October 21-22, 2023
Dear parishioners,
As you recall, last weekend in my homily, I talked about how important it is for us and for all people of good
will to vote no on issue 1 on the ballot that Ohioans are currently voting on. The amendment proposes to
enshrine abortion up to birth, transgender surgeries and hormones which mutilate the body, and contraception,
among other items, as a constitutional right for all who live in the State of Ohio. Please note that the proposed
amendment includes everyone- meaning that all of the above would be considered an undeniable right even to
minors. Of course, this means that parents would have no rights whatsoever if their minor child wished to
pursue an abortion or a so-called transgender operation.
I also mentioned that Bishop Thomas recorded a very helpful video about the extreme nature of this proposed
amendment. As I mentioned, he does not go into politics, but wants everyone to be aware of the extreme
language of this amendment and the grave consequences that will result if issue 1 passes. Please take a moment
to watch his 7-minute video, which can be found on the Diocese of Toledo website: www.toledodiocese.org.
Also, please consider sharing the link to the video on any of your social media accounts. If you would like to
see the full language of the proposed amendment, you can find it at https://seethelanguage.com/. This site also
provides some helpful talking points on the issue.
On another note, I know there has been some grumbling and complaining in the rumor mill lately (imagine
that!), and I would like to take a moment here to shed light on one of those topics. I know many have been
talking about the construction lifts that were at the Antwerp rectory within the last month or two. These lifts
were there in order to repair and restore the tuck pointing on that building. It was evident that this project had
not been done in a long time, as the mortar was worn out around the entire building, and in some spots was
showing major gaps, including at least one spot where a brick was ready to fall out of the wall. Therefore, this
project could not be held off any longer. The total cost to repair the tuck pointing came to $17,000.
You might recall that the tuck pointing of the Antwerp rectory was not on the list of projects that I presented to
the parish as needing done and for which we would be raising money. The reason for this is simply that we did
not know at that time that the tuck pointing needed done. I would like to reassure everyone that, because this
project was not on the list of projects to be accomplished through the United in Christ capital campaign, no
capital campaign donations will be used to cover the expense of this project. Likewise, although we do receive
rental income from the Antwerp rectory, we are presently in the situation that we will need that rental income to
help offset our offertory income, which is well under budget year-to-date. This being the case, any parishioner
who would like to donate toward this project is welcome to do so.
Regarding upcoming projects, finance council has been discussing and comparing estimates for the replacement
of the roof and gutters on the Paulding Ed Center and for the re-paving of the parking lots in Paulding. I will
give more specific updates on these projects once we are closer to taking care of them (hopefully) in the Spring.
Have a blessed week,
Fr. Ammanniti
