Mon - Thurs: 8:00 - 5:15
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(217) 698-8500
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Catechist Formation Process - The Catechist Formation Process is designed to help every member of the faith community grow closer to God and be formed in the faith to be more effective catechists. This process can lead to formal diocesan recognition for adults, whether professional or volunteer, who participate in a variety of formation opportunities. Per diocesan policy, all catechists, whether they teach in a school or parish catechetical program, must actively seek formation through the diocesan Catechist Formation Process. For more information about the Catechist Certification Process and a link to the revised handbook, please go to oldsite.dio.org/catechesis/catechist-formation-requirements.html . Or contact Kyle Holtgrave, Director for Catechesis, at or (217) 698-8500, ext. 154.
Resources for Catechist Formation - The University of Dayton’s Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF) offers a variety of online formation courses to help with catechist formation and general ongoing adult formation and enrichment. Registration for Cycle 6 of the VLCFF is now open. This cycle runs from August 22 – September 25, 2021. You do not have to wait until Cycle 1 to start – courses can be taken at any time. Deadline to register is August 18. Visit oldsite.dio.org/catechesis/approved-formation-programs.htm for more information about VLCFF and how courses align with the Diocesan Catechist Formation Process. As a member diocese of the VLCFF program, session fees are reduced to $50 per course or $40 per seminar. Spanish language courses are available. And VLCFF has several certificate programs, too.
Ad Altare Dei Emblem - Members of Scouts BSA are invited to learn more about our faith, particularly through the sacraments, by earning the Ad Altare Dei religious emblem from the Catholic Committee on Scouting. 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. A class schedule for the Springfield area during the 2021-2022 school year has been announced, see scouts.dio.org for details. An orientation session is scheduled for Sunday, August 29 at 6:30 PM in Springfield. For more information or to schedule classes in other areas of the diocese or to be trained as a Counselor, please contact the Catholic Committee on Scouting at or call (217) 698-8500, ext. 154.
Office for Catechesis eNewsletter - Stay dated on news and resources available from the Office for Catechesis! I use Flocknote to send out my monthly eNewsletter as well as announcements about activities and events related to the catechetical mission of our parishes and diocese. If you have a parish event or activity that you would like help promoting, please let me know details and I will pass that information along. This resource is targeted toward parish catechetical leaders, but anyone involved with the catechetical mission of the parish may benefit from receiving it. My goal is to have every parish connected to this communication resource. To subscribe, contact Kyle Holtgrave at or text eNews to 84576 to automatically sign up for Flocknote.
Parish mailing lists – This summer, please work with Cindy Callan who handles subscriptions for Catholic Times to go over the mailing list of your parishioners. Catholic Times wants to ensure all new parishioners receive the magazine and anyone who has moved away or died doesn’t keep receiving the magazine to avoid unnecessary costs. Whomever in your parish handles your mailing list, please email Cindy at letting her know that you are the contact person for this. Then, Cindy will email you the mailing list Catholic Times has on file for your parish. We then ask you to review that list Cindy sends you and to add any parishioners who are not on the list and delete anyone who is no longer an active parishioner. We understand this is can be an arduous task, but we thank you very much for helping us keep our mailing lists as accurate as possible.
Help people get to confession – The July 25 edition of Catholic Times featured a comprehensive look at confession: why, how, and where to go to confession; inspirational stories and quotes; and what our priests think about the powerful sacrament. If you are a priest, lay parish leader, PSR instructor, and/or Catholic school teacher, you can use this document (taken from Catholic Times) to help your instruction when teaching people about the sacrament, explaining why they should go, or if one needs inspiration or a tutorial on how to go to confession.
Dive Deep: 12 fun things you didn’t know about Catholicism - Groundhogs Day. Cappuccino. Lay Cardinals. The Easter Bunny. Dive Deep explores those things and more in this episode that will make you say, “I didn’t know that about Catholicism!” Go to dio.org/podcast to listen and subscribe.
Springfield Diocesan Counsel of Catholic Women - Women living in the Springfield Deanery, which now consists of Macon, Sangamon, Cass, Morgan, Menard, and Christian Counties, are invited to a brunch on Aug. 4. from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield to learn about the mission of the Springfield Diocesan Counsel of Catholic Women, how to get involved, and the group’s participation in the Water for Life Catholic Relief Services project. Father Peter Chineke, parochial vicar at the Cathedral and the Spiritual Advisor of the Springfield Deanery, will share his vocation story. Please RSVP to Janet Zimmerman, Springfield Deanery President, by July 27: or 217-494-4743.
COOP Collections - As a reminder: The manner of taking up the collection for COOP 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 a list of names of contributors. Please do not publish the address of the mission organization in the bulletin. Envelopes with the groups’ 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 bookkeeper please submit a check for the proceeds collected to the Office for the Missions within thirty (30) days of the missionary’s visit.
Missionary Childhood Donations (MCA) - To be eligible for any award recognition during October’s Mission Mass, schools need to turn in all MCA funds collected for the 2020-2021 school year by August 1, 2021. Checks should be made out to the Office for the Missions and mailed to the attention of the Office for the Missions. Any questions, contact Cindy Callan: 217-321-1137.
Looking for Parish Tithing Resources or Helpful Information? - We have developed a Pastor's Letter that will provide your parishioners information about the change toward parish tithing. Feel free to adjust the letter and send out to your parishioners! Go here for the letter. Did you miss a webinar or looking for more assistance? Check out the Tithing Transition page here.
3 Season of Stewardship Sign-up Deadline Approaching on July 31st! - Please make sure you sign up to receive your Parish Season of Stewardship Materials by July 31st! We need time to work with you on developing materials that will look and feel like your parish and will work with what you are planning. Your parish is offered these resources FOR FREE! Resources include:
Go to https://discipleship.dio.org/sos.html to sign up by July 31st!
Have you signed up for the Parish Vitality and Mission Advancement Eblast? - Don't miss the resources and information coming from the Office of Parish Vitality and Mission Advancement! All are welcome to receive the resources that will help promote parish stewardship and vitality. You will find the latest news and webinar series via the newsletter as well! Click here to sign-up.
Resource – Monthly Pro-Life Intercessions and Bulletin Quotes - 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: intercessions for life, quotes for your bulletin, and art for your bulletin, webpage or Facebook page. The following link will direct you to the webpage that lists all current and past editions of this resource - dio.org/plasm/word-of-life.html
Catholic Social Teaching – Care for God’s Creation - Pope Francis has declared September 1 as a day of prayer for creation. In anticipation of this day of prayer you may want to invite Fr. George Knab, OMI, to give a talk or parish mission on the theme of Care for God’s Creation. Fr. Knab can be reached at .
Short Tidbit from Project Rachel: Additional Healing Services: Masses and Retreats: Mass of Hope and Healing – Once or twice a year, a diocese or parish may plan a “Mass of Hope and Healing” for all those who have lost young children. All promotional materials should make it clear that the Mass is offered for anyone who has been touched by the loss of a child, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, early infant death, or abortion. If the event focuses only on abortion, attendance will be extremely low. But if all such losses are included, many will come. Materials on miscarriage, child loss, and post-abortion healing can be displayed in the back of the church for people to take home. (PR Manual pg 62)
Formation in Preparation for Quinceanera - Is there a young woman in your parish ready to celebrate her Quinceanera? A six month formation program is available through St Alexius Parish. The formation is available in person and virtually. Formation gatherings occur the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month for one-hour. For more information contact Sr Ema,
Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat - There will be a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat for people affected by abortion August 13-15, at the Villa Maria Retreat Center. Please let others know about this healing opportunity. Scholarships are available for those not able to pay the full registration fee. A flyer is available at the following link: oldsite.dio.org/plasm/project-rachel.html
Parishes and Schools should continue to host LIVE Protecting God’s Children training sessions. - Now that the State of Illinois has entered Phase 5, allowing for businesses, conventions, large-scale events, and other venues to operate at full capacity, live session trainings are no longer limited. While online Protecting God’s Children training remains an option, in-person trainings are still necessary for some. Facilitators, please contact the Office for Safe Environment with the location, date, time, and materials needed for your upcoming live training sessions. Thank you so much for your continued efforts in our mission to protect children and young people.