This event has been canceled for scheduling conflicts. Reflection for personal reflection below:

Strength Enough to Limp
Oblate Reflection on St. Camillus de Lellis & Bishop Maes

We tend to imagine that God does God's best work through people who are strong, certain, and seemingly unshakable. Yet the story of faith tells us something different. Again and again, God entrusts holy work to people who carry wounds.

St. Camillus de Lellis, whose feast we celebrate July 18, did not begin life as a saint. As a young man, he was a soldier and struggled with gambling before experiencing a profound conversion. Throughout much of his life, he carried a painful leg wound that never fully healed (Our relic collection actually contains a large piece of bloodied gauze that once packed this wound, obtained by Bishop Maes). Rather than allowing it to define him, God used it to shape his heart. Having known suffering himself, Camillus poured his life into caring for the sick with extraordinary tenderness, founding a Religious Order, and reminding the Church that every suffering person should be loved as Christ himself. His weakness did not diminish his vocation—it deepened it.

Bishop Camillus Paul Maes, our third Bishop of Covington, took St. Camillus as his patron and, like him, endured recurring health challenges throughout much of his ministry. In doing so, he embodied his patron's quiet trust in Divine Providence. Despite his physical struggles, Bishop Maes remained steadfast in his mission, establishing parishes, schools, and ministries whose fruits continue to bless the Church more than a century later. His life reminds us that faithfulness is measured not by physical strength, but by a heart that continues to say "yes" to God, even in the midst of weakness.

Neither man became holy because they suffered. They became holy because they allowed God to meet them in the midst of their suffering. Their wounds did not define them, nor did they become excuses for a smaller life. Instead, they became holy touchpoints, places where grace took root, transforming weakness into perseverance and hope.

Perhaps that is true for us as well.

Most of us carry something—a disappointment, an illness, a regret, an unanswered prayer, a burden no one else can see. We often ask God to remove these things before we are willing to believe He can truly use us—little old us. Yet the witness of these two "Camilli" suggests another possibility: that God is already at work, not after our wounds are healed, but even now.

The Kingdom has always been built by ordinary people who entrusted their imperfect lives to an extraordinary God. Sometimes the deepest witness we offer is simply to keep walking in faith, even with a limp. The limp does not diminish the journey; in God's hands, it can become part of our witness and inseparable from our story.

Questions for Reflection

1. What limp am I carrying, and where might God be using it for His glory?

2. Where have my limitations become excuses instead of opportunities for grace?

3. Whose suffering am I overlooking because it inconveniences me?

4. How has God used an unexpected struggle to shape me into a more compassionate, faithful, or hopeful disciple?

Prayer

Lord, when our path is marked by weakness, give us the courage to keep walking. Teach us not to fear the limp, but to trust that You can use even our wounds for Your glory. Like St. Camillus and Holy Bishop Maes, may we walk faithfully with You, knowing that Your strength is made perfect in our weakness. Amen.

Join us on Saturday, June 20, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by Mass. Matt and Cindy Bischoff will offer a reflection on their faith journey and how it has influenced their lives and family.

Join us on Saturday, May 16, at Saint Joseph Church in Cold Spring for our monthly Oblate meeting. We will join the 9:00 a.m. parish Mass, which will be followed with words on the Church and new relic shrine. Fr. Andrew and Fr. Jordan will introduce the parish’s new relic shrine, with Fr. Andrew sharing how it has become a meaningful touch-point of faith for the community.

Join us on Saturday, April 18, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by Mass. Oblate Steve Ezweiler will share recent discoveries related to Bishop Maes.

Join us on Saturday, March 21, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by Mass. Bishop Foys will offer a reflection on St; Joseph and his intercession in the life of the Church. We will also bless small food items as part of a traditional Saint Joseph Altar.

Join us on Saturday, February 21, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by Mass. Deacon Brian Cox will reflect on the importance of Benedictine spirituality, drawing from his experience at the National SEEK Conference and the vital role of faith formation today.

Join us on Saturday, January 17 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am, followed by Mass and a luncheon to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.

Join us on Saturday, October 18 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. In honor of the upcoming Solemnities of All Saints and All Souls, Morning Prayer at 9:30am, followed by Mass, will be held in St. Paul Relics Chapel.

After Mass, we will travel to Saint Francis Seraph Church in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Established in 1859 by the Franciscan Friars, the church features altars crafted by Covington’s own Br. Cosmas Wolf and paintings and murals by his colleague Johann Schmitt. Though the space has undergone renovations, many of these remarkable works remain.

We are grateful to Br. Timothy Sucher, O.F.M., Pastoral Associate, who will welcome our group and lead a tour of the church and its 1859 crypt which holds the remains of 41 early Cincinnati citizens, primarily of Irish descent.

Important Parking Information

Saint Francis Seraph Church is located at 1615 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Br. Tim is graciously opening the school parking lot for our group. It is located off Liberty Street on Moore Street directly behind the school, right after the Shell Station (the school/lot are to the right of the Church if you’re looking straight ahead at it). I have attached a photo of a map I diagrammed in red to better explain. We will depart for the Church after Mass. All are asked to arrive by 11am.

Join us on Saturday, September 20 at the Cathedral Basilica for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass. To celebrate the beauty of Summer, our friend, and Cathedral Vice-Rector, Msgr. Kurt Kemo will explore the importance of gardens in Sacred Scripture and how to be better stewards of creation through the lens of the Benedictine tradition. The day will culminate with a blessing of plants and seeds.

Join us on Saturday, August 16 as we travel to Holy Family Church in Oldenburg, IN, for our monthly Oblate meeting. The day encompasses Morning Prayer, Mass, and a tour. The Church is located 50 minutes away. The church is decorated with Altars and paintings by 19th century Benedictine Br. Cosmas Wolf, 3rd Order Franciscan Johann Schmitt, and the Covington Altar Building Stock Company. Lunch will conclude the day at a nearby eatery.

All are asked to coordinate their own transportation and arrive at Holy Family by 9:30am.

Join us on Saturday, July 19 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass.

Bishop Foys will explore the early connection between the Franciscans and Benedictines through the story of the little chapel—the Portiuncula—Francis was given by the Benedictine’s in exchange for a basket of fish. The day will conclude with a blessing of fish.

Join us on Saturday, June 21 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass.

Oblate Marie Tobler will offer a short reflection on how the Lord has worked in her life and how being an Oblate has deepened her spirituality.

Join us on Saturday, May 17 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass.

To celebrate the Month of Our Lady, St. Walburg Oblate Mary Creech will share how Our Lady has worked in her life particularly as an Oblate. She will draw on her role as Cathedral Facilities Manager and Director of Volunteers, and share vignettes and stories from the Cathedral to reveal Our Lady’s importance in the life of the Diocese of Covington.

Join us on Saturday, March 15 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass. Sir Stephen Cosmas Enzweiler will explore the Benedictine Foundation of Montecassino as recounted in the diary of Covington’s Third Bishop Camillus Paul Maes.

Join us on Saturday, February 15 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am, followed by Mass and a luncheon to celebrate the month’s Feast of the Presentation—the traditional end of the Christmas Season.

Join us on Saturday, January 18 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am, followed by Mass.

Fr. Jordan will speak about the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.

Join us on Saturday, November 16 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by a Requiem Mass for the repose of the Soul of +Douglas R. Nowicki, O.SB., 11th Archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA.

Brad Whittle, Organist and Choirmaster of Saint Augustine Church, Covington, will offer a reflection titled “Chant in the Benedictine Tradition and Music’s Impact on the Soul.” He will draw on the Church’s wellspring of Sacred Music and his own experience as an accomplished musician to explore the importance of music and chant.

Join us on Saturday, October 19 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass. Cathedral Historian and Oblate Novice Sir Stephen Enzweiler will offer a reflection titled “Bishop Camillus Maes and the Benedictine Origins of the Priest’s Eucharistic League of America.” He will explore the early foundations of the Priest’s Eucharistic League in the United States and the integral role Bishop Maes and Fr. Maler shared in its development.

Join us on Saturday, September 21 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass. Oblate Novice Jose Madrigal will offer a reflection titled “What it Means to be an Oblate” and discuss how becoming an Oblate has impacted and deepened his spiritual life.

Join us on Saturday, August 17 at Thomas More University’s Mary, Mother of Wisdom Chapel for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass. We will then walk across campus to the small Monte Cassino Chapel which was relocated to the campus in 1965 from the Monte Cassino Vineyard Property, Covington, operated by the monks in the 19th century.

Join us on Saturday, July 20 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass and a reflection by Bishop Roger Joseph Foys on Benedictine spirituality.

Join us on Saturday, June 15 at the St. Augustine Church, Covington, for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass and a talk. Speaker and topic TBA.

Join us as we travel to the former Monte Cassino Vineyard where the Benedictine’s used to have a priory and operate a vineyard for the production of Altar Wine for Mass. We will pray Morning Prayer and hear from Mark Schmidt, the current owner of Monte Cassino Vineyards. We will also get a sneak peak at his new museum which celebrates the Benedictine heritage in Covington!

We will gather in the North parking lot beneath the Cathedral’s great window at 9:45am on April 20 to car pool to the vineyard. If you wish to meet the group at the Vineyard, please put the following address in your GPS: Monte Cassino Vineyards, 478 Kuhrs Lane, Covington, KY, 41015. The gravel entrance road to the Vineyard is to the right of Jackson Florist.

Join us on Saturday, March 16 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass and a talk. Speaker and topic TBA.

Join us on Saturday, February 17 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am followed by Mass and a talk. Speaker and topic TBA.

Join us on Saturday, January 20 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am, followed by Mass and a luncheon to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.

Join us on November 18 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for our monthly Oblate meeting. Morning Prayer begins at 9:30am, followed by a Requiem Mass for the deceased Oblates associated with Saint Vincent Archabbey and the deceased friends and family of members of St. Cosmas Oblate Deanery.

A brief reflection by Bishop Foys will follow. He will meditate on the Rule, ancient Church customs/traditions, and the month of November which recalls the poor souls and our mortality.

Join us for Mass and a brief reflection from a Benedictine. Mass begins at 10am with a short presentation and Q/A following.

Join us as we travel to the former Monte Cassino Vineyard where the Benedictine’s used to have a priory and operate a vineyard for the production of Altar Wine for Mass. We will pray Morning Prayer and hear from Mark Schmidt, the current owner of Monte Cassino Vineyards. We will also get a sneak peak at his new museum which celebrates the Benedictine heritage in Covington!

We will gather in the North parking lot beneath the Cathedral’s great window at 9:45am on September 16 to car pool to the vineyard. If you wish to meet the group at the Vineyard, please put the following address in your GPS: Monte Cassino Vineyards, 478 Kuhrs Lane, Covington, KY, 41015. The gravel entrance road to the Vineyard is to the right of Jackson Florist.

Join us for Mass and a brief reflection on the Rule. Mass begins at 10am with a short presentation and Q/A following.