Exploring the Documents of Vatican II..

Pope St. John Paul II called them, "...a sure compass by which we take our bearings..." The Office of the Apostolic Penitentiary has provided a list of ways that the faithful can be granted a plenary indulgence during this Jubilee of Hope. Among them is a study of the Vatican II documents.

Next up will be Fr. David Keegan, Pastor of Holy Family Parish, Jacksonville. Fr. David will be sharing on the Declaration on Religious Freedom (Dignitatis Humanae) on Monday, July 7 at 6:30 pm

There will not be a Zoom option, but we will be taping this series as we did with the series on the Mass.

Yes, this would be counted for Level III Continuing Formation.

In addition to this being a Jubilee Year, we are also celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the Creed that flowed from that Council. Every Sunday, we recite the creedal formula that the bishops devised and approved in 325 A.D. These words have great staying power and they remain a necessary marker for the orthodoxy of the Christian Faith. Christians should not see the Nicene Creed simply as a list of things they believe, but they should look at it with awe because it recounts the greatness of God’s love and the gift of salvation.

While there are may books and articles out there, Fr. Mike Schmitz, through his network, asked a variety of bishops to take a phrase or part of the Creed and expound on it. All of these videos are between 3 and 9 minutes, so ideal for small group sharing.

I Believe in God (Archbishop Richard G. Henry)

Who is Jesus (Archbishop Emeritus Allen H. Vigneron)

The Incredible Story of the Nicene Creed ( Bishop James Massa)

Why God Became Man (Bishop David L. Toups)

Why Jesus Had to Die (bishop Robert J. Brennan...

All together, 12 videos.

The Nicene Creed Explained

NCCL Family Grant through the Lilly Foundation

Our local cohort is almost through Year I of this three-year grant. We gathered this past Saturday to share what ideas have surfaced through team meetings, parent surveys, and local needs of the parish. The purpose of this grant this not to "throw the baby out with the bath water" but rather to find ways that we can engage families in the faith formation of their children. While parishes provided the didactic teaching through a variety of methods, this is not enough to have our children be lifelong learners about Jesus.

Projects will be available after the next gathering in September

The family is the primary community where Catholic faith practices are nurtured and practiced. Raising religious children should thus be practice centered, not primarily a didactic teaching regime. Parents and other adults modeling religious practices enhances what is being taught and helps to make the tenets of the faith come alive. How do families practice and nurture?

Eating meals together

Praying as a family

Reading the Bible

Having family conversations about faith

Celebrating the Church's Liturgical Year

Being involved in the parish community

Serving the less fortunate

Ritualizing important family moments (lost tooth, driver's license, learning a new skill...)

Providing moral instruction

Worshipping together as a family on Sunday as well as other days as schedules permit

Observe sabbath

If you missed the early registration discount for the 90th Anniversary Conference, we have good news for you.

We can offer you a $100 discount through the end of the month. When you register add the Promo Code 100.

Conference Tickets

From Welcome to Witness: Best Practices for Making Disciples

The Diocese of Orlando is teaming with Team Initiation to provide an all-day workshop for OCIA Teams. Diana Macalintal will be the presenter.

This training will focus on the catechetical aspect of the initiation process, not on "how to do" the rites.

While some of this will be a repeat of our own training modules, there will also be some best practices.

Friday, September 26, 2025

9:30 am - 4;00 pm

St. Margaret Mary Parish

526 North Park Avenue

Winter Park, FL

The fee of $30 will cover materials and lunch.

Register for Welcome to Witness

The Transforming Power of the Liturgy

From February to November 2023, the Bishops' Committee on Divine Worship (BCDW) Newsletter presented a series of catechetical articles on the transforming power of participation in the liturgy. The six topics were related to migrants, refugees and the poor; mission; our common home; all races and ethnicities; the sick and the dying, and vocations.

These have now been assembled on the USCCB website for a free download! They may be reproduced free of charge in printed form (for non-commercial purposes and in publications not for sale, like bulletins)

USCCB Transforming Power of the Liturgy

Evangelization from Concept to Connection

Complementary workshops sponsored by St. Marys' Seminary and University in collaboration with St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute

These are being offered onsite or online. $60 each.

Thursday, July 10, 2025 Theology of Friendship for Evangelization and Building Community 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Presenters for both are:

Emily Hicks, M.A., S.T.L.

Director of Language Resources and Intercultural Integration

St. Mary's Seminary and University

Rev. Evan Ponton, M.Div., S.T.L.

Associate Pastor, St. Mattthew Catholic Church, Baltimore (a cluster of 7 parishes in Baltimore)

Info and to register

Explore Your Vocation

The community of Queen of Peace in Gainesville is hosting a Day of Vocational Awareness on July 12th. The day will include:

Mass, Adoration, lunch and testimonies.

Please see the graphic/poster for the QR Code to register.

Questions? Contact Kyle at Kyle's email

Registration now open for:

San Juan del Rio

August 9 Liturgy and Sacraments and Basic Beliefs

August 10 Role of the Catechist and Practical Skills

August 16 Scripture and Church

August 17 Faith Development and Catechetical/Legal

Basic at SJDR

Christ the King

Sept 13-14

Sept 27-28

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Nov. 8 - 9

Nov. 22-23

Our Lady Star of the Sea

January 10-11

January 24-25

Next Summer:

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

The next Class Rotations at STEP and VLCFF

As you know, the Office of Christian Formation maintains a relationship with both Notre Dame and the University of Dayton that provides everyone in the Diocese of St. Augustine to take classes at a 50% off rate through either STEP or VLCFF. STEP has already started their next rotation. VLCFF will start in mid-July.

VLCFF link to page in English and Spanish (Next rotation starts July 16)

English courses for Cycle 5

Calendario de Cursos (Spanish classes, Cyclo 5))

What courses are required at each institute for Level II:

Standard Certification Courses

Scripture reminds us that the best way to show our love for God is to love our neighbor. This means much more than just being nice to one another and avoiding conflict. Join Dr. Ansel Augustine for a webinar in which he will explain how Catholic social teaching and Ignatian spirituality work together to teach us how to “pray with our feet” in concrete ways. Together we can stand, walk, and journey alongside our brothers and sisters as co-creators of a better, more just world.

Praying with Our Feet

A Webinar with Dr. Ansel Augustine

July 10, 2025

3:00–4:00 p.m. Eastern

Loyola Press

Praying with Our Feet Webinar

Boston College offers some very fine short courses that are excellent opportunities for spiritual and faith growth. Also suitable for level III.

Saint Mary Magdalene

July 30 - Aug 26, 2025 | $30

Who was Saint Mary Magdalene? What does scripture tell us about her ministry? What impact does her saintly life have on us today? This course explores the imagery of Saint Mary Magdalene, both positive and negative, that have shaped our view of the Apostle to the Apostles.

Forming Tomorrow's Disciples

July 16 - Aug 26, 2025 | $60

How do we guide others on their faith journeys? Forming disciples requires attention to the whole person. Intellectual, social, ethical, and spiritual development are all needed for learners to make meaning and become the persons God calls them to be. This course, designed for faith formation educators (kindergarten to college), explores formative education in a theological context. 

Teaching Religion to Adolescents

July 16 - Aug 19, 2025 | $60

Young people today are growing up into a world making complex demands of them: in school, the marketplace, personal relationships, and in the use of technology. Join us to explore the developing capacities and needs of adolescents. Draw from Scripture and Church teaching to increase your skills as a teacher (or parent) for helping teens understand and deepen their faith, strengthening them as they rise up to respond to the world around them. This course equips catechists and religion teachers with the resources and strategies needed to teach adolescents about the Catholic faith with inspiration and confidence.

More Information and Registration

The Catholic Apostolate Center, a ministry of the Society of the Catholic Apostolates (Pallotines) provides opportunities for formation and growth of lay apostolates and individual ministers. Their library contains numerous "on demand" webinars on a variety of topics. Some examples:

Marriage Accompaniment: Tips and Suggestions for Successful Models

Growing as Disciples: Resources for Catholics

Disaffiliation, Belonging, and Believing

Toward participation: Unpacking the Leadership of the Laity (Bishop Flores)

Toward Community: The Role of the Laity Across Cultures and Generations (Bishop Silva)

Catholic Apostolate Webinars

The Pedagogy of the Holy Year of Hope - On-Demand

The Holy Year, also known as the Jubilee Year, is a special time in the Catholic Church that involves significant spiritual, pastoral and organizational activities. To assist Catholic school leaders in the celebration of the Holy Year 2025, the session is designed to ensure they are spiritually prepared, strategically planned and organizationally equipped to lead their school communities through this significant event. This preparation will help them foster a deeper spiritual experience for the faithful, ensuring the Holy Year’s objectives are successfully met.

NCEA Webinars