NCPD Conference in person and now online

(another excellent opportunity)

The National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) invites you to “One Lord, One Faith, One Family: Disability Ministry in a Synodal Church” on October 21-22, 2022.  They now have several sessions that can be attended virtually.

The conference will be held at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church (7810 Cypresswood Dr., Spring, TX 77379), located in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Join us for a keynote address by the Most Rev. Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, S.T.D., Diocese of Victoria in Texas, and a keynote address by Dr. Joseph White, Director of Catechetical Resources for Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. There will also be numerous breakout sessions, a panel presentation, roundtables, and a plenary address. There will also be some breakout sessions in Spanish. 

Registration Information

Another Catechetical Conference

Our friends out in the West are hosting a virtual Catechetical Conference, Hope, Heal, Renew: Gratefully Rejoicing as the Body of Christ. The (Arch) dioceses of Boise, Fresno, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Monterey, Oakland, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Jose, and Stockton are teaming up for this third annual virtual conference which will be held November 3 - 5, 2022.  The fee is $25, but there are 3 free events on Thursday, November 3:

On Thursday afternoon the dynamic John Roberto and members of the leadership team for the new National Community of Catechetical Leaders are sponsoring (2) 75 minute sessions.

John Roberto: “Envisioning Diocesan Leadership for Today’s Church” (For all Diocesan Leaders in

Catechetical Ministry)

Dr. Kathie Amidei & Janet Schaeffler, OP: “Parish and Parents: Co-Partners in Faith Growth” (For all

Parish Catechetical Leaders and Catechists)

On Thursday evening, OCP is sponsoring a Family Friendly Concert: “Make Us One In Your Love/Únenos En TuAmor.” An evening with Anna Betancourt & Jaime Cortez

English Flyer

Spanish Flyer

Full Brochure

38th Annual DOSA Faith Formation Day

We opted for caution in postponing the 38th Annual Faith Formation Day until January 21. We plan on the same basic line up as well as the same schedule. As the email notifying you of the cancellation mentioned, you will automatically be reregistered for the new date if you registered for October 1, unless you replied that you needed a refund.

Our new location will be St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Orange Park.  We anticipate a few schedule changes.

We will be accepting new registrations starting in November. We plan to add a workshop or two since we had a few that we had to close as they were full.

Be on the lookout for information on our "book buy" that will occur at the Faith Formation Day, Sponsored by the Catholic Foundation in collaboration with our publishers.

Speaking of Dr. Joseph White...

While the NCPD has Dr. White at their conference in two weeks, the Catechetical Leaders will have him at

their bimonthly meeting on Tuesday, November 8. This gathering will be at St. Catherine of Siena in the Family Life Center starting at 10:00 am. He will be sponsored by Our Sunday Visitor and our representative Norma Rothschadl.

Dr. White's topic will be:

 Engaging Parents and Families in

Religious Education.

Remember, as we discussed at the September gathering we will have a "swap meet" with resources you are no longer able to use (like Vacation Bible School kits) to be exchanged, bartered for, or just plain gotten rid of.

RSVP

USCCB Bookstore having huge close out sale

They have now shut down all accounts. so the OCF will not receive any further discounts than you would if you ordered yourself.

There are some great bargains to be had for what I think will be a limited time:

Compendium on the Eucharist (24.95) now $7.49

Roman Missal Chapel Edition (115.00) now $23.00

Roman Missal Altar Edition (169.00) now $169.00

and there's more...

Link to the store

The national Eucharistic Revival Committee has published a "Leaders' Guide" for the Revival. It has practical suggestions for parish leadership. It is currently available in English but will be available Spanish. I provide it the link here and it will be posted to the diocesan Eucharistic Revival   Diocesan Page   

Please note that there are still issues with our diocesan page.

Leader's Guide (English)

Synodal Process Updates /Continental Phase

 The USCCB has published The National Synthesis of the People of God in the United States of America. The synthesis marks the completion of the Diocesan Phase of the 2021-2023 Synod: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission. On the link below, you can find this synthesis in English and Spanish. If you are curious to read about our regional report (we are Region XIV), there is a link for you to be able to do that as well.

 Synod 2021-2023 | USCCB

Talking Points National Synthesis

Highlights U.S. Synod

Synod Next Steps

For ourselves, the process of implementation of best practices will begin this fall.

FDLC Series on the OCIA

This twenty-part series enters its sixth session this week.  They are making tapes of the sessions available after the sessions. So far, nothing has been a surprise. The estimated timeframe is still in early 2023 for the promulgation, but that is still a guess. After this free series, they plan to put together kits for each diocese for local training and to also offer regional trainings.  

Session V Discernment in the Process of Christian Initiation Fr. Tom Ranzino and Sr. Donna Steffen, S.C.

Some practical tips

Ave Maria Press Professional Webinars

Our Faithful Departed: Loving Them After Death

Tue, Oct 11, 2022 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

When someone we love dies, it’s difficult to look beyond our grief to understand that they are still with us. Yet in the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, the Church the teaches that union between the living and the dead is “in no way interrupted” for those who abide in Christ.

In this webinar, University of Notre Dame theologian Leonard J. DeLorenzo will discuss what the Catholic Church teaches about death, heaven, and the communion of the living and the dead. He will guide us to help those we minister to live the truth that we are still in communion with our faithful departed

Go to this webinar

Faith-Sharing Groups: A Solution to Combat Loneliness and Isolation

Tue, Oct 25, 2022 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

The last two years of the Covid crisis revealed a pandemic of loneliness. More than ever people are isolated from one another. As a Church, we are well positioned to solve this problem. We are all about connecting people and creating healthy communities. Small faith-sharing groups especially alleviate loneliness, create healthy community in a parish, and are vital for people to grow in relationship with Christ.

In this webinar, Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran, bestselling authors of Rebuilt, will guide you to know the purpose behind small groups, receive a few key tips to get groups started, and discover how to grow groups in your parish.

Go to this webinar

The Digital Culture is Here to Stay: How Can Parish Leaders Best Use Technology to Serve

Tue, Nov 1, 2022 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

Join spiritual director, writer, and speaker Deanna Bartalini for a presentation on how to use digital tools and social media platforms to our advantage in spreading the Gospel message. She will help us envision how we can use technology to engage, develop, and strengthen both online and in-person communities.

Go to this webinar