Priest Assignments

The priest assignments for our Family of Parishes (Sacred Heart, McCartyville; Ss. Peter & Paul, Newport; St. Michael, Fort Loramie; and Holy Angels, Sidney) have been finalized and now they can be published. Please remember, as we approach this transitory time, to keep our eyes fixed on Christ and on becoming saints. No matter your priests, pray for them and pray often for them. First, I have some very good and exciting news: instead of the original three priests our Family of Parishes was assigned, we have been assigned a total of four priests (one pastor and three vicars.) Our vicars are our very own Fr. Aaron Hess, Fr. Steve Mondiek, who is the current pastor of Sacred Heart in McCartyville, and Fr. Andrew Reckers, who has been serving as vicar for the Coldwater Cluster in Mercer County. I, Fr. Jarred Kohn, have been appointed pastor of the NW-7 Family of Parishes (Sacred Heart, McCartyville; St. Michael, Fort Loramie; Ss. Peter & Paul, Newport; and Holy Angels, Sidney), and it is with great joy and humility that I accept this task entrusted to me by the Lord through Archbishop Schnurr.

I want to thank both Fr. Steve Shoup, pastor of Ss. Peter & Paul and St. Michael, and Fr. Steve Mondiek for the good work they have carried out in their respective pastorates. I am grateful and humbled to work with parishes that have been cared for by these two good priests. I look forward to working with Fr. Steve Mondiek (and of course, Fr. Andrew Reckers and Fr. Aaron Hess, as well.) In a special way, I want to thank Fr. Steve Shoup who has served as the only dean I have known as a priest. His humble service and care for his brother priests and his people have always struck and inspired me. I look forward to continuing my priestly service at Holy Angels and I am very excited to lead and become a part of the communities of St. Michael, Sacred Heart, and Ss. Peter & Paul. Please pray for me and for all our priests in NW-7. We have a big task laid before us and there will be both joy and trials ahead. Please know of my daily prayers for all of you. “May we find Christ. May we love Christ.”

A reminder that Ash Wednesday is on March 2. We will have Mass with ashes at 7:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m. (all school Mass), and 7:00 p.m. The 11:40 a.m. service will be a Liturgy of the Word with Ashes and not Mass. This is because Ash Wednesday is NOT a holy day of obligation, and as priests, we are not supposed to say more than two Masses in a day except for a good pastoral reason. Thus, with Ash Wednesday not being a holy day of obligation, we will simply have a Liturgy of the Word with ashes for the 11:40 a.m. service.

On March 19, which is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, we are going to bring back the St. Joseph Brinner, due to popular demand. Since St. Joseph’s Feast Day falls on a Saturday this year, we will do the Brinner after the 4:30 p.m. Mass. Come out and enjoy some pancakes! (Maybe Fr. Aaron and I will even make some of them!) If you would like to volunteer to help, please contact the parish office at (937) 498-2307.

Also, during Lent, we will have a Women’s Day of Recollection on March 12 and Men’s Day of Recollection on March 19. Please stay tuned for more information.
Thank you to Judy Zimmerman, the Outreach Committee and everyone who donated to the “One Big Collection!” The generosity of Holy Angels parishioners continues to astound and edify me. You all are the bomb.com! May we grow ever more generous.

Peace in Christ,

Fr. Jarred Kohn