St. Leo Church

We, the members of St. Leo Parish in Versailles, KY are a Roman Catholic faith community of diverse and caring people.  We come together to worship and to be nourished by the Eucharist and the Scriptures to strengthen us in order to fulfill the present and future spiritual needs of our members.  We strive to provide religious education for all members and to serve the community at large. 

Catholic Diocese of Lexington Releases Names of Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minors

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Catholic Diocese of Lexington has released a list of priests accused of sexual abuse of minors. The list, released Aug. 14., a day after the diocese received it, was compiled by attorneys who had unlimited access to the diocese’s priest personnel files and the files of any reports of abuse made to the diocese. The review team also conducted interviews, talked with the diocesan Victims' Assistance Coordinator and met with the Diocesan Review Board.

“I, along with every priest in the Diocese of Lexington, am very sorry for what this report describes and apologize to every person who has ever been abused or injured in any way by one who was ordained to represent Christ,” wrote Lexington Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., in a letter accompanying the report, which he commissioned in December 2018.

The list, compiled by Lexington attorneys Allison Connelly and Andrew Sparks, is divided into categories of those with substantiated allegations against them (reasonable certainty that the allegation is true) and credible allegations (more likely true than not). The list also names those who served in the territory of the diocese but were listed by another diocese or religious congregation and one allegation that was found to be unsubstantiated.

Accusations against two priests in the Catholic Diocese of Lexington have been substantiated as having occurred in the time since the creation of the diocese in 1988. The reviewers found that the majority of clergy sexual abuse of minors in the territory of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington took place before the diocese’s creation. The territory of the diocese previously fell within the Diocese of Covington and the Archdiocese of Louisville. 

The reviewers will also issue a second part to the report, which will include a deeper analysis of the phenomenon of clergy sexual abuse of minors and will provide recommendations for response. This report will soon be made available online. The full list of names can be found online now, along with a letter from Bishop Stowe.

The Catholic Diocese of Lexington urges anyone who has experienced abuse in the Church to report it to the local authorities and to contact the diocesan Victims’ Assistance Coordinator, Laura Napora:
 (859) 338-5695 or victimsassistance@cdlex.org.
 

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Media Contact: Don Clemmer — (260) 580-1137, dclemmer@cdlex.org

U.S. BISHOPS AFFIRM MORAL USE OF PFIZER AND MODERNA VACCINES

LEXINGTON — The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for COVID-19 do not pose moral problems that would prevent a Catholic from receiving them, the chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committees overseeing pro-life and doctrinal matters wrote in a memorandum to all U.S. bishops dated Nov. 23. Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv. shared the memorandum with all parishes, schools and other entities of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington on Dec. 10.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused so much fear and suffering in our communities, with our families and neighbors experiencing death, disease, isolation and despair. One of the few signs of hope recently has been the relative speed with which scientists have developed vaccines that appear to be effective in stopping the spread of this deadly virus. I am grateful that USCCB has made clear that the development of these vaccines poses no moral problem that would keep a Catholic from getting the vaccine, and I encourage all people to get inoculated against COVID-19 as soon as these vaccines become widely available,” said Bishop Stowe.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., chairman of the Committee on Doctrine, affirmed the moral permissibility of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

“Neither the Pfizer nor the Moderna vaccine involved the use of cell lines that originated in fetal tissue taken from the body of an aborted baby at any level of design, development, or production,” Archbishop Naumann and Bishop Rhoades wrote in their memorandum (attached). The bishops cited Vatican documentation outlining Catholic moral teaching on such matters.

Spanish version follows:
Siguiente versión en Español:

LOS OBISPOS DE Estados Unidos de América (EE. UU.) AFIRMAN EL USO MORAL DE LAS VACUNAS PFIZER Y MODERNA

LEXINGTON - Las vacunas Pfizer y Moderna para COVID-19 no plantean problemas morales que impidan que un católico las reciba, escribieron los presidentes de los comités de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los EE. UU. (USCCB) Que supervisan asuntos doctrinales y pro-vida en un memorando a todos los obispos de  EE. UU. con fecha del 23 de noviembre. El Obispo John Stowe, OFM Conv. compartió el memorando con todas las parroquias, escuelas y otras entidades de la Diócesis Católica de Lexington el 10 de diciembre.

“La pandemia de COVID-19 ha causado mucho miedo y sufrimiento en nuestras comunidades, con nuestras familias y vecinos lidiando con muerte, enfermedad, aislamiento y desesperación. Recientemente, uno de los pocos signos de esperanza ha sido la relativa velocidad con la que los científicos han desarrollado vacunas que parecen ser efectivas para detener la propagación de este virus mortal. Estoy agradecido porque la USCCB ha dejado claro que el desarrollo de estas vacunas no plantea ningún problema moral que impida que un católico se vacune, y animo a todas las personas a que se vacunen contra el COVID-19 tan pronto como estas vacunas estén ampliamente disponibles ". dijo el Obispo Stowe.

El Arzobispo Joseph Naumann de Kansas City, Kan., Presidente del Comité de Actividades Pro-Vida de los Obispos, y el Obispo Kevin Rhoades de Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Presidente del Comité de Doctrina, afirmaron la permisibilidad moral de las vacunas de COVID-19 de Pfizer y Moderna.

“Ni la vacuna Pfizer ni la Moderna involucraron el uso de líneas celulares que se originaron en tejido fetal tomado del cuerpo de un bebé abortado en cualquier nivel de diseño, desarrollo o producción”, escribieron el Arzobispo Naumann y el Obispo Rhoades en su memorando. Los obispos citaron documentación del Vaticano que describe la enseñanza moral católica sobre tales asuntos.
 

24 HOUR ADORATION
FIRST FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5,  2021
FOLLOWING OUR FRIDAY 9:00 AM –MASS

*ADORERS IF UNABLE TO ATTEND PLEASE FIND A SUBSTITUTE FOR THAT HOUR.

           MASS SCHEDULE

JAN. 16^TH – JAN. 24^TH

SATURDAY, JAN. 16 2021
Heb  4:12-16 Mk 2:13-17
8:30 AM           Inside Church
5:00 PM            Inside Church 

SUNDAY, JAN. 17, 2021
1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19 1 Cor 6:13c 15a, 17-20 Jn 1:35-42
8:30 AM           Inside Church
11:00 AM          Inside Church
6:00 PM            Dentro de la Iglesia, Inside Church
                           Misa en Español/Spanish Mass  
 
MONDAY, JAN. 18 2021  
PARISH OFFICE CLOSED
(DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY)
Heb 5:1-10/Mk 2:18-22
6:30      PM       Bilingual Mass 
 
TUESDAY, JAN. 19 2021
Heb 6:10-20 Mk 2:23-28
8:30      AM      NO MASS 
 
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 2021
(St. Fabian, & St. Sebastian)
Heb 7:1-3, 15-17/Mk 3:1-6
9:00      AM       St. Leo School Staff, Students,
                           and Families     
10:00    AM      ADORATION
6:30 PM            Mass 
 
THURSDAY, JAN. 21 2021  (St. Agnes)
Heb 7:25-8:6 Mk 3:7-12
8:30      AM       Mass 
 
FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2021 
(Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children)
Heb 8:6-13 Mk 3:13-19
9:00      AM       Mass
10:00    AM      ADORATION
6:30      PM       Bilingual Mass 
 
SATURDAY, JAN. 23 2021
(St. Vincent), & St. Marianne Cope)
Heb 9:2-3,11-14/MK 3:20-21
8:30      AM       Inside Church
5:00      PM       Inside Church 
 
SUNDAY, JAN. 24, 2021
Jan 3:1-5, 10 1 Cor 7:29-31 Mk 1:14-20
8:30      AM       Inside Church
11:00    AM       Inside Church
6:00      PM       Dentro de la Iglesia, Inside Church
                          Misa en Español/Spanish Mass                                                                                                  

Dear Friends,  

This is an unsettling time for our country and our community, as we are in a public health emergency due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Your elected leaders and public health officials are working around the clock to slow the spread of the virus and provide care to those who need it. It is important to remember that we need to be prepared, not scared. Heed the advice of public health experts who agree that the most effective way to “flatten the curve,” or slow the spread of the virus, is to practice social distancing. Below is some helpful information regarding COVID-19: 

How do I stay informed?  

It is important to remain informed with accurate information from an official source. Visit the state’s COVID-19 resource page for the most up-to-date and trustworthy information: www.kycovid19.ky.gov.   

How can you be infected? 

·Coronavirus can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Because these droplets can travel up to six feet, public health experts advise maintaining six feet of distance from others. 

·The virus can also remain on a surface or object and enter the body through the mouth, nose, or eyes. This is why it is important to wash your hands before touching your face. 

How long does it take to show symptoms after being infected? 

It takes 2 to 14 days to develop symptoms after exposure to the virus. The average is about 5 days. 

What are the symptoms? 

·         Fever 

·         Dry cough 

·         Shortness of breath 

When should you seek testing? 

·         If you are exhibiting symptoms 

·If you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus 

·If you have recently traveled to one of the high-risk countries 

Except in the case of an emergency, please call your healthcare provider before seeking treatment in person.  

While it is normal to feel anxious, there are ways to take control of the situation and be prepared. I urge you to take the following precautions to keep yourself and our community safe. 

·        Wash your hands often and for at least              20 seconds 

·        Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and                   mouth 

·        Avoid physical contacts like handshakes           and hugs 

·        Stay home if you feel sick 

·        Avoid large crowds 

·        Abstain from unnecessary travel 

What is the difference between “Healthy at Home” and “social distancing”? 

Healthy at Home is a stricter form of social distancing. There are some differences. Healthy at home means: 

Non-essential retail and businesses are closed. These types of businesses include entertainment, sporting goods, clothing, shoes, jewelry, book stores, florists, furniture and auto dealers.  

·Stay home (stay unexposed and do not expose others) 

·         Only go out for essential services 

·         Stay six feet or more away from others 

·         Don’t gather in groups 

It is important during this national emergency that we unite as a community, follow the advice of experts, and take responsibility for our actions to #SlowTheSpread of coronavirus. For more information, visit www.kycovid19.ky.gov or call the Kentucky COVID-19 Hotline: (800) 722-5725.