Latest news with #Redemptorists
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Redeeming the time: 5 questions with Rev. Mike Sergi of St. Gerard Catholic Church
May 21—LIMA — It is still more than a year before the Redemptorists, a priestly order within the Roman Catholic Church, withdraw from assigning priests to St. Gerard Church in Lima and St. Mary in Bluffton. However, as the news of the order's withdrawal in 2026 has already reached both the affected churches and the Lima and Bluffton communities at large, the end of a relationship going back nearly 200 years is looming ahead for both congregations. In the meantime, the work continues for Rev. Mike Sergi at St. Gerard and Rev. John Murray at St. Mary. Even as he helped to oversee the conclusion of the school year at St. Gerard School, Sergi took time recently to speak about his background, ministry and what his 11 years at St. Gerard have meant to him in his faith journey. 1. So tell me a little bit about yourself and your background. I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. I have a younger brother and everything, and, you know, Mom and Dad, and for us, the church was the center. Everything revolved around the church and everything. I went to Catholic school, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic school. Through there, you know, I met the priests who were Redemptorists, and everything. And all of a sudden I somehow got a bright idea, 'Maybe I want to do this and become a priest.' I joined a vocation club, and all of a sudden I said, 'Well, I'm going to do this.' And, you know, I told my parents, and they just said, 'Okay.' I was accepted to go to our minor seminary in Pennsylvania. You know, I can remember my parents always saying to me, 'Don't ever be afraid to come home.' But I went and, outside of homesickness that first year, I was staying, and I felt that this was what God was calling me to do. 2. Tell me about the the order of the Redemptorists. Is there a different focus than with other priests in the Catholic Church? We were founded in 1732 by St. Alphonsus Ligori, and we were founded to preach the gospel to the poor, to the marginalized, to those that live on the outskirts of of society. We preach mainly through missions, where we go into a parish for three or four days and preach and hopefully fire them up to increase their faith. Once we came to this country, we saw that so many of the immigrants were German, so we started to take on parishes. We took parishes all up and down the East Coast. Many of the priests that came were from Germany or Italy, and they came over and just started to work with those who were really on the fringes of society. And most of our parishes, you know, are within the inner city. We've lived with the same dangers as the people did: drug use, drug dealing, shootings and everything. One of the things we have always been is close to the people. 3. Tell me more about your experiences in ministry before coming to Lima. I've been in parish ministry, certainly. I also would help with formation of our young men, especially once they finished seminary, I was involved with some formation for them. I also was director of a retreat house for seven years in upstate New York, and I was also in charge of our nursing home for three years. So, I think I've done all different types of things they've asked. It was like, 'Would you do it?' and I said, 'Okay, I'll give it a shot,' just like accepting the call in the first place, right? And I have to say, all the ministries that I've had have all been very rewarding, especially when I was in charge of our nursing home. It was for our priests and brothers, and I had the privilege of being with 17 of them when they went home to God. That was really something to see, because with all the other priests in the nursing home, I would say, 'So and so is dying,' and it was, it was a blessing to see these men in wheelchairs or walkers go down to the room and pray. That was a privilege assignment. But everywhere I've been, I've enjoyed. 4. Tell me about your ministry here in Lima. The first thing is our school here that has built up to 230 kids. And, you know, being involved with that, going, you know, I go over to the school every day. I check in with the principal, you know, and see how things are. I go into a classroom, you know, I usually get one or two classes, or just walk in and, you know, especially with the little ones, stir them up, and the teachers want to kill me, you know. But I mean, it's great. It's the little ones. All of a sudden they come over and they hug you, you know. So the school is always a rewarding type of ministry. Then we have the ministry at the prisons, both in Oakwood and Allen. I have to say that the men look forward to us coming and we have built relationships with them. I've never asked them, 'Why are you here?' That doesn't matter to me. I don't care. Mass is at 5:30, so I usually get up there a little after 5, and I sit down with the guys and we talk about this or that. Being a Ravens fan, you know, I hear from them about the Bengals and the Browns, of course. I know them all by their first name. One of the nicest things since I've been here, just about seven or eight guys have been released. One of the funny parts is that usually they get released at 6:30 or 7 o'clock in the morning. You know where they come? They come here to St. Gerard's for Mass. They'll show up here at 8:30 for Mass. We do [Lima] Memorial and [Mercy Health] St. Rita's. You stop in and you anoint people, but sometimes it's just putting your head in the door for like two minutes and saying, 'Hi. How are you?' Again, it's something that cheers them up a little bit during the day. And even being a parish priest, I mean, that's, that's a full-time thing in and of itself, too, as far as being available for the spiritual needs of your flock. 5. When it comes to your work in the Lima community, what kind of impact has that had on you? It's helped me grow in my faith, to see the faith of the people and to see the faith of the prisoners. You know, if we can't get in to say Mass sometimes at the prison, they get upset, and it's great when they get upset, because, you know, it makes you realize how precious the Mass, the Eucharist is to them. So it helps me grow my faith, and the people help me to pray. You know, when they pray, it helps me to pray better. That's the biggest impact. But like I told the people, this church is not built on the Redemptorists. It's built on Jesus Christ and not us. It's built on him. If it's built on us, it's going to fall apart, but it's built on him, and it's going to last. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Catholic priestly order withdrawing from Lima, Bluffton
May 10—LIMA — After nearly 200 years, a Roman Catholic clerical order will be cutting ties with the Lima area, according to a release by the Diocese of Toledo. The Baltimore Province of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists, announced it is withdrawing from Lima's St. Gerard Catholic Church and St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bluffton, congregations that have had clergy from this order since 1833. The withdrawal will take effect June 30, 2026. According to Father John Collins, the Provincial Superior for the Redemptorist Baltimore Province, the decision comes after a "process of review and our prayerful consideration of our apostolic commitments in these challenging times," he said in a statement. "Given our loving regard and great appreciation for the wonderful people of St. Gerard's and St. Mary's, along with our experience of being so greatly blessed in our pastoral presence and care among them, this decision was not easy and was not made lightly," Collins said in the statement. "The reality of our aging clergy, along with a significant decline in vocations to Redemptorist religious life and priesthood, is one of several factors that have brought us to the humbling realization that we cannot continue to staff and serve all the apostolic commitments that we currently have in our pastoral care." Collins emphasized in the statement the decision did not come out of any desire to leave the parishes, nor did it come at the behest of Bishop Daniel Thomas of the Diocese of Toledo. "While we, as a diocesan family, are saddened by their pending departure, we understand the Redemptorists have been engaged in realistic and responsible planning for their future regarding maintaining, changing or drawing to completion current apostolic commitments," Thomas said in a statement. "The Redemptorists have repeatedly expressed gratitude to me for the support they have received from the Lima and Bluffton communities here in the Diocese of Toledo. They have also expressed their confidence that our working together in the upcoming transition year will provide the people of God with stability and continued pastoral care." Thomas also said in the release that pastoral care will be offered for the affected congregations the weekend of May 17 and 18 with a personal visit from Collins. The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer was founded in 1732 in Naples, Italy, by Alphonsus Liguori, a priest who emphasized service to the poor and abandoned, according to the order's website. The order currently has approxmiately 4,500 members serving in 82 countries, according to its website. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lima native Lewandowski named Providence bishop
Apr. 9—PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Catholic priest with Lima roots will now lead the Diocese of Providence, R.I. Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, 57, who grew up attending Lima's St. Gerard Catholic Church, met with reporters and the faithful in his new diocese Tuesday morning after an official announcement from Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. "I am grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Francis, for the trust and confidence he has placed in me and calling me to serve here in this diocese, the Diocese of Providence," Lewandowski said. Lewandowski has been an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Baltimore since August 2020. He is a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists, who've served at St. Gerard since it opened in 1916. He was born in Toledo but moved to Lima in the second or third grade, Lewandowski recalled in a 2020 interview with The Lima News, when his father, Robert, took a job at Westinghouse. They lived on five acres on Reservoir Road with horses. He remained in Lima through eighth grade, when he went to live at the St. Mary's Seminary High School in Erie, Pennsylvania, at age 14. He returned in the summers and tried to helped at St. Gerard, where his mother, Frances, helped with the Girl Scouts and his father helped with bingo and was an usher. He went to the St. Alphonsus College in Suffield, Connecticut, and the Holy Redeemer College in Washington, studying theology at the Washington Theological Union. Lewandowski became a priest in May 1994 in the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. His sister, Sister Mary Francis Lewandowski, is a member of the Felician Sisters congregation in Michigan. He mentioned his affection for his family and friends in Ohio and throughout the world during his introduction. "All the people and experiences of these years have enriched my life and brought me closer to our Lord and to his people," Lewandowski said. "I love the church. There's nothing I would rather do than serve God's people in the church. I love being a priest. I love being a Redemptorist. I'm going to love being your bishop." Lewandowski was emotional as he spoke Tuesday in English, Spanish and Portuguese, joking at one point, "I'm a crier." Wearing a black suit and a Roman collar, he shared his love of sweets and noted he learned about his new appointment while driving back from a Mass at a scouting camp at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 29. He shared a story of speaking with Pope Francis during a bishop's orientation course in Rome. He asked the Holy Father about his health and heard a "laundry list of ailments." "I said, 'Do you mind if I just give you a hug?' And he let me hug him," Lewandowski said. "It was just a memorable moment. I think of him today, and just please pray for his good health and speedy recovery." He's the second active bishop from Lima, after Bishop Dennis G. Walsh became the Bishop of Davenport, Iowa, in June 2024. Walsh most recently served at churches in Delphos, Landeck and Spencerville before becoming a bishop. Lewandowski will be installed as Providence's 10th bishop on May 20. He succeeds Archbishop Richard G. Henning, who became archbishop of Boston in October 2024. Lewandowski's sister also designed his episcopal coat of arms. It includes his motto, "Because by Your Holy Cross," a quote from St. Francis of Assissi that was adopted by St. Alphonsus Liguori, the founder of the Redemptorists. "In my heart, I know and I trust and I believe that the cross of Jesus makes everything possible," Lewandowski said. Reach David Trinko at 567-242-0467 or on Twitter/X @Lima_Trinko. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pope Francis appoints new bishop of Providence. Who is Most Rev. Bruce Alan Lewandowski
PROVIDENCE – Pope Francis has appointed Most Reverend Bruce Alan Lewandowski, as the 10th Bishop of Providence, the Diocese of Providence announced Tuesday morning. Bishop Lewandowski is currently serving as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He replaces Bishop Richard G. Henning, whom Pope Francis named Archbishop of Boston in August. The diocese will host a press conference with the new bishop at 10 a.m. Bishop Lewandowski will celebrate Holy Mass in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul at noon. Bishop Lewandowski, 57, is a native of Toledo, Ohio, and grew up on a farm with four siblings. He was ordained a priest in May 1994 and is a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a religious order known as the Redemptorists, according to biographical information provided by the diocese. In his first assignment, Bishop Lewandowski was an associate pastor of Saint Cecilia Parish in East Harlem. Bishop Lewandowski is fluent in Spanish and is a brother to Sister Mary Francis Lewandowski, CSSF; Paula Chupp (James); and Joseph Lewandowski. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Pope Francis names Most Rev. Bruce Lewandowski new bishop for Providence
