Saints Philip & James
Dear Members of the Parish,
†Bishop Dolan’s funeral arrangements are as follows:
Tuesday, May 3rd
4:00 PM Reception of the Body & Rosary in church
5:10 PM Low Mass
8:00 PM Vespers of the Dead
Wednesday, May 4th
7:00 AM Low Mass
8:00 AM Matins & Lauds of the Dead
9:00 AM Distribution of Holy Communion
11:00 AM Pontifical Requiem Mass, followed by the Burial at St. Stephen’s Cemetery in Hamilton, OH
Luncheon follows burial at church
†Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
In Christ,
Parish Office Staff
From the Pastor’s Desk
My dear faithful,
You have all heard, I am sure, the sad news that Bishop Dolan passed away this past Tuesday, the feast of the Mother of Good Counsel. Although his was a sudden death our heavenly Mother was there to take care of our pastor as he died clothed in her protective garment—the Brown Scapular.
I offer my sincere condolences to the clergy and faithful of St. Gertrude’s, as well as Catholics everywhere who looked to Bishop Dolan as their beacon of light and model of virtue in these days of turmoil both within the Church and in society.
Many souls have found a home and a place of sweet refuge here at St. Gertrude’s. His Excellency, was, of course, the founder of this church and dedicated every moment of his priestly life to the care of your souls. Never forget what he has done for you! He opened the gates of heaven to you, made you soldiers of Christ, fed you with the Body and Blood of Our Lord, assisted your relatives at the moment of their death, nourished your souls with the Word of God, and prayed and sacrificed every day to bring you-us—closer to Our Lord. He will be missed!
Our Lord told His Apostles before ascending into heaven, “I will not leave you orphans.” Still, the Apostles must’ve felt a little lost. The Catholics, after the loss of the last Apostle, St. John, must’ve felt lost. They surely must have asked themselves, “What are we to do?” No doubt, you are wondering the same thing.
’ll tell you! We will march on. We will continue the work that has always been done at St. Gertrude’s. We will have our Masses and devotions; our deacons will still be ordained; the missions, far and near, will be served. In other words, we will carry on as brave, confident soldiers of Christ—and even do so with a smile, as we are in the service of the Good God.
I offer my prayers for you in this time of mourning. Keep your chin up and your eyes heavenward. We are “Gertrudians” and we never give up! We will be fine and well cared for under the protection of Our Mother of Good Counsel and St. Gertrude! Courage!
In Christ,
Fr. McGuire