a truck from St. Vincent DePaul to collect household items and gently used clothing at all the Masses. We will have more information in the bulletins as we get closer to the date. This is one way that we can use the gifts and fruits of the Spirit to build up the kingdom of God here on earth and help make a difference in our community

The Mass – Liturgy of the Eucharist
Fourth in a series from the desk of Deacon Ron
At the Last Supper Christ instituted the paschal sacrifice and banquet. . ..For Christ took the bread and the cup and gave thanks; he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying: take, eat, and drink: this is my Body; this is the cup of my Blood. Do this in memory of me. Accordingly, the Church has arranged the entire celebration of the liturgy of the Eucharist in parts corresponding to these words and actions of Christ. General Instructions of the Roman Missal #72

          The Preparation of the Giftsis the time in which we offer gifts of bread and wine to be prayed over, broken and shared. The carrying forward of the gifts, which includes our stewardship offering, symbolizes the giving of ourselves to be offered to God and to be made holy for the life of our parish, our Church and the world.

          The Eucharistic Prayeris the heart of the entire celebration. It’s a prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is recalled and made present to us for all time. We pray the great prayer of thanksgiving for the many deeds God has done in and through Jesus Christ. It is this prayer in which we join with Christ to offer praise and thanks to God in response to the Word just proclaimed. When the assembly stands during the Eucharistic Prayer, everyone should make a profound bow while the priest is genuflecting during the institution narrative (consecration). The Eucharistic Prayer is concluded with the singing of the Great Amen.

          The Communion Ritebegins with the Our Father and its petitions for “our daily bread” and the “forgiveness of our sins.” We join our voices to the priests as he raises his arms to God on our behalf. The Church has always understood this as the most appropriate way to begin our immediate preparation for Holy Communion.

            The Sign of Peace follows in which we recognize the presence of Christ in our brothers and sisters gathered in Christ’s name. It is an invitation for all to offer the sign of peace to those nearby; a gesture that while given to a few extends to the whole gathered community.

            The breaking of the Body of Christ and the pouring out of his Precious Blood invites us to encounter the Christ who was broken and poured out for us and to recognize that pattern in our own life and in the lives of those around us. This action is accompanied by the singing of the Lamb of God. Now we are prepared to eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ that we might be nourished to go out into the world to be Christ to others. The actions of Christ: the taking, blessing, breaking and sharing, constitute the Liturgy of the Eucharist. It is the fullness of God’s grace given to us in his very being.  Holy Communion should be administered from the Body and Blood of Christ consecrated at the Mass that is being celebrated. In the reception of Communion we say “yes” to a life lived in imitation of the Christ we encounter in the entire Eucharistic celebration.

            The Communion Procession is a procession of unity and is symbolic of the pilgrimage of life. Our final goal is eternal life - a life that is promised by Jesus to those who eat his flesh and drink his blood. The proper posture for the reception of Holy Communion is standing. As we move forward in procession to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord, a “simple bow” of reverence should be made. The gesture is meant to help us slow down and make this a reverent moment. We respond “Amen” when the minister of Holy Communion says “The Body of Christ.” or “The Blood of Christ.”

            A period of silence follows the communion of the faithful. It is the time to give thanks to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for all the gifts in our life, especially the Holy Eucharist.

          The Prayer after Communion brings the Liturgy of the Eucharist to a conclusion. The priest prays with arms outstretched in the name of all that our reception of Holy Communion, the ultimate action of God’s love, must now be shared.   What we have received – we must now give to others – the love of Jesus.

IN MEMORY
In memoriam.....

We wish to acknowledge special donations to the parish in memory of Mary Virginia Beacock from Janet Joerger, the Cincinnati Stage Employees Local No. 5, Lois and Justin Bell, Dolly Patella, Kay St. John, the St. John Neumann Primetimers, and the St. John Neumann Women’s Organization.

We wish to acknowledge special donations to the parish in memory of Norb Kraus from Cetta Romer, Audrey Kasak and Janet Joerger.

We wish to acknowledge special donations to the parish in memory of John Scranton from Al and Ruth Bailer, Mel and Mary Wimmer, Pat and Tom Ritter, Jim Kelly, Sr. Elaine Becker, and Alicia Scranton. We wish to acknowledge a donation to the Outreach Fund in memory of John Scranton from Richard and Judith Nelson, Cindy Rusniak, and David and Jenny Stewart. We wish to acknowledge a donation to the Building Fund in memory of John Scranton from Doug and Emmalee Hoover,

We wish to acknowledge special donations to the parish in memory of Karen Jester and Milt Held from Janet Joerger.

We wish to acknowledge special donations to the parish in memory of Thomas Kolde from Dan and Vickie Buck, Scott and Karen Stephens, Mary Lou Moulton, Bob and Pat Klingler, The SJN Primetimers, Ginny Campbell, and Janet Joerger.

We wish to acknowledge donations to the Building Fund in memory of Thomas Kolde, the SJN Parish Council, Maggie Speight, Mary Lohman, Ruth Riesenbeck, and Mary Rose Hesselbrock.

We have printed memorial envelopes available for those who might wish to remember Saint John Neumann Parish. We have put some of the envelopes in the Gathering Space of the church. We have some at the parish office. Presently we are suggesting that gifts be made to reduce our parish debt.

We will acknowledge each of these memorial gifts in a card or note to the family and in our NEUMANN NEWS.

Perhaps you will find this kind of memorial to be a fitting way to remember the people you love: the person who has died and the parish with which you worship.

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE CAMPAIGN UPDATE
As of July 21, 2009
GIFTS & PLEDGE PAYMENTS: $1,015,263.00

OUR PAYMENTS HAVE REACHED AND SURPASSED OUR MILLION GOAL!
THANK GOD AND THANK YOU!

Our parish has loans totaling $ . Our Focus on the Future payments will be used to pay on these loans and the current interest accrued until we have paid the principal in full. The blue Focus on the Future payment envelopes will continue to be mailed to our homes in the envelope packets.

With deadlines for our bi-monthly NEUMANN NEWS so far ahead of publication and in order to keep parishioners more up-to-date, we will be publishing the Pastoral Council meeting notes in the weekly bulletin. Watch the bulletin for notes from the latest council meetings.

As Catholics, we have a rich tradition of honoring and remembering those who have led exemplary lives imitating Jesus. Each issue of the Neumann News will contain various Saints that we will honor and remember.

St. Peter Claver was a Spanish Jesuit who lived from 1581 to 1654. He spent his priesthood in the new World ministering to slaves in Cartegena, Columbia. Peter witnessed the Gospel to the slaves when he gave them clothing and food and cared for the sick and dying. It is said that in his 40 years of ministry, he baptized approximately 300,000 slaves. He is quoted as saying “We must speak to them with our hands by giving, before we try to speak to them with our lips.” His feast day is September 9.

St. Vincent de Paul was a French priest who lived from 1581 to 1660. As a priest, he was kidnapped by African pirates and sold into slavery in Tunisia, where he evangelized and converted his owner to Christianity. Eventually he was freed and he returned to France and began to care for the poor as his principal ministry. As a way to reach more people and to get help with this ministry, he established the Congregation of the Mission (also known as Vincentians) and the Confratenity of Charity for laypeople. There are many service organizations that bear his name as a tribute to his legacy. His feast day is September 27.

Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are archangels who are honored on September 29. These are the only angels that are mentioned by name in the Bible. Michael means one who is like God. Gabriel means strength or power of God. Raphael means God has healed. Originally, September 29 was the memorial of St. Michael, but since Vatican II the feast day was combined for all of the Archangels. In the angels we are able to see the greatness of God.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus was a Carmelite Nun in Lisieux, France who lived from 1873 to 1897. She is a doctor of the Church because of her spiritual writings and the spiritual wisdom that she portrayed in her short life. She is known for emphasizing the “little way” in serving God. Her goal in life was to save souls and to pray for priests. Her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, is one of the most popular Catholic books. Her feast day is October 1.

St. Luke lived during the first century. He first became a Christian after the Ascension of the Lord, which makes him one of the first Christian converts. St. Luke was an evangelist who is the author of one of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke was a physician and an artist. His feast day is October 18.

October is the month that is dedicated Mary and the Most Holy Rosary. Mary is important to us as a people of faith because she is the mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the mother of us all. In her “Yes” to God she is the model of discipleship for all of us to follow. On October 7th the church celebrates the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. Everyone is invited to spend time in prayer in our new Marian Grotto and prayer garden located behind the parish office building.

Prayer Shawl Ministry
We have begun a new ministry in the parish called "Threads of Comfort." It is a Prayer Shawl Ministry. The purpose of this ministry is to give beautiful hand-made, prayer-filled shawls to the very ill, whether at home, in the hospital, nursing home or hospice. These shawls are prayerfully made by our knitters and crocheters, blessed by Father Steve and brought to the homes, etc. by our Visitation Ministers who are under the guidance of Deacon John Gobbi.

We had our first meeting on Saturday morning, September 19, beginning with a prayer service in Our Lady's Chapel led by Father Steve. We then moved to the Youth Room for brunch and conversation. Check the bulleting to find out the date and time of our next meeting - never too late to join!!!

We have about 20 members who volunteer to crochet or knit the prayer shawls - a wonderful beginning!!! We collected yarn, needles and donations of money on two Sundays in August and will continue to do so on the second Sunday of each month. We sincerely thank all the parishioners who were so very generous in donating money to this ministry since we do depend on all of you to help keep the ministry going. We also received lots of yarn which will be used to make many beautiful shawls. We'd like to increase our number of knitters and crocheters - how about our men and teenagers? (There is a group of young men who knit hats for the poor!!!!) It's a very self-rewarding ministry. We will be glad to teach anyone who would like to learn how to knit or crochet - just call one of us - Cetta R.
Jackie H.

The new meeting format is working well. Meetings start promptly at 6:30 p.m. and when there is a guest speaker talks are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Parishioner Tracy Kemme was our most recent speaker who spoke about her volunteer mission work with the non-profit organization “Rostro de Cristo” (Face of Christ in Spanish) in Duran Ecuador.

Funding for two Eagle Scout projects were approved. James Haworth completed his project involving rerouting and widening the creek bed and placing large rocks in the new bed to prevent further erosion. Adam Wicktora’s project involves removing some bushes, trees and mulch from in front of the church and replacing them with lower shrubbery and flowers and then putting in a bed of gravel to replace the mulch. This work will provide a better view of the bell tower windows and reduce maintenance

We approved $1400 to replace a worn out compressor motor for the freezer in Daniel Hall. In June, we once again supplied, prepared and served the food at the Parish Picnic at Stricker’s Grove.(and there was no rain!) In August we provided a free spaghetti and meat ball dinner for parishioners in conjunction with the first early bird raffle drawing. It was a great success as over 200 people attended and we sold 27 additional raffle tickets.

Future events include the Parish Festival. Three of our members, Brian Rawlings, Neal Gellenbeck and Mike Wicktora are chairmen for this important fund raiser. This year’s golf outing will be held on Sunday, October 11, 2009. Contact Art Nash (829-5425) for details.

All men of the parish are invited to join us at our monthly meetings. They are held on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in Daniel Hall.

WE WELCOME NEW PARISHIONERS
Please warmly welcome: Agnes Barr, Bob and Joanna H, and Tina M and her son Zachary who have recently joined our parish family.
Baptisms:

The newest members of our Christian family are: Michael Angelo B, the son of Jason and Lisa and Sydney Elizabeth F, the daughter of Mark and Danielle.. They were both recently baptized at St. John Neumann. May they grow healthy, strong and steadfast in their faith with the love of each other and the Lord.

The Neumann News is published by
St. John Neumann Church
12191 Mill Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45240
742-0953

Printed every other month, six times a year, for the entertainment,
information and education of our readers. Comments, inquiries and
articles should be submitted to the parish office.
Please submit articles on disc or hard copy.
Layout Coordinator: Terri Hackman

SJN Neumann News
Volume Twenty-Eight
Issue five
September/October 2009

“Celebrating 31 years of making the name of the Lord known in this place”

SJN Neumann News Volume Twenty-Eight Issue five September/October 2009

“Celebrating 31 years of making the name of the Lord known in this place”

SJN Neumann News
Volume Twenty-Eight
Issue five
September/October 2009