The Diocese of Toledo, established April 15, 1910 encompasses 8222 square miles in a mixture of urban and rural areas that spans 19 counties across Northwest Ohio, serving 306,532 Catholics. The diocese includes Allen, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties. http://www.toledodiocese.org Fri, 09 May 2008 10:50:14 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.toledodiocese.org/content/view/879/ The following novena is based on traditional prayers, and is centered on the gifts associated with the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord). These form a supernatural framework through which the Holy Spirit moves us from within, by conforming us to the very mode of his own action. Also reflected in the novena are the so-called “fruits” or perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as a pledge of eternal glory. These are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity. Both the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit are ordered to the mission we have as baptized Christians to live and proclaim our new life in Christ.Eighth Day: The Fruits of the Holy Spirit - Friday, May 9, 2008 (Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter)Leader: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, Response: Enkindle in them the fire of your love. Leader: Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.Response: And you shall renew the face of the earth.Leader: The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as a pledge of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity. These virtues mark the lives of those who live by the Spirit, as St. Paul tells the Galatians when he writes: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the spirit, let us follow the spirit’s lead” (5: 16-17). The fruits of the Holy Spirit produce spiritual delight, and fill with joy the Diocese of Toledo, with joy in living our faith, so that many others may be drawn to Christ and his Church, as the fruit of a new Pentecost in our time.Leader: Let us pray.All: Holy Spirit, eternal Love of the Father and the Son, kindly bestow on us the fruit of charity, that we may be united to you by divine love; the fruit of joy, that we may be filled with holy consolation; the fruit of peace, that we may enjoy tranquility of soul; and the fruit of goodness, that we may endure humbly everything that may be opposed to our own desires. Divine Spirit, be pleased to infuse in us the fruit of generosity, that we may willingly relieve our neighbor’s necessities; the fruit of kindness, that we may be benevolent toward all; the fruit of patience, that we may not be discouraged by delay but may persevere in prayer; and the fruit of gentleness, that we may subdue every rising of ill temper, stifle every murmur, and overcome the sinful tendencies of our nature in all our dealings with our neighbor.Creator Spirit, graciously impart to us the fruit of faithfulness, that we may rely with assured confidence on the Word of God; the fruit of modesty, that we may order our demeanor properly; and the fruits of self-control and chastity, that we may keep our bodies in such holiness as befits your temple, so that having by your assistance preserved our hearts pure on earth, we may merit in Jesus Christ, according to the words of the Gospel, to see God eternally in the glory of his kingdom. Amen.Leader: Mary, Model of Life in the Spirit,Response: Pray for us.Click here (images/stories/PDF/novenabooklet-08.pdf) to download a PDF of the full Novena BookletPara una versión española, empuje aquí (images/stories/PDF/novenaspanish.pdf) News and Events - Events Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:57:02 +0100 http://www.toledodiocese.org/content/view/900/ CATHOLIC COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN ANNUAL COLLECTIONMAY 17-18The diocesan communications office asks for your help in the upcoming Catholic Communications Campaign. Although it has existed for 25 years, this may be the first time many of you have heard of this campaign, that over the years has spread the Gospel message through the internet, television, radio, and print. For most of us, our days are not complete until we’ve checked out our favorite website, read the newspaper, listened to our favorite radio station, or caught the evening news before heading to bed. Pope Benedict XVI in his message on World Communications Day 2008, speaks of transforming communications to reflect the message of the Gospel saying, “Yet it is a task which to some degree concerns us all, because we are all consumers and operators of social communications in this era of globalization. The new media – telecommunications and internet in particular – are changing the very face of communication; perhaps this is a valuable opportunity to reshape it, to make more visible.” The Catholic Communication Campaign takes up this goal both on a national level and right here in our diocese. Locally, the campaign paid for and supports the Diocesan and Catholic Chronicle websites, it supports the efforts of local Catholic Radio stations in the Toledo and Mansfield areas, provided funds for a documentary on the ecumenical pilgrimage to Germany and Italy by Catholics and Lutherans in Northwest Ohio, and purchased new computers and software for the Catholic Chronicle.. Nationally, the campaign helps fund Catholic radio programs and daily scripture readings available on the diocesan website. This year, the “For Your Marriage” website, a tool for married couples and those thinking about marriage was launched by this campaign. This year’s collection date is May 17th and 18th. In the past several years this collection was included within the Annual Catholic Appeal. This year, the collection is separate and is supported solely through an annual parish collection that merits our continued support. Half of the money from the collection stays right here in our diocese. Your help is needed to continue many important projects from the diocesan communications office. Please make a donation to the Catholic Communication Campaign.Your strong support will insure the continued availability of media resources that promote Gospel values and foster the pastoral teachings of the Catholic Church.Thank You, The Diocesan Communications Office Staff To contact your local parish office, please click here (component/option,com_mtree/Itemid,387/) to find a Catholic Church nearby.For more information on the National program, click here (http://www.usccb.org/ccc/collection.shtml) to visit the Catholic Communication Campaign website. To learn more about For Your Marriage click here (http://www.foryourmarriage.org/) . News and Events - Events Fri, 02 May 2008 15:34:03 +0100 http://www.toledodiocese.org/content/view/881/ You are invited to the 17th Annual Central City Ministry Urban All-American CelebrationA fundraiser for the students of Central City Ministry of Toledo (CCMT) SchoolPresented by Mercy Health Partners – Steve Mickus, Honorary ChairmanMonday, May 19, 20087p.m.Dinner and programTickets: $100Gladieux Meadows,4480 Heatherdowns Blvd.Toledo, OhioClick here (images/stories/PDF/uaa-08-rsvp.pdf) to download the RSVP card or contact Claire Guisfredi, Development Officer for Central City Ministry, at 419-244-6711, ext. 216Join us for keynote speaker Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, Archdiocese of AtlantaArchbishop Gregory tells the compelling story of how, as an “unchurched” child growing up in inner city Chicago, his life was profoundly changed when he enrolled at St. Carthage School and decided at age 12 to become a priest. The first African-American president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Gregory is a social justice leader and strong advocate of Catholic schools in the inner city. News and Events - Events Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:20:05 +0100 http://www.toledodiocese.org/content/view/895/ VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for May is: That Christians may use literature, art and the mass media to greater advantage in order to favour a culture which defends and promotes the values of the human person .His mission intention is: That the Virgin Mary, Star of evangelisation and Queen of the Apostles, may still guide today with maternal affection the missionaries, both men and women, throughout the world, just as she accompanied the Apostles in the early stages of the Church . News and Events - Events Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:43:03 +0100 http://www.toledodiocese.org/content/view/896/ VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 (VIS) - Following today's general audience, Benedict XVI received participants in the sixth meeting of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization of Tehran, Iran. They have been meeting to study the theme of: Faith and Reason in Christianity and Islam .The participants in the meeting, led by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, and by Mahdi Mostafavi, president of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, agreed upon the following points: Faith and reason are both gifts of God to mankind. Faith and reason do not contradict each other, but faith might in some cases be above reason, but never against it. Faith and reason are intrinsically non-violent. Neither reason nor faith should be used for violence; unfortunately, both of them have been sometimes misused to perpetrate violence. In any case, these events cannot question either reason or faith. News and Events - Events Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:50:49 +0100