The gospel story about Zacchaeus is a lot like the extremes young people will go through just to get near their favorite musician at a concert, or even how the crowds gather at Saint Peter’s square to see the pope.  The musicians have bodyguards to protect them from the crowd and so does the pope. However, the pope makes provisions to stop and briefly have contact with those who have come to see him. He makes a point to acknowledge them and kiss their babies. Zacchaeus was hidden in the tree when Christ walked by. Jesus looked up, called him by name, and told him to “come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” Christ loved him, accepted Zacchaeus unconditionally, and personally included him in his life. This is what caused Zacchaeus’ change of heart.

Love is the only thing that causes conversion. If we just knew how to love more like Christ loves people, our world would change and become a better place. Just as Jesus was rooted in His Father’s love, our heart needs to be centered in God’s unconditional love for us, in order for us to be able to begin loving other people the way that Jesus did. How can we invite Jesus to enter into our homes a little more than what we have been doing lately, and truly make him the center of our lives?

As Jesus called Zacchaeus, twelve people have been called forth in our family of parishes to form and lead our family of parishes forth in the Beacons of Light process in Phase One. (There were twelve apostles so this is quite appropriate we have twelve Pathways Team members.) Linda Banecker, our liaison, has made her recommendations for the Pathways Team, which is a twelve-to-eighteen-month transitional team charged with creating a plan and vision for us moving forth in this process. The Pathways Team with the pastor assists with the planning process for the family of parishes and will prepare the family of parishes for the Disciple Maker Index which is a survey in which parishioners of the family of parishes will be invited to participate.

Maggie Leon-Guerrero has been appointed as the leader of the Pathways Team. The team Maggie will be leading is comprised of Mark Dulle, Rick Oberschmidt, Dan Frey, Bradley Barnes, Bill Neyer, John Elliot, Jennifer Tiettmeyer, Jay Mather, Mary Salvaggi, Joan Cardone, and Dave Auxier. The task of this team is monumental. I believe and have confidence that each member of this team can make the decisions necessary in Phase One. Please pray for them and their leadership in our family of parishes.

Guardian Angels is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our students to flourish. We are determined to continue Funding Future Angels. Our plan to accomplish this in the coming years includes upgrading our safety and security equipment and protocols. We also plan to enhance our STEM makerspace and make improvements to our school campus and facilities. A few details are outlined below:

•       Continued partnership with school safety specialist

•       Expansion of camera coverage

•       Additional portable two-way radios

•       Continued safety training for staff

•       3D printer filament and supplies

•       Materials for laser cutter machine

•       Specialized cutting tools and mats

•       Proposed expansion of GA lower parking lot

•       Landscaping upgrades

•       Refresh classroom spaces

Giving Tuesday is the week after Thanksgiving; it’s a movement to encourage people to give back to their own community. This year, we hope you give back to our Guardian Angels community as we participate in this Giving Tuesday Campaign on November 29th.  

Be on the lookout for an email on November 29th with a specific link to donate to this one-day fundraising campaign. Donations made on November 29th, through our online platform, will not be assessed by the Archdiocese, meaning your entire donation stays with Guardian Angels. Offline donations (cash or checks) or donations made on a different day are not included in this assessment waiver. 

Guardian Angels Church will be hosting the Eucharistic Miracles exhibition created by Blessed Carlo Acutis in the Gathering Space. The exhibition will run from Saturday, November 5th through Monday, November 7th. Please see the attached flyer for details.

For the season of Advent, starting Sunday, November 27th, you're invited for fresh coffee after the 8am and 10am masses in the gathering space. Brought to you by the Welcome Committee and the Men and Women's Faith and Fellowship groups, we invite you to mingle and make continued connections in our parish community over a cup of coffee!

God Bless the 2nd graders of our parish receiving their First Reconciliation this month. May they feel God’s mercy and compassion as they receive this sacrament for the first time.

The 2nd graders of our parish will be treated to a retreat on November 6th as they continue their preparations for Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. Please pray for our students as they welcome Jesus ever closer to their hearts.

Vocation Awareness Week is November 7th-11th. Guardian Angels students participate in an Adopt-a-Seminarian program which invites men in formation to the priesthood from Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary to join our students in prayer. Please pray for all of the seminarians, especially our intern, Brice Berger and the 18 young men who are involved in our program. We are so grateful for the special relationship with have with our seminarians!

Contact Kay Froehlich (513-624-3146/ kfroehlich@gaparish.org) for more information on any Religious Education program.

Guardian Angels School will be honoring our veterans with a prayer service celebration on Friday, November 11th at 9:00am in the church. Seating will be available only for veterans and our students. This event will be livestreamed to our YouTube channel for parents to watch. 

Please RSVP by November 8th so that we can honor and thank you! Include yourself and any guests who will be attending as well as the names of any children or grandchildren who attend Guardian Angels School. 

Contact Kay Froehlich (kfroehlich@gaparish.org or 513-624-3146) if you have any questions or need to RSVP by phone.

All members of the new parish family as well as the community in general are invited to participate in Angels Follies, no experience required! To learn more about the 2023 production, please plan to attend our kickoff meet and greet informational meeting on Sunday, January 8th at 7pm in the Guardian Angels undercroft. In addition to singers and dancers, we also welcome support behind the scenes. Proceeds from Angels Follies benefit parish, school and student activities. Questions? Call Kathy Myers at 513-236-6676.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the Rosary Rally last month.

Keeping with the tradition of Christ in Christmas, Angels for Life encourages your support of this pro-life fundraiser. We are raffling off a beautiful handmade nativity set. Proceeds benefit Right to Life, Pregnancy Center East, St. Vincent DePaul, Peanut Butter Ministry, Sacred Heart Radio, and other life affirming ministries.

The drawing will held on the November 27th, the first Sunday of Advent. Please submit your donation by November 20th online or complete this form and provide to the Rectory Office.

The High School Youth Group (grades 9-12) meets weekly on Thursday evenings. The Middle School Youth Group (grades 5-8) meets the first Friday of each month. Please visit gaparish.org for details on all upcoming meetings.

If you would like information about upcoming opportunities, please contact Bradley Barnes at youth@gaparish.org or 513-624-3148.

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. 

When: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays every month from 8:00-9:00 pm

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 are needed; come as you are! Join us every session or as your schedule permits. Contact the group at womensfaith@gaparish.org for more information. 

Each Friday, Fathers Team will be meeting for Fathers Team "Lite” which consists of a 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 6:05 am 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.

The S3 Family of Parishes will be combining efforts to create one RCIA program for those interested in learning more about the Catholic faith. Meetings will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary on Thursday evenings as well as dismissals after 9:30 a.m. Mass at IHM. If you know someone interested in becoming Catholic, please contact Jay Mather (513) 388-4188.

A Preschool Open House will be held Monday, January 9th from 5:00-7:00pm. This event is specifically for anyone considering enrolling their child(ren) in the preschool and/or pre-k program for the 2023-2024 school year. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP through the link below.

An Open House for K-8 will be held Sunday, January 29th from 1:00-3:00pm. This Open House is specifically for anyone considering enrolling their child(ren) in kindergarten through eighth grade for the 2023-2024 school year. This event is a great way to meet current families, talk with teachers in their classrooms, and get a feel for the community you will find here. Please RSVP through the link below.

A flyer is attached if you would like to share it with anyone who is interested in learning more about Guardian Angels School.

Pre-registration is not mandatory for either of these events. However, guests do register at the door so this will speed up the process once you arrive at our Open House. Current GA school families do not need to register in advance.

We want to remind everyone of the hours of operation for our newer playground equipment. The portion of the playground that was installed last year 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. 

Just click here to access the site.