News

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

---

Open enrollment for diocesan group insurance plan begins Nov. 1

Open enrollment for employees in the diocesan group insurance plan begins Nov. 1. Pastors, administrators, bookkeepers and principals have received a schedule of the open enrollment meetings and should pass this information to all staff immediately, if you haven’t already done so.

Employees are encouraged to attend the meetings, but attendance is not mandatory. If you are satisfied with your current group insurance elections, you do not have to do anything for them to remain the same for calendar year 2022. However, if you wish to participate in the FSA (Flexible Spending Account) or Dependent FSA, you must make a new election each year. If your family status changes outside of open enrollment — marriage, divorce or a new dependent (even if you already have dependent coverage — please contact Gala Wolfmeier.

To make changes or review your plan, please call BenManage at 1-877-338-6311 between Nov. 1 – 19. Their hours of operation are listed in your Enrollment Guide. Or log in at https://www.aflacatwork.com/DioceseJC.

---

Official Catholic Directory update portal now open

Parishes and other entities listed in the Official Catholic Directory should have received a notification email from @nrpdirect.com to request updates to your information for the 2022 edition of the Official Catholic Directory. If you are listed in the OCD, but did not receive an email, please check your spam/junk folder as you may need to add the domain to your “safe senders” list.

Please also note that the Official Catholic Directory updating system is optimized for Google Chrome. Wherever possible, use a Google Chrome browser for this project. All parishes/entities will need to login and register – go to ocdedits.com/login, and click the “Registration” button, then follow the registration process.

Finally, a gentle reminder not to add groups, activities, or cemeteries as sub-organization.

The deadline for submissions is Nov. 22. Please contact Bernadette Adams at badams@diojeffcity.org or 573-635-9127, x236 if you have questions or concerns.

---

Only three slots open for Totus Tuus parish registration!

There’s only three openings left if you are considering bringing Totus Tuus to your parish this year! The total cost to host a Totus Tuus Team is $2,000 for the six-day program, for a maximum of 80 children. Please register at https://diojeffcity.org/parish-registration-for-totus-tuus-2022/ and pay your deposit as soon as possible. Dates will not be finalized until both the form and deposit are in. The deadline for deposits is Feb 1, 2022, but parishes are highly encouraged to submit it prior to then. Final payment is due by May 1, 2022. Please contact Maureen Quinn with any questions.

---

St. Andrew 50+ Club

For health and social distancing reasons, St. Andrew 50+ Club in Holts Summit did not host our annual dinner for diocesan priests in 2021. We honored all of the priests with a Mass celebrated on Oct, 1. We held a drawing for the gift basket and Father James Finder was the winner. 

---

Participation in Rite of Election

The Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion will be March 6, 2022, at 3 pm. Catechumenate coordinators are asked to complete this form by Dec. 10, 2021, to allow adequate planning. For more information, please contact Kris Hartman.

---

New Marriage preparation facilitator training Nov. 13

Priests, deacons, Parish Life Coordinators (PLCs) and lay marriage preparation facilitators who have not been trained for the new diocesan marriage preparation process can attend a one day training on Nov. 13. Trainings are available in English and Spanish. Although the Zoom option for these trainings will be available, we kindly ask participants to attend in person. Snacks and lunch will be provided.

Priests and PLCs who have not been able to attend a training can register for one of the trainings for lay facilitators or for a recorded video training for priests and PLCs only. The latter option is a brief version (three hours). If you select the latter option, you will receive a link with a recorded video training and the instructions you need to become a certified Prepare/Enrich (P/E) facilitator. You need to be certified by P/E in order to be able to use the P/E assessment in your parish.

All the resources to implement our marriage preparation policy are now available on the marriage preparation webpage. The material is available through password-protected links at diojeffcity.org/marriage-preparation. If you are involved in marriage preparation and have not received an email with instructions on how to access the material, please email Jamie at faithformation@diojeffcity.org.

For more information, please contact Jamie at faithformation@diojeffcity.org. Our Engaged Encounter weekends and Pre-Cana conferences are postponed until 2022. Please refer to the Marriage Preparation Programs & Resources document for other options to fulfill the requirement for Component II.

---

Share in bulletins, emails, social media, and websites

Bishop McKnight’s prayer intention for the diocese

---

Blessing of Music Ministers – Feast of St. Cecilia

All music ministers of the diocese are invited to gather at the Cathedral of St. Joseph on Nov. 22, 7-9 pm, for a prayer service, blessing, and a reception, organized by the diocesan chapter of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM). Social distancing and masks are encouraged.

---

CORRECTION

The St. John’s Altar Society Hunter’s Breakfast, in Pettis County, is happening Nov. 13. The date was in error in the Oct. 29 issue of The Catholic Missourian. See more details here.

---

• 

• 

• 

---

---

---

Employment opportunities

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

---

St. Thomas More Newman Center Parish in Columbia is accepting applications for a full-time Director of Adult Faith Formation to serve a diverse parish community on the campus of the University of Missouri. This position reports directly to the pastor and serves with a team of faith formation ministers including the RCIA director, middle school/high school youth minister, and director of grade school religious education, as well as with college campus ministry. This position is responsible for the faith formation of adults in the Catholic tradition. For a full job description, visit https://www.comonewman.org/job-openings/ or contact Father Dan Merz, pastor, at frdan@comonewman.org

St. Thomas More Newman Center Parish, serving the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou) and two other colleges is accepting applications for the Assistant Director of Campus Ministry. The Assistant Director reports directly to the Director of Campus Ministry and serves with a team of priests, two other professional campus ministry staff, FOCUS missionaries, and student interns. The Assistant Director for Campus Ministry has a primary emphasis in ministries related to new student outreach, retreats, spirituality, service, and communications. An excellent candidate will live the Catholic faith in his/her daily life, balance a Catholic theological background with pastoral skills, and have strong communication, organization, and planning skills. For more information, visit https://www.comonewman.org/job-openings/.

---

The president and CEO of The National Shrine of Mary, Mother of the Church, is responsible for the overall management and growth of the Shrine to ensure that it has the facilities, administration, spiritual programs, and financial means to carry out its mission for future generations. The Shrine seeks a highly motivated, entrepreneurial leader who can lead the growth and operations of the Shrine to become a world class pilgrimage site. The right leader is an experienced and proven executive who can build a team and work with the Board of Directors and staff to establish and execute long-range goals and strategies. This person will be the face of the organization. This full-time permanent position is for immediate hire at The Lake of the Ozarks, Laurie, Missouri. A full description is available online.

---

The Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) is seeking a communications director. MCC is the public policy agency of the Catholic Church in Missouri. The MCC is actively involved in all levels of government, especially state and federal issues. The MCC promotes the common good by advocating for public policy that upholds the sanctity and dignity of all human life. The MCC communications director oversees the conference’s various methods of communications, including designing its publications: a weekly email newsletter, two printed publications (one quarterly, one bimonthly), and producing the podcast, MCC from the Capitol. He or she is also responsible for managing the MCC’s social media accounts, website, writing and photography needs. This position is best suited for a creative thinker interested in promoting the mission of the MCC in an engaging, thoughtful manner. The ideal candidate is familiar with/or open to learning Facebook, Twitter, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Google Business Suite, and Audacity. Please contact mocatholic@mocatholic.org or communications@mocatholic.org with further inquiries.

---

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

---