Vol. 33: No. 11 ~ March 19, 2018
Official Notices
Office of the Bishop
Bishop Parkes is taking to the airwaves to share the Good News via a new segment that will begin airing on Spirit FM 90.5 on Friday, March 23. Read more .

Chrism Mass
Bishop Gregory Parkes will be the principal celebrant and homilist of the Chrism Mass, to be held at the Cathedral of St. Jude, St. Petersburg, on Tuesday, March 27, at 11:30 a.m. During this Mass, priests from throughout the Diocese, along with Bishop Parkes, will renew their commitment to priestly service. Also, during the Mass the Oil of the Sick and the Oil of Catechumens are blessed and the Sacred Chrism is consecrated. These oils are used in the parishes throughout the year for sacramental celebrations. The faithful are invited to participate in this wonderful diocesan celebration. Please join us.

The Chrism Mass Will be Livestreamed
If you are not able to join us for the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, March 27 at 11:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, you are invited to view the live video stream available at this link: https://livestream.com/DOSP/ChrismMass

Social Media Graphics are Available to Promote Diocesan Consecration to Mary
Graphics to help promote the Consecration of the Diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on social media are now available on the diocesan website here . If you have questions about the graphics, please contact the Office of Communications at 727-344-1611 x 5307 or at communicate@dosp.org .

Diocesan Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Parishioners from around the Diocese of St. Petersburg are planning to join Bishop Gregory Parkes for a Holy Hour at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, as he consecrates the Diocese of St. Petersburg to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Sunday, May 6, at 3 p.m.

Many parishes are preparing their community for this consecration by promoting and/or organizing a small group study using  33 Days to Morning Glory and/or its 6-week retreat process. If you would like to participate, click  here to see a listing of parishes hosting small group studies. The retreat process is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 2.

Some of our parishes are also holding a Holy Hour/Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament while streaming the Consecration on May 6 from the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. Families and individuals can pray and watch the live video stream of the Holy Hour to consecrate the diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as a community with other members of the Diocese. Click here for a list of parishes offering live streaming events.
Ministry Updates
Evangelization, SCC and Adult Faith Formation
Explore Alpha and Train to Run Alpha this April in the Diocese of St. Petersburg
The Diocese of St. Petersburg is hosting an Explore Alpha evening for pastors, parish leadership and evangelization coordinators on Thursday, April 12 , from 7-8:30 p.m. at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 17512 Lakeshore Rd, Lutz, FL 33558 . Register here for this FREE event. Come see how Alpha can be part of your parish’s evangelization efforts, especially with those outside the church walls.
 
On Saturday, April 14, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m ., we are hosting Run Alpha Training at St. Timothy.  Come learn about Alpha, best practices in running Alpha, how to get started or how to re-energize your existing Alpha process. Register here .  This day-long training is $30.00 per person, $35.00 walk-in registration and groups of 5+ are $25.00 per person! Bring a team from the parish to reap the best results!
 

Office of Life, Justice & Advocacy
Internship Available!
The Diocese of St. Petersburg and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) are looking for Catholics with leadership abilities, community service experience, social media skills, and effective writing/ communication skills. The Internship combines practical work in carrying out the mandate of CCHD at the local level. Duties include youth and young adult outreach, parish education, and community economic outreach. Commitment is 12-13 hours/week with compensation of $12/hr. Contact Sabrina Schultz at sab@dosp.org (727) 344-1611 *5325. Deadline is March 20 th .

April is Autism Awareness Month
Find resources for your parish on the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) website: http://www.ncpd.org/ministries-programs/specific/autism .

Please consider using these Prayers of the Faithful throughout the month: https://goo.gl/zffMhw .

News
U.S. Bishops Urge National Leaders to Address Scourge of Gun Violence
For many years, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has supported a federal ban on assault weapons and a strong advocate for the reasonable regulation of firearms . Read more.
View current information that can be included in parish bulletins here.

We have created a new tab on the Pastoral Bulletin site for Parish Bulletin Announcements. You can view them at this link . Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
Important Links
Rev. Msgr. Robert F. Morris, Vicar General
Diocese of St. Petersburg
727-344-1611