Matthew Thomas Hardesty Ordained to the Priesthood
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D., Celebrates Beatification of Pope John Paul II at St. Bartholomew Parish
Saint Nicholas Academy Higher Education Awareness
Saint Lawrence Pastor Has Head Shaved for St. Baldrick Event
Saint Francis of Assisi Excels in WordMasters Challenge
Saint Nicholas Academy Upcoming Events
Saint Nicholas Academy SPAVA Awards

MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2011
FOR INFORMATION:
Cecelia Price 502/585-3291 / 502/417-7187 (cell)

Matthew Thomas Hardesty Ordained to the Priesthood for Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville

(Louisville, Ky) On Saturday, May 28, 2011, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D., will ordain Matthew Thomas Hardesty to the diocesan priesthood for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville. The ordination will take place at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Assumption, 433 South Fifth Street.

Hardesty, 31, is a native of Owensboro and the son of Perry and Jan Hardesty of Owensboro. Hardesty attended Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, Ky., graduating in 2002 with a bachelor of arts in computer information systems. After graduation, he went to work for INVESCO in Louisville, Ky., as a software developer. Hardesty resigned from INVESCO in August 2005 to begin studies at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, where he will earn a master of divinity and a bachelor of sacred theology (a pontifical degree granted from Rome through Saint Mary’s) in 2011.

In addition to his seminary study and various parish summer assignments, Hardesty served a pastoral year in 2008 at St. Athanasius in Louisville, Ky., and completed The Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., during the summer of 2009.

Hardesty will serve as a diocesan priest within the Archdiocese of Louisville. A bishop or archbishop ordains diocesan priests, also called secular priests, for a particular geographical area called a diocese or archdiocese. Diocesan priests usually serve in parishes, though they also may serve in schools, hospitals, prisons or diocesan offices, depending upon local needs. Diocesan priests ordained for the Archdiocese of Louisville serve in the 24 counties in Central Kentucky that make up the Archdiocese.

Matthew Hardesty will celebrate his first Mass of thanksgiving on Sunday May 29, 2 p.m. at Holy Spirit Parish (3345 Lexington Road, Louisville, Ky.). After ordination he will serve as associate pastor at St. James Parish in Elizabethtown, Ky., St. Ambrose Parish in Cecilia, Ky., and St. Ignatius Parish in White Mills, Ky.

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MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 25, 2011
For information, call:
Cecelia Price, 502/585-3291

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D., Celebrates Beatification of Pope John Paul II at St. Bartholomew Parish

On Sunday, May 1, 2:30 p.m., Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D., will celebrate the beatification of Pope John Paul II at a special Mass at St. Bartholomew Parish, 2042 Buechel Bank Road. Students, faculty, staff and school board members of John Paul II Academy, 3521 Goldsmith Lane, also are participating in this celebration.

The celebration will take place as part of the observance of Divine Mercy Sunday. This date is significant in John Paul II’s life. In 2000, he presided at the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska, a countrywoman from his native Poland, on the Sunday after Easter and declared that this day should thereafter be known as “Divine Mercy Sunday” in honor of the saint’s lifelong effort to shed light on the mystery of divine mercy. Pope John Paul II died on April 2, just a day before the 2005 celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday. Divine Mercy Sunday focuses on the themes proclaimed in Sacred Scripture, which include the forgiveness of sins and God’s unending mercy.

In announcing this event, Archbishop Kurtz stated: “I am overjoyed to join in prayer with our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and Catholics throughout the world to honor the beatification of Pope John Paul II on Divine Mercy Sunday. I am especially pleased that we have been able to work with our own elementary school, John Paul II Academy, on the special liturgy at St. Bartholomew. During his pontificate, Pope John Paul called upon Catholics to reflect this day on the greatness of God’s mercy, which our world needs so badly, so how fitting it is that we celebrate this beatification on Divine Mercy Sunday. I offer this Mass in thanksgiving for the profound influence Pope John Paul II had on my life and ministry as well as for his inspirational leadership that moved multitudes of persons within and beyond the Church.”

According to John Paul II Academy principal Lynn Wilt, students and school families have been learning about the legacy of Pope John Paul II for the last several months. Activities included morning broadcasts conducted by students and information provided for families in the weekly parent newsletter.

For more information on the beatification of Pope John Paul II, visit www.usccb.org/popejohnpaulii.

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MEDIA ADVISORY
5501 New Cut Road
Louisville, KY 40214
502-368-8506 • Fax: 502-380-5453
www.sna-panthers.org

Saint Nicholas Academy Higher Education Awareness

(Louisville, Ky.) On Monday, April 11, the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) College Information Road Show Bus will be at Saint Nicholas Academy (5501 New Cut Road) from 9:50-11:30 a.m. Students will visit the mobile classroom by groups and gain information about Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) funds and financial aid.

On Monday, March 28, St. Nicholas Academy eighth-graders will visit two college campuses — Bellarmine University and the University of Louisville — to enhance their knowledge and awareness of college resources. They will visit Bellarmine at 9:00 a.m. and the University of Louisville at 11:00 a.m. The students will eat lunch at the Student Activities Center (SAC) located on the University of Louisville’s campus.

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MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release
March 18, 2011
Contact: Fr. Terry Langford,
502/448-2122

St. Lawrence Pastor Has Head Shaved for St. Baldrick Event

(Louisville, Kentucky) On Sunday, March 20, Father Terry Langford, pastor of St. Lawrence Parish, will join several other parishioners of St. Lawrence Parish (1925 Lewiston Drive) and students and staff of Notre Dame Academy (1927 Lewiston Drive) in having his head shaved to show solidarity with children who suffer from childhood cancer and to raise money for childhood cancer research. This is part of a St. Baldrick Foundation event that will be held in the parish hall from noon to 3:00 p.m.

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MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release
March 4, 2011 For Information, Call:
Carol Nord, Principal
502-368-8506

Saint Nicholas Academy Upcoming Events

Saint Nicholas Academy (5501 New Cut Road) is hosting “Saint Nicholas Academy — Education in the 21st Century” on Tuesday, March 15, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. During this event, each teacher will demonstrate how the school uses technology to enhance and enrich the daily curriculum. The public is welcome.

Saint Nicholas Academy is hosting a Science Fair on Thursday, March 17, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Students in grades 6-8 will present science projects to the student body, guests and judges. Projects are evaluated on student preparation, presentation and demonstration of knowledge about the subject, and five students will receive awards. The public is welcome.

St. Nicholas Academy will host “Tap into Fitness,” a health and wellness program sponsored by the Louisville Water Company, on Thursday, April 14, 12:15-2:00 p.m. Kindergarten and fifth-grade students will learn about the food pyramid, food groups and how to choose more healthy food to eat. Activities will include demonstrations on how to measure the amount of sugar in various foods and how to read food labels to determine the intake of sugar, calories, carbohydrates and so on.

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MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release
April 21, 2011 For information, call:
Carol Nord, 502/368-8506

Seventeen St. Nicholas Students Win SPAVA Award

(Louisville, Ky) Seventeen St. Nicholas Academy (5501 New Cut Road) students will be honored on Tuesday, April 26 by the Society for the Prevention of Aggressiveness and Violence Among Adolescents (SPAVA). These students were chosen on the basis of essays that they composed featuring famous role models in history who model SPAVA principles. This award celebration will be held at Waggener High School (330 Hubbards Lane) from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The following Saint Nicholas Academy students are among the 77 public, Catholic and private school students who won awards:

Samantha Kolb
Nathan Baker
Olivia Baker
Allie Blandford
Natalie Bodenbender
Isabella Browner
Shelby Carter
Collin England
Amanda Hans
Laila Higdon
Julia Hopkins
Johnny Huff
Katie Meyer
Devin Smith
Chris Snyder
Shayla Weppler
Amber Willett

In response to the 1997 Heath High School shooting tragedy, Dr. Timir Banerjee founded the Society for the Prevention of Aggressiveness and Violence Among Adolescents (SPAVA), a non-profit organization to help teach students a non-violent approach to life. With the support of the public, Catholic and private schools systems, trained volunteers mentor students and present interactive programs to teach respect, integrity and self-control. Dr. Banerjee also leads fund-raising efforts to maintain the operation of SPAVA as well as scholarship programs.

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