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 Deadline is Wednesday, January 7 close of business.

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 Deadline is Friday, January 9 by noon. This is Level III suitable.

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.

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 Ministry Formation Program

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

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.

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.

New Year ~ Need more Liturgical Year books?

We have:

English Ordos

Spanish Ordos

Children's Prayer Books

Lector workbooks for Year A Spanish and English

Sourcebook

At Home with the Word

Email Erin at: Erin's Email

Spring Lecture Series

The Loyola Institute for Ministry invites you to its Spring 2026 Virtual Lecture Series, 

Walking with the Migrant: Jubilee, Justice, and Hope. This three-part series is designed for all who seek to reflect more deeply on the spiritual, scriptural, and ecological dimensions of migration through the lens of Catholic faith. Together, we will explore migration as both a lived human experience and a call to solidarity, justice, and hope in today’s world.

Each one-hour lecture, presented via Zoom Webinar, will explore a different aspect of migration, offering theological insight, real-world context, and practical applications for ministry:

• Stranger and Sojourner: Scripture's Migration Narratives
• Explore how stories of migration in Scripture reveal God's presence among those on the move.
• Creation on the Move: Ecological Migration in an Integral Ecology
• Examine how climate change and ecological degradation drive migration, and how Catholic social teaching calls us to respond.
• Encountering Christ at the Border: Contemporary Migration Stories
• Hear firsthand accounts and pastoral reflections that reveal Christ in today’s migrants and refugees.

Level III suitable

Register for the Zooms (free)

Inviting Young Adults into Dialogue

The Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis hosted a webinar on this new guide on engaging young adults in dialogue. The webinar was in held in December. Bishop Kalabat, Chairman, Young Adult Outreach Working Group and the Committee presented how to use this document for fruitful dialogue. For those who could not attend, here is the recording:

Link to webinar on the document Passcode is X@P!Q&V2

Document in English

Level III suitable

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

Featuring Bishop Michael Woost (Chair of the BCDW) and Father Dustin Dought of the BCDW Secretariat.

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

Featuring Father Jan Michael Joncas

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

Featuring Ms. Tish O’Hagan (Diocese of Boise) and Msgr. Rick Hilgartner (Archdiocese of Baltimore)

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?

FREE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: Register for these

Receive Answers From Catholic Teaching and Clinical Psychology to Help You Overcome Anxiety and Depression

We are in the midst of a mental health crisis. Anxiety and depression are on the rise like never before, and for so many of us, it’s affecting the way we think, work, relate to one another, and even connect to God daily. With this growing need has come short-term fads, conflicting advice, and secular solutions that fail to address both mind and soul.

That is why Franciscan University created In Focus: Overcoming Anxiety & Depression. It’s a 7-part video series offering clear, compassionate guidance from both Catholic spirituality and modern clinical psychology, and today, you can access the entire series absolutely FREE.

This discussion is led by two trusted voices: Dr. Greg Bottaro, a Catholic clinical psychologist and founder of the CatholicPsych Institute, and Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, president of Franciscan University. Together, they explore how mental health, faith, and daily life intersect. They also offer tools to help you better understand anxiety and depression, support loved ones, and move toward healing and resilience rooted in God’s truth.

When you sign up using the form below, we’ll send an email with your access link so you can begin watching this incredible series today!

When you request In Focus: Overcoming Anxiety & Depression, here’s what you’ll receive access to—completely free and directly to your inbox!

• 7 expert-led video sessions exploring mental health through a Catholic lens
• Immediate, on-demand access to the full series so you can watch at your own pace
• Practical insights on anxiety, depression, therapy, and prayer.
• Real conversations on technology, relationships, and finding peace in a noisy world
• Guidance for those facing struggles personally or wanting to help others

Explore more of this resource

Basic Certification (Level I)

Our Lady Star of the Sea

January 10-11

Registration closes on January 7 by noon.

January 24-25

Jotform to register for Our Lady, Star of the Sea

Summer Offering:

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. Next rotation starts January 12.



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.

Fill Your Cup

Praying with the Popes toward Unity and Hope

Shannon wimp Schmidt

January 20 

3:00 PM ET

In this webinar, Ave author Shannon Wimp Schmidt will discuss how to incorporate the social teachings of the popes from Leo XIII to Leo XIV to invite discussion and prayer among parishioners in a highly politicized time.

This webinar will discuss some recent research on attitudes around religion and politics, papal writings which speak to that research, and suggestions for spiritual and formation practices around these writings.

Go to Webinar