Mon - Thurs: 8:00 - 5:15
Hours
(217) 698-8500
Phone
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. St. Paul Street Evangelization will also be included in the presentation. 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.
What Does a Truly Accessible Parish Look Like? - When a person is asked if their parish is accessible, one often says ‘yes’ if an elevator or ramp is available. While these items are helpful, they might not help a person who experiences mental illness, sensory needs, or an intellectual disability. When one realizes how broad the category of disability is, parish accessibility can be overwhelming. The National Catholic Partnership on Disability is hosting a webinar on ways parish accessibility needs to be assessed for people of all abilities. Accessibility not only requires physical adaptations, but liturgical and catechetical adaptions as well. By raising awareness, we can see Christ in others as that all members of the Body of Christ truly belong. For more information and to register for the webinar, go to https://oldsite.dio.org/catechesis/special-needs.html.
Adult Confirmation - Bishop Paprocki will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for adults who have been catechized but have not yet been Confirmed on Sunday, June 5, 2022 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Details, including suggested formation programs, are posted on the diocesan website at https://oldsite.dio.org/catechesis/adult-confirmation.html. Confirmandi must register for this event by May 15. For more information, contact Kyle Holtgrave in the Office for Catholic Education at (217) 698-8500, ext. 154, or email .
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.
The Our Lady of Good Council Women of Distinction Mass and Luncheon will be held Saturday, July 23. This celebration is hosted by the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois Diocesan Council of Catholic Woman (S.D.C.C.W.), which honors all women in the diocese for leadership and service to God, the Church, and community. The S.D.C.C.W. invites each parish to select an honoree to represent all the women in their parish. The group has for each parish:
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.
CRS Rice Bowl Grant Opportunity: The Diocesan CRS Rice Bowl program is accepting applications for the 2022-2023 grant funding cycle. Organizations within the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois that help low-income people with food insecurity are eligible to apply for a CRS Rice Bowl grant. The deadline for submitting a grant application is April 30, 2022. Early submission is encouraged so any deficiencies on the application can be corrected prior to this deadline. Details about the grant is located at: https://oldsite.dio.org/missions/ricebowl, or call the Office for the Missions, 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: Resources: