June 3, 2024 // Diocese

Around the Diocese: June 2, 2024

Todays Catholic

National Eucharistic Congress Seeking Volunteers

The National Eucharistic Congress is in need of several hundred volunteers for the upcoming national event in Indianapolis. There are many full-time and part-time volunteer opportunities available. The greatest area of need is full-time volunteer ushers. This role entails greeting guests at sessions either in Lucas Oil Stadium or the other large programming halls at the Convention Center. For full-time volunteers, the time commitment would be from 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 16, until 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 21. For those who are unable to serve the entire time, many part-time volunteer shifts are also open.

According to officials with the National Eucharistic Congress, the benefit of volunteering is that ushers get to hear much of the congress programming for free. This is a great role for young adults, college students, retirees, or anyone who is looking for an affordable way to be a part of this historic event.

The event in Indianapolis will be the first National Eucharistic Congress held in the United States in 83 years.

For more information and to register as a volunteer, visit eucharisticcongress.org/volunteer.

Grants Awarded

The 2024 Parish-in-Need Grants have been awarded to eight parishes within the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. This program is part of the Annual Bishop’s Appeal and supports smaller or less-affluent parishes to fill specific needs at the individual parishes throughout the diocese. Each year, many parishes request aid through the program, but not every request can be granted. As a result, a committee carefully considers each application, and Bishop Rhoades gives final approval. This year, 10 of 19 requests were granted for a total of $210,000.

This year’s disbursement and the primary parish projects include:

Fort Wayne

St. Therese – $23,000 for gym building controls

St. Therese – $17,000 for a school boiler

Queen of Angels – $40,000 for outdoor stairwell replacement

South Bend

St. Casimir – $40,000 for a new annex flat roof

Our Lady of Hungary – $20,000 for church radiator repairs

Our Lady of Hungary – $10,000 for school ceiling and roof repairs

Holy Cross – $7,500 for a security entrance system for the school

St. John the Baptist – $27,655.50 for the rectory

Area parishes

St. Joseph, LaGrange – $10,344.50 for parish office roof repair and gutters

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Warsaw – $14,500 for a new HVAC system for the rectory.

2024 Scheiber Scholars Announced

On Tuesday, May 14, the Community Foundation of Huntington County announced the 2024 recipients of the Donald E. and Lou Rayne Scheiber Catholic Education Scholarships. The winners of the scholarship are Henry Landrigan, Dale Schweller, Cordelia Richert, and Madeline Davis. All are members of SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Huntington. Created in 1997, the mission of the Donald E. and Lou Rayne Scheiber Catholic Education and Charity Fund is first, to promote educational opportunities for Huntington County students who are members of one of three local Catholic Church parishes (St. Joseph in Roanoke and St. Mary and SS. Peter and Paul in Huntington), and second to provide charitable grants to Catholic organizations that promote the accepted teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

St. Mary Avilla Student Claims International Soccer Title

Provided by Knights of Columbus Council No. 14214
Beretta Opliger, a third-grade student at St. Mary of the Assumption School in Avilla, was recently recognized by the Father Dominic Duehmig Council No. 14214 of the Knights of Columbus for being named one of just 12 International Winners of the group’s 2023-24 Soccer Challenge. Opliger is just one of two winners in the world honored in the 9-year-old age group. According to the council, Opliger had the highest score among all the winners in her age category in the female division. She also won the regional and state competitions. Pictured with Opliger from Council No. 14214 are Knights Ben Helmkamp, Brad Wilson, Ken Gerard, Tim Dice, and Dave Roesener.

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Praise and Worship Band Brings Community Together to Pray in Area First

Father Thomas Zehr, Pastor at St. Mary Parish in Huntington, stands with members of a praise and worship band to talk to and pray with parishioners from St. Mary and SS. Peter and Paul at the first Praise and Worship event hosted by both parishes at the Knights of Columbus in Huntington on Saturday, May 18.

Photos by Nicole Hahn
Parishioners of St. Mary and SS. Peter and Paul churches in Huntington sing along with the band to honor the Lord at the first Praise and Worship Night.