Hello everyone! Today, the Church celebrates the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. There are only three birthdays celebrated at Mass throughout the year in the Church: Jesus, Mary, and John the Baptist. The Church celebrates many Saints’ feast days by commemorating their death. Why celebrate John the Baptist’s birth? John the Baptist was special in that everything about him was that he always pointed to Jesus. He was conceived by Elizabeth in her old age as a sign to Mary that she would conceive Jesus. He leapt for joy in the womb of Elizabeth when Mary, carrying Jesus in her womb, visited Elizabeth. He was joyful at the coming of the savior. When John the Baptist was an adult and preaching in the desert, he pointed to Jesus and said, “He must increase. I must decrease.” As this day draws to a close, it seems fitting that John the Baptist’s feast day only decreases while the greater Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus increases. St. Augustine said it is also fitting that John the Baptist’s birthday comes just after the sun’s light begins to decrease while after the birth of Jesus, the sun’s light begins to increase. St. John the Baptist models for us that our role in life is to always point to Jesus, that he may increase in this world and among the hearts of the people. 

We will have Mass at 9am at both parishes on Friday, June 24^th to celebrate this solemnity. It is not a Holy Day of Obligation, but attending the Mass is a good way to enkindle a renewed devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus loves us and desires greatly to be in friendship with us. A devotion to His Sacred Heart is a way of seeing that Jesus is compassionate, merciful, forgiving, and most of all, loving. Jesus is warm and desires a heart-to-heart friendship with us. The heart is the symbol of love, so Jesus wants to infuse in us His love – to know that we are loved by Him and that we can share that love with others. 

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is always in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary which is why they are back-to-back. We will also have Mass at 9am at both parishes on Saturday, June 25^th to celebrate this solemnity. It is not a Holy Day of Obligation, but it will be a good way to enkindle a renewed devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mary wants us to have a maternal heart for others, which means to be tender, patient, forgiving, and most of all, like Jesus, loving. Her heart brings us more in union with her son’s heart. If we have the heart of Mary, we will have the heart of Jesus. 

ICC will have VBS on Saturday, June 25th from 10:00am – 3:30pm. This year’s theme is “Creation- Great Big Beautiful World.” Registration is required. Please contact the office at office@icckenton.org or 419-675-1162.

The USCCB has designated the weekend of June 25 and 26 for Peter’s Pence Collection (a.k.a. The Holy Father’s Collection). The Peter’s Pence funds helps the ongoing charitable works of the Holy Father on behalf of those most in need. It is a sign of mercy to those who suffer around the globe. By doing so, it will continue to minister to all for generations to come. It also serves as the emergency relief assistance to those who suffer from war, oppression, disease, and natural disaster and are distributed in the Name of the Holy Father. Please use your special envelope or contribute on our websites through the online giving page. 

Starting next week, I am changing my days off to Mondays. That means that we will have daily Mass again on Fridays at OLL, but we will not have daily Mass on Mondays at OLL. The daily Masses the rest of the week will continue as normal. The daily Mass at ICC will continue as normal from Monday through Thursday. 

The parish festival is Sunday, August 14^th from 12pm – 7pm. We need theme baskets! Please sign up on the form in the back of church or email Mary Dick to let her know that you will be contributing. She needs them in by July 31^st, but she would like to know ahead of time how many she is getting, so please sign up quickly. The baskets may be dropped off at the office. She will even wrap them for you. You may email her at mmhd@columbus.rr.com 

This weekend’s bulletin has the list of merchant sponsors for the raffle tickets. However, the raffle tickets are not in yet so they will not be available to pick up this weekend. 

We will have a First Saturday Mass at ICC on Saturday, July 2. Mass is at 9am, followed by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and confessions from 9:30-10:30am and ending with Benediction. 

Please mail in your BAA pledge in the envelope, or drop it in the collection basket, or make your pledge online at https://columbuscatholicgiving.org/baa . Extra pledge cards and envelopes are in the churches. Anything that you can give is truly appreciated. Please participate! Note that any amount raised over the goal comes directly back to the parish. Thank you for your generosity! 

Our Lady of Lourdes goal is $15,576.38.

Immaculate Conception goal is $16,376.45

The second-round models of the possible parish restructurings in the Diocese of Columbus are still available for viewing until June 30^th.  

Currently, we are not being asked to advocate for a particular draft model. The draft models are simply suggestions and are meant to further the conversation about which way to go. New draft model suggestions are welcome. The 30 minute video gives a greater overview and context of why these models were suggested. Please click this link, https://realpresencerealfuture.org/draft-models-spring-2022/ scroll down to Planning Group 3 North, watch the video, and then give your feedback. You may send your feedback, comments, suggestions, and questions directly to hello@columbuscatholic.org .

Bishop Earl Fernandes will need time to look through the suggested models and the feedback. Therefore, the round 2 feedback will end on June 30^th. Then the round 3 models will come out with the goal to have all feedback in by the end of August. 

You may not have any particular feedback or suggestions to give, but please familiarize yourself with what is being suggested for our two parishes in the video so that you will not be surprised when the final recommendations are put forth, or so that you can offer feedback by the time we get to round 3. 

One significant thing to note is that the current model recommendation for our two parishes is Model B, which is to have both parishes combined with both churches remaining open, but combining the finances so that they become one parish. Model C is for both churches to remain open and also to remain two separate parishes so that each also retains its own finances. That is a significant difference and this one point might be where feedback and discussion is needed most, assuming no other models are suggested. 

Attached are the bulletins

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!      

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, pray for us!   

St. John the Baptist, pray for us!

St. Bernadette, pray for us!

St. Joseph, pray for us!

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

God bless!       

Fr. Ed