Pastoral Center Bulletin ~ October 8, 2018

Vol. 33: No. 34 ~ October 8, 2018

Official Announcements

Office of the Bishop

On October 4, 2018, Bishop Gregory Parkes issued a letter regarding the Florida Attorney General’s investigation of institutional sex abuse.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Today, as a result of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, the Florida Attorney General announced an investigation into how the Catholic dioceses of Florida have handled allegations of sexual abuse of minors in the past.

I welcome this investigation and want to assure the public that the Diocese of St. Petersburg has been and continues to be proactive in its efforts to keep children safe, which should be a priority for everyone. We seek to ensure the safety of all children and to ensure that all perpetrators of abuse are removed from ministry. Read full letter here.

Clergy Change

Most Reverend Gregory Parkes, Bishop of St. Petersburg, announces the following clergy change, effective October 15, 2018:

APPOINTMENT

Reverend Robert Cadrecha, from Spiritual Director of St. John Vianney College Seminary, Miami, to Parochial Vicar of St. Jerome Parish, Largo.

Ministry Updates

Office of Vocations

New Seminarian Posters!

The new seminarian posters have been mailed out to all schools and parishes in the diocese. You should receive them by the week of October 8 ^th . The posters are double sided with English on one side and Spanish on the other.

If you need more posters, please contact Heidi Varley in the Office of Vocations at (727)345-3452 or hlv@dosp.org.

News

Congratulations to Monsignor Anton Dechering, Recipient of the 2018 Father Luis de Cancer Award

A retired priest with 56 years of dedicated service, was honored with the 2018 Father Luis de Cancer Award for Distinguished Priestly Service. He was recognized during the annual Convocation for Priestly Renewal b ecause of his strong commitment to young people of the Diocese. The theme for this year’s Convocation was: “Church of Today, Hope of Tomorrow: 21st Century Youth Ministry. ” Read more .

Church Seeks to Listen & Learn from Youth during October Synod

Pope Francis urged synod fathers not to be crushed by "prophets of doom," but to be the signs of hope and joy for which today's young people yearn during the opening Mass of the Synod which started on Oct. 3 and will meet until Oct. 28 to discuss young people, the faith and vocational discernment. Read full article here. Learn more about the Synod here .

A Family Faith Fest App is now Available

For the thousands of people planning to attend the Family Faith Fest on October 27 at Al Lopez Park, good news – there’s an app for that! The app features so much content about the day’s events and activities, it’s an easy way to plan your day and be sure that you don’t miss out on your favorite activities . Read more .

Holy See Press Office Issues Statement on Ex-Cardinal McCarrick Case

Pope Francis instructed the Holy See Press Office to release a statement concerning the Vatican's response to allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of former cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Here is the full text of the press statement: