Resources for Open Wide Our Hearts

(also found on www.dosafl.com)

Open Wide Our Hearts (document)

Combatting Racism Parish Resources (USCCB)

Resources collected by the OCF

Local recommended parish activities based on listening sessions

To the Clergy and faithful of the Diocese of St. Augustine,

Since the release of the declaration of Fiducia Supplicans, there has been an enormous amount of commentary and a frustrating amount of confusion. Because of the genuine concern from so many people, it is important to offer some comments about this document.

Cardinal Victor Fernández, the prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, has spoken further in various interviews to clarify some points. But confusion has continued. In that light, I offer these comments for the Diocese of St. Augustine:

Bishop Pohlmeier's full statement on Fiducia Supplicans

Fiducia Supplicans (official document)

First Aid/CPR/AED Training for Catechists

We have 5 spots open.

As we discussed at the November gathering, the OCF will host an in-person training for those involved in religious education programs. Recall, our policy is to have at least one person on site with this training.

The fee, both in person and online is $60 per person. To assist DREs with this cost, the OCF will fund 1/2 the fee, and so costs for each person working within a religious education program will pay $30.

We would welcome others from other ministries, space providing, for the actual cost of $60.

Saturday, January 20, 2024 9:30 am - 12:30 pm in the Hurley Auditorium at the Catholic Center.

Jotform to register

Confirmation with Youth in DOSA

Some reminders and best practices:

Administering Confirmation to Youth in DOSA

Administering Confirmation to Youth (Spanish)

Both Bishop Pohlmeier and Bishop Estévez will be confirming this year, so please make sure you are aware and preparing appropriately for each.

Letters to the confirming Bishop are expected to be in his hands 3 weeks prior. They are to be typed.

Prior to the celebration, the youth should be gathered and calmed in a space outside of the main body of the church.

Also, many members of their families are not familiar with being in church, so providing something like the Eucharistic Revival Sacred Silence pages might help these folks to more fully prepare for this sacred moment. These are below and the OCF has copies in the office.

Sacred Silence pew card (English)

Sacred Silence pew card (Spanish)

If there are to be pictures in church with either Bishop, you should have at least one person whose only role is to make this run smoothly and reverently.



The informational Zoom sessions in preparation for the 3 Rites of Election will be held:

Tuesday, January 30 at 7:00 pm

Wednesday, January 31 at 10:00 am

Links have been sent via email to the email address of the person who submitted your registration form. Others may also attend,

While there is no need to register, a representative from each parish who registered people is required.

Word of God Sunday Resources

FDLC RESOURCE FOR JANUARY 21, 2024

Attached, please find a resource which may be shared freely. It includes:

• The full text of Aperuit illis (Pope Francis, September 30, 2019)
• Readings for the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B
• Sample intercessions
• Pastoral Notes
• Music suggestions

and a handout on The Lectionary for Mass

Sunday of the Word of God Resources Year B

On January 21, 2024, in observance of the Sunday of the Word of God, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, through a grant from the American Bible Society, will offer a “Sunday Seminar Series” of four videos about Sacred Scripture in the life of the Church. These videos, available in English and Spanish, will feature some of the bishops and biblical scholars and will be accompanied by discussion/reflection questions. The topics and presenters are:

The Biblical Brilliance of the Eucharist

Bishop François Beyrouti. Eparchy of Newton

Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church: The Historical Biblical Perspective

Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt. Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford

Praying with the Psalms

Dr. Andrew Davis, Boston College

The Gospel of John and the Johannine Literature

Dr. Sherri Brown, Creighton University

La Sinodalidad en la Vida y en la Misión de la Iglesia: La perspectiva histórica bíblica

Bishop Silvio Báez, Auxiliary Bishop of Managua

Eucaristía: memoria y camino

Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt. Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford

Rezando Los Salmos

Dr. Maria Barga, University of Saint Mary of the Lake

¿Cuál es el mensaje del evangelio y las cartas de Juan?

Dr. Hugo Mendez, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

The videos will be made available on January 19, 2024 at:

Link to videos

Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God"

(Romans 15:7)

The Diocesan Liturgical Commission invites all Ushers & Greeters in the parishes of the Diocese of St. Augustine to join in a 

"DAY OF FORMATION AND RENEWAL"

"Reflecting the Warmth and Welcome of Christ Himself"Re

Two opportunities:

Saturday, February 3 at Holy Faith Parish 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

OR

Saturday February 10 at St. Matthew Parish 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

Register here

Ministry Formation Program information sessions for the Class of 2027

The Diocesan Ministry Formation Program (MFP) is frequently called the best kept secret in the diocese. Now in its 32^nd year, it should not be. In October 1990, Bishop John J. Snyder tasked some local leaders to create a program that would help the laity to live out their baptismal call to evangelize. He wanted this program to focus not only on theological background, but also on the development of pastoral application, leadership skills, and personal spiritual growth. One can expect from the MFP:

●Three years of comprehensive growth in theological topics, human development, pastoral skills, and spiritual formation through classes, group study, skills workshops, prayer experiences, and retreats.

We are hosting 5 information sessions across the diocese to share more information and practical steps:

Monday, January 29  Catholic Center 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Monday, February 5  St. Matthew Parish 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Sunday, March 3 Queen of Peace Parish following 10:00 am Mass

Monday, March 11 St. Catherine of Siena Parish 6:30 -8:00 pm

Monday, March 18 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish  6:30 – 8:00 pm

An RSVP is nice, but not a requirement: Lauren's Email

The next "All in Two Weekends" will be held at Corpus Christi Parish in St. Augustine on the weekends of January 13-14, 2024 and January 27-28, 2024

January 27 Scripture and Church

January 28 Liturgy and Sacraments and Basic Beliefs

Registration is open for the second weekend:

Jotform to register

We are pleased to announce the time and location for the annual "Catholic School Special. Registration has opened. (early, but to get people thinking about their new hires)

June 10 -13, 2024

San Juan de Rio Parish Hall, upstairs meeting room hosted by San Juan del Rio School

Monday, June 10, 2024 Faith Development and Catechetical/Legal

Tuesday, June 11, 2024 Role of the Catechist and Practical Skills

Wednesday, June 12, 2024 Scripture and Church

Thursday, June 13, 2024 Liturgy/Sacraments and Basic Beliefs

Jotform to register

A Webinar for Parents by Julianne Stanz

Raising a Catholic family can be challenging, especially when it comes to discussing faith with our children. Sometimes we all need a little encouragement and tips on how to address issues of faith respectfully, honestly, and accurately. In this webinar, author and mother Julianne Stanz will share wisdom, strategies, and tools to help parents, grandparents, catechists, and other caring adults respond to children’s questions about Catholic beliefs, ethics, morality, and faith practices in a manner that will resonate with them.

Please note, this webinar is from 11:00 - 12:00 Central Time. (adjust accordingly)



Link to register

Resources to Share with your Families from a Variety of Sources

Loyola Press Family Resources

The Kids Bulletin for Sunday (activities before and for in the pew)

The Kennedy Adventures - Practical solutions for Catholic parents (focus on homeschooling)

Cath Family - Resource library for raising children in the Catholic Faith

Strong Catholic Family - resources and activities for Catholic families

Faith and Fabric - Activities for Catholic families

The Catholic Toolbox - ideas, inspiration and resources for catechists and parents

Busted Halo - articles, video, podcasts, radio, and social media for "saints in the making"

Real Life at Home - seasonal activities

Teaching Catholic Kids from Our Sunday Visitor

Susan Vogt is a speaker and award-winning author. She is committed to helping enrich marriages, inspire children, deepen faith, and simplify family life.

Susan served as the Director of Family Life for the Diocese of Covington for 15 years where we became friends. She and her husband Jim co-directed that office to enable them to raise their four children with a parent present.

She has been the editor of the Journal of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers and content editor for the USCCB website on marriage. Susan has worked in family ministry for the Catholic Church for over 30 years designing and leading marriage, parenting, and leadership programs. Susan and her husband, Jim, have worked with ecumenical and social justice organizations including Parenting for Peace and Justice. She has written five books.

One of many FREE resources that Susan provides is her monthly Marriage Moments and Parenting Pointers newsletter. It is free and sharable with, especially since the entries are bulletin style. They are available in Spanish and English.

Link to February, 2024 MM and PP (English)

Spanish edition coming next week.

Time for a Change? Breaking Free from Ministry Monotony

Mark Hart

January 16th 3:00 PM ET

It's easy to fall into the "trap" of doing things the same way year after year, but what would parish life look like if we shook things up a bit? How do we retain what's working but shift gears in other areas to reach even more souls more deeply? In this webinar, Mark Hart—Chief Innovation Officer of Life Teen—will introduce parish ministers to some practical processes and methods for them to become even more evangelistic and effective in their ministry efforts.

Go to this webinar

The Spirit of Mentoring Ministry Helpers

M. Donna MacLeod

February 6th 3:00 PM

Jesus could have done the sacred work of the Father without seeking others to join his efforts but he chose to have helpers. Whether you offer Seasons of Hope Catholic grief support or lead other ministries, join M. Donna MacLeod, a seasoned team developer, bereavement ministry specialist, and author, to explore how to guide, support, and inspire helpers to bring the Lord’s compassion and joy to all they do in ministry. Using examples from Seasons of Hope that put Jesus’ soulful model of leadership into action, we’ll offer insights on what it takes to be the best mentor you can be and consider ways to turn the challenges of mentoring into opportunities for spiritual growth.

Go to this webinar

January 17-18, 2024

Free Online Conference

January 17: 1-3 pm ET

Emerging Trends in Ministry with Youth

Emerging Trends in Ministry with Young Adults

Presenter

Paul Jarzembowski

Associate Director for the Laity, USCCB 

Register for January 17, 2024

January 18: 1-3 pm ET

Practices and Models of Family Catechesis

(Reporting on the research NCCL is doing on effective models of family catechesis)

Implementing Family Catechesis in Parishes

(Strategies for implementing family catechesis in your parish)

Presenters

Paulette Chapman, Joan Weber, and John Roberto

Register for January 18, 2024

We selected topics based on your input from the summer NCCL survey and the interest finder at the Fall NCCL Convocations.

Catechesis on Prayer &

Prayer Practices

John Michael Reyes

Tuesdays February 6 & 13

Leadership Skills & Practices

for Catechetical Leaders

Dr. Dan Ebener

Thursdays March 7 & March14

Building Intercultural Competence in Catechetical Ministry

Sr. Ruth Bolarte, D.Min.

Thursdays April 11 & 18 

Inviting, Forming, and Supporting Parish Catechists

Jayne Mondoy

Tuesdays May 7 & May 14

Tuition for each course is $50.  Link to register for these: NCCL Courses