About our Pastor:
Father Anthony “Tony” Fortman, C.PP.S., grew up in Ottawa, Ohio. Father Tony graduated from Ottawa-Glandorf High School and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bluffton College. After attending Catholic Theological Union in Chicago for Seminary, he served as Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Cleveland for 3 years, followed by vocational work, and then served as Associate Pastor at the St. Henry Cluster in Mercer County for the next 5 years. He became pastor of St. Gaspar Family of Parishes after a 13-year assignment as Pastor at St. John the Baptist in Glandorf, Ohio. Learn more about our Pastor.
April 12, 2026
Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. We are very mindful of how much we need God‘s mercy each day. It is only through God‘s mercy that we are able to obtain the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life in heaven. You and I do some good things here on earth, but we also do some bad things or we don’t do anything at all at times.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is very popular in our day. This chaplet is our communication with God the Father. There are two popular prayers that we can say as Catholics: the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. It seems like wherever I go, I see that image of the two rays of blood and water coming from the heart of Christ. I see it on billboards when I’m driving down the road and in many of our churches.
The Precious Blood of Jesus is the ultimate payment for our sins. God is very merciful to us, and we in turn are to be merciful to others. What holds us back from being merciful to others? Is it pride, arrogance, privilege, or just being spoiled? When God forgives us immensely, we have that obligation to be merciful to others. Jesus said, “When much is given, much is expected.” You and I know how good it feels to have our sins forgiven in the sacrament of reconciliation. We in turn should be God‘s mercy in the world.
Much of what we have is because of God‘s mercy to us. You and I do not deserve the goodness that God gives us. God is very extravagant in his love for us. So let us be thankful for the sacrament of reconciliation and the Eucharist.
God bless you all,
Fr. Tony
April 5, 2026
Today is Easter Sunday of the resurrection of the Lord. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We can now say that. We have not said that during Lent. Without the Resurrection, our Christian faith does not make sense. Jesus‘s resurrection from the dead is the greatest miracle of all. God the Father raises his Son. After the resurrection, Jesus will appear to his apostles and to those who were close to him.
Whatever happens to Jesus, will happen to us. There will be suffering and death, but there will also be resurrection for those who believe in Christ.
Easter Sunday is also a time to rejoice. As Christians we need to rejoice. In this life, there is suffering, but there needs to be rejoicing also. If every day is Good Friday, then there is something wrong with our faith. There has to be an Easter Sunday eventually.
I believe that when we suffer, we should spend time in prayer. We should intentionally thank God for all that he gives us. Even if we think that we do not have much to be thankful for, we should give thanks for what we do have. By doing this, our attitude changes. We should also ask God for miracles to happen in our lives. We may think that we are not worthy of a miracle, but it is God who chooses for us. Just ask Jesus for what you need. It won’t hurt anything. I believe God wants to show us miracles in our own day. Maybe we have been accustomed to Good Friday every day of our lives. Maybe we would not know how to act if there was an Easter Sunday. Maybe we would rather stay in the pain and suffering because that is all we know. Give God a chance and ask him to heal you and your family.
God bless you all,
Fr. Tony
March 29, 2026
Today we celebrate the Passion of the Lord, Palm Sunday. We remember how Christ died for us and gave us eternal life. During these past couple weeks of Lent, we have focused on the passion of the Lord and his suffering. God wants us to do that each day. Because when we do that, we realize how much God loves us, cares for us, and is willing to lay his life down for us. Jesus went through a lot. The spitting, the scourging, the crowning of thorns, the nailing to the cross, and his death. Jesus bled like a real man. He could’ve bypassed the cross, but he didn’t. He knew that in order for something to live, something has to die.
Most of the Pharisees and the Scribes really wanted to get rid of Jesus. He was a stumbling block and they did not want their Hebrew faith to be compromised. The Pharisees also realized that Rome would not put up with both Jesus’s mission and the Hebrew mission. Rome did not want to be the referee between Jesus and the Pharisees. Rome, Caesar, and Pontius Pilate just wanted to deal with one religious group at a time.
So we come to the cross and Jesus‘s death. As we enter into Holy week, please take part in all the opportunities of prayer and worship. If you haven’t gone to confession, please make that a priority. When we get rid of sin, our souls can begin to live and praise God. Remember: no deposit, no return. If we don’t make time for prayer then Easter Sunday will mean nothing to us. Easter Sunday will just be another ordinary day. Prayer and loving others prepares us for the Easter joy.
God bless you all,
Fr. Tony
March 22, 2026
We need the Holy Spirit. In today’s second reading Paul tells the Romans, “Brothers and sisters: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” Even King David pleads to the Lord and asks the Lord not to take the spirit away from him. David says this after he committed adultery with Bathsheba.
We are helpless without God‘s spirit. We may think that we accomplish many tasks on our own, but we are wrong in saying that. You would be surprised how much God is holding your hand. You would be surprised how many obstacles God is helping you with.
In the gospel, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Jesus can do all things. He does all things well. Have you ever taken the time to think about how loving and powerful Jesus is? It is very important for you to do this. Stop what you are doing and slow down. It is Sunday. You have God‘s permission to slow down. Just think about
what Jesus has done on this earth and what he will do for you in the future. Christ is a miracle worker. There is no stopping him. He loves you, but he will not be handicapped by your sins or your wants. Jesus will change your mindset. You will not change his mindset. You must learn from him. This is what it means to be docile. A willingness to be taught.
God bless you all,
Fr. Tony
March 15, 2026
In today’s first reading from Samuel, we see God telling Samuel, “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” God looks further and deeper into people’s hearts. He sees things that we cannot see.
He knows what can happen if we do not trust him. This is why we have to trust him. Even when things seem odd or out of place, we have to trust his plans for us.
In the gospel Jesus tells us, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jesus is that light that cannot be extinguished. Darkness cannot overcome him. Evil cannot overcome him. This is why we have to be on his side all the time. What does Jesus want? Not what I want. This also means that we have to make a conscious decision to be his disciple and serve him in loyalty. We have to put all of our eggs in Jesus‘s basket and sell out for him. Have you made that decision yet?
It has been proven time and again that Jesus has the words of eternal life and he is the one who brings healing to our bodies and minds. This is why we must trust him with everything we have. Hold nothing back from him.
God bless you all,
Fr. Tony
March 8, 2026
In today’s first reading from Exodus, we see the people grumbling to God and to Moses. The Hebrew people want water consistently. God is really teaching the Hebrew people to trust in Him. But the people are complaining against God, saying that God has brought them out of Egypt to die in the desert. This is a big test for the Hebrew people to see if they can trust God.
I know that I complain sometimes, but the very thing I need to do is pray instead of complain. I believe this is what God is teaching the Hebrew people, to ask for their needs before they start complaining.
We see Moses getting very upset. God tells Moses to strike the rock once, but out of anger he strikes the rock twice. In his doing this, he will not enter into the land of milk and honey. He will see it from a distance. Moses will be buried in the promised land, but he will not step foot into the land while he is alive. Joshua will lead the people into the promised land. Many times we are tested by God. This does not mean that God is mean, but he needs to see if we are able to be committed to him even when we do not see what is in store for the future.
Little baby birds need to find a way to get out of the egg. The struggling of the baby bird and getting out of the egg will strengthen the baby bird. It is shown that baby birds that do not crack themselves out of the egg die soon. Our struggle strengthens us during this life.
God bless you all,
Fr. Tony
February 22, 2026
Today we begin the first Sunday of Lent. We see Jesus driven into the desert by the Holy Spirit. Right away, Satan is coming after him. Remember “HALT.” Whenever you are hungry, angry, lonely, and tired, Satan will come after you. He will come after you because you are weak and because Satan is a cheap shot. He will take every chance he can to stab you in the back. He is the father of lies. He is not on your side. After Satan coerces you, he will accuse you in the next moment.
Satan tells Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” Jesus says in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”
He tells Jesus, “If you are the Son of God…” Jesus has nothing to prove to Satan. You could say Satan is trying to get Jesus to doubt himself. Jesus doesn’t need Satan’s approval.
In this passage, we see one does not live only on the physical aspects of life. We need the divine aspects of life also. Like God’s word. Food and drink only last for a while. But God‘s word is eternal. That is why Jesus is the Eternal Word. God‘s words will never end. During this time of Lent, let us focus on what will last forever. That will either be heaven or hell. Let us control our bodies and not let our bodies control us.
God bless you all,
Fr. Tony
February 15, 2026
Today we hear from Sirach:
“If you choose you can keep the commandments,
they will save you;
if you trust in God, you too shall live.
He has set before you fire and water;
to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
Before man are life and death, good and evil,
whichever he chooses shall be given him.
Immense is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.
The eyes of God are on those who fear him;
he understands man’s every deed.
No one does he command to act unjustly,
to none does he give license to sin.”
I had to print the whole reading— it is so good. Basically, God gives you a choice. You can choose good or evil. But whatever you choose will be yours. Thank God He gives us a chance to repent. It is very clear that God does not want us to sin. He does not give us a license to sin.
I would say that each one of us has to put up a fight against sin. Paul tells us that, “Some of us have not resisted temptation to the point of bloodshed.” This means that we have to put up a fight against temptation and sin.
God‘s power always overrides Satan‘s power. So we know we have the ability to let go of certain sinful inclinations. But we can’t do it by ourselves. This is why prayer is so important. This is why the Rosary is so important. The Blessed Virgin Mary told Saint Dominic, “Whatever you ask through the Rosary shall be
granted.” Don’t go into a fight without having a weapon. Saint JosemarÍa Escrivá says, “The Rosary is your weapon against evil.”
God bless you all,
Fr. Tony
February 8, 2026
In today’s first reading from Isaiah, we hear,
“Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed.”
We have a tremendous St. Vincent de Paul community with our parish family. Think of all the people who are fed, the clothes given away, and the furniture that is given to the needy. Scripture tells us that when we take care of the needs of others, God will heal our wounds and our health. So the act of taking care of another will actually take care of us.
In today’s gospel, we see Jesus telling us, “Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” When we give to others, there is a light that shines around us. Our active giving makes our lives beautiful. Continue to give of yourself the best way you can. Some of us can’t give much, but what little we do give makes a difference for others.
God bless you all,
Fr. Tony