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Pictures of your monstrance - We'd like to share pictures on social media and in Catholic Times of different monstrances in the diocese with the launch of the Eucharistic Revival. Take a look at this picture as an example. Could your parish take a similar photo with the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance? Also, is there any interesting history associated with the monstrance or interesting artwork on the monstrance? Please send a photo and this information (including the parish) to Andrew Hansen: . Thanks! (I'd like to get at least 26 photos - I have 8 so far. 26 pictures allows me to put one in 26 editions of Catholic Times during our diocese wide Year of the Eucharist starting later this year.)
Prayer and fasting poster/prayer cards for Illinois - A grassroots effort encouraging Catholics in Illinois to pray and fast every Friday on bread and water to stop the state from becoming the Midwest's abortion hub has posters and prayer cards available for parishes to have in their vestibules. Email Andrew Hansen: if you would like a poster and prayer cards. See this picture for what it looks like. (note, this has been approved by Bishop Paprocki)
SDCCW convention - The Springfield Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (SDCCW) are inviting all women of the diocese to their 93rd annual convention called “Women of the Bible” on Wed. Sept. 28 at Immaculate Conception Parish in Mattoon. Parishes are asked to promote the event (go to bulletin annoucements to copy and paste) and put this registration form in public areas.
LTP Orders: The order form for ordering publications from Liturgy Training Publications through the Office for Divine Worship and the Catechumenate has been updated and is available at https://oldsite.dio.org/worship/book-sales.html. If ordering through the ODWC, please submit orders to .
Apostolic Letter on Liturgical Formation: The Holy Father Pope Francis published Desiderio desideravi, an Apostolic Letter on the Liturgical Formation of the People of God. The official English translation of the Apostolic Letter may be read here: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/20220629-lettera-ap-desiderio-desideravi.html.
New Employee Sexual Harassment Awareness Training - Beginning July 1, this training will be transitioning from VIRTUS’ Anti-Harassment Training to Catholic Mutual Group’s (CMG) Sexual Harassment Awareness Training. This training is mandatory per Illinois law to be completed annually by all paid employees. This training will be housed in the same database as the new Safe Environment programs, CMG Connect. There was a slight delay in the program, but it will be up and running by mid-July. For more questions, please contact Erin Danaher at .
CO-Op Collections - As a reminder, the manner of taking up the collection for CO-Op Missionaries is determined by the pastor. Parishioners should make donation checks payable to the parish. The missionary should not take envelops or the funds collected from the parish, nor request a list of names of contributors. Please do not publish the address of the mission organization in the bulletin. Envelopes with the group's mailing address are not allowed. No missionary group may employ professional soliciting agencies while making an appeal in the parishes of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. At the time of the appeal, no subscriptions to magazines or periodicals are to be promised or solicited. No child sponsorships or other relationships may be solicited. Parish bookkeepers, please submit a check for the proceeds collected to the Office for the Missions within thirty (30) days of the missionary’s visit.
Mass Stipends for Missionaries - Do you have more Mass intentions than you are able to celebrate Mass? Consider sending the extra Mass intentions to the Office for the Missions. Mass intentions and stipends given to the Office for the Missions are shared with missionary priests to celebrate in their home country. The Office for the Missions is very appreciative of the ways in which parishes support missionary priests, dioceses, and orders. Missionary priests are happy to help their brother priests to celebrate Mass intentions and grateful to receive Mass stipends.
Your parish database - The Office of Parish Vitality and Mission Advancement (PVMA) recently sent out a survey via Survey Monkey to all business managers asking for information about the parishioner databases used across the diocese. This will help the PVMA office enhance the resources we provide to parishes. We would like to receive responses by Friday, August 5. If your business manager did not get the email, or there is someone else at your parish that should also have access to the survey, please use this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3P87T7H Questions can be directed to Rachel Langdon () or Katie Price ().
Ameren Lighting Incentives - Ameren Illinois, through approved contractors, is offering lighting upgrades with incentives. They will come to your facility, assess your current lighting, and provide you with a proposal showing incentives and payback period for your part of the project. We have been able to benefit from this program in our Catholic Charities offices throughout the diocese and in some of our parishes. If you would like to find out more, please contact the person at the bottom of the flyer. Please let me know if you have any questions. Greg Fleck, Director for Property, Buildings and Cemeteries: 217-321-1195
Ameren program replaces fluorescents to LED at no charge - An Ameren incentive program is available for churches and schools that involves receiving LED tubes to replace fluorescent bulbs in ceiling fixtures, some outdoor lights, and gymnasium lights. This program provides light bulbs and fixtures only, at no charge, but someone else must install the bulbs. For more information and to order the lights, please click here.
Anti-Racism Training - You are invited to participate in a virtual anti-racism training event for religious leaders. The Illinois Christians Encountering Racism (Illinois Conference of Churches), is hosting the training event, which takes place on Tuesday, Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. This event is free but registration is required. All participants who register by August 1 will be sent the book “Awkward Silence” to be used during the training. Those who register after August 1 are asked to obtain the book on their own.
Word of Life: August’s edition of Word of Life is now available. Word of Life is a monthly resource for parishes. The resource is available in both English and Spanish, in both PDF or Microsoft Word formats. Each monthly issue contains information such as: a feature reflection for the month, intercessions for life, quotes for your bulletin, and art for your bulletin, webpage or Facebook page.
New adult safe environment awareness training - Beginning July 1, the adult safe environment awareness training will be transitioning from VIRTUS’ Protecting God’s Children to Catholic Mutual Group’s (CMG) Safe Haven. This training, offered on a fully virtual platform, allows the user to complete the course on their own time and provides more engaging content than past trainings. The virtual platform will also allow for background checks to be completed electronically. The results of training and background checks will all be housed in one database, CMG Connect. Fingerprint processes will be unchanged, but results will be housed in the database as well. As of July 1, only the new training and background checks will be accepted. Instruction on these new programs were held on June 15 and 22 for pastors, principals, and parish Safe Environment Coordinators. If you missed these webinars, please contact Alison Smith at .