January 19, 2007

Masses honoring St. Theodora to be celebrated next week

From left, Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein and Father Gerald Kirkhoff, pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Indianapolis, pray the doxology at the end of the eucharistic prayer during a Mass in honor of St. Theodora Guérin celebrated on Nov. 29, 2006, at St. Joan of Arc Church in the Indianapolis North Deanery.

From left, Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein and Father Gerald Kirkhoff, pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Indianapolis, pray the doxology at the end of the eucharistic prayer during a Mass in honor of St. Theodora Guérin celebrated on Nov. 29, 2006, at St. Joan of Arc Church in the Indianapolis North Deanery.

By Sean Gallagher

Last November, a series of Masses in all 11 archdiocesan deaneries celebrating the canonization of St. Theodora Guérin began at St. Joan of Arc Church in the Indianapolis North Deanery.

The liturgies will continue in the coming week in two more deaneries.

The faithful in the Connersville Deanery are invited to attend a 7 p.m. Mass on Jan. 23 at St. Mary Church, 720 N. “A” St., in Richmond to honor Indiana’s first saint.

The next morning, Jan. 24, a Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. at St. Jude Church, 5353 McFarland Road, in the Indianapolis South Deanery.

Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein will be the primary celebrant at both Masses.

Catholics throughout the archdiocese, but especially from the deaneries in which the Masses will take place, are invited to attend.

The Jan. 24 Mass at St. Jude Church will honor St. Theodora’s foundational work in establishing Catholic schools in the archdiocese.

Students from several schools in the deanery, including nearby Roncalli High School, will take part in the Mass.

Similar Masses will be celebrated in deaneries throughout the archdiocese approximately once a month for much of the rest of year, continuing in central and southern Indiana the celebration of St. Theodora’s sainthood that began with her canonization in Rome last Oct. 15.

(For a schedule of future deanery Masses in honor of St. Theodora Guérin, log on to www.archindy.org/guerin.) †

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