News

28 June 2021

June 28, 2021 |

Links to more information are available by clicking on words highlighted in blue or the gold buttons. Click on to open our folder with all graphics for use in parish print or digital resources.

Bishop’s messages

Statement on communion

My reflection on the USCCB’s anticipated document on Eucharistic consistency was published in Friday’s The Catholic Missourian. You can also find it on our website. As we bishops continue our discernment about what message is needed now about the Eucharist, I ask for your prayers that the virtues of charity and patience of St. Joseph may be ours, as well.

Important update: Marriage preparation process

Our new marriage preparation process is effective July 1. However, it is not expected that everyone must switch from what they were doing to this process on July 1. 

We recommend the following steps: Check out the marriage preparation resources on our website the first week of July. Familiarize yourself with them, as well as with the other materials you received in your training. Then, meet with everyone involved in marriage preparation in your parish (the clergy and facilitators) to determine how you are going to work together. This might take some time but it is important. 

Remember many priests and deacons have received new assignments and are moving to other parishes. Therefore, pastors, priests, and parish life collaborators should use prudential judgement and common sense regarding the transition time for the implementation of this new process in your parish. Do not hesitate to continue doing what you have been doing until you feel comfortable with the new process. 

As noted in your training, everything you need will be in the ‘Marriage Preparation’ page under ‘Marriage Preparation Facilitator Resources’ on our diocesan website. Due to unexpected delays, which are not in our hands, most of what you need will be there on July 1. Everything else should be there in the middle of July. 

Finally, if you are a priest or deacon who has not been trained, or if you are a priest who has lay facilitators to be trained, send their names and email address to Jamie at faithformation@diojeffcity.org. We will be offering more trainings in the near future. 

This is a learning experience and time of transition for everyone. Let’s do our best and keep each other in prayer. 

Diocesan Mission Collection July 17-18

The weekend of July 17-18 is our annual Diocesan Mission Collection.  We currently have 15 priests serving in our diocese from countries in Africa and India.  Each year, we take up a collection to support the mission office.  The funds from the collection are used, in part, to help the dioceses that make a sacrifice by sharing their priest with our diocese. Other funds are used to support special projects in Latin America and the Philippines. Promotional graphics and Bishop McKnight’s letter (both English and Spanish) are available for download by the link below (click on the button and then click on the folder labeled Mission Collection 2021)

Videos for ongoing formation/education/training

You can find the following presentations from the June 15 webinar for parish secretaries at https://diojeffcity.org/policies-procedures-and-best-practices/ (along with documents of our policies and procedures and other video presentations), or just click on the links below:

  1. Record Preservation: Vice Chancellor Bernadette Adams reviews the timeline for keeping financial records, minutes of parish council meetings and other important records.
  2. Safe Environment: Chancellor Connie Schepers provides important updates regarding the diocesan safe environment policies and protocols.
  3. Recording Marriage Dispensations: Terry Vignola of the Tribunal explains recording marriage papers and protocol numbers in sacramental registers and the particular dispensations.

If you are a deacon, a pastoral musician, involved in parish communication or just interested in any of these, consider checking out three new video series available on our website (see links below) and on our Vimeo channel (https://vimeo.com/diojeffcity). All of these presentations are by priests and staff from our diocese and can be shared in your parish.

Bishops Committee on Divine Worship June 2021 newsletter

Nominees being sought for Diocesan Women’s Council

Throughout Scripture, we see how God placed women together in relationships to encourage one another and find a place of retreat. Just as God sent Mary to Elizabeth and Ruth to Naomi, He continues to place women together for mutual support, accountability, and friendship. We especially know that Christ-centered friendships are vital to our growth and endurance as Christians.

The Office of Women’s Ministry is in the process of forming a Women’s Ministry Council. This is not to be confused with the National Council of Catholic Women, but instead this will be a stand-alone Diocese of Jefferson City Women’s Council. In each of the five deaneries, women will come together two times a year. With a very organized agenda, we will discuss our hopes, vision and goals for the ministry. Our women representatives will help guide, direct and implement women’s ministry activities, programs and events within their respective parishes and deaneries.

As we become organized, we will focus our goals into an action plan which includes networking and sharing resources for women’s ministries. Each parish has an opportunity to be represented on the council by two women parishioners.

In particular, we need Spirit-led women who are strong in their Catholic faith, who have gifts of organization and hospitality and who will encourage other women to use the gifts God has given them to serve others. If you are interested in serving as a representative from your parish, please contact LeAnn Korsmeyer, director of Parish and Charitable Services, at lkorsmeyer@diojeffcity.org or 573-636-9127, ext. 222. A recommendation letter from your pastor is required to serve on the board.

Free VBS program

Looking for Vacation Bible School or summer program material? Church of the Risen Savior in Rhineland has material from Cokesbury’s To Mars and Beyond program. Available for free or a donation to the parish are the starter set, some t-shirts, Iron-on transfers, posters, decorations. All you need is crafts! Please contact Brenda Van Booven by email, 573-236-4390 or 314-223-5911.

Share in bulletins, emails, social media, and websites

Our Lady of the Lake Parish’s Outreach to Divorced Catholics is hosting an informal question-and-answer session on July 6, 6-7 pm, about the Divorced Catholic Support Group which is forming. It is specifically designed to help divorced Catholics by offering support in recovering from divorce and addressing the most pressing challenges of divorce. The meeting will be in Bestgen Hall at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 2411 Bagnell Dam Blvd. in Lake Ozark. Come see what it’s all about! Call the church office for more information at 573.365.2241 or visit ourladylake.diojeffcity.org/outreach-to-divorced-catholics/.

Breaking the Silence of Abuse

As a diocese, we are committed to breaking the silence of abuse. When someone is reporting abuse, we must acknowledge their pain and how difficult it is to talk about it. False allegations are very rare. Our initial response to someone who is disclosing abuse for the first time must be compassionate. For those who need to report abuse, encourage them to contact our Victims Assistance Coordinator, Jacqueline Baldwin, (573-694-3199) and to make use of the appropriate State of Missouri hotline or the Attorney General’s clergy abuse online form. All of this information is also on our website, under the ‘report abuse’ tab. For those who want information, or want you to convey a message to Bishop McKnight, please encourage them to write us at reportabuse@diojeffcity.org. Assure them every submission is read.

NOTE FOR parish communications personnel: More graphics which promote how people can access our safe environment resources are available via the following links:

ENGLISH: 1 Column Ads | 2 Column Ads and 12 social media graphics

Bishop’s prayer intentions
July

Employment opportunities

St. Thomas More Newman Center, Columbia, is hiring a Development Director. Established in 1963, Newman is a vibrant Catholic parish located adjacent to the University of Missouri (MU) campus. Newman serves 850 resident parishioner households with a full range of faith formation programs including a highly active campus ministry program that serves approximately 1,000 students at MU, Stephens College and Columbia College, all located in Columbia, Missouri.  The parish is looking for someone who is cheerful, enthusiastic, energetic, self-motivated, confident in their ability to ask for financial support and close philanthropic gifts, with a passion for building and maintaining strong relationships with both student and resident parishioners that will bear fruit in the form of philanthropic gifts to Newman. For more information visit www.comonewman.org.

The Chancery has an opening for a part-time Wellness Case Coordinator. The Wellness Case Coordinator serves as an advocate for priests and deacons within the Diocese of Jefferson City. This individual is responsible for educating priests and permanent deacons so that they can take care of their own health, and if needed, can act as an advocate and liaison between the priest/deacon and their medical provider(s). This is a part-time, virtual position with some travel within the diocese. The ideal candidate will be a RN, LPN or Nurse Case Manager with a Missouri state nursing license, or a social worker with healthcare experience. Candidates are encouraged to send a letter of interest and resume to HRDir@diojeffcity.org.

Helias Catholic High School is seeking an art instructor for the 2021-2022 school year. This individual will join a dynamic and Christ-centered team in forming “a community of saints and scholars for Christ.” The art instructor will plan and implement lessons for students in ninth through 12th grades. A successful candidate is a practicing Catholic in good standing who can minister to students regardless of subject area or a teacher who, consistent with the Mission of Helias Catholic High School, promotes and teaches the Catholic faith as reasonably determined by the principal. Applicants should hold the appropriate Missouri teaching certification or its equivalent. All interested persons should complete the application on the Jefferson City Diocesan website at: https://diojeffcity.org/blog/2019/06/17/employment-in-our-catholic-schools/ and contact the incoming Principal, Spencer Allen at sallen@heliascatholic.com.

St. Peter Catholic Church in Jefferson City is seeking an Organist/Director of Music and Liturgy. The primary functions of the Organist and Director of Music are to assure, direct and facilitate the continuous quality of the music ministry and to assist the Pastor in directing the liturgical functions at St. Peter Parish. For a detailed description please go to www.saintpeterjc.org/employment

Our Catholic schools are hiring! Go to diojeffcity.org/employment-in-our-catholic-schools/ to learn more!