Parish Newsletter July 2022
Message From Father Angi

While in the seminary many, many years ago, we would sing a song for liturgy written by Dr. James Moore titled, “A New Song.”

“I will sing the Lord a New Song, a New Song, I will sing His praises while I live, I will sing His praises forevermore.
Sing God a New Song, make it loud and clear, Sing God a New Song, spread his love around.”
 
As the Beacons of Light process in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and among our families of parishes rolls out here in July, we are singing a new song. In singing this new song, we look forward to how we as Guardian Angels, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. John Fisher and the Chapel of St. Jerome can bring together our family of parishes and share what resources we can with each other. We are on the cusp of something new and wonderful. It is important to “Keep our eyes on Jesus who inspires and perfects our faith.” (Letter to the Hebrews) Our faith will see us through each challenge and opportunity that awaits us.
 
During the Sundays of July, I will be celebrating a Mass each weekend in each of the parishes. The parochial vicars, Fr. King, Fr. Alex and Fr. Ebong, will rotate among the parishes as well. By the end of July, we will have celebrated each Mass in each parish at least once. This gives you the opportunity to see each of us, the priests who will be serving you.
 
Seeing that I continue my ministry as Vicar General for the Archdiocese and Dean of the South Deanery, I will be using one email for everything, sangi@catholicaoc.org. In addition, I am hoping to forward phones to one number. If you are calling or writing about a particular parish, please identify the parish so I can address the concern appropriately.
 
We look forward to the future with hope knowing that our God is always walking with us.
 
Fr. Steve
We Extend A Warm Welcome To Our New Clergy
 
As we have been talking about for months, you likely already know that Guardian Angels, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and St. John Fisher became part of our new Family of Parishes effective July 1st, led by Fr. Steve Angi as pastor, and Fr. Alex Biryomumeisho, Fr. Thomas Ebong, and Fr. Tom King as parochial vicars. We are only at the very beginning of the prayerful planning process that will take place over the next several years with the ultimate goal of becoming one canonical parish.
 
Since our new family will be led by clergy you may not know, we thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce them to you and we have included a biography of each of the three priests who may be new to GA parishioners. They and Father King will have a rotating schedule during the month of July and each one will preside every weekend Mass at each parish at least once.
 
Please take the opportunity to stop by and introduce yourself to them after Mass, and keep our Family of Parishes in your prayers.
Father Steve Angi, Pastor
 
I am a native of Dayton, Ohio, the son of parents who are now deceased. I grew up with one brother and one sister. Unfortunately, my sister also passed away, leaving my brother, his wife and their dog as my immediate family. After graduating from Belmont High School, I went on to attend St. Gregory College Seminary, Pontifical College Josephenium and Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary. I was ordained to the priesthood in 1985.

My first assignment was parochial vicar at St. Peter in Chains in Hamilton from 1985 to 1988, and I acted as a hospital chaplain at Ft. Hamilton Hughes Hospital during the same period. I continued my parochial vicar duties at Ascension Parish in Kettering, Ohio until 1993, when I moved to New Orleans to complete a counseling residency internship at Covenant House for a year while serving as an Associate Chaplain with the New Orleans Police Department.

Upon my return to Cincinnati, I joined the Seton High School faculty as director of campus ministry and guidance counselor after earning an MS in mental health counseling from Wright State University in 1994; I have been a licensed counselor in the State of Ohio since then.

In 2000, I left Seton to volunteer as a missionary in Wuhan, China for two years, where I taught psychology and English at the South Central University for Ethnic Communities and worked for the local church. Since a priest is not permitted to operate publicly in China for any reason, most serve as university faculty members and in a clandestine way minister to the local people.

After my missionary assignment, I returned to the U.S. and was appointed pastor of Holy Family Parish in East Price Hill until 2008. During this time, I also served as a volunteer Hamilton County Probation Officer to help rehabilitate past offenders. Soon thereafter, I began serving as a Chaplain for the Hamilton County Justice Center and the Cincinnati Police Department. I continue to serve as a Cincinnati Police Chaplain today.

After completing my degree in canon law studies from The Catholic University of America in 2009, I joined the Archdiocesan Tribunal as Adjutant Judicial Vicar. I was subsequently appointed Chancellor of the Archdiocese in 2011 and Vicar General in 2012.

On a personal note, one of my focuses is trying to help those on the outskirts of society, something I do through my interactions with individuals who are incarcerated or recently released. I exercise daily and love to read. I also very much enjoy scuba diving and skydiving, although my current responsibilities have made opportunities to pursue those interests virtually non-existent. I look forward to meeting the members of all three parishes in our new Family. As we journey together to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, I hope to serve our Family during the challenging and joyful times ahead.
Fr. Thomas Ebong, Parochial Vicar
Fr. Thomas Ebong: From Afaha Esang, Nigeria, to Cincinnati, USA

My presence in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is purely providential. I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in 2020 and COVID-19 required me to stay in the United States. This was a blessing as I was able to fight for my life knowing treatment was available to me here. That same treatment would not have been the case in my home Diocese, Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria.
With my partial treatment, I accepted the invitation from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to help at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) on May 1, 2021. It was there where I completed my radiation treatment and still go for follow up treatments. 

While at IHM, I’ve had full nostalgia for the faith of my 1950s’ Nigerian Catholic childhood. When I became an altar boy to the Irish missionaries who introduced our close-knit Afaha Esang village to Catholicism, I never knew that, one day, I would be preaching the love and comfort of Christ in the west, giving back to the brothers and sisters of those hardworking missionaries. As a child, nothing meant so much to me as serving at Mass or being around the church.

My parents, Sebastian and Regina had eight of us whom they brought up with love, discipline and tenderness. I have a twin brother, John. Unlike many parents then, mine ensured all of us, four girls and four boys, were educated. My parents embraced Catholicism with gusto. Our whole family never missed morning prayers in the Church as we did not have enough priests to say daily Masses in all the villages of southern Nigeria.

I was ordained a priest on July 11, 1981, by His Eminence Dominic Cardinal Ekandem for the Diocese of Ikot Ekpene. This is my 41st year in the priesthood. Christ has been faithful. And I continue to learn from the people of God in Nigeria and America. I am a very pastoral person. I studied Communications with the Jesuits at Chicago and California and received my Master of Fine Arts. I moved on to have a doctorate in Radio, Television & Film Studies from the Wayne State University, Michigan. I have been a parish priest, diocesan dean, Catholic youth facilitator, university professor, editor & movie consultant.

I look forward to working with our parish family and dedicated staff. I am blessed to be a missionary among you. Let us remember to embrace each other in our prayers.
Bid-N-Buy & Major Awards

Thank you to everyone who supported our Bid-N-Buy and Major Awards raffle! We are still working on the final numbers and hope to release those to our community soon.
Save the Date - Bishop Fernandes Returns to GA
Volunteer Healthcare Professionals Needed
Help Us Wish Tiffany Strah Well

After serving as the Director of Communications and Marketing at Guardian Angels since the role was created in 2014, Tiffany Strah has decided to move on for another opportunity. She has accepted the position of Director of Communications and Marketing for Rockwern Academy. Her last day at GA was June 29th. We are grateful for the work she has put in to develop and expand our communications platforms for our school and parish. Anyone who had a chance to work closely with Tiffany will miss her professionalism, work ethic, laughter, and most of all her friendship. 

Please help us wish her well in this new adventure. 

We are currently reviewing applications for a potential replacement. Until a new director is hired, please direct all school communications and questions to Corey Stoops and parish communications and questions to Mark Dulle.
Young Men's Faith and Fellowship

When: 1st and 3rd Monday every month from 8:00-9:00pm 
Where: Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Room B in the undercroft or by zoom 
Age: 20s - 40s 
Join together in brotherhood with other men to grow in virtue and faith. Each session combines the best research from science with the teaching of the Catholic faith and the wisdom of the saints to develop the vision of a man fully alive and capable of transforming himself, his family, and greater society. Join us every session or as your schedule permits. No religious expertise or background required. Contact the group at mensfaith@gaparish.org for more information or to join via zoom. 
Young Women's Faith and Fellowship

When: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays every month from 8:00-9:00pm, beginning July 27th
Where: Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Room B in the undercroft
Age: 20s - 40s
Join together with other women to expand your Catholic faith and build meaningful relationships as we dive into "Ways to Pray" from the Blessed is She devotional. No prior knowledge or materials needed; come as you are! Join us every session or as your schedule permits. Contact the group at womensfaith@gaparish.org for more information. 
Fathers Team

Each Friday, Fathers Team will be meeting for Fathers Team "Lite” which consists of review and discussion of the upcoming Sunday's scripture readings. All GA fathers are invited to join either in person or via Zoom. Our meeting will start at 6:05am Friday morning and last for one hour. Together we explore the readings and consider how the scripture's message can be applied to our daily lives. If you are holding back because you’re not an expert, join the crowd....neither are any of us! Join us in person in the Undercroft (Conference Room B), or by Zoom, this Friday at 6:05 am. Contact us at GAfathersteam@gmail.com for the zoom information, or to get on the GA Fathers Team email distribution.
Mass Over The Summer

Travelling over the summer? Try out a different Catholic church by the beach, in the mountains or even in another country! Go to www.masstimes.org and type in your location to find a Mass near you.
Registration Is Open For 2022-2023 CCD Classes

Guardian Angels offers Religious Education for the children in our parish who do not attend Guardian Angels school. Our CCD program for the upcoming school year will be on campus only. Those wishing to enroll their children in CCD grades K-8 can find registration information on the parish website.
 
Get your registrations in today to make sure your child is enrolled! Classes begin Sunday, September 11th. Know a family who may be interested in CCD? Feel free to pass on the information!
Monster Mash Volunteers Needed
 
Do you love Halloween? Creating community? Please consider joining the Monster Mash committee. We NEED someone to shadow Amy Armstrong Smith to lead this Parish event. If that does not happen, 2022 will be the last Monster Mash. If you have any interest in chairing this event, or just being on the committee, please email Amy Armstrong Smith.
Bandit Football & Cheerleading Registration Is Open
 
Bandit Cheerleading registration is now open for the fall, available for girls entering kindergarten - 2nd grade. The schedule involves one practice per week and cheer at football games on Saturday mornings. The season runs from late August to mid-October.
To register, visit the Athletic Booster website.
  
We are so excited for the upcoming season! More details to follow. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the coaches: 
GA Mugs Available For Purchase

The Welcome Committee is selling Guardian Angels mugs for $7, while supplies last. If you would like to purchase a #GAIsFamily mug, just click here. Mugs must be picked up at the rectory during business hours. The parish office is open 8:30am-3:00pm Monday-Friday.
Parish Reminders
Make Offertory Donations Online
Giving to Guardian Angels Parish has never been easier. Offertory donations can be made online. If you are interested in establishing a one-time or recurring gift through our online platform, just click the button below. Once you have an account setup, you can make any changes to your giving yourself through the website.
8am & 10am Masses Streamed Each Sunday
We have added the 8am Sunday Mass to our live streaming options each Sunday. The 8am and 10am Masses can be viewed on our YouTube channel and Facebook page live or they can be played back on either channel at a later time.
School News
Enrollment Open For 2022-2023 School Year

Enrollment is now open for all students entering preschool through eighth grade for the 2022-2023 school year. You'll find all the information you need on the school website.

If you are interested in learning more about our school, we invite you to take a personal tour. A tour allows you to meet with our administration to discuss the classes and programs available through GA and have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Call the school office at (513)624-3141 to schedule a tour.  
Cookie Ministry Continues Over The Summer

Thank you for your donations to the Cookie Ministry this year. The Peanut Butter group really appreciates the support of our school families. They minister to less fortunate families at St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen all year, so your donations over the summer are much needed. Our Peanut Butter group puts together a lunch sack on Tuesday mornings; donations for these should be dropped off on Mondays. Your donation of cookies, brownies, rice krispie treats, etc adds a sweet treat to the lunches our peanut butter group makes for the St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen. Treats can be homemade or store-bought, but should be individually packaged (2 cookies per bag). They are also in need of juice boxes or pouches and prepackaged snacks, such as chips, pretzels, cheez-its, etc.

If you would like to help put together the lunches or drive them down to St. Francis Seraph, contact Kathy Hosking at 513-232-0958. Thank you for your help! 
School Playground Hours

As the weather begins to warm up, we want to remind everyone of the hours of operation for our new playground equipment. The portion of the new playground that was installed in the fall sits outside the area where our old equipment sat. Since it is outside the mulch area and is now closer to other property lines, the portion of the equipment with the slide CANNOT be used outside of the posted playground operating hours. Those hours are 8:00am-6:00pm. 
Other News
Shop On AmazonSmile To Support GA
If you shop on Amazon, please consider shopping through AmazonSmile. You can shop AmazonSmile online or through the app. If you shop on Amazon, you can sign-up to have a portion of your purchase come back to Guardian Angels. Now when you make purchases through the AmazonSmile app OR page, and have GA selected as your beneficiary, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products back to GA. 
Learn More On FORMED.org
 
Did you know that all parishioners have access to a bevy of incredible Catholic content through Formed.org? Parishioners can use this platform to discover the many ebooks, audio resources, movies and Bible studies that are available on your phone, tablet, smart tv or computer.


If you are new to the website:
  1. click on sign-up
  2. Choose I belong to a Parish or Organization
  3. Search Guardian Angels Parish (make sure you select the one on Beechmont in Cincinnati)
  4. Then create your own account

This treasure trove of material is provided as a gift to you as a valued member of our Faith Family.
Stay Connected with GA on Social Media
Stay up-to-date with all things GA by following us on social media. 
Guardian Angels is active on several social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Facebook serves as our primary social channel to keep parishioners informed about upcoming events, news, and other information regarding our school and parish.  If you want to make sure you see information posted through the Guardian Angels page, please make sure you go to our Facebook page, click Following (just under the cover photo), and then choose See First. This way anything we share will still be seen in your newsfeed.

You can also follow us through our Twitter page and our Instagram account.

You will also be able to find links to our social media channels at the bottom of every parish newsletter.
Bulletin Advertising Available
Our bulletin publisher is looking for new advertisers and sponsors. Thanks to our sponsors, the bulletin is published weekly at no cost to our parish. Please consider purchasing an ad. Your ad and participation make the bulletin successful, and you attract customers! If interested, please email Sherry Montel or call/text her at 614 301-7444.

Advertisements and sponsorships can be purchased for a business, family, charity, in Honor or in Memory of a Loved One, or to support the church or a community service organization, such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters. We appreciate your support.
Have News to Share?
If you are part of a parish organization and have news you would like to share with our community, please email the parish office. To be included in next month's newsletter, your information must be received by the last Monday of this month.