Psalms: Prayer of the Heart ~ a spiritual encounter with the Psalms

Msgr. Stephen Bosso will lead a retreat – "Psalms: Prayer of the Heart," from May 31 (5 p.m.) to June 2 (noon).

The “Psalms: Prayer of the Heart” retreat will delve into the significance of the Psalms as a method of prayer within the Judeo-Christian tradition. It will explore how the Psalms are integrated into both liturgical services and personal spiritual practices, offering comfort, encouragement and a deepened connection with God, the church, the world and each other.

Msgr. Stephen Bosso, a native of Pensacola, Fla., has had a distinguished career in the Catholic Church. He has served as an educator, priest and leader, teaching sacred Scripture and homiletics at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. With a doctorate in preaching, he continues to share his expertise through ministry and speaking engagements.

• The cost for each retreat is $140 for commuters, $210 for double, $290 for single occupancy
• Marywood Retreat & Conference Center, 235 Marywood Drive, St. Johns (32259)

Call Brianna McCoy at (904) 436-6592 to make reservations and payments. 

16th Annual Summer School of Theology

June 17-21, 2024

Dr. Joshua McManaway

McGrath Institute for Church Life

He has Spoken to Us through a Son:

Christology, Salvation, Revelation

Registration is now open for the Summer School with the usual early bird special that ends today. No registrations accepted after June 11. The School meets daily, Monday through Friday from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm in the Wisdom Center at Marywood.

Summer School of Theology Brochure

jotform with more info and to register

Adult Confirmation Schedule 2025

Bishop Pohlmeier will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on adults who have already received First Communion, aged 18 and up on two occasions in 2025:

Saturday, February 8, 2025 at the 5:00 pm Mass at St. Patrick Parish in Gainesville.

Sunday, June 8, 2025 at a 2:00 pm Mass in the Cathedral Basilica

Just released Guidelines for Liturgical copyright and Reprint

On May 2, the Presbyteral Council accepted and finalized the diocesan "Guidelines Concerning Copyright and Reprint Permission."

These guidelines are being sent to all clergy, diocesan ministries, entities and schools. They will also be available on the new Diocesan Intranet 2.0 site and website for downloading.

If you have any questions, please email Father Tom Willis at frtomstaug@gmail.com.

DOSA Guidelines for Liturgical Copyrights

I am pleased that the Diocese of St. Augustine will be one of a handful of dioceses who will be piloting this program during the coming year. Our cohort of 10 catechetical leaders will begin their work this week. Please keep them in your prayers. As the cohort progresses, I will keep you informed of the projects they design.

The Practice of Catechesis with All Ages and Generations Certificate Program is designed to provide a holistic educational experience for the Parish Catechetical Leader (Coordinator), integrating personal spiritual growth, leadership formation, and the latest thinking, approaches, and skills for catechesis with all ages and generations. The emphasis of the Certificate Program is on practice – equipping leaders for the requirements and challenges of their role as the leader of the parish’s catechetical ministry with all ages and generations. 

The Practice of Catechesis Certificate is an applied education program, designed to help leaders develop and implement vibrant and engaging faith formation with age groups across the life span, with families, and with all of the generations together.

The Practice of Catechesis Certificate is a hybrid program, blending in-person with online learning, in synchronous and asynchronous formats. The program will utilize an online learning management system to integrate all aspects of the course work. Participants will have access to an extensive online library to complement the content in each of the courses with research studies, articles on effective practices, videos, audio podcasts, and online content. 

Coming Soon: The Diocese of St. Augustine is one of 20 dioceses in the United States to be asked to participate in a 1.3-million-dollar grant given to the NCCL by the Lily Foundation. This grant is to further catechesis with families in our parishes and schools. Stay tuned as we begin this process in August.

Save the Date!

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Bishop John J. Snyder high School

40th Annual Faith Formation Day

Families and the Sacraments

We have been discussing at the last few catechetical leader gatherings ways of engaging parents/families more fully in sacramental preparation. One thing we have discussed a few times is how to help families engage more fully in the days leading up to the sacraments and on the actual day of the sacrament. Please find below some good resources I have found and one I created.

The two prayers below can be personalized for your location. The only difference between the two are the pronouns. These would be ideal for when parent/family members, etc are waiting for Mass to start. Please find both the English and the Spanish below. Please credit the Office of Christian Formation when printing.

Confirmation

Confirmation Day Prayer (Daughter)

Confirmation Day Prayer (Son)

Oración del Día de la Confirmación (Hija)

Oración del Día de la Confirmación (Hijo)

First Communion

First Communion Day Prayer (Daughter)

First Communion Day Prayer (Son)

Oración del Día de la Primera Comunión (Hija)

Oración del Día de la Primera Comunión (Hijo)

Some other resources that I have found:

Parents Prayer for First Communion (courtesy of Loyola Press)

Ways Parents can Prepare their Children for First Communion (Courtesy of Teaching Catholic Kids)

Novena to the Holy Spirit for Families (courtesy of Good News Ministries)

Pray More Novenas websitece article copy here. Be sure to make the articles short and concise as people tend not to read much more than a couple of paragraphs. Place article copy here.

Introducing our updated religion curriculum

After 10 months of work, I am pleased to share with you the updated religion curriculum to be used in our parish religious education programs and Catholic Schools beginning July 1, 2024. The committee was tasked with focusing on the key elements of the new Directory for Catechesis. We have maintained the spiral (circular) model while making each of the objectives student centered rather than instructor centered. While knowledge of the tenets of the faith will always be a main part of any curriculum, we have focused more on the integrating of these tenets into life.

Bishop Pohlmeier introduction letter read what our Bishop has to say on the purpose of curriculum

Superintendent and OCF Director outline the curriculum this letter provides a basic outline

Curriculum

Developmental Stages of Children (classroom)

Developmental Stages of Children (Parent Guide) This is a new component to help families understand how their children are developing in their faith with tips on how to foster this in the home.

Grade Level Prayers It is strongly urged that this document be provided to families so that they may build their domestic church on prayer.

Overview of religion curriculum for parents (brochure) This will also be available in Spanish, soon.

"Catholic School Special"

June 10 -13, 2024

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

FULL and closed.

Upcoming locations and dates:

Holy Faith, Gainesville

August 3 and 4

August 17 and 18

St. John the Baptist, Atlantic Beach

September 7 and 8

September 21 and 22

St. Luke, Middleburg

November 2 and 3

November 23 and 24

Location needed in Jacksonville

January 11 and 12

January 25 and 26

Summer is not a break from our Faith, having a Faith filled summer with your children

by Erin McGeever, published in St. Augustine Catholic Summer, 2022. Full article available by clicking link below.

As the Easter Season ends and the school year winds down, vacation begins. But it is not a vacation from our Catholic faith. How and where do families find spiritual enrichment during the summer months? While we are entering the Ordinary Time of the Church’s liturgical year, there is nothing ordinary about the feasts we have over the summer months that can be highlighted in the home. 

Pentecost Sunday, which is May 19^th this year, is followed on May 26^th by Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday is a great day to remind children (and adults) of the triune nature of God. Two common prayers accent this for us: the Glory Be and the Sign of the Cross.  Review the significance of these common prayers as a family and create a family table centerpiece of three interwoven circles or another Trinity inspired design. The family itself is an image of the Holy Trinity: “The ‘Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father, and the Son in the Spirit.” (CCC 2205) For more ideas: https://www.catholicicing.com/trinity-resources-for-catholic-kids/

Summer Formation Article (cont)

The Eucharist and Catholic Schools Virtual Conference

The Eucharistic Revival has been important to parishes around the United States. But what does the Revival have to do with Catholic education? With the life of the school? In this six-week virtual conference, Catholic educators will be invited to explore these themes over the course of six weeks. Each week will include opportunities to reflect, watch interviews with theologians, educators, and pastoral leaders related to the Eucharist, read classic texts related to the theme, and practice what you’ve learned through short assignments. In addition, there will be a live session each week on Wednesdays from 3:00 PM-4:00 PM Eastern Time, where you’ll be able to dialogue with leaders throughout the United States. Those who complete each of the assignments at the end of each week will earn a certificate from the McGrath Institute for Church Life.

This six-week course is only $40.

This online Conference runs from June 10 through July 24, 2024.

The Eucharist and Catholic Schools

 The road for us as disciple-ministers is filled with many challenges. But also much grace. Let us gather to explore the movement of God in our lives. We will consider how Jesus invites you to deeper intimacy. With the help of story and theological reflection, quiet time and sharing, we’ll call upon the Holy Spirit to renew our hearts for what lies ahead on this great and mysterious journey of ours. Receive this brief retreat as a gift of time to be nourished…for yourself and also for your ministry.

Link to page to sign up

The Spirit of Mentoring Ministry Helpers

M. Donna MacLeod

May 28th 2:09 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 Webinar