Vol. 35: No. 16 ~ April 20, 2020
Official Announcements
Office of the Bishop

Finding Hope with Bishop Gregory Parkes
Join Bishop Gregory Parkes for a Facebook Live on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at 12:00 noon, as he shares his thoughts on “Finding Hope” during this difficult time. Visit facebook.com/DioStPete for this special presentation.
Protection from the Pandemic – Mary, Mother of God, Pray for Us
Bishop Gregory Parkes invites all to gather together via Livestream on Saturday, May 2nd from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for prayer and devotion in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As one Church, we will place our prayers before our Blessed Mother and ask her to intercede for us to Jesus Christ, our protector. During this time of the coronavirus pandemic, we need Mary’s intercession more than ever. (This virtual event replaces the original Marian Congress scheduled for May 2 nd .) Click here for details . 
Fraudulent Social Media Activity
We have become aware that at least one person was contacted by someone using Instagram pretending to be Bishop Gregory Parkes. Please be advised that Bishop Parkes does not contact individuals on social media. If you become aware of any suspicious activity of this type, please report it to your social media provider and do not respond to the sender. The following are Bishop Parkes’ official social media accounts: Instagram , Twitter , Facebook . 

For resources from our diocesan Communications Office on avoiding text message, email and social media scams, click here .
Office of the Chancellor

Clearance of Speakers ~ Update
Considering the current COVID-19 pandemic, we have been presented with other options for ministry to the people of God within the Diocese of St. Petersburg. One of those options is the use of the Zoom application to conduct meetings and webinars. 
 
Concerning clergy, religious or lay presenters via Zoom or other videoconferencing applications, if they are presenting via video conference to members of our parishes or other diocesan entities, they should be cleared just as if they were presenting in person.  A Clearance Request Form should be submitted with all pertinent information, which would allow us to confirm the speakers’ good standing within their diocese/parish/religious institute .
 
As we have mentioned in the past, the forms for clearance of speakers can be found on the Chancellor’s Office section of the diocesan website at this link .
 
In the case of local priests and deacons in active ministry, it is not necessary to complete a Clearance Request Form. This can be verified by checking our diocesan website under either of the following link: https://www.dosp.org/find-clergy/.
 
If you have any questions about the suitability of a priest or deacon residing in our diocesan boundaries who is not listed on our diocesan website, please contact the Chancellor’s Office at (727) 341-6832 or by   email .
 
If the invited presenter will not be speaking on topics of faith and morals but rather on non-religious subjects or general topics related to other areas of a school’s curriculum, then the approval should come from the school pastor, the entity’s administrator or, in the case of a school, from the school’s president or principal or from the Superintendent of Catholic Schools.
 
Thank you for your dedicated ministry to the People of God!
Ministries Updates
Office of Vocations

Ordination to the Diaconate via Live Stream
On Saturday, April 25, 2020 at 11:00 am, our seminarian Israel “Izzie” Hernandez will be ordained a transitional deacon for the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Izzie’s home parish is Our Lady of the Rosary in Land O’Lakes.

Since family and friends will not be able to attend the ordination in person, the ordination will be live streamed by going to https://www.svdp.edu/live and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/svdpsem/live . We encourage all to join us by watching the ordination via the live stream.

Please continue keep Izzie in your prayers.
Virtual St. Andrew Dinner with Bishop Parkes
Young men, high school age and older are invited to attend a Virtual St. Andrew Dinner with Bishop Parkes and Father Chuck. You can attend via Zoom on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 6:30 pm.

Please see attached flyer and RSVP to Father Chuck at spvocation@dosp.org to receive the meeting link.

Abundance Holy Hour for Vocations via Livestream
The Lord works by means of abundance. He promises life in abundance to His followers and provides work in Abundance for them. Please join Father Chuck Dornquast, Director
of Vocations, on Wednesday, April 22nd at 7:00 pm via livestream as he celebrates a Holy Hour for Vocations from the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle.

Distribution of Altar Server Certificates
Due to the "Safer at Home" order in place, the altar serves certificates have not been delivered to the deans yet. We plan to distribute them as soon as we can.

If you have any questions, please contact Heidi Varley in the Office of Vocations, (727) 345-3452 or hlv@dosp.org .
Office of Catholic Schools and Centers

Extended Closing of Catholic Schools
Earlier today (April 20), Bishop Gregory Parkes has directed that all Catholic Schools and Early Childhood Centers will be closed through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Communication to parents of students will come directly from individual Catholic School principals and Early Childhood Center directors.

For information about our diocesan response to this situation, please visit this link.
Safe Environment Program Office

Church Strengthens Efforts to Protect Children and Vulnerable Populations
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and we invite you to learn more about the safeguards in place in the Diocese of St. Petersburg to protect children and vulnerable populations. Click here to learn more. Also, please review this document with helpful information from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: Ten Tips for Protecting Children and Offering Outreach to Victims/Survivors.
Office of Stewardship and Development

New Stewardship and Development Resources 
The Office of Stewardship and Development has included new and updated resources for parishes to assist in reaching out to parishioners at this link . New items include online stewardship resources including webinars and discussion groups and the “Sharing Ideas and Good News” column, which provides feedback from parishes on their efforts to keep parishioners engaged with virtual prayer, formation, ministry and services, as well as how these parishes have fostered generosity in their parishioners. Downloadable graphic samples focused on parish giving have also been provided, and these can be personalized for your parish if requested. 

The Stewardship and Development Office staff is available to work with parishes in implementing any of the ideas presented, including parishioner mailings assistance. Contact the office at stewardship@dosp.org to share your successes or to request assistance. 
For the Faithful Departed
Let us keep the souls and the families of the faithful departed in our prayers:


  • Mr. Jose Belgica, father of Rev. Erwin Belgica, Pastor, Our Lady of Grace Parish, Beverly Hills


May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God rest in peace!
Bulletin Announcements
View current information that can be included in parish bulletins here .

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

For updates on Courageously Living the Gospel , click here .
Important Links
Rev. Msgr. Robert F. Morris
Vicar General
Diocese of St. Petersburg
727-344-1611