St. Joan of Arc

06/14/2026

Why we need priests - Sunday, June 14th



Sunday, June 14, 2026 | 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time | Matthew 9:36—10:8

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus summons apostles whom he shapes and sends on mission. Priests through the centuries—from Augustine and Aquinas, to Francis Xavier and John Henry Newman, to John Paul II—are the descendants of those first friends and apprentices of the Lord. They have been needed in every age, and they are needed today, for the kingdom of heaven must be proclaimed, the poor must be served, God must be worshiped, and the sacraments must be administered.

Spiritual fathers are required especially in our time, when a rising tide of secularism threatens to overwhelm the religious impulse. We are wired for God; we will never satisfy the deepest longing of our hearts apart from God.

The secularist ideology teaches that sufficient amounts of wealth, pleasure, power, or honor will make us happy. Who will counter this? Who will speak to this culture of the beauty of God? Who will remind us that our lives are not about us? Who will break open the words of the Gospel and spread out the banquet table of Christ’s Body and Blood? This is why we need priests.

Bishop Robert Barron

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06/13/2026

Weekly Bulletin - June 14



Bulletin for Eleventh Sunday In Ordinary Time

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06/13/2026

🌱 Join Us for Mass This Weekend 🌱

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that the Kingdom of God begins like a tiny seed and grows through God’s grace in ways we may not always see.

Take time this weekend to step away from the busyness of life and join us for Mass. Come be renewed by God’s Word and nourished by the Eucharist.

We look forward to worshiping with you. 🙏🏻❤️

“Of its own accord the land yields fruit.” (Mark 4:28) 🌿

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Diocese of Toledo St. Joan of Arc School

06/11/2026

Today, June 11, 2026, join in prayer as the Catholic bishops of the United States consecrate our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as part of the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Watch the livestream at 4 p.m. (ET) from the bishops’ Spring Plenary Assembly in Orlando. During this historic Mass, Catholics across the country are invited to unite in prayer as our nation is entrusted to the loving Heart of Christ.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus pour out His mercy, peace, and grace upon our nation.

Learn more and watch at usccb.org/consecration-united-states-sacred-heart-jesus.

06/11/2026

Novena Day 9 - Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus



Pray

Today, we consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Parishes and individuals around the country are encouraged to join the U.S. Catholic bishops in this historic occasion, beginning with this Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus written for the consecration.

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:
You know the longings of our hearts,
and you desire that we enjoy friendship with you.
From your pierced side, you have poured out the wellspring of life,
for which we thirst.
Your heart burns with a love for all people
to return to a right relationship with you.
We celebrate the abundant gifts you have given this nation, founded on the self-evident truths that our Creator has endowed all people with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
We make reparation for the offenses against you and against human dignity that have taken place in this nation.
May our hearts be united to yours, so that our families and communities enjoy peace and happiness; may broken relationships be reconciled, injustices repaired, and the wounds of our land be healed.
May your holy Catholic Church serve as a sign,
pointing all people to your infinite love.
O Desire of Nations and Center of History,
we ask you to bless these United States of America.
Who live and reign with God the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever .
Amen.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!


Learn

Why do we consecrate to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? In the first such act in 1899, when Pope Leo XIII consecrated the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he writes in his encyclical, Annum Sacrum : “Since there is in the Sacred Heart a symbol and the express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ that moves us to love one another, it is fit and proper that we should consecrate ourselves to his most Sacred Heart – an act that is nothing else than an offering and a binding of oneself to Jesus Christ.”

Likewise, in Saint John Paul II’s Message for the Centenary of the Consecration of the Human Race to the Divine Heart of Jesus , he reflected on the need for a missionary spirit of the Church that flows from consecration to the Sacred Heart: “Consecration thus understood is to be joined to the missionary activity of the Church herself, because it answers the desire of Jesus' Heart to propagate in the world, through the members of his Body, his total dedication to the kingdom, and to unite the Church ever more closely to his offering to the Father and his being for others.”

In addition to drawing us into deeper unity with Christ, consecration to the Sacred Heart also reveals a message that Saint John Paul II called “necessary for humanity today”: Only in Christ’s love can we discover the gentleness and forgiveness needed to heal the conflicts that wound our world ( Angelus 2002).


Act

As we conclude this Novena to the Sacred Heart, we reflect with Pope Francis in Dilexit Nos. “There are moments when [Jesus] speaks to us inwardly, calls us and leads us to a better place. That better place is his heart. There he invites us to find fresh strength and peace: ‘Come to me, all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’ ( Mt 11:28)” (no. 43).

Let us go forth with this renewed sense of strength and peace, consoled by the great love that Jesus has for us and transformed by the missionary fire of his Sacred Heart.

Copyright United States Catholic Conference of Bishops

Learn more about the Consecration of the USA to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

We Hold These Truths - Celebrating Catholic Contributions to the United States of America on the Semiquincentennial Anniversary with the USCCB

https://youtu.be/j1WyC4TSeoo

The Livestream of the Mass of Consecration of the United States of America to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is scheduled for Thursday, June 11 at 4:00 PM EST.

The U.S. bishops consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Live from the USCCB Spring Plenary Assembly in Orlando, this historic Mass invites parishes and Catholics around the country to join the bishops in consecrating our nation to the Sacred Heart.

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06/11/2026

Happy Birthday Bishop Daniel E. Thomas🎉

Please join us in praying for Bishop Daniel E. Thomas on his birthday today, especially as he joins the other US Bishops to consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

06/10/2026

Novena Day 8 - Jesus, gentle and humble of heart



Pray

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, “the Little Flower,” profoundly understood the gentle and humble heart of Jesus. In contemplating how to be transformed by Christ's love, she reflected that “What pleases [Jesus] is that he sees me loving my littleness and my poverty, the blind hope that I have in his mercy… the weaker one is, without desires or virtues, the more suited one is for the workings of this consuming and transforming Love” (Letter 197 to Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, September 17, 1896). Let us join with Saint Thérèse in praying for our hearts to be humble like Jesus.

O Jesus! When You were a Pilgrim on earth, You said: “Learn of Me for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls.” O Mighty Monarch of Heaven, my soul finds rest in seeing You, clothed in the form and nature of a slave, humbling Yourself to wash the feet of Your apostles... I beg You, my Divine Jesus, to send me a humiliation whenever I try to set myself above others. I know that You humble the proud soul but to the one who humbles one’s self . You give an eternity of glory... To obtain this grace of Your infinite mercy I will very often repeat: “O Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, make my heart like Yours!”


Learn

Saint John Paul II notes that only once in Scripture does Jesus refer to his own heart, when he instructs us to learn from his humility and gentleness in Matthew 11. The Holy Father concludes that our Lord stresses these features “as if to say that only in this way does he wish to win us to himself” (Catechesis, June 20, 1979).

The saints, facing the challenges of their age, looked to the heart of Christ as a model to respond with humility and grace. Saint Claude de La Colombière reflected on the attitude of Christ’s heart in his greatest hours of suffering: how during his passion, his heart remained firmly directed to God, and despite the betrayal of Judas and the abandonment of his apostles, Christ did not respond with hatred or indignation – but forgiveness. Saint Claude resolved to “present myself anew to this heart free of anger, free of bitterness, filled instead with genuine compassion towards its enemies” ( Spiritual Exercises in Lyon , October-November 1674, ibid., p. 45).


Act

Devotion to the Sacred Heart allows us to put aside our pride and respond to the challenges of life. Saint Vincent de Paul teaches us: “We should remember that [Christ] himself said that by gentleness we inherit the earth. If we act on this, we will win people over so that they will turn to the Lord. That will not happen if we treat people harshly or sharply” (Saint Vincent de Paul, Common Rules of the Congregation of the Mission, May 17, 1658, c. 2, 6).

Use this Examination of Conscience in Light of Catholic Social Teaching to reflect on how you are acting on Christ’s teachings to love humbly and gently. Then, conclude with Saint Thérèse of Lisieux’s prayer: “O Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, make my heart like Yours!”

Copyright United States Catholic Conference of Bishops

Learn more about the Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

We Hold These Truths - Celebrating Catholic Contributions to the United States of America on the Semiquincentennial Anniversary with the USCCB

https://app.flocknote.com/note/37228777

06/09/2026

🚎 Final Week to Register for Our Mini Pilgrimage 🚎



This is the final week to sign up for our Mini Pilgrimage to the Solanus Casey Center for the Year of St. Francis on Saturday, June 20, 2026.

As the Church celebrates the Year of St. Francis, proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV, we have a unique opportunity to deepen our faith through pilgrimage, prayer, and fellowship. We invite you to join us as we travel to the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit to encounter the life and witness of Blessed Solanus Casey, a humble Capuchin Franciscan friar whose love for Christ and His Church continues to inspire people around the world.

⚠️ Registration closes Sunday, June 14 ⚠️


If you have been considering joining us, now is the time to reserve your spot. We would love to have you make this journey with us as we walk in the spirit of St. Francis and Blessed Solanus Casey.

For more information or needing help registering, please contact Tyler Pakka at (419) 866 6181 ext. 123 or [email protected].

“Blessed be God in all His designs.” - Blessed Solanus Casey

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06/09/2026

Novena Day 7 - Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation



Pray

In Dilexit Nos , Pope Francis describes the consoling nature of devotion to the Sacred Heart as “flesh and blood in the Church’s pilgrimage through history;” a mutual sharing of suffering between Christ and us (no. 157). Because Christ bore our sin in the wounds of his passion and death on the cross, we console him for our affronts. Because we also raise up our suffering to Christ, we ask him to console us.

Let us ask the Sacred Heart of Jesus for strength and increased faith with this prayer by Blessed Miguel Pro, S.J.

I believe, O Lord, but strengthen my faith...
Heart of Jesus, I love Thee; but increase my love.
Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee; but give greater vigor to my confidence.
Heart of Jesus, I give my heart to Thee; but so enclose it in Thee that it may never be separated from Thee.
Heart of Jesus, I am all Thine; but take care of my promise so that I may be able to put it in practice even unto the complete sacrifice of my life. Amen.


Learn

The heart of Christ has always been a source of consolation for the Church. We hear Jesus’ great love for us in Scripture, as when he reassures us of the Father's care in the Sermon on the Mount. We are consoled with God’s intimate love when we are told how we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) and “even the hairs of your head are all counted” (Matthew 10:30).

Saint Francis de Sales teaches that all our names are written on the heart of God: “Surely it is a source of profound consolation to know that we are loved so deeply by our Lord, who constantly carries us in his heart” ( Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent , February 20, 1622).

Pope Francis tells us that when we contemplate the heart of Christ and his self-surrender even to death, we are consoled in Christ’s love for us: “The grief that we feel in our hearts gives way to complete trust and, in the end, what endures is gratitude, tenderness, peace; what endures is Christ’s love reigning in our lives” ( Dilexit Nos , no. 161).


Act

Just as we find consolation in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so too should we pray for others so that they might also encounter the consoling love of Christ. Every day, Padre Pio would pray the Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the intentions of all who asked him to pray for them, ending each intention with “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.” Consider entrusting your intentions to the Sacred Heart as Padre Pio did.

Copyright United States Catholic Conference of Bishops

Learn more about the Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

We Hold These Truths - Celebrating Catholic Contributions to the United States of America on the Semiquincentennial Anniversary with the USCCB

https://app.flocknote.com/note/37228772