On April 2 the Catholic Bishops of Ohio extended the temporary suspension of all publicly celebrated Masses/liturgies through Sunday, May 3. View the Bishops’ letter here. Further updates about how this will affect St. Max will be forthcoming.
Dear Parishioners,
I write this e-mail with a very heavy heart. A short while ago I received this statement from the bishops of Ohio. After much consideration the bishops have temporarily suspended all publicly celebrated Masses and liturgies effective immediately and lasting through Easter Sunday. Therefore, all Catholics in the Archdiocese are dispensed from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass from now through Easter Sunday, April 12.
While we are not permitted to hold public liturgies, we will nonetheless live-stream our 10:00 AM Sunday Mass and our daily 8:30 AM Mass that you may join via Streamspot at www.saint-max.org/streamspot. In order to help us comply with the directives of both the governor and the bishops, please remain at home. The idea of locking our church doors during the day is an unpleasant one for me, to say the least. I want to keep our church open so that people may come and pray privately, but we are not permitted to gather publicly and we want to do our part in this difficult time. Please respect that and join in prayer from home.
Over the last few days, over and over again, this passage from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans keeps coming to mind:
What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? . . . No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
I am convinced that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ. While we may be separated physically from each other as a parish family, we are united in our prayers for each other, in the ways we look out for our neighbors, and in our hope in our Lord.
As a staff, we will continue to look for ways to bring us together in prayer as best we can, even if only virtually. We will keep you posted.
Know that you are all very much in my heart and in my prayers. You will be with me every time I stand at the altar and offer the most perfect prayer that is the Mass, for you and for the praise and thanksgiving of our God who loves us.
St. Maximilian Kolbe . . . pray for us. St, Joseph, Patron and Protector of the Church . . . pray for us. Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of the Sick . . . pray for us. May Jesus Christ, our Divine Physician, heal us all in body and soul!
In Christ, Fr. Jim Riehle
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The Blessed Sacrament Chapel will remain open 24 hours a day for personal prayer.
The parish office will not be open to the public in accordance with the Govenor's Stay Home Order. You can leave a message for us at 513-777-4322 ext.101 or email web@saint-max.org. Staff will be checking voicemail frequently.