Volume XV, Issue XIV April 6, 2026 | |
Echoes~
Your Weekly Catechetical News from the
Office of Christian Formation
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For your planning, the catechetical leader calendar for 2026-2027 is linked below:
Calendar 2026-2027
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10th Annual Sr. Celinie Joubert Catechetical Awards
A reception will be held on Monday, April 20 beginning at 4:30 pm in the St. Luke Parish Hall to honor the following people who will be presented with this award:
Dr. Jack Daniels ~ Cathedral Basilica ~ DOSA
Peg DeCurtins ~ St. Mary, Mother of Mercy
Georgeanne Donnelly ~ St. Luke Parish
Kathleen Drop ~ Mary Queen of Heaven Parish
Diane Foley ~ San Jose Parish
Lisa McQuagge ~ Queen of Peace Parish
Deacon Doug Nullet ~ Cathedral Basilica
Regina Taylor Murphy ~ St. Pius V Parish
Together, these catechetical leaders have provided over 170 years of service to the faithful.
The reception is welcome to all, but an RSVP is necessary. Please use the Jotform below:
Link to RSVP to attend due by April 14
Thank you to all who nominated so many great candidates for us to choose from.
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Adult Confirmation
The next celebration of adult Confirmation will be celebrated by Bishop Pohlmeier in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine on Pentecost Sunday, May 24 at 2:00 pm.
This celebration is for Catholics who are baptized and received First Communion in their youth but for whatever reason were not confirmed. Formation sessions should start now and these begin with the verification of current sacramental status.
Completed, typed registrations are due 6 week prior to the celebration. All information, including correct spelling of names, must be provided! Deadline is April 11
Registration form (TYPED, please)
Adult Confirmation check list for parishes
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Order of the Anointing of the Sick and of Their Pastoral Care
The Office of Christian Formation, in collaboration with the Liturgical Commission, will offer a workshop on the new Order. This event will occur on Tuesday, April 14 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at Sacred Heart Parish, 5752 Blanding Blvd.
A session for clergy will be held in the church and a session for laity who serve the homebound will be held in the family life center. Registration is necessary, although this offering is free.
Jotform to register
There will be a limited number of these ritual books available for sale at the workshop.
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Closing of the Catechetical Year Gathering
The Catechetical Leader Closing Celebration will be held on Tuesday, May 12. By popular demand, we will return to the Hilltop Restaurant in Orange Park for our gathering. We will start at 11:30 am.
This year, we have a bit of a different menu. You should choose your selection on the Jotform when you register.
Chicken Florentine Served over Pasta with Asparagus
Grilled Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce Served with Seasoned Rice and Asparagus
Jotform to register
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Pleased to announce this Conference on Inclusive Formation
This conference is being offered in a fully bilingual format.
In partnership with the National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities (NCPD) and the Catholic Foundation, the Office of Christian Formation will be hosting this bilingual opportunity for all who work in formation and education in the Diocese of St. Augustine.
There will be 4 workshops offered in both Spanish and English. The Spanish workshops are partially sponsored through a Lilly Grant.
You will be able to sign up for 1, 2, 3, or 4 workshops. Lunch will be provided for those who sign up for the entire 2 days.
Jotform to register
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Register of Catechumens
The Order of the Catechumen registry books are in. If you ordered from the office, you should expect them within the next week or so. Please note, all parishes must have a registry, which is a sacramental registry so kept in your parish safe. The unbaptized, when they enter this celebrate this rite of the OCIA are recorded here. This has always been part of the OCIA/RCIA, but it is now normative. See below from the OCIA ritual:
REGISTRATION OF INITIATION-RELATED ACTS
Norm 14 §1. The register of those who have entered the catechumenate is to be kept in the parish archive.
§2. In addition to those things required by OCIA 46, the pastor is to see that the date and place of birth of the catechumens are inscribed in the register.
This register is a sacramental record. It is not signed by the catechumen, but rather their information is entered by the parish records person.
The date of entrance into the Catechumenate, which is to be a minimum of one liturgical year starting at Easter, will be verified when you submit the information for the Rite of Election next year.
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18th Annual Summer School of Theology
For obvious reasons, we invited an Augustinian to provide this year's Summer School of Theology. Fr, Gary McCloskey, O.S.A., Ph.D is a well-known leader in Augustinian spirituality and pedagogy having shared his ministry on 6 of the 7 continents. He is a frequent retreat master.
Our theme will be: "Before all else, Christ came so that people might learn how much God loves them." The week will be guided by the pastoral insights of Pope Leo XIV as he laid forth in his Address to Educators on the Occasion of the Jubilee of the World of Education, St. Peter's Square, October 31, 2025:
"I would like therefore, to share my experience with you by focusing on the doctrine of Doctor Gratiae (the Doctor of Grace ~ St. Augustine) that I consider fundamental to all Christian education: interiority, unity, love, and joy."
The 5 days, June 22 -26, will have a daily focus:
Monday: Introduction to Pope Leo's insights
Tuesday: Interiority
Wednesday: Unity
Thursday: Love
Friday: Joy
Schedule each day is 9:00 am - 3:30 pm with Mass celebrated each day prior to lunch.
Jotform to register
When you register, we will provide the links to the readings for the week.
This is a Level III (Continuing Formation Opportunity)
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Gender Accompaniment series from the McGrath Institute
Developed by McGrath Institute for Church Life Professor Abigail Favale, Ph.D., bestselling author of The Genesis of Gender, The Gender Accompaniment Project is a ten-part series featuring the stories of Christians who experience a sense of discordance with their gender.
Blending personal testimonies with thoughtful commentary from experts in theology, psychology, and medicine, The Gender Accompaniment Project illuminates forms of accompaniment rooted in Christian anthropology and models how to speak about gender with both compassion and depth.
You can watch the trailer to get a good idea of the series. You can access the series on: spotify, Apple Podcats, or Youtube. See link below.
Gender Accompaniment Project
| | Basic Certification (Level I) | | |
Basic Certification (Level I)
Summer Offering:
Catholic School Special~ St. Paul, Jacksonville Beach, June 15 -18, 2026
Registration is now open:
Jotform to register
Dates and locations for next year are in the works. If you location would like to host, please contact Erin at Erin's Email We ae obligated to cover the 17,000 square miles of the diocese, so...
| | Standard Certification (Level II) | | Continuing Formation (Level III) Opportunities | |
Journeying with St. Óscar Romero
Todd Walatka
April 14, 2026
2:30 PM ET
St. Óscar Romero lived in a time not so different from our own. He lamented a society and Church that had become sharply polarized; he saw a world increasingly marked by violence and lies; he named the many ways we refuse to put our faith at the center of our lives, turning to money, comfort, and power instead. In the midst of all of this, he became a master preacher of Catholic social teaching, a bishop who walked with his people, and a prophet of hope.
Todd Walatka--a professor of theology and expert on St. Óscar Romero--will help us explore Romero's vision for the Church and what it might mean for our own times.
Go to Webinar
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American and Native American Catholic Witnesses Master Class
2-Part Master Class hosted by Father Maurice Henry Sands
Starts April 14. ENROLL NOW!
In this FREE master class, Father Maurice Henry Sands explores the powerful witness of African American and Native American Catholics and their lasting contributions to the history of the Church in the United States. Participants will discover inspiring stories of faith, perseverance, and holiness that continue to shape the Church today.
AGENDA
CLASS 1—Six African American Candidates for Sainthood
April 14, 2026 at 5 p.m. EDT
We’ll explore the remarkable lives of:
- Venerable Pierre Toussaint
- Venerable Mother Mary Lange
- Venerable Henriette DeLille
- Servant of God Julia Greeley
- Venerable Father Augustus Tolton
- Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman
Learn how these men and women lived lives of heroic virtue and how their witness continues to inspire Catholics today.
CLASS 2—The History of Native American Catholics
April 15, 2026 at 5 p.m. EDT
We’ll discuss:
- Early Spanish and French missionaries in what is now the United States and Canada
- The life and legacy of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint
- The impact of U.S. government policies on Native American Catholics in the 19th century and how the Church responded
- The ongoing work of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions as part of the Black and Indian Mission Office
There are two ways you can attend the master class:
- Attend the classes LIVE via Zoom (where you can ask questions during the class and connect with other attendees)
- Access the master class videos, reflection questions, and featured resources the day after each live broadcast
Watch both classes and receive a Certificate of Participation. Details will follow.
Join, the Advance Your Expertise In Catechesis Facebook Group so you can connect with other educators and get additional support throughout the master class and beyond.
About the Father Maurice Henry Sands
Fr. Maurice Henry Sands is the Executive Director of the Black and Indian Mission Office in Washington, DC. Fr. Sands is a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit. He is a full-blooded Native American who grew up on a beautiful island known as Bkejwanong First Nation, located on the St. Clair River, just north of Detroit. He is a member of the Ojibway, Ottawa, and Potawatomi tribes, and he is an enrolled member of the Little Traverse Bands of Ottawa Indians. Fr. Sands also serves as a Consultant to the USCCB Subcommittee on Native American Affairs, as a consultant to the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, and as an ex officio board member of the Tekakwitha Conference.
Fr. Sands's work focuses on supporting ministry programs that serve African American and Native American Catholics in dioceses across the United States. He travels throughout the year to visit parishes, schools, diocesan ministry offices, and national organizations that serve African American and Native American Catholics. Fr. Sands has a particular interest in supporting and strengthening Catholic schools serving African American and Native American communities.
Register for this master class
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