S t . A n t o n i n u s C h u r c h 1 5 0 0 L i n n e m a n R d C i n c i n n a t i O H 4 5 2 3 8 J U N E 1 8 , 2 0 1 7

S E R V E R S J u n e 1 9 - 2 3 , 2 0 1 7 Monday & Friday 8AM Communion Service Tuesday & Thursday 6:45AM Communion Service

W e d n e s d a y , 8 : 0 0 A M M a s s Ellen Nolan Brenna Bohan

S E R V E R S J u n e 2 4 & 2 5 , 2017

4:30PM Austin & Andrew Ruwe, Caleb Freed 8:00AM Adult Server 9:30AM Matthew Rechtin, Kevin Rigney, Josh Pille 11:30AM Mark Autenrieb, Logan Bradley, Nick Price

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS June 24 & 25, 2017

4:30PM Marilyn Wempe, Joan Squeri, Kathy O’Connor , Bonnie Hueneman, Stacey Radziwon 8:00AM Andy & Eileen Muehlbauer, Norb & Linda Guetle 9:30AM Marta, Maria & Mark Rechtin, Elizabeth Anderson, Olivia Aisenbrey, Kristi Bengel, Mary & Vince Feldman, Trishna Wissel, Angie Heisel, Mary Hirsch 11:30AM Katie Price, Joe Reinstatler, Laura Jetter, Karen Klaene, Donna Vitt, Robert Nussman, Nick Oehler, Tom Fleming, Cathy McDonald, Kate Hein, Patty Hetzer

R O S A R Y

Monday thru Friday after the daily Mass. Saturdays after the 8 AM Communion Service. Mondays 7:00PM Fatima Prayer Group in the Chapel. Friday mornings at MaryAnn Baverman’s home for Moms and grandmoms and young children. We extend an invitation to join our group for prayer on Friday mornings from 10AM to 11:00AM. We will show you how to pray the rosary. Please call MaryAnn at 503-9537 for details. St. Antoninus Prayer chain: To intercede for prayer requests, please go to www.saintantoninus.org/prayer-chain , or pick up a list in the back of the greeting room on the right side of the counter. Requests for prayers may be left there, or emailed to: staprayerchain@gmail.com, or you may mail request to St. Antoninus Prayer Chain, 1500 Linneman Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238.

MONDAY, JUNE 19 8:00AM COMMUNION SERVICE

TUESDAY, JUNE 20 6:45AM COMMUNION SERVICE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 Saint Aloysius Gonzaga 8:00AM MASS Richard Schweitzer III– Janet Hueneman

THURSDAY, JUNE 22 Saint Paulinus of Nola, Saint John Fisher & Saint Thomas More 6:45AM COMMUNION SERVICE FRIDAY, JUNE 23 The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus 8:00AM COMMUNION SERVICE

SATURDAY, JUNE 24 The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist 8:00AM Communion Service 4:00PM Rosary 4:30PM MASS Ben Rapien– Family

SUNDAY, JUNE 25 8:00AM MASS Intentions of the Celebrant 9:30AM MASS Maggie Rechtin—Bd. Rem.– Family 11:30AM MASS Leslie Lamps—Bd. Rem.– Family

E U C H A R I S T I C A D O R A T I O N

In Matthew 26:40, Jesus says to Peter [and to us], “Could you not, then, watch one hour with me?” Please consider joining your fellow parishioners for 30 minutes, or even one hour, at Eucharistic Adoration in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel on Fridays from 9:00AM until the Adoration ends at 10:00PM.

C O N F E S S I O N S Thursday, June 22, 7:30-8PM

Saturday, June 24, 3:00-4:00PM

L E C T O R S J u n e 2 4 & 2 5 , 2017 4:30PM Joan Squeri Kathy O’Connor 8:00AM Marlene Kiely Carolyn Kerley 9:30AM Maria Rechtin Mariellen Rechtin 11:30AM Joe Reinstatler Bill Mathews

THANK YOU to Corcoran & Harnist Heating and A/C for advertising in our bulletin.

P A R I S H C O N T R I B U T I O N S F o r w e e k e n d i n g J u n e 4 , 2 0 1 7

Sunday Collections $17,986.75 School Parish Support $ 235.00 Maintenance $ 265.00 Holy Days/Special Donations $ 150.00

F o r w e e k e n d i n g J u n e 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 Sunday Collections $18,519.38 Missionary $ 6,253.25 School Parish Support $ 467.00 Maintenance $ 250.00 Holy Days/Special/Donations $ 2,045.00 Thank you for your continuing support of the parish and school. Please remember Saint Antoninus in your will. Gifts of stock can also be made to St. Antoninus Church. If you currently work for, or are retired from, a company that has a Matching Gift program, you can make your contributions to Parish School Support and have those contributions matched by your company.

RECEPTION FOR FR. BRYAN REIF will be after the 11:30AM Mass on June 25, 2017, in the greeting room of church. All are invited to wish Father well in his new assignment.

Happy Father's Day to all of our St. Antoninus Fathers, Grandfathers, Step-Fathers, Foster Fathers, and Spiritual Fathers. Again, this year, we are distributing free, blessed rosaries to all fathers. Please take as many as needed to give to your family members. We strongly encourage you to lead your family often in praying the rosary which brings great blessings to your family. There are also free copies of the book "Jesus Shock" available for you in the back of church. The Pro-Life/Pro-Family Commission.

K R O G E R P L U S C A R D If you are new to the Kroger Plus Card program, please sign up at Kroger.com. Go to Account Registration and fill in all your information. Saint Antoninus’ number is 80164. If you are already a member of the Kroger Plus Card program, you do not need to renew this year. If you need to update your personal information, please follow the same instructions as above. Your support to St. Antoninus Parish is very much appreciated.

By using online giving, you are helping the parish improve our operational efficiency. To start, go to the official

Saint Antoninus Parish website at www.saintantoninus.org, click About Us, then click Giving, click on the Our Sunday Visitor button, then click the green Create New Account button. You must set yourself up with your information, including your envelope number. Look on your envelopes, or call the rectory office, for your number. You then have choices of recurring donations or one time donations. If you want this service but do not have a computer, or if you have any questions, please call Beth at the rectory office at 922-5400, x 2.

St. Antoninus Church and School is looking for a custodian to work six hours per day, for all 12 months of the year. For information, go to www.saintantoninus.org, and look for Part-Time Custodian Wanted. All interested candidates should send a resume either by email at reid@saintantoninus.org, or mail to 1500 Linneman Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238, or fax to 513-922-5401.

WINNERS OF THE 250 LOTTO are Richard L. Meyer who

won the $200 and Tom Schroer who won the $50.

Congratulations! Tickets can still be brought. Call the

rectory office at 922-5400 x 2.

C A T H O L I C M I N I S T R I E S A P P E A L

These important local ministries depend on our help each year. To make a pledge securely online, go to CatholicAppeal.net. Thank you! As of June 9, the amount pledged from our parish families is $35,100.17. The amount paid is $29,820.17 which is 69.04% of our parish goal of $50,838.00. 203 parish families are participating. Congratulations and thank you! Pledges to the 2017 Catholic Ministries Appeal (CMA) have now exceeded the $5,000,000 goal! So far, just over $5.1 million has been pledged to the appeal from 27,400 households. Of the amount pledged, over $4.1 million has been received in payments.

T R A V E L I N G C H A L I C E Now, more than ever, PLEASE consider taking the Traveling Chalice into your home and pray, either as a family or alone, for the intentions of our Holy Church, for Vocations, Pope Francis, all Church

leaders, our country, and for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Call Debbie at 922-2414 to schedule the Traveling Chalice.

Reading I: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a: The Book of Deuteronomy recounts the main events at the end of

the forty years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert under the leadership of Moses. The people are

about to embark on the conquest of the land the Lord is going to give them. In our passage this weekend,

Moses is reminding the Israelites about the way they were tested in the wilderness, and how God gave them

special protection and fatherly care. Moses, again, urges them to be faithful to God. In verse three, Moses,

speaking of the manna from heaven in the desert, reminds them that man does not live by bread alone.

Jesus will quote these words when rejecting Satan’s first temptation in the desert (Mt. 4:4). Physical food is

necessary, but man also lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God, including His

commandments. Moses also reminds the Israelites to not forget God when times are good or when they are

rich and prosperous. By this, Moses is telling the Israelites that when they turn away from God by sinning

and failing to keep His commandments, they are forgetting God who is the very source of their life.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 (12): Reflecting the tone of the first reading, Psalm 147

is one of the small group of songs of praise that close the Psalter. Psalm 147, in a special way, proposes, as

motives for praise, God’s work of creation and all He has done in favor of Israel. God, the creator and

redeemer, is the God of Zion who dwells in Jerusalem, and whom Jerusalem recognizes through what He has

done on her behalf: protecting her against neighboring peoples and giving her prosperity. The second part of

verse 14, “with the best wheat He fills you”, has traditionally been interpreted by the Church to signify the

Eucharist, an unfathomable expression of God’s generosity. The praise that Jerusalem offers the Lord in this

psalm also includes His influence over the elements—snow and frost. These are manifestations of His

powerful word which is personified here. Most remarkable for the people of Israel is the fact that the Lord of

creation has taken a particular interest in them!

Reading II: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17: Our second reading continues the theme of manna from heaven in the

first reading, and God filling us with the best wheat in the psalm by addressing the bread and wine of the

Eucharistic celebration. At the same time, St. Paul is also addressing the need for unity in a community beset

by factions that become apparent even as the community gathers at the Eucharistic table. St. Paul tells us

that the principal effect of the Blessed Eucharist is intimate union with Jesus. The very name “communion”,

taken from this passage of St. Paul, points to becoming one with our Lord by receiving His Body and Blood.

St. John Chrysostom wrote that in the bread, we receive the Body of Christ, and those who receive

Communion, become the body of Christ. St. Augustine taught that Communion is an intimate union with

Christ. Due to this intimate union with Christ, the Eucharist is at one and the same time the sacrament where

the entire Church demonstrates and achieves its unity, and where a very special kind of solidarity is

developed among Christians. The Fathers of the Church have seen a symbol of this union in the very

materials—bread and wine—used to make the Eucharist. St. Pius V wrote: “the body of Christ, which is one,

consists of many members, and of this union, nothing is more strikingly illustrative than the elements of bread

and wine; for bread is made from many grains, and wine is pressed from many clusters of grapes. Thus, they

signify that we, though many, are most closely bound together by the bond of the divine mystery and made,

as it were, one body.” Continued on the next page

BREAKING OPEN THE WORD with Kathy O ’Connor

THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST CORPUS CHRISTI

C o n t i n u e d f r o m p r e v i o u s p a g e

Gospel: John 6: 51-58: The manna from heaven during the exodus, about which Moses spoke in the first

reading, is what is known as an Old Testament prefiguring of the Bread of Life in the Eucharist. Jesus says He is

the living bread which came down from heaven (like the manna of the exodus). In verse 58, Jesus compares

the true bread of life, His own body, with the manna God used to feed the Israelites every day during their 40

years in the wilderness. He points out that their ancestors ate the manna, yet they still died. Talking to a

crowd, Jesus is emphatic that those who eat His flesh and drinks His blood will have everlasting life. The

people who are hearing this understand perfectly well that Jesus means exactly what He says. In this short

passage, Jesus repeats four times, “eat my flesh and drink my blood”. Four times! Not once in those four times

does Jesus say “as a symbol of my flesh and blood”. So the people understand what Jesus says, but they

cannot believe that what He says could be true. They really struggle with this. Many of them did not accept it,

and they abandoned Him. But, thankfully, many disciples did believe Jesus, and after His ascension into

heaven, did as He wished: received His body and blood in memory of Him. Jesus had stressed that it is

necessary to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist in order to share in divine life and develop the life of grace

received in Baptism. St. Pope Pius X wrote that we receive Jesus Christ in Holy Communion to nourish our

souls and to give us an increase of grace and the gift of eternal life. In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus

clearly states that His body and blood are pledges of eternal life and a guarantee of the resurrection of the

body. About this, St. Thomas Aquinas offers an explanation: “The Word gives life to our souls, but the Word

made flesh nourishes our bodies. In this sacrament is contained the Word, not only in His divinity, but also His

humanity; therefore, it is the cause, not only of the glorification of our souls, but also of that of our bodies.”

Why should Jesus so ardently desire us to receive Him in communion? Because of love. When people love one

another, they wish to be strongly united. God wants us to be united with Him, and the most important effect

of the Blessed Eucharist is intimate union with Jesus Christ.

Reflection: Bread is such a simple food: so normal and so basic. Yet, bread sustained the Israelites in the

wilderness, and the Bread of Life, Jesus Himself, sustains us during our earthly life through the intimate union

with Him received in Holy Communion. What does the Eucharist mean to you? Keep that question in mind as

you also imagine Jesus saying to us, “When your friends go away, you often give them a gift to remember you

by. When I returned to heaven, I left you my very self to remember me by. When you are separated from

friends for extended periods, you occasionally make yourself present to them through letters, calls, and emails.

While I am reigning in heaven, I stay with you all of the time in the Tabernacle. Know that I am fully present in

every host. Each one of you receives me personally from the hands of the priest or minister one-on-one. When I

come to you in Holy Communion and when I wait for you in the Tabernacle, all my thoughts and all my desire is

focused on you. Think about me waiting for you there in the Tabernacle, interceding for you, offering myself for

you at every moment….for you. You never have to doubt my love again”. What does the Eucharist mean to

you? Perhaps we can pray to grow in understanding and appreciation of the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Let’s thank Jesus for this great and wonderful gift of His body and Blood and for waiting for us in the

Tabernacle.

A D U L T S O C I A L G R O U P Luncheon only will be on Monday, July 10. RSVP to Bob Brown at 451-4842. Send $12 per person for the lunch to the rectory office by Wednesday, July 5th.

D E C R E E O N C H I L D P R O T E C T I O N O F T H E A R C H D I O C E S E O F C I N C I N N A T I

VIRTUS MEETING WILL BE HELD AT ST. ANTONINUS, IN THE CHURCH UNDERCROFT, at 7PM ON July 25, August 23, September 13 and October 9. ALL EMPLOYEES AND REGULAR VOLUNTEERS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND ONE VIRTUS TRAINING MEETING. YOU MAY ATTEND HERE OR AT ANY OTHER LOCATION WITHIN THE ARCHDIOCESE. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AT: www.virtus.org. MAKE SURE THAT THE “USER’S LOCATION” YOU CHOOSE DURING REGISTRATION IS ST. ANTONINUS – EVEN IF YOU ATTEND VIRTUS AT ANOTHER LOCATION. PLEASE BE SURE TO WRITE DOWN YOUR VIRTUS USER- ID AND YOUR PASSWORD. YOU WILL NEED TO USE THEM MONTHLY.

Volunteers (unless you coach high school students) are no longer required to get fingerprinted. Instead, volunteers are required to complete an on-line background check. If you wish to pay for the on-line background check yourself, you can complete it as a part of the VIRTUS registration. If you volunteer at St. Antoninus and would like a pre-paid code to pay for the background check, contact Deacon Bob Schroeder before you register for VIRTUS, or do not complete the background check when you register for VIRTUS. Contact Deacon Bob Schroeder at: schroeder@saintantoninus.org. He will send the pre-paid, one-time-use, code to you via e-mail. The code will work only for those who have St. Antoninus as their primary user location on their VIRTUS account. If you coach high school students, you are also required to complete fingerprinting. E-mail Deacon Bob at the address above, and he will send directions to you. A HEALING SERVICE with MASS will be held on

Wednesday, July 5, at 7:30 pm, in St. Ignatius

Church, 5222 North Bend Rd. You can receive prayer

for yourself or any of your loved ones. Sponsored by

Lighthouse Renewal Center. For info call 471-LITE

(5483), or Visit our web site at www.LRC1.org, or

facebook.com/lrc1.org.

2017 GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS The Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass will be offered on August 12, 2017, at 4:30PM in St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. Bishop Joseph Binzer will be the celebrant. If you wish to attend the Mass, and received an anniversary certificate, please call the Office of Marriage and Family Life at 421-3131, ext. 2653. Or, e-mail your request to www.catholiccincinnati.org/ministries-offices/family-life/ . 2017 WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CERTIFICATES FOR 25,40,50,60,65,70,75 YEAR anniversaries may be requested from the Archdiocese by calling the Office of Marriage and Family Life at 421-3131, ext. 2653. Or, e-mail your request to www.catholiccincinnati.org/ministries-offices/family-life/ . Also, please call the rectory office at 922-5400 ext. 2 to give us your wedding anniversary date.

S T . A N T O N I N U S N E T W O R K O F C A R E

As we go through life’s stages, sometimes we are in a position to help others, while at

other times, we are in need of help. A network of volunteers is prepared to serve the St. Antoninus Parish Family by providing a meal after hospitalization, surgery or medical treatments; transportation to medical treatments or to Mass; prayer for the intentions on the St. Antoninus Prayer Chain; and A Listening Ear to parishioners facing difficulties. For more information, please leave a message on the Network of Care Phone Line at 922-5400, ext. 8, and someone will return your call.

F L O W E R S F O R T H E A L T A R

If you wish to dedicate the placing of flowers for one week at the altar in memory of a loved one, or to honor a

person or special occasion, please send $50 (check made out to Saint Antoninus Church, with Altar Flowers in the memo line) to the rectory office with your name, phone number and the week you would like to reserve. More than one family may reserve the same week. There will be no flower arrangements during the Advent and Lent seasons. If you have questions, call Steffany Reid, Business Manager, at 922-5400, x 3.

A m e s s a g e f r o m F a t h e r B r y a n Father Andrew Umberg and I invite you to join us on a 12-Day Pilgrimage to Israel and Rome, November 6th through the 17th. A journey following in the footsteps of Jesus. This Pilgrimage is $4,298.00 from Cincinnati: Your all inclusive price includes: Basic Tour & Guided Sightseeing, Round trip International Airfare, Admin Fees, Entrance Fees, Hotel Gratuities & Program Fees, Daily Buffet Breakfast & Dinner, Deluxe Motor coaches, First Class Hotels, and much more. For more information, or to book your trip, contact Kathryn Raaker at 513-616-6986, or kraaker123@gmail.com .

S A I N T V I N C E N T D E P A U L S O C I E T Y Mary Ellen Ostrowski hails from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, but has spent the past two years living and working in Patient Care in Iowa and Wisconsin. Her recent work experience and degree in biology from Benedictine College (Kansas) has prepared her

well for her VVC placement working in our Charitable Pharmacy. “The program’s spiritual component shapes the way the service is performed. People are seen as children of God regardless of their creed, race, or socioeconomic status. There is so much brokenness in this world, and we are called to be Christ to others, and meet them where they are, and walk with them.”

H O L Y S P I R I T P R A Y E R G R O U P Many of us wonder how we can Hear God and know

His will for our lives. If we don’t hear God, our lives

are guessing games! Mary Handermann will discuss

the various ways that God uses to communicate with

us. Please join us in the Chapel on Tuesday evening

at 7:00PM for this important teaching. All are

welcome.

FRIENDS OF ELDER HS TRAVEL 2017/2018 Oct. 7-14, 2017: New Mexico Hot Air Balloon Fiesta/Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Carlsbad National Park Dec. 29, 2017 – Jan. 1, 2018: California Rose Parade/New Year’s Eve Get-Away April 11-20, 2018: Israel, A Journey to the Holy Land September 5-15, 2018: Maritimes Coastal wonders (Canada) Call Norb Guetle ( Elder ‘59) at 513-451-1227 for information on tours. CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER is a wonderful marriage preparation weekend that fulfills your Pre-Cana requirements for getting married in the Catholic Church. Sept. 16-17, & Oct. 6-8. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Altenau at 479-1700. To register, e-mail www.cincinnatiengagedencounter.org . Natural Family Planning New class begins Sunday, June 25, at 1:00 p.m., at St. Susanna Catholic Church, Undercroft, 616 Reading Road, Mason, Ohio 45040. For information, or to register for a class, go to www.ccli.org, or call 471-2000. DONATIONS NEEDED for the Franciscan Peddler Thrift Shop which is a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. They are in need of the following donations: clothing for men, women, children for all seasons in clean, wearable condition, Men & women’s shoes & accessories, baby clothing and toys, small household goods, jewelry, purses, books, pictures, home décor and holiday items. Store Location is at St. Clare Convent (follow the Franciscan Peddler signs), 60 Compton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45215. Your donation is entirely tax deductible. For more information, call 513.761.9040 X112. Or, email: sfpassociates@fuse.net.

F o r t n i g h t f o r F r e e d o m

Praying for our First, Most Cherished Liberty

J u n e 2 1 t h r o u g h J u l y 4 , 2 0 1 7

Dear St. Antoninus Parishioners,

The Catholic Bishops of the United States have called all Catholics to a special period of prayer for religious

liberty, a “Fortnight for Freedom,” that will take place from June 21 (the vigil of the feasts of St. Thomas More

and St. John Fisher) to July 4, 2017 (Independence Day). It is a call to intensify our prayers and fasting for a

new birth of freedom in our beloved country, especially at this time when many of our religious freedoms are

being attacked.

You are invited to participate in this year’s Fortnight for Freedom in four ways:

1. Pray daily the Prayer for Religious Liberty (see text below).

2. Join in whenever you can to pray the Rosary for our country, which takes place every

evening at 7:30PM in the Chapel.

3. Join us for the 8AM Mass on July 4, 2017.

4. Learn more about Catholic teaching on religious liberty and other topics at www.usccb.org,

www.catholiccincinnati.org, and www.catholic.org.

PRAYER FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

Almighty God, Father of all nations,

For freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1).

We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty,

the foundation of human rights, justice, and the common good.

Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect and promote our liberties;

By your grace, may we have the courage to defend them for ourselves and

for all those who live in this blessed land.

We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness,

and in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

with whom you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O u r F i r s t , M o s t C h e r i s h e d L i b e r t y

A s t a t e m e n t o n R e l i g i o u s L i b e r t y

We are Catholics. We are Americans. We are proud to be both, grateful for the gift of faith, which is ours as

Christian disciples, and grateful for the gift of liberty, which is ours as American citizens. To be Catholic and

American should mean not having to choose one over the other. Our allegiances are distinct, but they need

not be contradictory, and should, instead, be complementary. That is the teaching of our Catholic faith, which

obliges us to work together with fellow citizens for the common good of all who live in this land. That is the

vision of our founding and our Constitution, which guarantees citizens of all religious faiths the right to

contribute to our common life together.

Freedom is not only for Americans, but we think of it as something of our special inheritance, fought for at a

great price, and a heritage to be guarded now. We are stewards of this gift, not only for ourselves but for all

nations and peoples who yearn to be free. Catholics in America have discharged this duty of guarding

freedom admirably for many generations.

Our nation’s founders embraced freedom of religion as an essential condition of a free and democratic

society. James Madison, often called the Father of the Constitution, described conscience as “the most sacred

of all property.” He wrote that “the Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience

of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate.” George Washington wrote

that “the establishment of Civil and Religious Liberty was the Motive that induced me to the field of battle.”

Thomas Jefferson assured the Ursuline Sisters—who had been serving a mostly non-Catholic population by

running a hospital, an orphanage, and schools in Louisiana since 1727—that the principles of the Constitution

were a “sure guarantee” that their ministry would be free “to govern itself according to its own voluntary

rules, without interference from the civil authority.”

It is, therefore, fitting that when the Bill of Rights was ratified, religious freedom had the distinction of being

the First Amendment. Religious liberty is indeed the first liberty. The First Amendment guarantees that

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Recently, in a unanimous Supreme Court judgment affirming the importance of that first freedom, the Chief

Justice of the United States explained that religious liberty is not just the first freedom for Americans; rather,

it is the first in the history of democratic freedom, tracing its origins back to the first clauses of the Magna

Carta of 1215.

That is our American heritage, our most cherished freedom. It is the first freedom, because if we are not free

in our conscience and our practice of religion, all other freedoms are fragile. If citizens are not free in their

own consciences, how can they be free in relation to others or to the state? If our obligations and duties to

God are impeded, or even worse, contradicted by the government, then we can no longer claim to be a land

of the free and a beacon of hope for the world.

This above information contains excerpts from materials published by the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty of the United States Conference

of Catholic Bishops. The full articles and more resources are available at www.usccb.org/freedom

H o u s e h o l d I t e m s n e e d e d f o r R e f u g e e s While unable to pick up household items at this time, Catholic Charities still has a need for several household items for newly arriving families. Currently Catholic Charities is in need of: Sofas, upholstered chairs, kitchen tables and chairs, mattresses, Full comforters/blankets, Laundry baskets, Extension cords, Light bulbs,Cooking pots/pans, Lamps, Vacuum Cleaners, Cleaning Products (basics), Mops and Brooms, Kitchen Trash Bins, Rice Cookers, Umbrella's, Stocked Kids School Backpacks,Tea kettles, and Mugs. If you have any of these items, please contact Laila, the Donation and Move Coordinator, at laladimi@ccswoh.org, to make arrangements to drop off items at our warehouse location in Wyoming. Thank you to all who donated sewing machines for our sewing classes. We got five sewing machines donated last month. We are very thankful!!

C a r e g i v e r R e s o u r c e S u p p o r t G r o u p You are a caregiver whether you devote as little as 5 minutes a week or as much as 24 hours a day to providing or supervising the care for a loved one who is disabled, frail, or elderly. Meet others who share your experience to discuss topics like maintaining balance as a caregiver, solving caregiving problems, the guilt/stress of caregiving, and learning to care for yourself. There are groups in your area that meet at Bayley Wellness Center in Delhi (every Friday at 9:30 am), St. John the Baptist in Harrison (3rd Wednesday at 7:00 pm) and St. Ignatius in Monfort Heights (4th Thursday at 1:15 pm). These groups are free and open to the public and are here for you! Please call the Caregiver CAREline at (513) 869-4483 to register to attend a meeting, or visit www.ccswoh.org/caregivers, for more information. Sponsored by the Caregiver Assistance Network, a program of Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, funded through the Council on Aging. Our Lady of Victory Parish is having a Totus Tuus Summer Camp for grades 1-6 from July 17-21, starting at 9am until 2:30pm. Grades 7-12 will be held from July 16-20, starting at 7 until 9pm. For registration and information visit the website, www.olv.org

The Caregiver’s Challenge: Taking Care While Giving Care is from 6:30-8:00 pm, Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at the Woodlands of Middletown, 3000 McGee Ave, Middletown, 45044. Come receive support from Catholic Charities with the challenges of caregiving, and gain valuable information on community resources. Caregivers will receive encouragement in their struggle to maintain balance and tips for taking care while giving care. All programs are free and open to the public. Call the Caregiver CARELine at (513) 869-4483 to register to attend or for more information. The Caregiver Assistance Network is a program of Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, funded through the Council on Aging.

S u C a s a Su Casa Hispanic Center, a program of Catholic Charities, is looking for volunteers and donations for their upcoming summer academic camp for low-income Hispanic/Latino children. The program is from June 26th- August 11th. Volunteers are needed to chaperone field trips, help with serving lunch, and assist with sports programs. Donations of school or cleaning supplies, Clorox wipes, latex gloves, paper/plastic cups, plates, or cutlery, and name tags would be greatly appreciated. To volunteer, contact Stephanie Slack at 672-3732. To make a donation, contact Karri O'Hara at 672-3719. Gracias! The Athenaeum of Ohio Lay Studies 50% Tuition Reduction: Is God calling you to something new? Grow in faith, knowledge and skills through the Athenaeum of Ohio Lay Pastoral Ministry Program. We offer graduate and non-degreed options, Saturday and week night classes and a supportive, engaging environment designed for busy adults. Cincinnati locations include the main campus in Mt. Washington and Good Shepherd Parish in Montgomery. We are extending the 50% lay tuition reduction through Fall, 2017 and Spring, 2018, so there has never been a better time to learn about your faith and prepare for new opportunities. For information, or to set up a personal appointment, call 231-1200, or email smcgurgan@athenaeum.edu .