Mon - Thurs: 8:00 - 5:15
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(217) 698-8500
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Bishop Paprocki will join the Holy Father in his consecration of Russia and Ukraine on Friday, March 25, with a prayer service at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception from 9 a.m. to 11:30 am Central Time. Bishop plans to begin with a prayer of consecration, followed by the rosary. The Blessed Sacrament will then be exposed for adoration, with benediction and reposition at 11:30. The public is invited to attend in person or watch via livestream at www.youtube.com/diospringfield.
Parish Grant Program - The parish grant program from the Religious Education and Catechist Formation Endowment funded by the Harvest of Thanks, Springtime of Hope campaign is now taking applications for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Two grant programs are available for parish use – the Catechist Formation Grant and Media & Enrichment Materials Grant. The deadline for submitting proposals is March 31, 2022. Early submission is encouraged so any deficiencies on the application can be corrected prior to this deadline. Applications are available on the diocesan website at https://oldsite.dio.org/catechesis/parish-grants.html.
Community of Religious Educators Meeting - The next CORE meeting is Thursday, May 19 at 10 AM at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Springfield. The keynote presentation will be given by Fr. Mike Haag and his staff on their approach to preparing students and their families for the Sacrament of Confirmation. His approach has three goals: to evangelize the parents; to give the parents the tools to evangelize their children; and to catechize the confirmandi so that they not only know the faith, but can express and share it. I am also planning to have representatives from Ruah Woods join in via internet to talk about their Theology of the Body curriculum. Lunch is provided. RSVP by May 16 so I can plan food accordingly, , or call (217) 698-8500, ext. 154.
Ad Altare Dei Emblem - Members of Scouts BSA and Venturing from the Boy Scouts of America are invited to learn more about our faith, particularly through the sacraments, by earning the Ad Altare Dei religious emblem. To earn the award, one must be a registered member of a BSA unit (Scouts BSA or Venturing Crew), be in 7th grade through high school age, and active in your unit for at least 6 months to be eligible. The next Ad Altare Dei class is Sunday, March 24 at 5:00 PM. The class meets at Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Decatur. Classes do not need to be taken in order – Scouts may join in at any time. For more information, contact Kyle Holtgrave, (217) 698-8500, ext. 154 or email .
An update has been made to Statute 123(a) of the 2017 Synodal Statutes. Statute 123( a) of the 2017 Synodal Statutes now reads: "a) Clerics incardinated in the Diocese are delegated the general faculty to assist validly at all marriages within the Diocese when one party is of the Latin rite. For liceity, this faculty is to be exercised only with the consent of the local pastor or his delegate. (Amended by Decree of Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, February 2, 2022.)"
Women of Distinction dates to know for 2022 - The Springfield Council of Catholic Women (SDCCW) is pleased to announce the dates of the Celebration of the 2022 Our Lady of Good Counsel Women of Distinction and the 2022 SDCCW Annual Convention. The Celebration of the Women of Distinction Award Celebration will be on Sat., July 23, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Springfield, followed by a luncheon at the Crowne Plaza.The 2022 SDCCW Convention will be held on Wed., Sept. 28, at Immaculate Conception Parish in Mattoon. Further information and registration for both events will be forth coming.
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.
PSR submissions from each parish/school needed - Catholic Times is accepting PSR articles or photos for its annual PSR issue (which will be in September to time with Catechetical Sunday, but asking for information now before this PSR school year ends). We invite parishes to submit either a PSR article (300 words or less) about your program or a good story or a PSR photo with short caption by May 21 using the online form: https://ct.dio.org/psrissuesubmission Photos should be 300 dpi or better and sent as image files (such as .jpeg or .pdf). Please do not imbed the photo in a Word document. For articles, include your parish name, town, as well as the author. For questions, call (217) 698-8500, ext. 118, or outside of Springfield (800) 677-8708.
LTP Discount Orders: The Office for Divine Worship and the Catechumenate has received notice from Liturgy Training Publications that, effective April 1, 2022, the discount offered on orders placed this office will be reduced to 30% and the shipping fee will be increased to $6.00 per shipment.
CRS Rice Bowl Collection: Throughout Lent adults, children and families have been praying, fasting, and offering alms. The CRS Rice Bowl is one opportunity for offering alms during lent. These alms help millions of women, men and children around the world, and even families within our diocese, who encounter economic challenges. Twenty-five percent of funds collected stays within our diocese to grant to organizations that help families experiencing food insecurity. Please encourage participation in this giving opportunity. Rice Bowls will be collected Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022. Use the collection poster and other tools found in the Collection Mailing, mailed to you from CRS Rice Bowl during Lent, to communicate collection details. “CRS Rice Bowl” should be written on the memo line of the check to insure donations end up in the right place. Families can always donate online at www.crsricebowl.org/give . The proceeds gathered should be forwarded to our Office for Finances within thirty (30) days. Any questions contact Donna at 217-321-1161.
Holy Land Collection: Pontifical Good Friday Collection will be taken up on Friday, April 15, 2022. This collection helps the Church in the Holy Land minister in parishes, provide Catholic schools and offer religious education to Christians living in the Holy Land. The Pontifical Good Friday Collection also helps to preserve sacred shrines. The pandemic hit Christians in the Holy Land particularly hard because most depend on pilgrimages to work. Resources available for this collection include talking points, a bulletin and pulpit announcement, letter from the pastor, a brochure on how donations are used, and poster in English and Spanish.
Short Tidbit from Project Rachel: Appendices – Raising the Issue of Prior Abortion Loss in Marriage Preparation (continued): The couple should individually be invited to discuss their sexual histories. There is a myth that what is in the past should stay in the past; however, sexual histories enter the marriage, whether spoken about or not. This is simply an invitation to be honest. It is their choice to pursue the invitation, but at least it has been extended. The priest or deacon can say, “Past intimate (sexual) relationships become part of our history. Sometimes STDs have been contracted, and your partner has a right to know about that because of a threat to health and future offspring. Intimacy wounds like past abuse and abortions can interfere with the establishment of healthy sexual intimacy. While you may not have thought about these events for a long time, it is important that you share this information with your partner.” (Information from Project Rachel Manual, p 86)