Message From Father Angi

Many of you have probably heard the song “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Not everybody is familiar with the real 12 days of Christmas. In the Church, the Christmas season actually begins the day after Christmas and ends 12 days later. Today, on the twelfth day of Christmas, we conclude this wonderful time of year by celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany. In celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord, we celebrate the revelation that Jesus was born as the Son of God. Today’s gospel illustrates this revelation through the story of the three wise men who traveled to visit Jesus following his birth.

The wise men embarked on a journey of faith, following the star of Bethlehem until they reached the manger where Jesus laid. They brought gifts that symbolized their revelation of his divinity: gold, which associated Jesus as a king. Frankincense, which was often used in worship, and symbolized the holiness of Jesus. And myrrh, a perfume used for embalming, which symbolized that Christ would one day die for our sins.

As we start a new calendar year, it’s a time of rejuvenation for many of us, a chance for a new beginning and a chance to discover new things and make our own revelations. As the wise men in today’s gospel did, you too can continue to follow your faith throughout this year. The wise men had a revelation that the Son of God was coming, and they were not afraid to follow their hearts. Do not be afraid to follow your heart when you hear God’s call in your lives. 

Sincerely,

Fr. Steve

Thank You for Supporting Guardian Angels through the Catholic Education Foundation (CEF)

Our GA family generously donated, placing us near the top in the diocese in contributions to the CEF-SGO. We have many students who benefit from CEF scholarships. Families interested in learning more about financial assistance for Guardian Angels School, can learn more here. 

Volunteers Needed for Fish Fry

We are in the process of finalizing plans for our 2024 Fish Fry Events. Keep an eye out on upcoming bulletins and the Parish website for more information. If you would like to volunteer, please reach out to Marianne Glassmeyer at mglassmeyer@outlook.com.  

Year End Tax Statements

All year-end tax letters to parishioners will be mailed out by January 31, 2024. Only parishioners with contributions of $250.00 and over will receive a tax letter. You may call the parish office at 513.231.7440 and request a tax letter if your contribution is less than $250.00.

Fr. King Burse Update

Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology would like to thank the parishioners of Guardian Angels Parish for their efforts in successfully funding and superseding their goal for the Rev. Thomas M. King Burse. This past summer, upon reaching the 50th Anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, Fr. King requested the parishioners create a burse in his honor in lieu of a gift for himself.

The burse has seen more than 100 donors give over $54,000 and counting towards supporting seminarians at MTSM and helping fulfill Fr. King’s wish to help train the future priests of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

A burse is a permanent fund that supports the educational needs of the seminarians. Each year, a portion of the income from the burse will be used to help support the formation of a seminarian from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Currently, there are 46 men from the Archdiocese preparing for the priesthood.

To make a donation to the Rev. Thomas M. King Burse, click here.

St. Gregory the Great Townhall Meeting

On Thursday evening, January 25th from 7-8:30 pm, the Pastoral Council of the Saint Gregory of Great Family of Parishes will host an important information event regarding Beacons of Light at St. John Fisher Church. Mr. Jeremy Helmes, Director of the Center for Parish Vitality in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, will be on hand to discuss why Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saint John Fisher, and Guardian Angels were selected to form a single canonical parish. There will be ample opportunities to ask any questions you might have.

Speaker: Jeremy Helmes, Director of the Center for Parish Vitality, Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Date: Thursday, January 25th

Time: 7:00-8:30 pm

Location: Pater Hall, Saint John Fisher Church, 3227 Church Street, Cincinnati, OH 45244

2024 Catholic Schools Week

The 2024 Catholic Schools Week theme is “United in Faith and Community.” As a thriving Catholic school, we strive to provide the best educational instruction and religious formation for your family. Catholic Schools Week is a wonderful time to thank God for the many blessings He gives us, as well as show our gratitude to you for choosing Guardian Angels and trusting us to enrich your children’s lives! We also thank the parish for supporting our school through your donations and prayers. 

Beautifying Our Church Update

Phase 1 of our Church beautification and renewal project — LED lighting, statue restoration, and Stations of the Cross — is complete and we hope you like the results. We are working to finalize Phase 2 plans for new pews, flooring, and painting currently planned for June-July 2024.

One recurring question our committee has been asked is “do the pews really need to be replaced?” We want to share some information with you about our pews. The current pews are almost 60 years old and were originally installed in the undercroft which served as the Sanctuary starting in the mid-1960s. The pews were moved upstairs in late 1970s when the current Sanctuary was finally completed. Our pews are not solid wood — they are wood veneer — which has been nicked, chipped, scratched, and cracked during six decades of use. Trim pieces have fallen off and book and envelope holders have been damaged. Many of the rubber footers for the kneelers have disappeared, some kneeler coverings are cracked, and the kneeler frames regularly come loose from the pew body. Some kneelers have been reinstalled so many times they are now crooked. Most importantly, over the last few years at least three of the pew bodies have split, requiring significant repairs. 

These conditions will only continue to worsen with pews that have long outlived their expected lifespan. We have obtained a bid to refurbish the pews and the kneelers; however, the estimate was as high as the cost of installing all new pews and kneelers! 

Installing new pews with quiet kneelers will help enhance our worship experience. This along with the new flooring and HVAC upgrades will also improve safety and access by increasing the width of some aisles, as well as incorporating standardized pew spacing. The combination of Phase 1 — lighting, Stations, and statue restoration — along with Phase 2 – painting, flooring, and pews — will provide a high-quality place to worship our Lord for current parishioners and leave a legacy for future parishioners.

Thank you for all your thoughts and encouragement to date. We welcome your comments and suggestions at our email address: chbeauty@gaparish.org.

GA Beautification Committee

 Rick Oberschmidt, Chairman

 Brice Berger

 Julie Bruns

 Mirna Feghali

 Mark Gillming

 Don King

 Kathy King                                                                                            

 Dick Vogelgesang     

Greeters and Gift Bearers

How can your family contribute to the success of our liturgies? We need individuals, couples, and families to serve as greeters (stand at the Gathering Space doors and welcome Mass attendees to our parish) and gift bearers (bring up the bread, wine, and collection basket at the Offertory Procession during Mass). We need volunteers for each 3 of our weekend Masses. Signing up in advance allows the ushers to know who is volunteering and not have to scramble to find a family to bring up the gifts.

Sign up here, contact Kay Froehlich, or see an usher when you get to Mass. Thank you for volunteering to serve in these important ministries!

Eastside Catholic Youth Ministries

Eastside Catholic Youth Ministries (ECYM) is the group of ministries serving our Family of Parishes. There are a wide range of opportunities for students in grades 5-12, open to youth of all schools and faith backgrounds. Join us as we seek to have fun, enjoy fellowship, and grow as disciples.

If you would like information about upcoming opportunities, please contact youth@gaparish.org.

Young Men's Faith and Fellowship

When: 1/8, 1/22, 2/5, and 2/19 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. This fall, we will be using the Mass Series by Bishop Robert Barron from the World on Fire Institute. Contact the group at mensfaith@gaparish.org to join our email distribution list, receive more information, or to join via Zoom.

Young Women's Faith and Fellowship

When: 1/10, 1/24, 2/28, 3/13, and 3/27 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 various faith studies from the Blessed is She, Rooted devotional. No prior knowledge or materials needed; come as you are! Contact the group at womensfaith@gaparish.org for more information.  

2024-2025 Enrollment

Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year will open for parish families on December 11th. You'll find all the information you need on the school website.

If you missed our Information Sessions but would still like to learn 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. These are typically done during school hours so you can see what a typical day is like for students. Call the school office at (513)624-3141 to schedule a tour.

School Masses

Please join our school community in celebrating the Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the school year. All-school Masses are offered most Tuesdays for Kindergarten through 8th grade and are live-streamed to the Guardian Angels YouTube channel. Visitors are welcome to attend any school Mass, although seating is limited for all-school Masses.

Please include our school community in your daily prayers!