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PARISH OFFICE: 506 Fourth Street, Marietta OH 45750 PHONE: 740-373-3643 WEBSITE: www.stmarysmarietta.org www.facebook.com/stmarysmarietta EMAIL: [email protected]

SUNDAY MASSES - Saturday 5:30 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM CONFESSIONS - Saturday 3:30-5:00 PM (or anytime by appointment) BAPTISMS - Contact Parish Office WEDDINGS - Contact Parish Office six months in advance

Rector - Rev. Msgr. John Michael Campbell ([email protected]) Parochial Vicar - Rev. Jeremiah Hahn Permanent Deacon - Rev. Mr. Lee Weisend Music Director - Mr. John Ontko (740-350-4224, [email protected]) St. Mary School - 320 Marion St, 740-374-8181 (www.stmaryscatholic.org) School Principal - Elizabeth Tokodi, ([email protected]) DRE - Cecelia Cottrill ([email protected]) Parish Council Chairman - Dennis Blatt K of C Grand Knight - Mr. David Payne (740-373-7834) CWC President - Jenn Tinkler Hibernians - Mr. Tom Binegar, President (740-374-4559) Prayer Line - & Eucharistic Adoration, Mrs. Shelly Medley (740-525-6360) Pregnancy Assistance - Women's Care Center (740-374-7123) Health Ministry - Mrs. Janet Jaeger (740-374-6768) Daily Bread Kitchen - Mrs. Carol Henshaw (740-885-1181) St. Vincent De Paul - Help Line (740-376-1334) Welcoming Committee - Jim Naylor (740) 350-5510 June 27, 2021 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death and MASSES FOR THE WEEK brought life to light through the Gospel. SUN 5:30 PM - Vincent Huck 8:00 AM - Luke Arnold 10:00 AM - Mike Kern READINGS FOR NEXT SUNDAY: 12:00 PM - People of the Parish Ez 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6a MON 7:45 AM - Mildred Arnold 12:05 PM - Richard Pottmeyer REST IN PEACE: TUE 7:45AM - Lawrence Hurst Alice Beardmore passed away June 17th. Her Funeral Mass was celebrated 12:05 PM - Robert, Lois, David Finkel WED 7:45 AM - Frank & Gladys Schilling Monday morning. We will remember Alice in prayer and extend our deepest 12:05 PM - Liv/dec’d of the Roger Bradley sympathy to her family, especially to her husband, Paul who will miss her Family most of all. THU 7:45 AM - Peter C. McDermott Dorothy Mullane, sister of Nancy Hathaway, died June 19th in Louisville, 12:05 PM - Nancy VanFrayen Wynn KY. We offer our condolences to Nancy and her family and ask God to FRI 7:45 AM - Souls in Purgatory 12:05 PM - Preston John Huck grant Dorothy eternal peace and happiness. SAT 9:00 AM - Mildred Arnold 5:30 PM - John Schoeppner, 5th Anniversary HOLY FATHER COLLECTION: SUN 8:00 AM - People of the Parish The annual Holy Father Collection will be taken up at all Masses this 10:00 AM - Joe & Josie Bosco weekend. Please be generous. Envelopes were provided with your monthly 12:00 PM - Liv/dec’d of the James & packet and should be put in the regular collection. Julia Matheny Family

HELLO AND GOODBYE RECEPTION Please join us as we welcome Father Jeremiah to our Parish and wish Father Josh well in his new assignment! The reception will be held after each Mass this weekend in the Basilica Social Hall. Donuts, cookies, coffee and lemonade will be served.

VISITORS WELCOME! We welcome any visitors who are joining us for Mass this weekend. We hope your stay in Marietta is enjoyable. Any new parishioners at the Basilica are asked to please register with the parish office.

MEETINGS AND EVENTS MON 6:15 PM - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Devotions. See announcement. WED 8:15 AM - 7:00 PM – Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel of the English Martyrs. See announcement. 6:00 PM - Basilica Book Club Meeting in the Social Hall FRI 8:15AM - 7:00 PM. Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel of the English Martyrs. See announcement. SAT 3:00 PM - Stars & Stripes Super Bingo at the Parish Center. See announcement. 3:30 PM - Confessions.

SAINT MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL NEWS

The Lord Will Never Be Outdone Bingo is set to return at St. Mary Catholic School In Generosity! with a Stars and Stripes Super Bingo on Saturday,

July 3rd. Doors of the Parish Center open at Total collection last weekend: $ 11,567.00 3:00 PM and door prize raffles start at 4:30 PM.

Free food starts at 4:15 PM catered by Wrangler bar Amount needed each week for the and grill. Bingo will include $1,000 & $2,000 Basilica budget: $ 14,225.50 coveralls and a special game of $1,000. Volunteers

are needed as we expect this to be BIG event! God bless those who support our Basilica Parish!

Scholarships: The Irish Boosters organization offers (2) $500 scholarships to St. Mary Catholic SECOND COLLECTION School alumni who are pursuing higher education at On the first weekend of each month, we have a a sophomore status or above. The application can second collection for the maintenance of our be found on the school website: stmary.k12.oh.us Basilica. This collection will be taken up next Application deadline is July 16, 2021. weekend, July 3 & 4. Envelopes were provided with your monthly packet. Summer Office Hours are in Effect. The office will be open on Wednesday’s from 10:00 AM until ONLINE GIVING 2:00 PM. The office will be closed the week of July Online giving is available at the Basilica. For more 4th. information, please visit this website: http://www.stmarysmarietta.org and go to the left Save the Date! Back to school grounds clean-up is side of the web page. Click on the GIVE ON LINE scheduled for Wednesday, August 11th. button to see more information or to sign up. GOLF SCRAMBLE BASILICA FOUNDATION The Knights of Columbus Golf Scramble is A fund has been established by the Marietta scheduled for Sunday, August 8th at Lakeside Golf Community Foundation for the maintenance and Course. All proceeds will go toward the support of repairs of our Basilica. This fund is separate from Saint Mary Catholic School and all of the charitable the monthly maintenance collection. Our goal is to organizations supported by the Knights of have at least One Million in the fund before using it. Columbus. Contact Pete Saliba at 304-494-6170 or To donate, contact the Community Foundation. Kenny Offenberger at 740-350-4967 for more information. PRAY FOR THOSE IN THE MILITARY We pray for all of the men and women who are GIFT SHOP HELP NEEDED serving our country in the military. We especially The gift shop is looking for a dedicated person remember those from our own parish and friends willing to help for only a half an hour every other and relatives of our parishioners. May God watch Sunday, following the 8:00 AM Mass. If you are over them and keep them safe. willing to give a little of your time, please contact Sue Lambert at 740-434-3456.

DIOCESAN PARISH SHARE CAMPAIGN BASILICIA BOOK CLUB NEWS Now that our parish has surpassed our goal in the 2021 Diocesan Parish Share Campaign; money now The next book for the BBC is Evicted: Poverty and received will be returned to us and may be used for Profit in the American City. Matthew Desmond. our own parish needs. NEXT MEETING is this Wednesday, June 30th at 6:00 PM in the Basilica Social Hall. Please remember that it is not too late to contribute to the D/PSC. Pledges should be mailed directly to All are welcome! the diocese. You can also contribute to the campaign online at give.diosteub.org. Any questions or if you would like to be put on the BBC email list serve (to receive information and Thank you to all of our parishioners who have so announcements), contact Debbie Lazorik at generously contributed to the Diocesan/Parish Share [email protected] or 740-434-3769. Campaign thus far. May God bless you for your support of our diocese and our parish. DAILY BREAD KITCHEN ADDING FREE MEAL SCHEDULING MEETINGS AND EVENTS The Daily Bread Kitchen will be adding a free Before scheduling a meeting or event in the Basilica community drive-thru meal to our regular schedule, Social Hall, conference room or using the Basilica starting on Sunday, July 18th. Serving will be from kitchen, please check with the parish office to be 4:00 PM until 5:30 PM at the K of C Hall. The sure the space is available. All meetings and events menu will consist of spaghetti, salad, fruit and MUST be listed in the master book in the parish cookies. office. We need new volunteers: cooks, bakers, workers, HELP THE WORLD TO SEE BETTER both men and women. We know there will be more There are many people who cannot afford people interested in helping on a weekend. Please eyeglasses. CWC is collecting old eyeglasses to be call Linda M 740-525-3532 or Linda C at 740-236- refitted and distributed for reuse by the Lions Club. 1416 to volunteer a few hours of your time. The plan is to have this community meal once a month. The Lions Eyeglasses Recycling Program, Daily Bread Kitchen now serves over 200 meals sponsored by the Catholic Woman’s Club, is each Wednesday. dedicated to bringing basic eye care to those in need in the US and developing countries around the BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENTS world. Bulletin announcements must be in by Noon Wednesday in order to be included in the following Please give the gift of sight by donating your old, Sunday’s bulletin. Announcements must be in unwanted sunglasses, prescription and reading writing (by mail, email or fax). We do not accept glasses in the baskets at the side entrances. bulletin announcements by phone. Thank you for your cooperation. NEW ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER? If you have recently moved, please call the parish PARISH OFFICE HOURS office to give us your new address. Also, many of The parish offices are open from 1:00 PM until our parishioners are just using cell phones. Please 4:00 PM on Mondays and from 9:00 AM until 4:00 let us know so we can update our parish records. PM Tuesday thru Friday with a lunch break from Noon until 1:00 PM. ST. MARY SCHOOL ALUMNI REUNION Because of COVID – 19 the St. Mary School Reunion had to be rescheduled. It will be held July 9, 2022. Mark your calendars!

THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME JULY 4, 2021

NOTES ON THE GOSPEL

After Jesus sailed again to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him by the shore. Jairus, one of the synagogue leaders, came into the crowd, saw Jesus, and fell at the Lord's feet. "My little daughter is dying. Come and put your hands on her. Then she will live!" So, Jesus went with the synagogue leader. Suddenly, a messenger came from the leader's house. "Your daughter died. Ignoring the message, Jesus interrupted. "Don't be afraid, trust me." Jesus took Peter, James, and John into the house of the Synagogue leader. When they arrived at the leader's house, Jesus saw an uproar, so Jesus threw the mourners out of the house. Then He took the father and mother along with his three followers and entered the room where the little girl was laid out. Taking her hand, Jesus said, “Talitha koum,” which means, "Little girl, get up." Immediately, the girl stood up and walked around the room. Everyone was in shock! Jesus said “give her something to eat." The story of Jairus' daughter showed a tender side to Jesus. For the sake of a child, he came, endured ridicule, and raised the dead to life. A synagogue leader was not a rabbi but a "building manager." He as in charge of building maintenance and community relations; he may have even acted as a master of ceremonies during services. But he did not teach. In the ancient world, two kinds of physicians existed: the philosopher-physician and the folk healer. The former served the rich with advice and philosophic musings. The later served the poor with herbal medicines, incantations, and rituals. Obviously, Jairus sought Jesus out as folk healer, one who would touch the child and heal. With the high death rate among pre-teens in the ancient world, communal grieving was common place and had the markings of ritual. Communal grieving gathered relatives and friends together with a common purpose. The crowd helped prepare the family for the worst and hastened the grieving process. Jesus entered the scene opposing the inevitable. He interrupted the messenger with a proclamation of faith for Jairus, and ejected the crowd from the leader's home. Then, he took the girl's parents and His closest followers to see his miracle. Jesus raised the girl from death and restored her to her place in the family (the command to "give her something to eat" reflected the notion that place at the table symbolized a place in the family, and, by extension, a place in society). Because of sin, sickness and death have entered the world, but they are overpowered through the death and resurrection of Jesus. He hears the cry of those in need, healing he sick and raising the dead to life. This narrative reflected a common pattern in the ministry of Jesus: proclamation, opposition, restoration. We can even see his life, death, and resurrection as the model for this pattern. Jesus proclaimed the Good News, was opposed by the leaders unto death, and was restored to his rightful place as the only Son of the Father. He promises the same for us Christians. In spite of opposition to lives that proclaim the Good News, we, too, will see restoration as children of the Father. ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place in the Basilica’s Chapel of the English Martyrs on Wednesday and Friday. Jesus stays with us in the Blessed Sacrament to refresh us in mind, in heart and in spirit. Take advantage of Eucharistic Adoration. Come and visit the Lord in Adoration this Wednesday and Friday. He waits for us! ______Special Events & Scheduled Pilgrimages at the Basilica:

July - 13, - Basilica tour (Tuscarawas County 9:30am. & 10:15 am.) Aug. - 8, - Saint Henry Picnic Aug. - 14, - Bishop Daniel Conlon visit Aug. - 22, - Basilica Parish Picnic Sept. - 27, - Diocesan Giving Society Mass & Reception (Bishop) Oct. - 13, - Pilgrimage from ST. Agnes Church in Mingo Junction, Ohio Nov. - 21, - Diocesan Marriage Anniversary Mass (Noon – Bishop Monforton) ______Perpetual Help Devotions This Monday Evening

Perpetual Help Devotions will be offered this Monday evening at 6:15 pm. All parishioners are invited to participate in this beautiful devotion celebrated in our Basilica next Monday. We ask Our Lady to guide and protect our Basilica and each one of us. Jesus Christ Himself invites us to a personal visit with Him in our basilica. ______REVERENTIAL QUIET IN THE BASILICA It is an ancient tradition in the Church to have a reverential quiet tone in a – especially in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. More and more, this tradition is being ignored in the Basilica. People are trying to pray before or after Mass – we need to respect them. Please observe a quiet tone when you are present in the Basilica. ______PILGRIMAGES TO OUR BASILICA

The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Assumption welcomes all visitors encouraging them to come, pray, and enjoy our beautiful church. If you are a member of a group who would like to tour our Basilica or make a spiritual pilgrimage, please let us know how we can be of assistance. ______

Deceased Priests of the Diocese

On Monday, we remember the 12th anniversary of the death of Msgr Francis Manieri. We also remember the death of Msgr. Robert Kawa who was buried last week. We pray for these two priests who served the parishes of our diocese, asking God to grant them eternal life and peace. ______HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

THE BASILICA OF SAINT MARY OF THE ASSUMPTION 506 FOURTH STREET MARIETTA, OHIO 45750

June 27, 2021 Dear Parishioners,

God did not intend for us to die. Death entered the world through the fall of mankind through the sin of Adam and Eve.

In the Gospel today, we see Jesus liberate a little girl from death. Death comes in so many ways to all of us. The only death to fear is the death of the soul. God created us to live but death has come into the world. Physical death. We seem to fight against physical death. For us who follow the Lord Jesus, physical death is the gateway to eternal life, to living with the Lord Jesus forever.

The first reading today is from the Book of Wisdom. Even in this book from the Old Testament we hear: “God formed man to be imperishable.” God wants us to live! Yet death came into our world. The Old Testament knows already that death is not the final answer to our human existence. Death is only final for those who belong to the company of the devil.

In today’s second reading is from the Second Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to share what money they have with those who have less. This is another form of dying to oneself: recognizing that we can share what we have, even if we don’t have much. This is another expression of the fear of death. We have a fear of not having all that we want. It is important to recognize that very often what we want and what we need are very different. We have to learn to die to ourselves in order to recognize this difference.

The Gospel from Saint Mark today returns us to the theme of physical death. The woman with the hemorrhages would have been cut out of normal society for all of the 12 years that she had suffered from the hemorrhages. Yet she felt somehow that if only she could touch the Lord Jesus, she could be healed and returned to life.

The daughter of the synagogue official really dies and those around her send a message to her father: don’t bother Jesus! Instead, Jesus knows what is happening and goes to the home and brings the young girl back to life, in spite of everyone doubting that it could happen.

In His Sacred Passion, us clean,” Christ Rev. Msgr. John M. Campbell (Rector)

EVENTS AND MASSES FOR THE WEEK

Monday, June 28, 7:45 am. - Mass 12:05 pm. - Mass 12:05 pm. - Mass 5:00 pm. - Parish Finance Meeting Friday, July 2, 6:15 pm. - Perpetual Help Devotions 7:45 am. - Mass 8:20 am. - Adoration (Chapel) Tuesday, June 29, 12:05 pm. - Mass 7:45 am. - Mass 7:00 pm. - Reposition of the Eucharist 12:05 pm. - Mass Saturday, July 3, Wednesday, June 30, 9:00 am. - Mass 7:45 am. - Mass 3:30 am. - Confessions 8:20 am. - Adoration (Chapel) 5:30 pm. - Mass 9:00 am. - 2 Communion calls 12:05 pm. - Mass Sunday July 4, 7:00 pm. - Reposition of the Eucharist 8:00 am. - Mass 9:30 am. - Mass (St. Henry’s) Thursday, July 1, 10:00 am. - Mass 7:45 am. – Mass 12:00 pm. - Mass ______FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK

Monday, June 28, Saint Irenaeus (Martyr) Irenaeus was from Smyrna. He was Bishop of Lyons for 25 years. He wrote against the Gnostics, and was scripture scholar. He was martyred in 202.

Tuesday, June 29, ______Saints peter & Paul (Apostles) Peter was the “Prince of the Apostles”. He was the Vicar of Christ and head of the Church. He martyred in Rome by Nero. Paul was martyred in Rome in 67. He became the “Apostle of the Gentiles”. His letters date from 50-65.

Wednesday, June 30,______The First Martyrs of the Roman Church Today the Church honors the many Christians who were tortured, crucified, and burned alive in 64 in Nero’s gardens on Vatican Hill.

Thursday, July 1, Saint Junipero Sera (Priest) Junipero Sera died in 1784. He was a missionary from Spain who established nine of the California missions. He baptized over 6,000 native peoples.

Saturday, July 3, Saint Thomas (Apostle) Thomas was martyred in the first century. His doubt gave wasy to faith when he was the Risen Lord. RECEPTION AFTER ALL OF THE MASSES THIS WEEKEND

This weekend, there will be a reception after each of the Masses to bid Fr. Josh best wishes as he moves to St. Clairsville, and to welcome and to welcome and meet Fr. Jeremiah. We thank God for these two priests. ______THOUGHTS ON THE GOSPEL

“God did not make death He fashioned frequently. The answer is that his miracle was a all things that they might have being.” This line sign of the meaning of his mission and ours. from the first reading is not only an assertion His occasional raising of the dead reveals the that tells us something about God; it is a meaning of everything He is doing at every mandate for his people to stand against the moment. He is reconciling humanity to God, power of death and to defend and promote life. and hence destroying the very source of death. The raising of the dead girl to life, recounted in In the end, all will rise – but we are called first the Gospel passage today, is not simply a story to come to Christ, who is Life itself, and embrace about what Jesus did; it is a summons to each of that gift of natural and supernatural life. us to do it again and again as we build a Culture of Life in the world. God is in the business of destroying death, and has done so through Christ. To stand with One could ask, in the face of miracles like the Christ is to stand with life, and therefore to raising of the dead, why Jesus did not do it more stand against whatever destroys it. ______Polish Catholic priest guillotined by Nazis to be beatified in November

A Polish Catholic priest guillotined by the Nazis will be beatified in November. Fr. Jan Macha will be declared blessed at a Mass on Nov. 20 in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Katowice, southern . Macha, known as Hanik, was ordained a priest months before Nazi Germans invaded Poland in 1939. He offered aid to families who lost members in the fighting and was a member of an underground group codenamed “Konwalia” (Lily of the Valley). The Gestapo, the secret police of Nazi Germany, arrested him on Sept. 5, 1941, at a train station. After humiliating interrogations, he was sentenced to death on July 17, 1942. He was executed by guillotine at a prison in Katowice at 12:15 a.m. on Dec. 3, 1942, despite his mother’s efforts to secure a pardon. He was 28 years old when he died. His body was never recovered.

Welcoming the beatification, Archbishop Wiktor Skworc of Katowice said: “The beatification is certainly a very important event for our local Church. I hope that this event will turn into an opportunity to strengthen the faith and revitalize religious life in our archdiocese in this difficult time of recovery from the pandemic.” Thief returns relics of Polish Catholic saint who inspired John Paul II

A thief on Friday returned the relics of a 19th-century Polish saint who inspired St. John Paul II and apologized for taking them.

St. Joseph’s Church in the Podgórze district of Kraków, southern Poland, announced that the relics of St. had been safely returned. The announcement said: “Today, just before 7 a.m. the stolen relics of St. Brother Albert returned to our Sanctuary. The perpetrator of the theft brought them personally and apologized for the situation. Thanks be to God! Thank you for your prayers!”

The parish reported the theft on June 11. “Let us pray for conversion and repentance for the perpetrator,” it said. In a newsletter dated June 13, the pastor told parishioners: “We regret to inform you that last Tuesday after 9 a.m. a reliquary with the relics of St. Brother Albert was stolen from the Apostles of Mercy Altar.”

Chmielowski -- known as Brat Albert (Brother Albert) in Poland -- was born into a wealthy aristocratic family in 1845. He was injured at the age of 18 while participating in an uprising against Russian forces. His leg was amputated without an anesthetic. He studied art and became a well-known painter in Kraków. But feeling a call to help those in need, he abandoned the art world, becoming a Secular Franciscan and taking the name Albert.

In 1887, he founded the Brothers of the Third Order of St. Francis, Servants of the Poor (Albertine Brothers). In 1891, he founded the Albertine Sisters. Both branches were dedicated to service of the poor and homeless. Brother Albert died on Christmas Day 1916. Pope John Paul II recalled that when he was considering the priesthood he drew inspiration from Albert’s decision to leave the art world for a life of radical service. John Paul II beatified Albert in 1983 and canonized him six years later, on Nov. 12, 1989. His feast day is June 17. ______SUNDAY IS JULY FOURTH

Independence Day, (also called Fourth of July) is the annual celebration of nationhood. It commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

The Congress had voted in favor of independence from Great Britain on July 2 but did not actually complete the process of revising the Declaration of Independence, originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson in consultation with fellow committee members, until two days later. The celebration was initially modeled on that of the king’s birthday, which had been marked annually by bell ringing, bonfires, solemn processions, and oratory. The ritual of toasting the king and other patriot-heroes—or of riticizing them—became an informal kind of political speech. Have a wonderful celebration! US bishops vote in favor of advancing two causes of canonization

The US bishops voted Thursday that they consider it opportune to advance two causes of canonization, for Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur, a World War II military chaplain, and for Marinus (Leonard) LaRue, a merchant mariner who became a Benedictine monk.

Fr. Lafleur is most remembered for his heroic service during World War II. He was born Jan. 24, 1912 in Ville Platte, Louisiana. During his summer breaks from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Lafleur would spend his time teaching catechism and first communicants. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lafayette April 2, 1938 and requested to be a military chaplain, just before the outbreak of the Second World War. Initially, his request was denied, but when the priest asked a second time, it was granted. Fr. Lafleur wished to accompany the drafted men who had no choice but to fight in the war. He was deployed to the Philippines, and spent two and a half years as a prisoner of war of the Japanese.

“Fr. Lafleur did a lot of work in the prison camps as well,” said nephew Richard Lafleur. “He gave his own food when they were starving to death.” The men in the camps with Fr. Lafleur testified that his character caused the conversion of about 200 men to Catholicism while in the prison camp. Fr. Lafleur earned the Distinguished Service Cross for Valor, and he ended up on a ship with other Japanese POWs that was torpedoed, unwittingly, by an American submarine that did not realize the ship was carrying POWs. He was last seen Sept. 7, 1944 helping men out of the hull of the sinking ship, for which he posthumously earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, and a second Distinguished Service Cross for his acts as a POW. Of the hundreds of prisoners on the ship, 82 survived. Each surviving man came back to the United States telling stories about Fr. Lafleur’s heroic actions of leadership, sacrifice, and courage amid the prisoners’ conditions.

Brother Marinus LaRue was also involved in military efforts during an American war. Born Jan. 14, 1914, LaRue attended the Pennsylvania Nautical School. After his graduation in 1934, he served as the U.S. Merchant Marine Captain of the SS Meredith Victory during the Korean War. LaRue was tasked with delivering military supplies to a port in Hungnam, North Korea, where hundreds of thousands of soldiers and refugees were searching for safety from advancing communist forces. Arriving before Christmas, LaRue came to discover the multitudes of people who were awaiting help. LaRue chose to unload almost all of the ship’s weapons and supplies, in order to provide space for as many refugees as possible on the ship. The USS Meredith Victory, which was designed to serve around 50 passengers, sailed away from the coast with approximately 14,000 refugees. The fact that he was able to rescue so many without losing a single life was inspiring.

LaRue later discerned a religious vocation and entered St. Paul’s Benedictine Abbey in Newton, New Jersey in 1954, taking the name Brother Marinus in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

US bishops approve drafting of Eucharist document, other action items

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops this week voted to move forward on several action items, including a draft of a teaching document on the Eucharist.

Meeting virtually for their annual spring general assembly, the U.S. bishops voted on Thursday to begin drafting “a formal statement on the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church.” The vote took place after extensive and, at times, spirited debate on Wednesday and Thursday, with some bishops opposing the move to begin drafting the document. The measure passed by a vote of 168 to 55, with six abstentions. A simple majority was required for passage of the action item. The U.S. bishops’ doctrine committee will now lead the process of drafting the document, with input from other conference committees. A draft of the document could be ready to be debated, amended, and voted on by the bishops at their November meeting - which is currently planned to be held in-person in Baltimore, Maryland.

The bishops also authorized the development of a statement on Native American ministry, approved several liturgical translations, and approved a pastoral statement on marriage ministry. They also held a canonical consultation on two causes of canonization, for Servant of God Fr. Joseph Verbis LaFleur, and Servant of God Marinus (Leonard) LaRue. The bishops voted overwhelmingly to “consider it opportune to advance on the local level” their causes of canonization.

The bishops had extensive debate before voting to authorize the drafting of a teaching document on the Eucharist. A proposed outline of the document, provided by the doctrine committee, included the Church’s teachings on the “Real Presence” of Christ in the Eucharist, Sunday as a holy day, the Eucharist as sacrifice, and worthiness to receive Communion. ______$50 million anonymous gift supports students at Los Angeles Catholic schools An anonymous donor has given more than $50 million to the Catholic Education Foundation of Los Angeles for financial support for students at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Catholic elementary and high schools. “The kindness and love reflected in this gift are beyond words,” Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles said June 16. “This gift will change the lives of countless young men and women, for generations to come, opening up opportunities for the future they could never have dreamed of. On behalf of all these young people, their families, and the whole family of God, we thank God for this benefactor and this beautiful expression of love for the Church.”

The gift will be allocated over a five-year period for students at the 212 Archdiocese of Los Angeles Catholic schools in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties, the Catholic Education Founda- tion of Los Angeles said in a statement. the tuition awards will help new enrollees but also students who left “but now will be able to return.”