The Cornerstone -- a quarterly parish newsletter

Advent 1998
Volume One, Issue I

18^th pastor named for Old Saint Mary’s

On April 2, 1998, His Excellency, Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk, appointed Rev. Albert Lauer as 18^th pastor of Old Saint Mary’s Church. He succeeds Rev. Francis W. Voellmecke, who is now professor of philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in Cincinnati.

Fr. Lauer was ordained a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1974 by Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin. He earned a B.A. in Humanities from St. Gregory’s Seminary, an M.A. in Classical Languages from Xavier University, an M.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in Theology from Mount St. Mary’s of the West, all in Cincinnati.

Fr. Lauer has been a parish priest for most of his priesthood. He served as a deacon at St. Leo, Cincinnati, and his priestly assignments have been at St. Luke, Dayton; St. Joseph, Springfield; St. Francis de Sales, Cincinnati; Our Lady of Presentation, Cincinnati; and St. Lawrence, also in Cincinnati. Concurrent with two of his parish assignments, Fr. Lauer taught at Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering for a year and ministered as a hospital chaplain.

For the past eight years he has engaged in a full-time, national ministry of evangelization. He is the founder of Presentation Ministries, a canonically established Association of the Laity under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He is also founder of a religious community of priests and brothers called the Fathers and Brothers of Pentecost.

While praying at a retreat in 1983, the Lord called Fr. Lauer to begin reaching people through the radio by teaching on the readings for daily Mass. Father’s "Daily Bread" radio program is now broadcast on radio stations across the country each week, Monday through Friday. This same radio program is now on the Internet and can be heard at any time by people throughout the world who have access to the Internet.

In addition to his radio broadcasts, he trains Bible teachers, leaders of small Christian communities and Bible counselors. He is author of a daily Scripture study entitled One Bread, One Body and numerous books and pamphlets.

Parishioners of Old St. Mary’s Church welcomed him as the newest pastor of their venerable parish on August 4, 1998. Father Lauer, with his boundless energy—which he says he draws from the Eucharist—and his deep faith and devotion, is certain to be a successful apostle for Christ and His Church through his ministry at Old St. Mary’s. In the first month of his pastorate, Fr. Lauer formed a Legion of Mary group, revived the Pro-Life Ministry, and initiated a weekly Scripture study on Sunday afternoons and Catechism instruction on Thursday evenings.

Former pastors of Old Saint Mary’s Church:

Rev. Clement Hammer, 1842-60
Rev. John Bernard Eickmann, 1860-81
Rev. Bernard J. M. Menge, 1881-97
Msgr. Bernard Moeller, 1898-16
Rev. Joseph T. Duerstock, 1916-41
Rev. Edward D. Stuhlmueller, 1941-45
Rev. John B. Reichert, 1945-48
Rev. James E. Sherman, 1948-56
Rev. Charles F. Murphy, 1956-59
Rev. Charles J. Schreibeis, 1959
Rev. Paul C. Cornwell, 1959-62
Rev. George H. Trimbach, 1962
Very Rev. Carl A. Piepenbreier, O.P. 1962-76
Rev. Frank Roedel , 1976-80
Rev. Christopher T. Hall, 1980-84
Rev. Dohrman W. Byers, 1984-96
Rev. Francis W. Voellmecke, 1996-98

Copyright © 2000-2006 Old St. Mary's Church. All rights reserved.
Revised: January 29, 2006 .

Questions and comments should be directed to the E-Mail address below.

oldstmarys@oldstmarys.org