Wednesday, June 16, 2010 By Mary Caffrey Knapke DAYTON DEANERY — Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge A.J. Wagner recently removed himself from a murder case, citing his opposition to the death penalty. Wagner, who is Catholic, also indicated that he will excuse himself from any future capital cases.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 By David Eck ST. MARTIN DEANERY — Father Mike Paraniuk had faith that Archbishop of Cincinnati Dennis M. Schnurr’s first farm Mass in Highland County on June 12 wouldn’t be a washout. He wasn’t disappointed. Despite heavy rain in the morning and a threatening, dark sky, …

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 By Sister Betty J. Lillie, S.C. Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Zechariah 12:10-11, 13:1; Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9; Galatians 3:26-29; Luke 9:18-24 Among this week’s readings our Gospel passage gives us a focus to important questions that surfaced in the minds of Jesus’ followers. When a person …

Friday, June 11, 2010 Robert Eckert, 89, a member of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Bridgetown, died June 8. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated June 15 at St. Jude Church. Niehard-Minges Funeral Home handled the arrangements.

Friday, June 11, 2010 ARCHDIOCESE — Three Andrew Dinners, events for young men to hear a presentation by Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr on vocations, have been scheduled for this fall: Oct. 13 at Holy Trinity Parish in Coldwater; Oct. 20 in Cincinnati; and Nov. 3 at Incarnation Parish in Centerville.

Friday, June 11, 2010 DAYTON DEANERY — The Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Cincinnati Province, have elected Father Larry Hemmelgarn as their next provincial director. Father Hemmelgarn, 53, currently serves the province as its provincial secretary and director of mission advancement at the provincial office in Dayton. He was chosen …

Friday, June 11, 2010 By Eileen Connelly, OSU ST. ANDREW DEANERY — Determined to promote vocation awareness, as well as deepen his students’ appreciation for the legacy and current ministries of various religious communities, Joe Crachiolo, a teacher at Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School (MTCES), put them to work on …

Thursday, June 10, 2010 CATHEDRAL DEANERY — Chatfield College has announced the appointment of Wanda W. Hill as the new director of the college’s Cincinnati location in Findlay Market. Hill will officially begin her responsibilities on July 1.

Thursday, June 10, 2010 ST. ANDREW DEANERY — There were multiple reasons to celebrate at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lebanon on June 6.

Thursday, June 10, 2010 By David Eck ARCHDIOCESE — Nearly 180 young men have been encouraged to consider the possibility of becoming priests during a series of Andrew Dinners held across the Cincinnati archdiocese over the past year. There have been eight dinners so far. The first was in April …