This online giving day, created to celebrate our unique Catholic heritage, the GIVECatholicAOC Giving Day    inspires faithful stewards to "Give Catholic" on #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving. The goal of the Giving Day is to rally our Catholic communities across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in support of the             organizations that shape our souls: Our parishes, schools, and nonprofit ministries.  Your gift to any of our parishes, if made online on Giving Tuesday, will be assessment free for the parish!  

To give, search for your parish at

or visit the links below:

Text to pay keyword – Text rosary and your donation amount to 513-586-1943

Text to pay keyword – Text VALLEY and your donation amount to 513-586-1943

Text to pay keyword – Text matthias and your donation amount to 513-586-1943

Reminder that the office is closing today at noon, Wednesday, November 25 and will reopen on Monday after the long holiday weekend.Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Advent Reflection booklets were distributed at all three churches this weekend as an early Christmas gift to our parishioners.  The idea is that we will all be praying together during the Advent season.  If you missed the distribution this weekend, we will have copies that can be picked up at the regional parish office this week – they will be located in a bin on the front porch.  If you are unable to make it out to pick up a copy, please contact the regional office if you would like one delivered to your house. The office staff will then contact a member of the OLR Spiritual Growth Commission who will arrange the delivery. 

St. James of the Valley Giving Tree:The Giving Tree is up, feel free to take a tag and return the gift by Sunday, November 29. This year we will again be supporting both Valley Interfaith and Elizabeth New Life Center.  Valley Interfaith is requesting $25 Target gift cards instead of gifts this year in an attempt to simplify the process during the pandemic. New Elizabeth Life Center is requesting diapers, onesies and other baby items. None of the items need to be wrapped. Contact Jennifer Dillhoff at 513-254-7557 for more information.

St. Matthias Giving Tree:The giving tree is up at the front entrance for abused and neglected kids in the care of Hamilton County's Children's Services. Gifts must be returned by the weekend of December 12 & 13.

Is also up with gift tags for the needy in our area.

How do you answer Christ’s call to love our neighbors (even those we don’t know)? St. Vincent de Paul is an outreach mission of our parish region.  We are 

neighbors helping neighbors, neighbors like “Mary.”

The need in our community is real.  We have given away over double these last 3 months than a year ago and are at real risk of having to turn neighbors away 

without assistance, which may mean eviction or no heat and light.  Please prayerfully consider if you are called to help us love our neighbors through 

St. Vincent de Paul by...

OLR / St. Matthias: donating Kroger gift cards for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.

St. James: donating to our church ministries on Giving Tuesday (December 1).  The first $5,000 and second $5,000 in donations will be matched by generous donors – our parish goal is $20,000 including the matching funds.

Consider also giving of your time to grow with us spiritually and serve the poor of our community as we are called to do by Christ himself.  

Jim - St. James 

513-335-1559 / jimgerwe@gmail.com 

Carol- OLR / St. Matthias 

513-825-8626 /chart3977@aol.com

Building Community -as witnessed by Suzie Bartz

As a region, we are bound in spiritual solidarity with Jardines de Colon. We have built hope and confidence by providing access to quality education (over 700 

scholarships to date), safe spaces, alternatives to gang membership, and hope through liturgy and prayer.  We support older members in the parish and engage 

parents in evangelization and Corporal Works of Mercy. 

Jardines de Colon is a village of about a 1,000 built on a former coffee plantation and now surrounded by one of the most violent and poverty-stricken areas of El Salvador. Access to quality education is formidable. Families face a choice between paying for school or putting food on the table. Those outside our Sister Community leave school and turn to gangs for protection and income. 

It is typical for a family to earn less than $10 a day while the cost of gas and groceries are the same as in Cincinnati. They live in humble homes with dirt floors. Yet when visited annually by a Sister Community delegation, they are excited to open their homes and spend a week’s worth of wages to share a meal. 

Why should we help? The results of this spiritual solidarity are real. Our students create lasting bonds as church and community leaders. We see them confidently living up to their potential, graduating from college, and becoming lawyers, teachers, business owners and community leaders. The young adults help younger children with faith formation, schoolwork, and handling responsibility.

Please consider joining us as a first time donor, committee member or by renewing your support. Your donation will go toward scholarships, community library operating expenses and pastoral center internet access. If you would like to get involved, please contact Jessica Johnson at 513-259-9342.