“Each marriage is a kind of ‘salvation history,’ which from fragile beginnings — thanks to God’s gift and a creative and generous response on our part — grows over time into something precious and enduring.” // Pope Francis

Valentine's Day serves as the culmination of National Marriage Week, a week that Catholics celebrate each year. The 2025 theme for National Marriage Week is 'Marriage: Source of Hope, Spring of Renewal. Pursue a Lasting Love!' 

As we celebrate marriage this week in our Jubilee of Hope, we want to recognize two couples from our family of parishes who met in their youth at one of our family churches and have grown together in faith since as husband and wife. Throughout their marriage journeys, they have turned to their faith as a source of hope and renewal, recognizing that God is the piece that holds them together.

Andy and Noelle were married in June 2005 at Noelle's childhood parish in Fishers, Indiana. The two found themselves primarily focused on the liturgy of their wedding day, inviting friends and family to participate as altar servers, lectors, cantors and Eucharistic ministers.  It can be easy to get swept up in the fun and excitement of the reception party, but the true celebration was the Mass and the sacrament itself.

What incredible stories of love that have grown from our parishes; we are inspired by their witness to God's love in their marriages. To say it best, Noelle shared some knowledge for other couples:

This past weekend, two of our parish staff members were honored at the Center for the New Evangelization Appreciation Banquet. This annual banquet recognizes and celebrates evangelists across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati who go above and beyond to share the Gospel and bring people closer to Christ.

One staff member who received an award at this year's banquet was our very own pastor, Fr. Brian Phelps! Fr. Brian received the Radiate Christ Award for Parish Evangelization.

His program bio read:

"Fr. Brian Phelps is the pastor of Our Lady of Light Family of Parishes in Centerville and Dean of the Emmanuel Deanery. He was ordained a priest in May 2014 and eventually appointed pastor of Our Lady of Light in July 2022. Fr. Brian was nominated for the Radiate Christ Award by an OLL parishioner. In her words, 'Fr. Brian [has] done an incredible job leading Incarnation and St. Francis through the Beacons of Light transition... the joining of our parishes into one larger family has been both spiritually enriching and organizationally practical... on a more personal level, Fr. Brian's counsel and guidance have been very helpful to me... His gentle and patient guidance and generosity with his time really made a difference for me.'"

Our second staff member who received an award at this year's banquet was our Digital Communication Specialist, Sarah Chivers. Sarah was the first to receive the Radiate Christ Award for Communications, a new category for the 2025 Radiate Christ Awards.

Her program bio read:

"Sarah Chivers is the Digital Communication Specialist at Our Lady of Light Family of Parishes in Centerville. Sarah demonstrates an amazing ability to use her creative skills to promote the Family of Parishes and evangelization happening locally and nationally though their social media, website, and other digital mediums. Sarah has a knack for using photography and video to share the story of the OLL Family of Parishes and God's calling to people throughout the Archdiocese and beyond."

Congratulations to Fr. Brian and Sarah! We are so thankful to have such innovative and motivated staff members serving our family of parishes.

"If early one morning you see a tight group of men praying together while you are picking up your carry out, look closely, they may just be TMIY parishioners from Our Lady of Light."

Chris Bramlage, a member of the That Man Is You group at Our Lady of Light, is always inspired by the number of men who meet bright and early on Saturday mornings for fellowship with other Catholic men and to grow in deeper understanding and appreciation of their Catholic faith. With over sixty men in attendance, it is clear that the Holy Spirit is stirring a desire to make godly men in our community.

"In the OLL TMIY program, I have found authentic Catholic fellowship. We openly share our troubles and victories over worldly things as we try to focus on the eternal. I have made some lasting friendships with men where I feel comfortable sharing anything with them. They listen, empathize and console," Chris explains.

One powerful thing about this community of men is their commitment to each other. "They push me to confession, conversion and toward Christ," Chris says. Holding each other accountable in their Catholic faith is a powerful part of their mission - in a world where it is difficult to find connection, they stand beside each other and help each other get to Heaven.

​Community is vital to a strong Catholic faith. We are not meant to live this life alone: God created us to be a people who need one another. As it says in the book of Proverbs, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (27:17).

One article from Ascension Press said it well in regards to how the world so largely functions online today:

"Rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide have all been rising over the past 20 years. It’s no wonder people are afraid. They have few real friends and are being isolated further and further from reality and the ability to engage in lasting, fruitful relationships. Yet, “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). We who live in an authentic Catholic community are able to live in faith, hope, and love. It is only through this exchange with others man develops his potential and thus responds to his vocation (CCC 1879)." (The Power of Catholic Community by Ryan Welch)

We at Our Lady of Light recognize the importance of community with one another. With various groups for all adults, for men and women, and even for those in specific stages of life, our community groups are vital to the strength of our community. We hope that you will find a community that helps you search more deeply for God in your life, and encourages you to support your brothers and sisters in Christ in their faith journey as well.

For more information about That Man Is You, as well as our other men's and community groups for Our Lady of Light, please visit www.olldayton.org/communities

Written by Caroline Doorley

Hey there, Our Lady of Light Family,

This summer I had the pleasure to be the youth ministry intern for our family of parishes. It has been an amazing opportunity for me to serve Our Lady of Light in a new and different way.

At the beginning of the summer, I was lucky enough to travel to Arizona for the Catholic Youth Ministry Conference hosted by Life Teen. The Arizona trip not only offered spiritual refreshment, but also an opportunity for  professional development and community building within the Our Lady of Light youth ministry team. The most impactful part of the CYMC conference was the idea that your effectiveness in ministry is directly related to your ability to be uncomfortable — this does not just apply to those of us getting paid to work in ministry. Ministry is part of our faith, and it is not an easy task. Your ability to be uncomfortable will help you exceed in this task to ministry to those who haven’t experienced the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. This idea was something that I kept at the forefront of my mind throughout the summer.

Toward the middle of the summer, I gained experience with events and programming within our parish. I assisted the inaugural Into the Deep week for our Edge and Life Teen programs. We guided teens through the different historical periods in which the Bible took place by praying, playing, and eating our way through the Bible. Another event that I was a part of was Americana Fest. This opportunity not only provided an amazing learning experience on how to evangelize to those parking or walking by on our campus, but also how to assist managing a team of volunteers.  This event wasn’t specifically under the “Youth Ministry Umbrella,” but it really showed me that our parish staff do more than we could ever imagine. As a youth ministry intern, I am not just ministering to our youth, but also to their parents and anyone that they interact with.

At the end of the summer, I had the opportunity to travel with our middle schoolers down to Georgia for Camp Hidden Lake. This was such a fulfilling experience watching our teens grow closer to the Lord and begin to understand the upcoming theme for this school year: Sanctuary. It is truly inspiring to watch a group of teens not only grow closer with our Lord, but also with each other and with all the adult leaders on the trip. My favorite experience with our teens at camp was their willingness to support each other. Whether they were supporting a teen that was nervous to take part in a lake day activity, messy games, or after a particularly emotional experience with the Blessed Sacrament. Teens at Our Lady of Light have an amazingly supportive and welcoming culture.

It has been a blessing and privilege to work with our family's youth this summer. This internship has been a very formative experience. As I head back to Marian University for my sophomore year, I would appreciate it if you could keep me in your prayers.

Thank you for a wonderful summer!

On July 21, a bus filled to the brim with over 50 parishioners from Our Lady of Light Family of Parishes joined 50,000+ people in Indianapolis to be revived in their love for the Holy Eucharist. While it was clear that this event would be impactful, there was no way to prepare oneself to how deeply just one day surrounded by their Church family would change their hearts and lives.

Apart from our busload of parishioners, a large number of parishioners travelled to the Eucharistic Congress for the weeklong experience. We also had a handful of younger parishioners who traveled either with their families for the weeklong conference or on the bus trip with parents. Some of these younger parishioners, who are considering a religious vocation, found the experience to only grow that urge to follow Christ in a special way.

The Congress was fully prepared to accommodate Catholics of all ages and stages, as there was a family track young families could register for that encouraged them to seek their faith even in the busiest times of life.

"I was shocked at the number of young families in attendance," Sarah Chivers, Digital Communication Specialist said. "Families with 4+ kids, families with multiple kids still in strollers. The sweetest little boy that was coloring a picture of a monstrance during Jonathan Roumie's talk. I was talking to a woman from the Trenton area at one point and she said that there was no way that this event wouldn't make a lasting impact on these children's lives. I was in complete agreement."

The Eucharistic Congress cemented the beauty of a universal Church. Ruth Reeve and her daughter experienced the joy of this larger community as they waiting for the Eucharistic Procession to begin. Shortly after finding spots on the curb to witness this miles-long procession, a woman approached them to join their group in saying the rosary across both sides of the street.

"I wasn't sure how it would work -- but it did. Fortunately, her friend had a very strong voice and pretty soon everyone on both sides of the street were praying along. But not only that - there were people walking the procession route,  and every single one of them would start praying along with us while they were walking past our section of the route. It made me realize how truly universal our faith is; we are connected in so many ways. Through our prayers, through the mass, and most especially through the Eucharist. We sing the same songs, we pray the same prayers, we recognize and honor our professed religious brothers, sisters and priests, and we acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior, truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Eucharist. The Eucharistic Procession gave me the opportunity to witness all of those things in one place and time and the word 'catholic' became crystal clear to me through that experience."

Those who witnessed Eucharistic Adoration throughout the Congress expressed how impactful it was. Parishioner Phil Mraz was one in attendance among thousands of people falling to their knees before the Blessed Sacrament.

"Though high up in the second level of stadium seats, I caught a whiff of the incense after the long procession had passed by. How remarkable and powerful to be in silent communion (pun intended) praying with thousands of Catholics adoring the Most Holy Sacrament."

While many of these more reverent experiences rang out as highlights of the Congress, there were many lighthearted moments that reminded us of the pure humanity that makes up the Catholic Church. Laughter and the arts played a major part of the weeklong event celebrating our Lord.

One speaker that stuck out amongst others was Sr. Josephine Garrett. 

"After viewing several of her online videos, I really wanted to hear Sr. Josephine speak in person," Phil Mraz explained, "What a joy it was to see and hear her!  A person walking by the outside of the conference room might have mistook it for a comedy club rather than a religious presentation.  Her humorous anecdotes about a nun's life had everyone laughing.  But then she got serious without warning and provided numerous insights into the spiritual, physical, and mental healing power that the Eucharist has to offer.  What a thrill it was to meet her in person after the presentation to thank her for inspired and hopeful message."

As mentioned previously, the arts rounded out the weekend by orchestrating the emotional pull of our faith. The music throughout the weekend found the perfect balance of prayerful reflection and powerful ballads of love and glory for our Heavenly Father. From the established Matt Maher to newer artists like Sarah Kroger (who will be joining us at our Parish Picnic in August), Catholic artists set the stage to bring us into the moment fully.

"The music was wonderful!" Linda Shea reminisced, "To hear that many people singing hymns of praise to our Lord was so uplifting."

Sarah Chivers, who spent the day recording the event for those who were back home, took the back seat for many events to simply take it in. 

"The music would begin playing and arms shot up in praise," she recalled. "It was overwhelming. People were smiling, people were crying. But in the best ways. The power of the Eucharist had such an emotional pull over all of us."

The music and overall event were so powerful that they have inspired minister leaders on our campuses.

"I have been ignited with a evangelistic motivation now to share the Truth with people in my every day life as well as my music ministry and also through the Cursillo Movement," said Alex Abuyuan, who plays guitar at the 11:30am Mass at the Incarnation Campus.

Our parishioners who traveled on the Our Lady of Light bus were lucky to witness Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus on the acclaimed series The Chosen, speak at the final session before boarding the bus back home. At the end of his talk, he performed a dramatic reading of scripture that multiple parishioners mention gave them goosebumps. 

After coming home, parishioners had an opportunity to share their thoughts overall to share with you. Here are just a couple of quotes that express how closely they encountered Christ during the Eucharistic Congress:

"It was AMAZING!  So wonderful to share our love of the Lord, the Eucharist, & our Blessed Mother with 54,000 friends!! The sessions were inspiring & energizing.  I returned renewed & grateful for having the opportunity to attend." -Cheri Rotterman

"The Eucharistic Congress was truly life-changing. It’s humbling and surreal to have gotten to be a part of history! From the speakers to the liturgies to the music to the procession, everything was fabulous! Over 60,000 hearts of those in attendance were touched, as well as so many others we will touch as we all go out and spread the amazing news of the Eucharist! I’m so thankful Blake and I could attend. We are so excited about the next National Eucharistic Congress in 2033!!" -Beth Rinderle

"This was my first Catholic 'revival' and way out of my comfort zone.  I'm so glad that I took the leap of faith and went.  I wasn't very familiar with all the songs and the presentation speakers, but every single event was uplifting and inspiring.  How can you not be inspired when surrounded by tens of thousands of faith-filled Catholics!?!  Honestly, I'm still struggling a bit with what this all means to me and how it will change my life, but I am committed to praying about it further and sharing my experience with others.  See you in the Eucharist!" -Phil Mraz

"As we boarded the bus taking us to Indianapolis, my prayer was to ask Our Lord to make my day what He wanted for me. Well I could never imagine what He had in store for me. Words cannot describe how seeing over 50,000 pray together shaped my vision of how blessed I am to be Catholic." -Mary Gutman 

"It was one of the most incredible experiences of our lives.  To be worshipping the Eucharistic Jesus at Adoration with 50,000 to 60,000 people.  It was truly life changing or more specifically it was transforming." -Alex Abuyuan

When it was determined a parish family name was needed to describe our new Beacons of Light family more, we all wondered... Can we? How will we? Who will dream the name we will all learn to love as a parish family?
 
Well, “yes, we can”, “together we will”, and “our dreamer gave us a name”.

The Process

Confirmation #2 | Fr. Brian, Pastor
Monday following holiday weekend. Sarah spoke with Fr. Brian about the “coincidental” prayer card story. Fr. Brian added that his grandmother attended the apparitions of Our Lady of Light in Cincinnati back in the 90’s.

“My grandmother went to Falmouth, KY multiple times. On the night of the purported apparition, she came back with a picture that she took. I still remember those pictures. They had struck me because I still remember seeing what seemed to look like a form of the Blessed Mother. She would also go to the Holy Spirit Center every year for the annual Mass with those who also went to the purported apparitions.  The last one I remember that she went to was during the first weekend I was in seminary in 2007.  I went with her that time as well.” 

Since the announcement of the parish family name, several parishioners & staff have come forward with their own personal story of previously observing, reading, or hearing of Our Lady of Light. 

Private revelation is not required to be believed.  Pope Francis said, “A prophet, brothers and sisters, is each one of us.  A prophet is he who, by virtue of baptism, helps others read the present under the action of the Holy Spirit," which helps people "understand God's plans and align yourselves" with them.  And clearly the Holy Spirit visited the review team when choosing the name submitted by only one person.  The Holy Spirit’s guidance, through each one of us, pointed us to the most perfect messenger from God…Our Blessed Mother, resulting in a most wonderful parish family name…Our Lady of Light Family of Parishes.

Come, Holy Spirit, and continue to fill the hearts of our family of parishes as we look to Our Mother to guide us and pray for us as the “Our Lady of Light” family of parishes, to forever rejoice in the love of Jesus, our Everlasting Light.  Amen.

And that is ‘what’s in a name’!

It isn't everyday that you find someone with a commitment to the inclusion of persons with disabilities as strong as Noelle Collis-DeVito's. From volunteering with youth programs and assisting students with disabilities to developing an office at the Archdiocesan level dedicated to serving persons with disabilities, Noelle found her passion for this community of believers with disabilities through years of working side-by-side and advocating for all to be included.

Currently in pursuit of her Master's Degree in Pastoral Ministry with a certificate in Disability and Ministry, Noelle fondly remembers the start of her ministry journey as a volunteer for the youth ministry program at St. Francis of Assisi in the early 2000s. At the time, she was working on her Bachelor's Degree in Religious Studies, and upon graduation she accepted the position of High School Youth Ministry Coordinator at St. Francis of Assisi. When her second child was born, Noelle made the decision to stay home with her children, but continued to share her gifts with the Church through parish missions, conferences, retreats and volunteering. 

In 2018, after her children were comfortable settled into school, Noelle accepted a position with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in the Respect Life Ministries. There, she worked to establish the Office for Persons with Disabilities. Today, Noelle works for the University of Dayton in the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives where she is developing curriculum for adult learners surrounding catechesis. 

Noelle Collis-DeVito's commitment to including those with disabilities is clearly expressed through her impressive resume of leadership in the field. In addition to her position at the University of Dayton, she serves on the Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. She is also a national speaker and writer on the topics of sensory-friendly Mass, adaptive catechesis, and multi-sensory learning for accessible classroom. 

Noelle is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Pastoral Ministry with a certificate in Disability and Ministry. For her practicum, Noelle  offered an integrative program over the summer for families at Our Lady of Light centered around the Eucharistic Revival. Inspired by those living with disabilities within her own community, Noelle wanted to make a difference for those with disabilities within the Our Lady of Light Family by fulling integrating those with developmental and learning disabilities with the full Body of Christ. She modeled her practicum to allow full families to encounter the Eucharist through integration of diverse considerations, including multiple-intelligence learning theory, sensory-oriented experiences, a family model approach and a Montessori feel, with the hope that the program would be reproducible and offer best practices for parishes who are exploring solutions for new catechetical approaches.

Overseeing this program energized and revitalized Noelle's faith as she witnessed how the Eucharist is seen through the eyes of children learning about Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. How wonderful it would be to understand how deeply and truly Jesus loves you for the first time all over again.

Luckily, we have that opportunity each week at the Mass. Each week we relive the Last Supper together. Just as Jesus gathered with His disciples around the table, told stories and broke bread, we too gather around the altar, tell stories from the old and new testaments and receive Jesus in the Eucharist. If you've felt stuck in a period of repetition and going with the motions at Mass, let this weekend be a fresh start. At Mass this weekend, open your eyes and your heart and understand how deeply our Father in Heaven loves you.