From the Desk of Sister Margie
Daniel 12: 3 First Reading, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
“But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.”
On a quiet summer night, we can stand in our driveway and see the shining stars of the firmament. There are more places in the Scriptures that talk about stars and the peace and guiding light that they can bring us. So why can’t we be shining stars, leading others to a better understanding of God? We can shine byour lived example.
Sr. Margie Niemer, Pastoral Administrator
From the Desk of Father Haft
Greetings in the name of the Lord:
am Father Ronald Haft, your current Pastoral Administrator. I would like to share a short biography about myself. I was born in 1966 and raised in Colerain Township. Our family consisted of Dad (Dick), Mom (Ruth), and older brothers Rick and Ray. Our family is Catholic, but fell away from the faith during my childhood. I attended Ann Weigel Elementary, White Oak Junior High, and Colerain High School, graduating in 1985. I completed the Cincinnati Technical College Culinary Arts Program in 1987.
I worked at the North Bend Road McDonald’s from 1984 to 1986, and Evergreen Retirement Community from 1986-1988. I then worked at St. Clare Retirement Community from 1988 to 1991. During this time at St. Clare, I returned to Cincinnati Technical College and completed the Dietetic Technician Program in the spring of 1991. I also worked at St. Francis - St. George Hospital for 8 months in 1991. After successfully completing the American Dietetics Association national exam, I began working at Lebanon Correctional Institution in October 1991 as a Dietetic Technician, Registered.
In March of 1993, I returned to the practice of the Catholic Faith, receiving First Communion in September 1993 and Confirmation, in March 1994.
I purchased my own home in February 1997. Dad died in 1998. In August 2001, I sold my home and entered Mt. St Mary’s Seminary of the West. I was ordained to the Priesthood May 19th, 2007, and received a Master of Divinity degree. I was Parochial Vicar at St. Charles Borromeo in Kettering, 2007 to 2010. I was Pastor of St. Peter in Chains in Hamilton, from 2010 to 2013. I was Administrator of St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus, Covington, Ohio, and Parochial Vicar to Immaculate Conception, Bradford, St. Denis Versailles, and Holy Family, French Town, 2013 to 2017. I was Pastor of St. Antoninus Church, Green Township from 2017 to 2022.
I have been a chaplain at Dayton Correctional Institution. I am currently the “Courage” and “Encourage” Chaplain for the Cincinnati area. I am also trained in “Integrity Restored”.
My brother Rick died in 2015 and is survived by his children, Sarah, Ricky, Becca, and grandchildren, Searra, Erika, Alaina, and Marissa. Mom died in 2018. My brother Ray lives in Dry Ridge, KY, on Williamstown Lake.
I am excited to be with you as we all embrace Beacons of Light.
Yours in Christ,
Father George Jacquemin
Ordained in 1972, Father Jacquemin has served at St. Clare Parish in College Hill since 1998, most of that time as pastor and now as parochial vicar. Raised on the family farm in Fairfield, Father Jacquemin often played with beekeeping equipment stored for his father’s agricultural studies at Ohio State University. “It was fun to do on rainy days,” he said.
His interest in beekeeping lasted many years until Father Jacquemin became pastor at St. Bernard Parish in Winton Place (now Spring Grove Village). Deacon intern Tom Stricker was involved in beekeeping, which intrigued Father Jacquemin. “Beekeeping has been a great hobby for me,” he said. “When working with bees, you can’t be distracted by anything else happening in the world or at the parish. You can leave everything behind. If you make a mistake, you’ll pay for it by getting stung.”
“There are many ways to pray and deepen your relationship with God,” Father Jacquemin said. “Sometimes I feel closest to God when I’m in the midst of nature, whether it’s a snowstorm, the sunrise or sunset, a mountain or the bees. They help me stay in tune with God’s presence around me, and that’s a deep part of my spirituality.”
The fruits of the bees’ (and Father Jacquemin’s ) labors also bring joy to others through the sale of honey and beeswax gift items, including Christmas ornaments, Nativity sets, and candles. He typically makes his wares available one weekend in the fall at St. Clare.
by Eileen Connelly, OSU
From the desk of Father Henry Hoffmann
Hello! My name is Father Henry, and I am the oldest of three boys. My younger brother is also a priest in Hamilton, Ohio, and my youngest brother is a Navy officer in flight school. I grew up near Batavia, Ohio, but I was not raised Catholic. My extended family is Lutheran, and my brothers and I were baptized as Presbyterians.
I was homeschooled through high school and attended Hillsdale College in Michigan, where I got a degree in History. As part of my history studies, I came to love the richness of Catholic History and tradition and became a Catholic in 2013. I entered the seminary for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati a year and a half after that. I subsequently joined a religious order called the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Cincinnati at Old St. Mary’s Church in downtown Over-the-Rhine. I was ordained a priest on March 19, 2021, and after about eighteen months as a priest at Old St. Mary’s, I discerned God’s call to become a diocesan parish priest, and I have since rejoined the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.