Mon - Thurs: 8:00 - 5:15
Hours
(217) 698-8500
Phone
Nominate a teacher for the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award – Do you know a Catholic school teacher who strives for academic excellence with a focus on the Catholic mission? Know a teacher who left a lasting impression on you or your child? Know a teacher who goes above and beyond for his or her students and who lives authentically Catholic? Nominate that teacher for the diocesan wide St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award! Nominations are due by March 5. Go to dio.org/schools/eas.
Download this: EAS_2022.png to promote it in your parish/school
We got you covered for Lent - We ask that parishes promote the diocesan wide Lenten mission of Reconciliation to the Resurrection. Catholics can sign up to receive weekly inspiration, tips, and resources from priests in our diocese in their inbox. Content will also be posted on the diocesan social media channels. Sign up at dio.org/lent. In the Bulletin Announcement section of Parish Link, you can find something you can copy and paste and a graphic.
Your parish Triduum schedule needed - Catholic Times will publish parish Triduum liturgical schedules for Holy Week, which will appear in the April 3 edition, which means Catholic Times will need your schedule by March 15. If you would like to include your Triduum liturgical schedule, please fill out this online form: Triduum Schedule Request Form (jotform.com) Thanks!
Parishioners who created holy artwork - Catholic Times is working on an article for later this year where we would like to feature lay Catholics in our diocese who have produced beautiful works of art that are now displayed in churches in our diocese. Whether it's a painting, icon, etc., if you have a parishioner whose talented piece is now in your church, please let us know so we can feature that piece of art and the person who created it! Please email Diane Schlindwein, Managing Editor at Catholic Times: . Thank you!
Day of Prayer for Peace: The Holy Father Pope Francis to make Ash Wednesday – March 2, 2022 – a day of fasting for peace. He asks, “Let believers dedicate themselves intensively to prayer and fasting. May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war.”
Rite of Election: The Rite of Election will be celebrated the weekend of March 5/6, 2022 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The Continuing Call to Conversion will NOT be celebrated. An informational packet and forms was sent to pastors, parochial administrators, parish secretaries, and RCIA coordinators; if you did not receive them, they are available at https://oldsite.dio.org/worship/catechumenate.html#election-and-call. The forms were due in to the Office for Divine Worship and the Catechumenate by February 10th. If you have not yet submitted the forms, they should be immediately e-mailed to to allow time for the compilation of the names and the checking of their pronunciation.
Change to Breaking Bread: Recently, parishes who use Oregon Catholic Press' (OCP's) Breaking Bread hymnal/missal received a letter informing them of changes to Breaking Bread in 2023, namely the inclusion of the Sunday readings and the Mass propers for Sundays and weekdays. The Office for Divine Worship and the Catechumenate requested a clarification regarding the weekday propers during Ordinary Time since the Roman Missal does not contain specific propers for the weekdays in Ordinary Time. This was response was given: "For the weekdays for ordinary time, we do use the antiphons from the previous Sunday, as the Roman Missal suggests, and the readings of the day from the weekday lectionary. In addition, we have all of the Feasts, Memorials, and Optional Memorials. For Saturdays, we also recommend the optional Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when it is not superseded by a memorial or feast."
Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe (CCEE): This collection will be taken up on Ash Wednesday. Donations are used to train seminarians and lay leaders, support pastoral and catechetical centers, support social service programs, youth ministry and schools, help with church construction and renovation, and aid evangelization efforts through Catholic media. Visit the USCCB website for a Parish Resource Guide Please use the bulletin announcements provided to promote the annual collection for Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe (CCEE)
Lenten Resources for Teachers: Catholic Relief Services has Lenten Resources for teachers to use for the Rice Bowl campaign. Resources include communication tools, lesson plans and activities for grades 1-8, and prayer resources.
Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat: There will be a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat for people affected by abortion March 25-27, 2022, at the Villa Maria Retreat Center. The cost is $150, but scholarships are available for those not able to pay the full registration fee. Please let others know about this healing opportunity. For more information go to: oldsite.dio.org/plasm/project-rachel.html , call 217-698-4456, or email
Short Tidbit from Project Rachel: Appendices – The Role of the Priest with Those at Risk of Aborting Due to an Adverse Prenatal Diagnosis. The following are websites that you may recommend to parents:
www.morninglightministry.org – a Catholic ministry for bereaved mothers and fathers who experienced the death of their baby through ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death up to one year old. The Hope in Turmoil section of the site provides information and support for those struggling with a poor prenatal diagnosis.
www.benotafraid.net – an online outreach to parents who have received a poor prenatal diagnosis. Family stories, articles, and links on this site are presented as a resource for those who may have been asked to choose between terminating a pregnancy or continuing on despite the diagnosis. The “benotafraid.net” families chose not to terminate. By sharing their experiences they offer encouragement to those who may be afraid to continue on.
Information from Project Rachel Manual, p 85
Applications for Totus Tuus teachers - Applications are now open for those wanting to become Totus Tuus team members this summer. Please visit our website at dio.org/youthministry/tt for more information.