Church welcomes priest for mission
St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, located on Walnut Hill Road in Uniontown, welcomes the Rev. Michael B. Semana of Ohio, who will be leading a parish mission tomorrow through Wednesday. The theme of the mission is “Celebrating the Real Presence and Appreciating Our Faith (Commemorating the Anniversary of Our Parish as a Eucharistic Community.’ The mission is part of the parish’s 100th anniversary celebration.
Semana will preach at all the weekend Masses: Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m.
On Sunday at 7 p.m., his discussion is entitled “We Are Defined by the Holy Eucharist. How Does the Eucharist Shape Us and Transform Us?’
On Monday, Semana will appear at the 9 a.m. Mass and give the homily “The Eucharist, the Word of God and Evangelism.’ At 7 p.m. Benediction, he will talk about “The Eucharist, The Sacrament of the Bridegroom and the Bride.’
On Tuesday, Semana will give the homily at the 9 a.m. Mass “The Holy Eucharist, the Lamb of God and Intercession.’ At a 7 p.m. penance service, he will discuss “The Mass, Sin and Forgiveness.’
On Wednesday, he will again give the homily at the 9 a.m. Mass, entitled “Don’t Waste the Mass! Live the Mass.’ At Wednesday’s 7 p.m. healing Mass, he will speak on “The Mass, Healing and Wholeness.’
Semana has been giving parish renewals and healing retreats for many years.
He is a singer and a songwriter. He has also produced 15 music CDs and written books on prayer, the Eucharist and deliverance.
Born in 1956 in Manila, Philippines, Semana enjoyed music from an early age. He entered St. Vincent de Paul Minor Seminary in Samar, Philippines at age 11, attracted to the seminarians playing their guitars and rejoicing in songs of love and peace.
In 1972, he entered the University of St. Tomas in Manila, graduating at age 22 with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and theology.
On March 11, 1979, he was ordained to the priesthood. He became a pastor at age 25, assigned to one of the oldest parishes in the Philippines. He was appointed the diocesan director for Christian community building and formation.
Since his ordination, Semana has spent his years as a priest assisting the poor, the marginalized and the broken, bringing Jesus to them and them to Jesus.
The calling led him to initiate World of Hope Foundation, incorporated in 1990, and to preach in Western Europe, Bosnia-Hercegovina, India, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and major cities in the United States and Canada.
He received invitations to give retreats and conferences, recollections to laypeople as well as priests, parish missions, healing Masses and music presentations.
The outreach programs of World of Hope Foundation serve the poor in Mexico, India, the Philippines and victims of war in Bosnia-Hercegovina. It has entities in New York, California, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Stationed in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Semana currently serves as chairman of the international board of directors of World of Hope Foundation Inc. and vice president and spiritual director of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center in Norwood, Ohio.