Created for Greatness

Created for Greatness, our training module for Theology of the Body, requires those who teach TOB to take this course designed by the McGrath Institute in collaboration with DOSA. We normally offer this online course in the fall, but with new staff at ND, we have had to wait for them to find a suitable instructor.

The course will start on January 19. The link is below. Please make sure you choose the Diocese of St. Augustine as a partner in order to receive the 50% off. The OCF reimburses the cost of this class with receipt of completion. This course also counts as Level III continuing formation. The course runs 4 weeks, approximate time is 25 hours of contact.

Created for Greatness

Discover Your Path to Service, Leadership, and Faith Formation

The Diocesan Lay Ministry Program (MFP) is a path for those who desire to be recognized leaders in faith formation in the Diocese of St. Augustine. Now entering its 35th year, the MFP has formed several hundred of the faithful for service to the mission of Jesus Christ.

As we begin our initial recruitment for suitable candidates for the Class of 2029, we invite pastors and current leaders to help us look for these individuals and to invite them to at last learn about the benefits of commissioned lay ministry. if we are planning for the current and future mission of the Church, we need capable and formed people to lead the way.

The MFP Office is hosting 6 information sessions across the diocese for people to learn more about the program, its benefits, its requirements, and to begin a period of discernment for this upcoming year that begins in August.

Sessions will be held:

January 20 Holy Spirit Parish 6:30 pm-8:00 pm

Sunday, February 8 at Holy Faith, Gainesville 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm (following 11:15 am Mass)

February 17 at San Sebastian parish, St. Augustine 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

March 3 at Mary Queen of Heaven Parish 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

March 24 at Sacred Heart, Fleming Island 6:30 pm- 8:00 pm

A RSVP is very helpful, but not absolutely necessary. Please share.

Email Ann at Lay Ministry Email

January 12, 2026 6:30- 8:30 pm

St. Catherine of Siena

1649 Kingsley Blvd

Orange Park

Family Life Center

 It Starts at Home: Empowering Parents with Confidence and Tools

Teachers and Catechists traditionally have had an exclusive focus on child faith formation. But we know engaging parents in a child’s faith is critical. Consider why parents are so important and how we can support and contribute, in practical ways, to equip parents to pass on the Catholic faith in their family.



This will be open to all: those who teach, but also parents looking for some practical tips on creating the domestic church.

Jotform to register

Dr. Kathie Amidei serves as Pastoral Associate at St. Anthony on the Lake Parish in Wisconsin. She was formerly the Associate Director for Catechesis and Child Ministry for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. She has served in a number of parishes as a teacher and a director of religious education. She holds a BS in Education, a MA in Theology and a Doctorate in Education and Leadership. Kathie is a national speaker and writer for Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum Division. She is the co-author of, The Journey: A Guide for Persons, Partners and Parents, and Learning Together: Forming Faith in Families.

Her passion is to help families engage in their journey of faith in meaningful and practical ways and to infuse parish catechetical ministry with effective and relevant approaches and programing.

January 13, 2026

Catechetical Leader Gathering. We would welcome ELC Directors and Principals to this session.

Hurley Conference Room

Catholic Center

Dr. Kathie Amidei

Sponsored by Our Sunday Visitor

10:00 am - 2:30 pm

Moving the Needle on Family Faith Formation

Every Catechetical Church document is clear about the importance of the role of families in cultivating faith. Research is mounting about the urgency of parent involvement to effectively pass on faith from generation to generation. Yet, it remains a challenging paradigm shift in our parishes to integrate family involvement and move toward a partnership between parents and parish. This session will offer several approaches parishes can consider that integrate intergenerational family formation into traditional models of religious education. It will offer practical ways to encourage family faith practices and enhance communication with parents, through ideas that resonate with families to nurture faith.

Jotform to register

OCIA Conference

The details for this conference are now available. With a generous donation from the Catholic Foundation and budgeted training monies, we are able to address the additional workshops you requested last year.

We are also teaming with Initiation Ministry Partners out of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Our host site will be:

Sacred Heart Parish, the Family Life Center

5752 Blanding Blvd.

There will be 4 workshops. Each one is $10 and you can register for one, two, three, or all four. The price for all 4 is $35 which includes lunch on Saturday.

Friday, January 30, 2026 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Forming an OCIA Teams, skills for Group Facilitation, and Engaging the Entire Parish (Erin McGeever~ English only)

Saturday, January 31 9:00 am - 10:45 am

Year-Round Catechumenate/One Year Catechumenate

(Darleine Arca Hernandez and Lorraine Miller ~Spanish and English)

Saturday, January 31, 2026 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

The Rites of the OCIA (Fr. Tom Willis ~ English only)

Saturday, January 31, 2026 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

OCIA with Children

(Darleine Arca Hernandez and Lorraine Miller ~Spanish and English)

Jotform to register if you are bringing your whole team, contact Erin for a deal.

OCF Sacramental brochures

Our popular sacramental brochures are all being revised. As soon as the revision of each one is complete, they will be posted on the www.dosaformation.com and www.dosafl.com/christianformation

websites.

These trifold brochures are meant to be of help to parents and other interested parties. We will also be having a quantity of them printed for your brochure racks.

Infant Baptism

OCIA

First Reconciliation

First Communion

Confirmation

The brochure on the universal curriculum of the diocese is already updated and posted.

The "O" Antiphons

Among the rich treasures of Advent are the Great "O Antiphons." The Antiphons are a series of seven ancient verses that use prophecy and biblical imagery to express our ever-present longing for Christ. They are beautiful, theologically deep poetry, that serve as the “heralds of Christmas," reminding us that Advent is almost over and the feast of Christmas is almost here.

A different Antiphon is sung or chanted on each of the seven nights leading up to Christmas, beginning on December 17 and ending on December 23.

Some helpful resources:

Busted Halo A prayerful home stretch reflections and prayer

Holy Heroes What is an Antiphon? short video and activity

Look to Him and be Radiant free downloadable pages and prayers for children/families

McGrath Institute free downloadable booklet

St. John's Abbey Schola sings the O Antiphons

Fr. Jose Kallukalam Becomes Prolific Writer in Retirement

While we know Fr. Jose as a priest and pastor here in the Diocese of St. Augustine, Fr. Jose started out in Communications. Rev. Jose was born, educated, and ordained a priest in Kerala, India. He pursued graduate studies in 'Religious Communication' at Loyola University in Chicago before returning to his home diocese, where he served as Director of Communication Media. In this role, he produced television programs and stage productions and penned hundreds of song lyrics.

His passion for integrating pastoral leadership with communication and administration led him to serve as a Visiting Professor at a major seminary in Kerala, where he taught Pastoral Communication-a course blending management principles with pastoral ministry.

Most recently, Fr. Jose has turned his attention to authoring books geared for children. I picture 2 of his children's books here, but you can find all of Fr. Jose' publications on Amazon. Amazon

Our Diocesan Eucharistic Encounter event will be held March 6 and 7, 2026 in two locations. On Friday night, we will be at Queen of Peace in Gainesville. On Saturday, we will be at St. Joseph Parish in Jacksonville. This Eucharistic Encounter will have at its heart an evangelization focus, particularly in how it the Eucharist draws us closer to Christ.

Our keynote speaker for both days will be Julianne Stanz. She will be joined by our other main speakers, Fr. Stephen Gadberry and Dr. Gerardo Salazar. This is a Level III opportunity.

FDLC FREE WEBINARS – ORDER OF THE Anointing of the Sick AND THEIR PASTORAL CARE

The FDLC is pleased to provide another series of free webinars on the latest liturgical text to be released. Each session will air live at 1:30 (eastern) and will be 75 minutes in length. As before, they will be recorded for further viewing. Plan now to register attend and invite others to join you!

Part One: Wednesday, January 28

The Order of the Anointing of the Sick and Their Pastoral Care

All about the new liturgical text. How does it differ from the current USA translation? What is the same?

Part Two: Wednesday, February 11

A Theology of the Care of the Sick

With Scriptural and pastoral insights, we will examine the role of the Sick within our parish community and our obligation (and privilege) to care for them.

Part Three: Wednesday, March 4

Pastoral Issues

A look at some practical matters of visiting the sick -- including visiting a sick child, a sick adult, home visits, hospital visits, and nursing homes. Who are the proper ministers of the rites? What can a Deacon do? What can a lay person do? What can only a Priest do?

Mark your calendars. Online registration is coming soon! 

Basic Certification (Level I)

Our Lady Star of the Sea

January 10-11

January 24-25

Jotform to register for Our Lady, Star of the Sea

Next Summer:

Catholic School Special~ St. Paul, Jacksonville Beach, June 8-11, 2026

Standard certification is achieved either through courses through the McGrath Institute (STEP) or through the University of Dayton (VLCFF).

Standard Certification Options

STEP through the McGrath Institute

STEP Camino Courses Comprehensive list for the year

VLCFF through the University of Dayton

VLCFF Calendar

Overview of the Federation for Catechesis with Hispanics (FCH)

The Federation for Catechesis with Hispanics (FCH) started as a Forum for Catechesis with Hispanics within NCCL, and later became the Federation for Catechesis with Hispanics (FCH).

The FCH is hosting a monthly series on important Church topics including Dielexi te (gratuita) and San Carlo Acutus (gratuita). Other talks are free with a membership to the organization.

For more information on membership, please see their website: FCH website

Information on this series had not been posted yet on their website when I received the flyer.

NCADDHM

For 30 years, NCADDHM has been providing support to current and future diocesan leadership serving the Hispanic community in the Roman Catholic Church by providing networking opportunities, mentoring and best practices in the field of Hispanic ministry.

A new project from this group is a certificate in Pastoral Planning which will begin in January. The program is free for NCADDHM members and $150 for non-members. The sessions are being offered in English. See flyer for more details.

I Want to Read Scripture… Now What?

Mark Hart

December 16 

3:00 PM ET

Join Mark Hart, the Bible Geek, for a practical, engaging webinar on how to make scripture a natural part of everyday life. Learn simple do’s and don’ts—for yourself, your family, and your parish community—that will help you (and those you serve) build confidence, consistency, and joy in reading the Bible.

Go To Webinar