Dear Friends,
I am happy to share with you the news that seminarian Tom Hunyor has been assigned at our parishes for this upcoming summer. I'll have Tom share more about himself in a bulletin column closer to the summer, but there are a few details I'll share now. Tom attends Mount St. Mary Seminary in Cincinnati, which is the same seminary I attended, and next school year will be his last year before being ordained a priest. This means that this will be his last parish assignment as a seminarian. In addition to this, candidates for Holy Orders are first ordained deacons before ordination to the priesthood, and because of this, Tom will be ordained a deacon by Bishop Daniel Thomas on May 15, 2021 at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary in Toledo. Tom will be able to assist at Mass, preach, and baptize, along with other pastoral ministry.
Speaking of Bishop Thomas, we were privileged to have Bishop Thomas present for Confirmation this past Tuesday. Between the two parishes, we had 15 students receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Please pray for these young men and women so that they may always be led by the Holy Spirit and follow the plan God our Father has for each of them. Pray that they may receive more fully the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, knowledge, fortitude, counsel, piety, understanding, and fear of the Lord. Pray that they may bear in the lives the fruits of the Holy Spirit (found in Galatians 5): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We pray for those having just received the sacrament of Confirmation, and we pray for our second graders who will be receiving their First Holy Communion next weekend. We have heard the Bread of Life Discourse found in John 6 at the weekday Masses. Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life and says, “unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him.” Pray for our second graders to have hearts open and ready to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood. Pray that the great gift of the Eucharist may transform them, and us, more to be like Christ.
As we hear this weekend Jesus call Himself the Good Shepherd, we also pray for those in the seminary—particularly Tom Hunyor, Jay Livecchi, and Fred del Guidice—that they may be shepherds with the Heart of Jesus. Pray for them as they continue to prepare for Holy Orders, and pray for young men to continue saying “yes” to the call to Holy Orders, especially the priesthood. I encourage you to pray this prayer:
Lord God, in your plan for our salvation you provide shepherds for your people. Fill the hearts of young people in the Diocese of Toledo with courage and love. Raise up worthy ministers for your altars and make them ardent yet gentle servants of the Gospel. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We are saints under construction, receiving sanctifying grace from the sacraments to better follow the Good Shepherd. Have a great week!
In Christ,
Fr. Matt