Parish News

Weekly Update 10/14/21

The Catholic Schools of Zanesville Board of Trustee Election will be held at Bishop Rosecrans High School,
October 18th beginning at 6pm. Three worthy candidates will vie for the two open spots available.
To vote, please plan to attend next Monday’s meeting. 

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Board of Trustees – 2021 Candidates

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Connie Bauer: Born October 22, 1970, in Zanesville, Ohio Raised in Somerset, OH with 4 brothers and 4 sisters.  Attended Holy Trinity Catholic School and Sheridan High School. Married Kip Bauer, December 1992.  My son, Evan Bauer, is a freshman at Bishop Rosecrans and a member of the school’s golf team. Member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Volunteer of the Octoberfest and the St. Thomas Parish Festival. Volunteer in school functions, specifically: Golf team mum sales. Russo’s Pizza night and golf outings. Worked in concession stand for volleyball, basketball, soccer, and football even though my son does not participate in those sports. Volunteered for the overnight science class trips. Assisted room mothers in classroom activities and Donated to the soccer camp and soccer concessions. Employed with Blue Links. Wholesale Lumber, Sales Representative.  Real estate agent.  Pine Ridge Subdivision, President Member of the Board of Governors of Weyerhaeuser Corporation PROS Award from Weyerhaeuser

​Jason Newton: ​I would like to be considered for the open board of trustee’s position. If chosen, I am excited to see what impact I will have on the growth of the Catholic schools. I am a proud parent of a Bishop Fenwick student, so the success of the school is important to my family. I look forward to contributing my time and knowledge to this position. I believe in the schools and the quality Catholic education it provides. I have been with my wife Samantha for 29 years. Our daughter is a 6^th grader at Bishop Fenwick. I work at Park National Bank as a branch manager. As a bank associate, I have had the pleasure of giving back to the school on a couple of occasions. I am a graduate of Muskingum University. I am currently the treasurer of the Knights of Columbus Council 505. I joined this organization because it supports the two local Catholic churches and schools. I am a parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. I am also a ForeverDads board member. I love volunteering and giving back to the community that I have lived in my whole life. Thank you for the consideration and God bless.

​Betsy Williamson: Is Senior Director of Strategy and Business Optimization for the Utilization Management organization at CVS/Aetna where she oversees teams of professionals who apply strategic development, process excellence, training and change management to achieve business optimization. She has more than 14 years of experience in analyzing organizations’ critical business requirements, identifying deficiencies and potential opportunities, and developing innovative and cost-effective solutions for enhancing competitiveness, increasing revenue, and improving service offerings. Betsy is a Registered Nurse with a clinical background which includes cardiac care, intervention, telemetry, and trauma. She also holds a Bachelor of Science from Charter Oak State College, Master of Health Administration from Ohio University, and a Master Black Belt in Six Sigma and Lean from Villanova University. She is an active member with the Population Health Alliance and the American Society for Quality. Betsy grew up locally graduating from Crooksville High School living in several states before deciding to return to her home state of Ohio where she has resided for the past fifteen years. She is married and has four children. Her oldest, Peyton Farrell graduating from Bishop Rosecrans in 2016 and the other three currently enrolled: Parker Farrell a senior, Preston Farrell a seventh grader, and Piper Farrell a fifth grader. Betsy is a member of Saint Nicholas Parish where she was Co-Chair of the festival for 10 years. She volunteers her time in many ways supporting the school, athletics, parish, community, and local charities.

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Weekly Update 9/16/21

CCD REGISTRATION:
If you have not signed up for CCD yet please click Here and complete the attached forms and return to the Parish Office asap. CCD will start on September 26th at 9:30 am in the Parish Office. If you have any questions please contact Rob Rodgers @ rrodgers@saintthomaszanesville.org or text at 740-617-6953.

LOOKING FOR HOST FAMILIES:
We are looking for families willing to host our NET Team during retreats. The host family would need to be able to host 2 NET Team members and transport them to and from the retreat. if interested please contact Rob Rodgers @ 740-617-6953 or rrodgers@saintthomaszanesville.org

DEADLINE EXTENDED:
The Catholic Schools of Zanesville is looking for Board of Trustees. If you or someone you know would like to become involved in the school as a representative of our CSZ Board of Trustees, please email to mmorris@saintthomaszanesville.org no later than September 24th. Nominees must be a parent/guardian of a current Catholic Schools of Zanesville student or a parishioner of St. Nicholas or St. Thomas Aquinas.

First Annual October Fest 2021

Reflection by Father Guardini

Dear Friends, 

As a result of my poor technical skills, a very long article by Father Cassian Folsom, OSB, was posted yesterday on the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross.  Father Cassian’s article is very good, and I heartily recommend it!   

So as a bonus, today, I post the reflection by Father Guardini I intended to post yesterday. 

Enjoy and glean from them both very important insights into the spiritual life and the Sacred Liturgy. 

Peace and blessing, 

Father Sullivan 

“The Sign of the Cross” 

Sacred Signs 

By Romano Guardini 

When we cross ourselves, let it be with a real sign of the cross.  Instead of a small, cramped gesture that gives no notion of its meaning, let us make a large unhurried sign, from forehead to breast, from shoulder to shoulder, consciously feeling how it includes the whole of us, our thoughts, our attitudes, our body and soul, every part of us at once.  How it consecrates and sanctifies us. 

It does so because it is the Sign of the universe and the Sign of our redemption.  On the cross Christ redeemed mankind.  By the cross he sanctifies man to the last shred and fiber of his being.  We make the sign of the cross before we pray to collect and compose ourselves and to fix our minds and hearts and wills upon God.  We make it when we finish praying in order that we may hold fast the gift we have received form God.  In temptations we sign ourselves to be strengthened; in dangers to be protected.  The cross is signed upon us in blessings in order that the fulness of God’s life may flow into the soul and fructify and sanctify us wholly. 

Think of these things when you make the sign of the cross.  It is the holiest of all signs.  Make a large cross, taking time, thinking what you do.  Let it take in your whole being—body, soul, mind, will, thoughts, feelings, your doing and your not doing—and by signing it with the cross strengthen and consecrate the whole in the strength of Christ, in the name of the Triune God. 

Hail Our One Hope!

Today, September 14, the Church celebrates The Exaltation of the Holy Cross.  This feast commemorates the finding of the relics of the true cross and other relics of the Passion of Christ around the year 327 in Jerusalem by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine. 

While Good Friday celebrates the Passion of Jesus and his sacrifice on the Cross for our salvation, today’s festival celebrates the Cross, itself.   

The making of the Sign of the Cross is an important act of faith and piety and is used many times in personal prayer and in the celebration of the Mass, the other sacraments and sacred celebrations.   

Perhaps we become too familiar with this beloved gesture and fail to fully appreciate its importance. 

May I suggest you take a moment to read and reflect on the following article by Father Romano Guardini, to appreciate the Sign of the Cross as an act of our own personal faith in the Lord Jesus and as a sign of our devotion to Christ and the Sacred liturgy, 

From my heart to yours,  

In the hearts of Jesus and Mary, 

Peace and blessing, 

Father Sullivan. 

“The Sign of the Cross” 

Sacred Signs 

By Romano Guardini 

https://adoremus.org/1998/06/sacred-signs-and-active-participation-at-mass/

Exalted Above the Choirs of Angels

The celebration of the Assumption, body and soul, of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the end of her earthly life into the Glory of Heaven is one of the Church’s oldest celebrations in honor of the Mother of God. 

The Assumption declares that as her life ended, Mary received the fullness of her Son’s triumph over sin and death by his Resurrection, and was taken up, by the power of the Blessed Trinity, into the glory of heaven. Mary’s Assumption into Heaven is the first fruits of those who fallen asleep in Christ and profess faith in his promise of Eternal life.  In the Assumption God’s promise is fulfilled, as we hope one day to share in the fulness of heaven with Jesus and Mary!  

Many different devotions have surrounded the celebration of the Assumption throughout the Christian millennia.  In some places, even today, wine is blessed in honor of Mary’s Assumption being the “first fruits” of the Resurrection of Christ.  In other places herbs, because of their fragrance, are blessed and placed in the homes of the Christian faithful to remind them of the sweetness of Mary’s life and faith. And in some other places portable tombs, filled with the most fragrant roses, are erected in parish church yards, and other places of devotion, celebrating Our Lady did not rest in the tomb, but was taken up to the glory of Heaven. 

At Saint Thomas Aquinas we will celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Masses on Saturday, August 14, at 4:30 pm and Sunday, August 15, at 7:45 and 11 am.   

After the Saturday Mass we will process with a statue of Our Lady of Fatima around our parish block and pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.  The celebration will conclude with an Ice Cream Social, provided by Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl, in the Rectory Garden.