St. Henry Cluster Parishes

Dear Parishioners,

I hope this update letter finds you and your loved ones well. As we continue with the changes that are part of the Beacons of Light initiative, there are likely many questions, and as we have answers we will share them; much of this will simply take time as we move through the stages of the consolidation process. While we may not know every step that lies before us, we do know what our goal is in the end: to finally become one parish, one family. I want to reiterate that the Beacons of Light initiative is not about closing churches, but rather merging parishes. In the end, the territory that currently is divided among our five parishes will be merged into a single territory, and the five parish entities will be unified into a single canonical parish. While we will be a single parish, the five churches will become “sister churches” of the one parish, and each will retain its patronal identity. They will be “parts” of the one “body” of our new parish. Unfortunately, it is no longer feasible to maintain a Sunday Liturgy in every church of the archdiocese or within our family, but with our planned schedule we will be able to keep each of our churches as a house of prayer, and in that way none of them will be left empty and abandoned. They won’t all be used as they have been, but we still have a use for each of them moving forward, and I thank God for that. He is taking care of us, even as He leads us where none of us have gone before. We pray for the grace to trust Him and respond to His will with an open heart and generous spirit.

 Many of us are struggling to find the good in all of this or to see how it could be in God’s plan. There is real suffering involved in this process, but the Lord can bring good out of anything – a glance at the crucifix is enough to prove this to us. I am hopeful that the Beacons of Light initiative will result in a deepening of faith in all of us; it is often the case that the Lord sends crosses for this very purpose. One of the challenges the Church (universally) experiences in our age is a crisis of faith, as well as a crisis of communion, and this is in large part why we find ourselves in the situation we have before us today. Just as He has done throughout the history of salvation, the Lord is allowing us to endure this trial because we as His people have wandered from His heart, and He uses these experiences to call us back to Himself in a more complete and total way. Even among fellow Catholics there is a tension of communion, and we don’t sufficiently consider one another true brothers and sisters in Christ; we ally ourselves according to which church we attend on Sunday when we should believe that we are all one in Christ by virtue of our common baptism, and as Catholics, we should feel at home and welcome in any church where Catholics pray and where Jesus is found in the Blessed Sacrament. If we let it, the Beacons of Light initiative will deepen these truths within us and give us a chance to rediscover what it really means to be members of Christ’s Body in the Catholic Church. This is my prayer for all of us, and it is why I believe in this process. We must move forward together, and I am here for you, not doing this to you, but doing it with you. I know we can make something good come from this, because I have faith in God, and I also have faith in all of you. As always, I remain,

Affectionately Yours in Christ,

Fr. Hess

Frequently asked questions

• Why can’t every Church have a Sunday Mass?
  • The Mass schedule in every parish family must change in keeping with the parameters of the Beacons of Light process. Some of the specific parameters regarding the Mass schedule are:
    • The regular Mass schedule for a Family of Parishes may not assume more than two Masses per day per priest.
    • The regular Mass schedule for a Family of Parishes must provide adequate amount of seating for its parishioners.
    • The regular Mass schedule must provide the opportunity for priests to spiritually prepare for and be present to the community after Mass.
• What is going to happen to the churches that don’t have a Sunday Mass?
  • All the church buildings will continue to be used for Weekday Mass, Funerals, Baptisms, Weddings and opportunities for prayer.  These churches are not closing. With the dedication and continued support from parishioners all buildings can be maintained. 
  • St. Aloysius will host a Latin Mass with some regularity (pending priest availability). This will be a good opportunity for deeper reconciliation with our past, liturgical enrichment, and an experience of legitimate ecclesial diversity.
  • St. Wendelin will be home to a Perpetual Adoration Chapel, and parishioners and area Catholics will have the opportunity anytime, day or night, to visit our Lord. Together we will pray for a deepening of faith, for the conversion of sinners, for the return of fallen away Catholics to the practice of their religion, for strong families, and for an increase of good and holy vocations, especially religious vocations.
• Why is one of our Masses now a Latin mass?
  • The opportunity to host a Traditional Latin Mass is something that was offered to our family. This is not replacing one of our Masses nor do we have a choice to make it  a “traditional” Mass. Under the initiative, with the two Mass limit per day, it is impossible to have Mass in each church as we have. The Latin Mass is a bonus opportunity for us.   
• What will happen to the money after the merger?
  • There are many steps that will need to be taken to make the appropriate decisions and this will not be handled lightly. Representatives from each church will be involved in making these decisions. We understand that there has been a lot given to individual churches and we will explore all the options for what this process entails.
• Who will partake in the ministries?
  • Everyone will have the opportunity to continue to partake in the ministries they desire. Specifics on scheduling are being discussed.  Additionally, new opportunities (sodalities, clubs, apostolates) will become available to parishioners.
• How will we get a new NAME?
  • Suggestions from the surveys were compiled and are being reviewed.  The  Parish Family Council will designate a way that the top five options will be presented to the parishioners. The top three options will then be sent to the Archdiocese for input and guidance. Please keep in mind that all the current patron saints will always be the patron to the building in which they were designated and they will never be taken away. This will be our new title, truly connecting us and making us one family.

Parish Family Council Notes

The Family Council will focus on assisting the pastor in addressing pastoral concerns within the family, especially regarding Beacons of Light in the first year. Moving forward, this council will work together to nourish, increase, and spread the Faith within the parish, and beyond. The following parishioners are members of the family council:

• SA: Ann Hemmelgarn Dave Wuebker
• SB: Carol Niekamp Adam Stammen
• SF: Mara Hibner Scott Hartings
• SH: Ann Stammen Rick Osterholt
• SW: Kris Meier Mark Dues

Please see the bulletin for contact information.

The Parish Family Council met on September 12^th where the    Q & A evenings were reviewed.  A large portion of discussion was on the changes our Family faces and what that looks like from different view points. Questions were raised on what changes are coming and what we can do to transition those changes. Some specific talking points were:

Finances-

• Meetings are being set up with the Archdiocese to gather information and procedures.
• Planned projects should proceed as anticipated while new large projects should not be started unless necessary.
• Each parish will continue to have finance councils until the merger, which at that time one finance council will be developed with representatives from each of the current parishes.

Latin Mass -

• The anticipated Latin Mass is a bonus Mass for our Family as it is not counted as any of our Sunday Masses.
• The Archdiocese would like there to be three Latin Mass Chapels: one in the Cincinnati area, one in the Dayton area and one in the Northern area.
• The priest or priests for this Mass have not been announced nor has the schedule been determined.

Sunday Mass Schedule -

• Discussed what determined the utilization of each church. St. Henry and St. Bernard churches host Sunday Masses because of their seating capacity. St. Francis was designated for a Sunday Mass because of its slightly larger seating capacity and the availability to host social gatherings. St. Aloysius was chosen for the Latin Mass Chapel because of its location. St. Wendelin was chosen for the Perpetual Adoration Chapel for its beauty, stillness, and proximity to other area parishes.

Faith Formation -

• There was unanimous agreement that parishioners need to know their faith better, and what opportunities can be offered to help deepen their understanding.

Please pray for our council members as they work together to discern how we will all become saints.

Mass Schedule

Continued conversation at the Family Council meeting – the topic which is undoubtedly on everyone’s mind – was the necessary changes to our Mass schedule. The concerns for our family of parishes include:

• Adhering to the guidelines of no more than two Masses per day per priest.
• Providing adequate amount of seating for all it’s parishioners.
• Accounting for the input of parishioners’ comments from the Mass schedule survey.
• Avoiding being more drastic than is necessary.
• Trying to have “something for everyone” in the end.

This plan is the result of much thought and prayer, which was also confirmed by several survey responses. The plan needs to provide something in the middle, where virtue always lies.  While every church will not have a Sunday Mass beginning in February, this is a way to maintain the use of all of our churches moving forward. Pending the necessary approvals, our Sunday Mass schedule for our Family of Parishes, beginning on February 4, 2023, is as follows:

...

Daily Masses will continue to be celebrated at all five churches however some changes may be made to the current rotation.

Beacons of Light will allow for future growth by consolidating our resources. The Lord is tending His vine, the Church so that we can bear fruit. “Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). 

What’s Next?

• Discernment and selection of our new parish patron (reminder: the parish patron will not replace the patrons of our churches). This will be our unifying patron, the one whose name will appear on official documents and in all civil and canonical affairs; the new legal entity.
• The new Mass schedule will take effect on  February 4, 2023. Family-building opportunities also to occur.
• Continued contact with the Beacons of Light liaison and support staff at the Pastoral Center in Cincinnati.
• Parish Family Council will continue to meet monthly to discuss merger steps and community support .
• Opportunities for ongoing formation and catechesis for parishioners.

How Can I Help?

There are two primary ways everyone can contribute to the success of this process: Prayer and Encouragement

Prayer: If we don’t pray, we cannot know God’s will; if we don’t pray, we cannot understand what God is doing; if we don’t pray, we cannot see God’s hand at work in the midst of struggle. But if we choose to pray, we find the strength we need to follow Him. Prayer seldom changes circumstances, but it always changes us.

Encouragement: Some parishioners are read, others are on the fence, others aren’t ready at all. Rather than sow division and discord, all of us must be committed to supporting and encouraging one another, doing as our Lord told St. Peter: “strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). We must have hope if we are going to be strong for one another.