“Go! And set the world on fire.”

The following is copied from the article "A Pastoral Place" in the August 18, 2013 issue of the St. Xavier Church Sunday Bulletin:

“I have come to light a fire on the earth.  
How I wish the blaze were ignited.”


One Latin phrase Jesuits like to attribute to St. Ignatius is, “Ite inflammate omnia.”  In English: “Go! And set the world on fire.”  Popular hagiography tells us that Ignatius used these words to send his first companions out to all corners of the globe in order to spread the Gospel and set on fire the hearts of tepid faithful.  He was likely inspired to do so after reading the opening of today’s challenging Gospel: where Jesus sends out his disciples to accomplish his mission.  That mission, Jesus warns them, may involve your claiming a participation over and against those of family and friends.  That is, the mission must be uniquely yours, not inherited.

Recently, I have grown on fire for several efforts in downtown Cincinnati.  Two weeks ago, two staff members drove me out to visit our “partner” parish: St Leo in North Fairmount.  I was set on fire with a desire to serve the larger Cincinnati immigrant and refugee community.  They have much to share with us, and vice versa.  I offered to Fr. Schutte my support and our prayers.  That mission effort became more personal after our visit.  I hope many more parishioners would be able to join me in sharing the fire of faith with them in a variety of ways. 

In the coming weeks, after the vacation season ends, I will send out, in this column, a more pointed invitation to step up and show your parish membership through various activities in the coming year.  For right now, continue to be fed with the Gospel and beg the Lord for a discerning heart about where you might best be sent! 

                                  Fr. Patrick Fairbanks, S.J., Pastor

Parish Partners

Because of You . . . 

We are deeply grateful to the many individuals and organizations for the abundant gifts of time, talent and treasure that we already receive and want you to know that we make every effort to steward limited resources as effectively as possible, and to eliminate duplication of services by partnering with local churches, schools, universities, social service agencies, and businesses, as well as Archdiocesan services, and City, State and Federal programs.  

Still, we need your help.  No one person or organization can survive unaided.  St. Leo’s depends on many partners to help us meet our operating budget by sharing our financial burden with us.

We are especially grateful to the following parishes for their caring partnerships with us:

Corpus Christi

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Our Lady of  the Visitation 

 St. Columban

St. Francis Xavier 

St. Ignatius of Loyola 

St. John Fisher  

St. John the Evangelist, West Chester  

St. Maximilian Kolbe 

St. Michael the Archangel  

St. Rose of Lima  

St.John the Baptist

Read about:  St. Leo's Covenant with Our Lady of the Visitation

All of us at St. Leo's are deeply grateful for the opportunity to share with them our prayer life, 

as well as gifts of time, talent and treasure to benefit both their congregations and ours.