DOSA Welcomes the OCIA

Training dates and site locations:

Saturday, December 14, 2024 St. Madeleine, High Springs 9:30 am - 3:30 pm

Sunday, December 15, 2024 Blessed Trinity, Jacksonville 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Saturday, January 4, 2025 Corpus Christi, St. Augustine 9:30 am - 3:30 pm

Sunday, January 5, 2025 Sacred Heart, Fleming Island 12:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Thank you to our host sites for your generosity

Parish OCIA teams should plan on attending together with your OCIA Ritual Study Guide. Registration is open.

$10 per person

3/$25 from the same parish

6 or more from same parish $50.

Fee includes a meal and materials, but not the ritual study guide. Those will be on sale at location for $25 on a limited basis.

Register for your chosen location

Annual Faith Formation Statistical Reports due by October 7. That's today folks.

Please find below two ways to submit the annual Faith Formation Statistical Reports: via jotform and via a fill in the blank pdf that you should save and print/scan to the office.

Note some updates:

Submit both your remote preparation (grade level curriculum) calendar and your sacramental calendars via email after you submit the stats.

Please ascertain the actual years of service for your catechists. At your recommendation, we will begin to honor catechists this year in 5-year increments: 5, 10, 15, 20, etc.

Jotform version

PDF Version (save, then print)

As part of our Lilly/NCCL Grant, I will begin sharing resources that all parishes can use in their efforts to put parents and families at the center of faith formation. As much as possible, resources will be in available in English and Spanish.

Resource: Parent Café

Parent Café is a way to listen to parents on a specific topic of importance to them and to the parish community. It is an opportunity for parents to be heard and an opportunity for parish leaders to listen and gain valuable insights into the values and practices of parents.

Parent Cafe Outline (English)

Parent Cafe Outline (Spanish)

Parent Cafe power point (English)

Parent Cafe power point (Spanish)

Parent Cafe discussion questions

Parent cafe discussion questions (Spanish)

Hope does not Disappoint (Rom 5:5)

On Ascension Thursday of this year, Pope Francis proclaimed the upcoming Jubilee 2025 calling the Bull of Indiction---Spes non confundit. “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5). In the spirit of hope, the Apostle Paul addressed these words of encouragement to the Christian community of Rome.

A Jubilee Year is proclaimed by the Pope every twenty-five years. The concept of jubilee or holy year has a long history first prescribed by Moses. Here is a not so brief history of jubilee Years in the Catholic Tradition:

History of Jubilee Years

Papal Bull declaring Jubilee of Hope

The Paulists are providing a three-part series on the virtue of hope:

St. Luke, Middleburg

November 9 and 10

November 23 and 24

Jotform to register

St. Matthew, Jacksonville

January 11 and 12

January 25 and 26

Jotform to register

STEP Classes starting October 21.

A new course may be of interest to religion teachers:

Teaching Religion in Catholic Schools, a course created by Dr. Clare Kilbane and Susan Carozza is designed to assist new middle and high school religion teachers as they transition into their important roles in Catholic schools. It offers a “crash course” in the most important areas of professional practice for novice teachers, allowing them to become proficient educators through less experimentation and with more confidence. It explores how academic experiences can promote student learning and an encounter with Christ, giving special consideration to the needs of contemporary students who vary with regard to interest in God and religion. Sign up for our upcoming session! 

Full list of courses starting October 21 in English

Camino Cursos en espanol

Conversations that Matter: Reimagining Politics in the Light of the Eucharist

Online Webinar

Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | 12:30 pm EDT

American political life is characterized by hyper-partisanship and polarization. Each election cycle seems to sharpen divisions and deepen political idolatry, while leaving most of us exasperated and exhausted. Yet, the Catholic Church encourages us to participate in politics. Pope Francis expresses the Church’s conviction that politics is “a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good” (EV, 205).

This series explores the Church’s call to participate in political life and the complexities, challenges, and possibilities therein: What is politics? How do Catholics balance the call to participation without making an idol of politics? Is our call to participate exhausted by our duty to vote? What is the mission of Catholics in the public square? What constitutes the public square? How can the Eucharist transform our understanding of politics? Can we envision a world where charity, not political ideology, guides all our actions and decisions?

Featured Panelists

Dr. F. DeKarlos Blackmon is the Vice Chancellor for Pastoral Services for the Archdiocese of Louisville. He has completed graduate studies in pastoral ministry, business, and education and holds a doctorate of education.

Robert Dunn is the Director of Public Policy for the statewide Diocese of Manchester (NH). Bob’s legal career has included service as an Assistant Attorney General in the NH Department of Justice and as the Assistant Commissioner of the NH Department of Safety.

Holly Taylor Coolman is Assistant Professor of Theology at Providence College. She earned her Ph.D. at Duke University, and her areas of interest include social dynamics, polarization, and the law.

Link to register

National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities Office

Evolution of Adapted Youth Ministry:

Serving Teens into Adulthood

Wednesday, October 9 from 2-3:30 pm ET

Tricia Borah

Coordinator of Teen and Young Adult Disabilities Ministry; St. Brigid Catholic Church, Johns Creek, GA

Learn how a parish created a youth ministry specifically for teens with intellectual and developmental disabilities by adapting an existing program using peer-to-peer mentors. Recognizing the need for continued faith formation and community into adulthood, the ministry has expanded and evolved.

Registration Form

Why Understanding the Theology of the Body Matters for Guiding Children ~ a free webinar hosted by Sadlier

Presented by Laura Domanico

Thursday, October 10 at 4 p.m. EDT

Join Laura Domanico for a FREE webinar, Why Understanding the Theology of the Body Matters for Guiding Children, where she will discuss:

• The significance of Theology of the Body and how understanding it equips teachers to guide students in their moral and ethical growth
• How educators who are knowledgeable in Theology of the Body create positive learning environments by promoting authentic love and mutual respect and enriching student relationships
• How the deep insights and profound teachings of Pope John Paul II found throughout the Theology of the Body help teachers to support students in understanding of the complex issues of human dignity and purpose

Link to register

Revitalizing Parish Life: Bringing the Liturgical Year to Life in Your Community

Steffani Aquila, founder of Liturgy Culture & Kitchen by His Girl Sunday

October 8th 3:00 PM

Discover how to transform your parish into a vibrant center of Catholic culture by celebrating the Church’s liturgical year in dynamic, meaningful ways. In this webinar, Steffani Aquila, founder of Liturgy Culture & Kitchen by His Girl Sunday, will guide ministry leaders through practical steps to enrich parish life. Learn how to foster a deeper sense of belonging, strengthen the connection between parish life and the domestic church, and create a joyful, festive atmosphere that keeps parishioners engaged all year round. With actionable strategies and resources, this session equips you to breathe new life into your community’s liturgical experience.

Link to register

5 Ways to Ignite Imagination for Impactful Evangelization

Tanner Kalina

October 15th 3:00 PM

They say you can lead deer to water but can't make them drink. Similarly, you can guide people to Jesus, but they won't embrace Him unless they can imagine that doing so will transform their lives. The key to effective evangelization lies in sparking the imagination. In this webinar, author and evangelist Tanner Kalina shares five powerful practices rooted in the early Church that will help you inspire those you minister to. These time-tested approaches will sharpen your evangelization efforts and invite you into deeper intimacy with God—because you can only share what you’ve first experienced.

Link to register

One Parish, One Book: An Old-Fashioned Tool for Unity and Catechesis

Colleen Reiss Vermeulen, co-founder of CatholicBiblicalSchool.org

October 22nd 3:00 PM

How do we unite parishioners around the Church's vision of lifelong faith formation when competing schedules, diverse needs, and differing interests get in the way?"One Parish, One Book" initiatives are a way to create a springboard during a particular liturgical season to attract new participants into adult faith formation, unite parishioners who may never see each other at Mass or other parish events, and create catechetical momentum to fuel continued parish faith formation efforts.In this webinar, Colleen Reiss Vermeulen, co-founder of CatholicBiblicalSchool.org and parish leader with decades of experience, will guide ministry leaders through practical tips for brainstorming and implementing "One Parish, One Book" initiatives. Learn how to select books, plan the initiative, communicate with parishioners, leverage ministry partners, and plan a wide range of supporting and follow-up touchpoints for ongoing catechesis in the life of the Church.

Link to register

Communion with the Sacred Heart of Jesus: A Pathway to Deeper Devotion to the Eucharist

Fr. Joe Laramie

October 29th 3:00 PM

Teachers and catechists, take your students on a journey to deepen their faith by drawing closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This ancient devotion, intimately connected to the Eucharist, allows us to experience the boundless love Jesus pours out through His Body and Blood.In this webinar, Fr. Joe Laramie will guide you through practical steps to ignite this devotion in your students' hearts. You’ll receive a special monthly lesson plan designed to honor the Sacred Heart and align with the Holy Father's monthly intentions—ideal for 'First Fridays' or any day of the school year. Strengthen your students' love for the Eucharist as you bring this beautiful tradition to life in your classrooms and homes.

Link to register