The Diocesan Advisory Board met last week to begin planning for the 2024 celebrations of the Rite of Election/Call to Continuing Conversion.

Here is the schedule: Rite of Election Schedule

Some other information:

If the numbers hold to 850, there will only be seats for: Catechumens, candidates, their sponsors, the coordinator, and the pastor. Seating for guests may be available in the chapel. We will let you know this and other details at one of the two Zoom gatherings for coordinators to be held in late January.

These two Zoom informational sessions are being hosted again this year so that coordinators know what is expected of them as leaders for their parish. One person from the parish OCIA team is expected to attend.

All three celebrations will be livestreamed.

Adult Confirmation Opportunities

Bishop Pohlmeier will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on Adults (over 18) who have received First Communion on the following dates:

Sunday, January 7, 2024 at the 5:30 pm Mass at Queen of Peace, Gainesville

Completed forms due by December 4th for inclusion.

Sunday, May 19, 2024 at a 2:00 pm Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.

Registration forms for each are due 6 weeks prior. All information on forms is to be completed by a member of the parish staff and needs to be verified. We are not able to accept forms that are not completely filled out.

Norms for Adult Confirmation

Resources for Adult Confirmation

Parish checklist

Registration Form

Eucharistic Revival Local Resources

A large project of the local committee has been to take the tapes from the live presentations on the Mass and break them down into 15-minute smaller segments for various parish and school groups. These are found on the main page of the diocesan website. There are discussion questions after each segment:

Link to videos These are large files. It will be helpful if you download separately to your device.

“Sing to the Lord: Sacred Music in Worship”

(Dr. Bernie Sans)

• Part 1: “Music and the Structure of the Mass”
• Part 2: “What Parts Do We Sing?”
• Part 3: “Music and Other Sacraments and Devotions”
• Part 4: “Sacred Music in the Liturgy”

“Living the Liturgical Year: How the Church Marks Time”

(Fr. Michael Kieler)

• Part 1: “Oriented Toward the End: Liturgy and the Coming Kingdom”
• Part 2: “Sunday: The Primary Liturgical Feast”
• Part 3: “Sacred History and the Yearly Cycle of Seasons and Feasts”
• Part 4: “Liturgical Year, Culture, and Evangelization”

“Proclaiming and Responding: The Liturgy of the Word”

(Fr. Tim Lindenfelser)

• Part 1: “The Living Word: The Encounter between God and His People that Takes Place During the Liturgy of the Word”
• Part 2: “The Cycle of Readings and Who Proclaims Them”
• Part 3: “God Speaks: A Reflection on the OT, Psalm, Epistle, Gospel and Homily”
• Part 4: “Our Response: A Reflection on the Creed and the Universal Prayer”

“Joining the Sacrifice: The Liturgy of the Eucharist

(Letty Valentin, M.A.)

• Part 1: “The Foundation: Memorial, Sacrifice, Meal (Banquet)”
• Part 2: “Jewish Roots of the Eucharistic Prayer”
• Part 3: “The Eucharistic Prayer of the Church”
• Part 4: “The Communion Rite”

Celebrating the Pascal Mystery: History and Development of the Liturgy”

(Fr. Tom Willis)

• Part 1: “Apostolic Era: 1st Century – 312 A.D.”
• Part 2: “The Golden Age of Christianity: 313 A.D. – 590 A.D.”
• Part 3: “Romano/Frankish/Germanic Era: 590 A.D. – 1073 A.D.”
• Part 4: “Toward Uniformity: 1073 A.D. – Trent”
• Part 5: “The Tridentine Era: 1563 – 1963”

“Entering into the Mystery: Reverence and Sacred Silence”

(Bishop Erik Pohlmeier)

Eucharistic Revival Resources for Children Eucharistic Revival Resources for Children’s Faith Formation & Religious Education (arranged by topic)

A couple of Pop-Up Opportunities:

New:

Saturday, December 2, 2023

9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Catholic Center Auditorium

Liturgy and Sacraments

Basic Beliefs

Brown bag your lunch

Jotform for December 2, 2023

Saturday, December 9, 2023

9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Catholic Center Auditorium

Faith Development

Catechetical/Legal

Brown bag your lunch

Jotform for December 9, 2023

Certificación Básica para Catequistas

a través de Zoom

Lunes, 27 de Noviembre de 2023

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Sagrada Escritura (3 horas)

Folletos de información para ser utilizados ese día se enviarán por correo electrónico antes de la sesión.

Jotform para Zoom

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 13 Faith Development and Catechetical Legal

January 14 Role of the Catechist and Practical Skills

January 27 Scripture and Church

January 28 Liturgy and Sacraments and Basic Beliefs

Jotform to register

Deacon Matt Halbach appearing on EWTN

Dcn Matt, former Executive Director of Catechesis for Sadlier and a current consultant for them, will be featured on At Home with Jim and Joy.

Dcn Matt will be discussing his 2022 book, They Saw Through God's Eyes: An Invitation from Mary and the Saints. This will be a two- part show.

The episodes will debut on November 29 at 1:30 pm and November 30 at 1:30 pm (Eastern time). Each show will then air a few other times and they will be available on the on-demand episodes of At Home with Jim and Joy

Shameless PR: The OCF will have Deacon Matt in town the week of March 11-17, 2024 for several events. He will be presenting the MFP Annual Retreat as part of his whirlwind tour.

Ave Maria Press publishes new resource for parish renewal

Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran—authors of the bestselling book, Rebuilt—have an answer for lackluster parishes: Make it all about Jesus. In Rebuilt Faith, you will learn that rebuilding and renewing faith starts with a nagging feeling that we want something more—more connectedness, more community, and more purpose. That’s the spark that leads to a flame that burns brightly around Jesus, the foundation of living and growing in faith.

Rebuilt Faith is broken down into forty days, each of which includes a quotation from a saint, a reflection, questions to ponder, a prayer, and a scripture verse.

General link for Parish leaders -

Link for Companion Kit

Our Call to Compassion

M. Donna MacLeod

November 14th 3:00 PM

We know a truly compassionate person when we see one, don’t we? Yet, Jesus calls everyone to compassion. His compassion for all who suffer is so great that he identifies himself with them. “When we live out a spirituality of drawing near to others and seeking their welfare,” Pope Francis says, “our hearts open wide to the Lord’s greatest and most beautiful gifts.”This season is a perfect time to open our hearts and reflect on the depth of compassion we bring to everyday life and ministry. Whether you offer Seasons of Hope Catholic grief support or are in another ministry, join M. Donna MacLeod—author, educator, and bereavement ministry specialist—for insights on compassion and ministry gleaned from theologians, personal loss, and decades of tending to grieving hearts. It’s an invitation worth taking.

Go to webinar

Saints and Angels in the Parish: Theology and Ministry

Elizabeth Klein

November 21st 3:00 PM

"Are angels real? Do I have a guardian angel? Why should I pray to the saints when I can pray to God?"As a parish leader, you have probably been asked these questions at some point in your ministry. Did you feel confident in your response, wish you could do it over, or just want to know more about angels and saints? In this webinar, Elizabeth Klein—assistant professor of theology at the Augustine Institute—will discuss some of the fundamental teachings of the Church about saints and angels and suggest how these teachings might be applicable to various pastoral situations.

Go to this webinar

Taking Video Games Seriously and Evangelizing to Our Virtual Generation

Bobby Angel

November 28th 3:00 PM

Video games are a $200 billion industry that encapsulates everything from Candy Crush on your phone to Hollywood-quality console experiences, and the majority of young people now under the age of thirty-five are playing some kind of video game. This generation is also checking out of organized religion and serious belief in God, but their human needs for connection and purpose can still be profoundly felt. How do we evangelize in this digital space where so many young people live today? How do we connect a young person's love for the virtual world to the God who is real and loves them deeply? In this webinar, YouTube presenter, author, and former teacher Bobby Angel will offer insight into where video games intersect with a life of faith in God—how games echo Christ's call for our heroic holiness, and how we can lead young people to respond to that call in an integrated and flourishing way.

Go to this webinar