News
15 February 2021
Links to more information are available by clicking on words highlighted in blue.
Bishop’s messages
Diocesan pastoral plan and pastoral letter
Our diocesan plan and my pastoral letter introducing it were signed by me before a group of college students at St. Thomas More Newman Center on Feb. 6, the third anniversary of my ordination and installation as bishop of Jefferson City. This week you can anticipate seeing the letter and plan on our website, in English and Spanish, and in the Feb. 19 issue of The Catholic Missourian. Please join me in praying and working so that the plan brings great fruit for our diocese!
Rite of Election
The Rite of Election will take place on the First Sunday of Lent, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m., but it will be restricted to catechumens and candidates, their sponsors, and the parish RCIA coordinator to allow for social distancing in the Cathedral of St. Joseph. Please join us online by our diocesan Facebook channel, facebook.com/diojeffcity, or at https://vimeo.com/510406034.
Please use the above text or graphic to encourage all to join us virtually.
Lenten admonitions
As another Lenten journey of conversion begins with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 17, and ends with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, April 1, all Catholics are called to a deeper spirit of penance, fasting, almsgiving and prayer, “which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others” (Catechism of the Catholic Church Nos. 1434 and 1969). Let us especially pray for our catechumens and candidates who are preparing for their initiation this Easter. The Lenten regulations and admonitions of the Church, which include important revisions to address concerns regarding the pandemic, are available on our website at this link.
For parishes enrolled in the diocesan Parish Website Project via Blackbaud, displaying the 2021 Lenten Regulations on your parish website is easy! If you previously displayed the 2020 regulations, you’ll notice that they have automatically updated to the 2021 regulations. If you would like to include the regulations on a page for the first time, simply launch your Blackbaud Builder, select the “Distributed Content” module and drag-and-drop it onto your desired page. Then, select “Lenten Regulations, 2021” from the list and publish your work. Most of our parishes keep a “Lent” page with this module, which they move into the navigation bar during Lent. This method allows the content to automatically update again next year with the 2022 regulations! For help on this or any other website topic, please contact Ashley Wiskirchen at awiskirchen@diojeffcity.org.
The Liturgical Commission is asking each parish to complete a Survey of Musical Information in order to have updated and accurate information on our inventory and needs for musical instruments in the diocese. We appreciate your attention to this matter by March 16.
Prescribed collections for 2022 – and more
Prescribed collections for 2022 and 2021 are available on a new page on our diocesan website, which includes current polices and procedures. You are encouraged to bookmark this page if you reference diocesan polices and procedures on a regular basis.
Training for new marriage preparation policies
Priests and deacons are encouraged to register for their training regarding the diocesan Marriage Preparation Policy which will be mandatory July 1, 2021. If you did not receive an email with the online registration instructions, please contact Jamie Schulte at faithformation@diojeffcity.org. Deadline for registration is March 21.
Priests responsible for preparing engaged couples should invite married couples and qualified lay individuals to become Marriage Preparation Facilitators. The attached document includes criteria for the facilitators and details on the required training. Pastors can choose to either encourage lay people to register for the training by giving them the link, or registering the individuals themselves. Again, deadline for registration is March 21.
Catholic Missourian subscriptions
As a reminder, parishes are no longer charged for subscriptions to the Catholic Missourian. Staff are encouraged to send any updates of new parishioners, address changes, marriages, divorces, deaths, etc., as they receive these by using this online form. This includes new families in your Catholic school! Please consider bookmarking this form on your desktop and including this in your workflow when you receive updates on your parishioners! If you have any questions, please contact Denise Barnes.
Parishes are encouraged to pray the Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for Protection from the Coronavirus at the end of each Mass.
Abiding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, the use of face masks upon entering the church, during the celebration of Mass except when in place in the pew, during the Communion procession, and upon leaving the church is required. If social distancing cannot be maintained in the pew, then the wearing of face masks is obligatory even in the pew. For more resources, visit https://diojeffcity.org/public-health/.
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Reflections from Within
The Women’s Ministry of Jefferson City was established to help the women of our diocese connect with each other so that we can support each other in our spiritual journeys. We find inspiration and comfort in praying with each other, in talking with each other, and in sharing the stories of our faith journeys. Some of the women of our diocese have shared their stories in podcasts. These stories (diojeffcity.org/womens-ministry/reflections-from-within/) are from ordinary women doing the best they can to serve their families, their parishes, their communities and, above all, their God. Their experiences tell our story, too, about times of sorrow, challenges, hope, faith, love and joy. Each week, there will be a new podcast on this website. Let us go to our favorite resting places with our favorite beverages and spend some time with our sisters in Christ by listening to these podcasts.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
With our new safe environment policies effective Nov. 1, we have developed 12 graphics and a flyer of public service announcements parishes can use in bulletins, mailings and social media to explain the new policies. There is also a tutorial to help people understand how to register in the program. The new policies include new categories for volunteers and training for everyone is emphasized. It is important we provide information to parishioners so they can be engaged in keeping our children safe.
You will find all of these resources at diojeffcity.org/safe-environment. Also the direct links for the graphics are: one column bulletin | two column bulletin | social media. You are encouraged to rotate these, using a new one each month. Please contact Connie Schepers if you have questions or need other resources.
Cursillistas!
We are having a Zoom Grand Reunion Ultreya! Speakers will be Deacon Bill Siebert and Father Joe Corel. The invitation with the Zoom link is coming to all cursillistas via email, in our February newsletter and is also posted on the diocese website (https://diojeffcity.org/cursillo/).
If you are not getting emails from the Diocese Cursillo Movement, please contact Paula at jeffcity.diocese.cursillo@gmail.com to get your contact information updated! Not sure about Zoom? Contact Marcia Doll at dollmkc@gmail.com.
40 Days for Life begins on Ash Wednesday
Shawn Carney, president/CEO of 40 Days for Life, will be the guest speaker at the opening rally of the 24th prayer vigil in front of Columbia Planned Parenthood. At 4pm on Ash Wednesday, Carney will address the attendees as we celebrate the opening rally and two years of “abortion facility free” in our diocese. Carney will address the Missouri Miracle in that a total of 39 babies were aborted in 2020, down from a high of more than 11,000 12 years ago. So far no babies have been aborted in Missouri this year — keep praying! For more information, contact Kathy Forck at 573-821-5130, or visit www.40daysforlife.com/columbiamo.
Scholarships available
Applications for the 2021-2022 Simon Scholarship are being accepted through March 31, 2021. Applications can be acquired through the pastor or parish life collaborator or may be downloaded at diojeffcity.org/scholarship.
Hear Bishop McKnight discuss vaccines in the latest issue!
MCC from the Capitol is a podcast produced by the Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC). In each episode of this podcast, host Tyler McClay, Executive Director of the MCC, will dive deeper into public policy issues from a Catholic perspective. Leaders and experts in different areas of policy and/or church teaching will join the show as guests. Previous episodes have covered the topics of religious liberty, pro-life issues, race, civility, immigration and more. Episodes are available for download on their website, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. We hope you enjoy listening to MCC from the Capitol! Please share your favorite episodes with family and friends.
Employment opportunities
The Diocese of Jefferson City is seeking a maintenance worker for its Chancery building, located at 2207 West Main St, Jefferson City. The successful candidate will have at least five years of custodial experience, experience with grounds maintenance, electrical and plumbing repair, hardware, painting, and building maintenance. For more information, visit diojeffcity.org/employment.
Two administrative assistant positions are available at the Chancery and there are several openings in our Catholic schools. Please promote these openings.
The Diocese of Jefferson City is seeking a Director of Religious Education and Youth/Young Adult Ministry administer the curriculum approval process within the Diocese of Jefferson City for parish based religious education. He/she will provide direct support for and development of parish-based young adult leaders and youth ministers in the outreach, evangelization, faith formation and pastoral care of their youth. For more information, visit diojeffcity.org/employment.