December 1, 2025

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December 1, 2025

Safe Environment

Diocese's Safe Environment Policy

As parishes and schools start planning their Advent and Christmas events, please remember that all volunteers whose duties include contact with minors must be fully compliant with the safe environment requirements of paragraph 1.2 of the Diocese’s Safe Environment Policy. Prior to volunteering, these volunteers must:  Complete a VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children workshop on line or in person; AND Agree to a national background screening that evaluates any history related to criminal charges, and agree to automatic rescreening every three months; AND Read and consent to the Code of Pastoral Conduct. And, yes, these requirements apply to those volunteers portraying St Nicholas and/or Santa Claus.
Paragraph 1.2.1 of the policy requires all the K-8 Catholic school parents and guardians be compliant with the requirements of paragraph 1.2. Paragraph 2.2.1 of the policy requires that employees and volunteers under the age of 18, or 18 and still in high school, must read and sign the Code of Ethical Conduct for Minors Volunteering or Working with Younger Children. The parents or guardians must also sign this form. They must also attest that the young person has nothing in his or her history that would render them not suitable to work with or near minors.

You can find this code and the form at: chromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://diojeffcity.org/wp content/uploads/2020/11/Code-of-Conduct-For-Minors.pdf

You can find the entire Safe Environment Policy at: chrome extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://diojeffcity.org/wp content/uploads/2023/01/Safe-Environment-Policy-English-revised-2022.pdf

If you have any questions,contact Regina E. Quinn Director of Safe Environment, at safeenvironment@diojeffcity , or (573-635-9127, ext. 240.

UPCOMING EVENTS & HIGHLIGHTS

2026 Diocesan Marriage Retreat

Registration is now open for the 2026 Diocesan Marriage Retreat! Join us March 13-14, 2026 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph. The retreat will be led by two inspiring couples from the Marianist Retreat Center. Childcare will be available.

Attendees can expect three delicious meals, inspiring talks, engaging prayer experiences, and quality reflection time (reflection can be done as a couple or in small groups).

Click here for more information and registration.

If you have questions, please contact Julie Gramlich at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, julie.g@cathedraljc.org, or Mary Madelyn Mertes with the Office of Marriage Ministries, mmertes@diojeffcity.org.

Advent - Christmas Preparation Aid

FDLC LITURGICAL PREPARATION AID ONLINE

Advent-Christmas preparation aid has been posted online.  Among other resources and guides, it includes a full presider’s text for the Reconciling of Several Penitents with Individual Confession and Absolution.

https://fdlc.org/2025/11/2025-advent-christmas-liturgical-preparation-aid/    The Spanish version should be live by Saturday.

 

 

Celebrate the true “reason for the season” at Nativity at the Capitol on December 2, 2025, from 11:00 AM.–3:00 p.m. Enjoy Nativity displays and live music in the Capitol Rotunda and on the South Lawn. (Weather date: December 14.) For details, call 573-619-6322.

Way of the Star: An Advent Night of Worship and Encounter

Join us at St. Joseph Cathedral on Dec 8th for a one-of-a-kind prayer experience for all ages! The Vigil Project will be leading us through "The Way of the Star", a prayer experience that uses music and art to walk through the emotions of Mary leading up to the birth of Jesus. This event will take place after the 5:30 PM Immaculate Conception Mass at the Cathedral. Come and pray with us!

Women's Ministry Newsletter

Take a look at our first newsletter of the liturgical year! It includes new details about January's Ministry on the Move events, as well as December's prayer and book of the month, and more!
 
 
 

Book Sale: Bishop Barron’s “Understanding the Nicene Creed”

We Believe -Understanding the Nicene Creed by Bishop Robert Barron. This book draws on Sacred Scripture, Church teachings and the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition. It unfolds the essentials of the Catholic faith with conviction and clarity.

The Cathedral parish has 80 We Believe books left for sale $2 each. Please contact Julie Gramlich  julie.g@cathedraljc.org   if interested.

Parish Secretaries' Workshop — Wednesday, December 3

Parish Secretaries' Workshop - December 3, 2025

The Office of the Chancellor will host the quarterly Parish Secretaries’ Workshop on Wednesday, December 3rd, beginning at 10:00am and concluding no later than 12:00pm. Pastors, Administrators, and PLC’s are always welcome to attend! 

Please use this link to attend via Zoom.

All of the sessions will be recorded and available on the diocesan website for future viewing.

Giving Tuesday

Through our Transportation Program, we provide safe and reliable rides to and from medical and legal appointments for community members in need.

This #iGiveCatholic Giving Tuesday, we invite you to support our transportation program.

Thank you!

 
Tomorrow, December 2, marks a special opportunity to unite in generosity and support the ministries that bring hope to our neighbors. Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri serves neighbors across all 38 counties of the Diocese of Jefferson City through programs such as the client-choice Food Pantry, Predatory Loan Relief Program, social-emotional support services, Family Immigration Services, and more.
Your Giving Tuesday contribution helps continue this vital work of compassion and hope.
 
If you’re unable to give financially, you can still make a meaningful impact. Volunteers play a key role in extending Christ’s love and care to those we serve.
Explore volunteer opportunities: https://cccnmo.diojeffcity.org/volunteer/
Thank you for helping us share hope this Giving Tuesday!
Please let me know if you have any questions or need any more information. 

Attention Cursillistas:

Our next School of Leaders gathering will be on Saturday, December 6, in Flanagan Hall at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Columbia, MO. A social gathering with snacks will begin at 8:45 AM, right after the 8 AM Mass, with the program beginning at 9:10 AM. We plan to start with Leaders Grouping, followed by presentations by John Keener of Columbia on the "Cursillo Pastoral Plan" and Mark Register from Sedalia on “Cursillo and Christ vs Cursillo or Christ.” Both presentations are expected to be very informative and inspirational.

We will conclude with section work on Pre, 3 day, and Post Cursillo, followed by a short visit to Blessed Sacrament at 11 AM.

We hope you can join for this fun-filled morning with fellow Cursillistas as we strive to grow closer to Christ and eager to do His work.

**De Colores! Calling All Cursillistas**

All cursillistas are invited to attend the first English Ultreya hosted by St. Vincent de Paul’s English Cursillo community. We will meet on Sunday, December 7th, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the Parish Center at Sacred Heart Chapel. Join us to connect with other cursillistas in our community, regardless of when or where you made your weekend!

The Parish Center is located at 421 W. 3rd St. in Sedalia, immediately south of the Sacred Heart Chapel on Moniteau Street. Hope to see you there!

¿Está listo para dar el siguiente paso en el conocimiento de tu fe católica?

Te invitamos a ser parte del programa de Formación Diocesana-Parroquial para Ministros y Laicos el cual te ayudará a profundizar el conocimiento tu fe católica, a crecer espiritualmente y a fortalecer tu ministerio y servicio en tu comunidad parroquial.

¡No dejes pasar esta oportunidad de formarte para continuar ofreciendo tus dones y talentos con un espíritu renovado! ¡Los cupos son limitados! ¡No esperes más!

Inscríbete en línea en el siguiente enlace: https://diojeffcity.org/programas-de-formacion/

Catholic Charities Community Needs Assessment

CCCNMO's 2025 Community Needs Assessment is now open. This is our most important tool for listening—truly listening—to the hopes, challenges, and needs of individuals and families across central and northern Missouri. The stories and data gathered will comprise the foundation of our strategic work for the next three years.
 
To fully understand our community's needs, we want to hear directly from you—and we need your help to ensure we reach every corner of our diocese. 
  • Share Your Wisdom: Please begin by taking the assessment yourself. Your contribution is invaluable. Take just 10 minutes to complete it today. 
  • Extend the Invitation: Then, please share the assessment link with your networks—parishes, community partners, neighbors, and friends. The more voices we hear, the better we can serve. See below for the links to the Community Needs Assessment, one in English and one in Spanish:
 
 
Every single shared and completed survey helps us see our community more clearly and identify gaps where people fall through, so we can build bridges of hope. 
 
Thank you for helping us advance our mission and better serve those in need!

Share Your Harvest

Give back with your harvest! Catholic Charities is proud to partner with the Missouri Conservation Department and the Conservation Federation of Missouri through the Share The Harvest program, helping put donated venison on the tables of Missourians in need.
To donate, take your deer to our designated processor:
Tim Scheulen Processing LLC
1968 County Rd 602, Loose Creek, MO 
573-680-5607
To learn more about Share The Harvest program, visit https://confedmo.org/share-the-harvest/.     

Jubilee resources

Discovering God's hope during a Year of Jubilee

This holy year invites the faithful to embrace the spirit of hope. As we embark on this year of Jubilee, there will be numerous opportunities to experience grace, including by participating in special Jubilee Masses or joining a pilgrimage.

There are several new materials available to parishes, including branded assets, promotional materials, a pilgrimage passport and other handouts for parishioners. Please help us promote these unique opportunities throughout the year!

We encourage you to get started with our parish guide to the 2025 Jubilee Year. This guide includes information on how you can get involved as a parish, what resources are available, and ideas for creating Jubilee events at your parish. 

This folder will be updated with resources throughout the year. Please continue to check the Monday Morning Memo for new updates!

Stay up to date with the latest information about the Jubilee by visiting: https://diojeffcity.org/jubilee-year/

The Catholic Missourian

The Catholic Missourian is available online and is free to all registered parishioners. You can access the latest issue at this link Catholic Missourian online.

If you would like to sign up to receive The Catholic Missourian, you may use this subscription link  or visit the Diocese of Jefferson City website and navigate to the Communications section using the Contact Info link.

If you are having issues receiving The Catholic Missourian, or need to update your mailing address, please contact the Chancery for assistance.

Monday Morning Memo and Event Submissions

Please send your submissions to toswald@diojeffcity.org by noon on Thursday to be included in the following Monday's memo.

If you would like to have an event featured in the "Events" section of the Monday Morning Memo and added to the Diocesan calendar, please use this link https://diojeffcity.org/event-listing/ . The event link can also be found on the Communications page of the diocesan website.

Let us Pray

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle...

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

 

Note: the following lists populate events for the current week. To view all upcoming events, please click "View all events on our diocesan calendar" below.

Events

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Señora de Guadalupe): Novena and Feast Day Celebration (Sedalia)

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December 3 - December 12

Community Vocation Prayer Hour and Mass (Jefferson City)

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December 9 @ 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm CST

Way of Lights Display (Belleville, IL)

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December 9 @ 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm CST

Festival of Lights (Laurie)

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December 9 @ 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm CST

St. Martin Four Night Parish Mission (Jefferson City)

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December 9 @ 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm CST

Way of Lights Display (Belleville, IL)

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December 10 @ 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm CST

Festival of Lights (Laurie)

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December 10 @ 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm CST

St. Martin Four Night Parish Mission (Jefferson City)

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December 10 @ 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm CST

Way of Lights Display (Belleville, IL)

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December 11 @ 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm CST

Festival of Lights (Laurie)

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December 11 @ 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm CST
Crucifix, Bible

Centering Prayer (Jefferson City)

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December 12 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm CST

Encountering Christ Retreat (Conception)

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December 12 @ 3:00 pm - December 14 @ 12:00 pm CST

Way of Lights Display (Belleville, IL)

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December 12 @ 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm CST

Festival of Lights (Laurie)

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December 12 @ 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm CST

Way of Lights Display (Belleville, IL)

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December 13 @ 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm CST

Festival of Lights (Laurie)

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December 13 @ 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm CST

K of C Breakfast to benefit Special Olympics Mid-MO (Jefferson City)

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December 14 @ 8:00 am - 12:00 pm CST

Advent Concert (Jefferson City)

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December 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm CST

Way of Lights Display (Belleville, IL)

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December 14 @ 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm CST

Festival of Lights (Laurie)

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December 14 @ 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm CST

Eventos en Español

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Señora de Guadalupe): Novena and Feast Day Celebration (Sedalia)

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December 3 - December 12

Las Posadas en la Escuela de Sagrado Corazón (Sedalia)

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December 15 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm CST

Encuentro y Posada Diocesanos (Jefferson city)

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December 20 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm CST

Employment Opportunities

Secretary, St. Andrew School in Tipton, MO

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St. Peter School, Jefferson City: Assistant Cook

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Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri: Community Engagement Coordinator (Jefferson City)

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Safe Environment Coordinator: Diocese of Jefferson City

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Sacred Heart School in Sedalia

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Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri has an opening for an Office Manager

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Career Opportunity at Newman Parish

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Math Teacher; Fr. Tolton Catholic High School (Columbia)

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Early Childhood Center Staff; Immaculate Heart of Mary Child Development Center (Jefferson City)

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3rd Grade Teacher; St. Mary School (Glasgow)

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