February 9, 2026
February 9, 2026
Message from Bishop O’Donnell – Holy Hour for Peace
“As a step toward healing and hope rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I invite the
faithful of the Diocese of Jefferson City to join me for a Holy Hour for Peace at our
mother church, the Cathedral of St. Joseph. Together, united before the Lord in the
Eucharist, we will pray for reconciliation where there is division, for justice where human
dignity has been diminished, and for consolation for all burdened by fear, loss, or uncertainty.
The message of the Gospel compels us to be peacemakers—to reflect the mercy of
Christ and to entrust our hearts to his Sacred Heart. I encourage our priests and parish
communities across the diocese to join in this effort by offering times of adoration and
prayer for peace in their own parishes and chapels.
May this Holy Hour strengthen our faith in God’s providence and renew our commitment
to live as witnesses to the truth and charity of the Gospel. With confidence that our Lord
hears the cry of his people, let us come together in prayer, asking him to make us
instruments of his peace and heralds of healing for our Church, our communities, and
our world.” - Bishop Ralph B. O’Donnell
Holy Hour for Peace
All are welcome
February 21, 2026
12- 1 pm
Cathedral of St. Joseph
Celebrant: Bishop Ralph B. O’Donnell
Holy Hour for Peace
Lenten Regulations
2026 Lenten Regulations and Admonitions
As another Lenten journey of conversion begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026 and ends with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, April 3, 2026, the Catholic Church calls all Catholics 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).
To foster a greater spirit of penance, reparation for sin, to encourage self-denial, which guide us more closely in the footsteps of Christ, the Church reminds us of the following obligations of fast and abstinence during Lent, and also admonishes us all to deeper prayer and worship.
Divorce Support Facilitator Training
Do you serve divorced or separated Catholics—or feel called to? Join us for a Divorce Support Facilitator Training Day on Saturday, March 7, at the Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center.
Featuring Vince Frese, founder of Divorced Catholic, this half-day training will equip parish leaders and volunteers with the tools, clarity, and compassion needed to accompany others through divorce with faith and hope.
Help us grow this needed ministry in our diocese. The Faith Formation and Evangelization Office will be happy to support facilitators wanting to offer this program in parishes with the approval of your pastor. Training is ideal for current or future facilitators of Catholic divorce support groups.
Vocations Night – An Evening of Discernment & Encounter
Parish Bookkeepers Workshop
The diocesan Accounting Services team will be holding parish bookkeeper workshops throughout the diocese, throughout March. We will hold one day of training in each deanery to make attendance easier for the bookkeepers, Finance Council members and pastors of the diocese:
- Tuesday, March 3: Diocese of Jefferson City Chancery Office, 2207 W. Main St., Jefferson City, 65109
- Thursdays, March 5 and 12: Diocese of Jefferson City Chancery Office, 2207 W. Main St., Jefferson City, 65109 (5:00 – 8:00pm only)
- Tuesday, March 10: Holy Spirit Church, 404 S. Rollins St., Centralia, 65240
- Tuesday, March 17: St. Joseph Church Hall, 509 N. Main St., Edina, 63537
- Tuesday, March 24: Visitation Church Hall (behind the church), 105 N. Main St, Vienna, 65582
- Thursday, March 26: St. Patrick Church’s St. Leo Hall (behind the church), 176 Marian Dr., Gravois Mills 65037
Note the general schedule:
- 9:00am – 12:00pm: Workshop for parish bookkeepers whose parish has converted to QuickBooks Enterprise with the new, standardized chart of accounts
- 12:00 – 1:00pm: Lunch for all who attend
- 1:00 – 4:00pm: Workshop for parish bookkeepers using the original chart of accounts
Any bookkeepers that attend the afternoon session are welcome to join in the morning to see what QuickBooks Enterprise, the new chart of accounts and reporting is about. We will also have time in the afternoon dedicated to discussing the conversion and benefits of the new system for your parish.
Lunch will be provided for all who attend, morning or afternoon, so plan to join us at noon each training date. Please RSVP here so we can plan for space, lunch and any dietary restrictions. RSVP deadline is February 20.
We will have time set aside for any questions bookkeepers might have. However, it would be helpful to send pressing questions ahead of time to accounting-services@diojeffcity.org so that we will have answers prepared at the training.
Please contact Michelle Truesdale or Amy Reinhard with any questions at accounting-services@diojeffcity.org.
NPM Jefferson City
The Jefferson City Diocese chapter of NPM (National Association of Pastoral Musicians) will be offering a weekly Zoom drop-in for all diocesan music ministers every Monday in February at 7 pm. This is your chance to drop in, ask questions, chat, and get to know other pastoral musicians in our diocese. No agenda. Just drop in. Note: If no one checks in by 7:15, the call will end. Here's the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/
Cursillo School Leaders
Hope you can join us for the next Cursillo School of Leaders on February 14, 2026, at Our Lady of Lourdes parish, Flanagan Hall in Columbia, MO. Social gathering begins after the 8AM Mass (8:45AM), followed by the program starting at 9:10AM. Becky Sander will present on Pre Cursillo, and Father Clever will give a presentation on "Allegiances Paul or Apollo.” We will conclude at 11AM with a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. It promises to be another fun and spirit-filled Saturday morning with a wonderful community of Cursillistas striving to grow closer to Christ and eager to do His work.
Marriage Encounter Weekend
Strengthen your marriage, grow in faith, and invest in each other! Jefferson City Marriage Encounter is hosting its next weekend on February 14-15, 2026, at the Best Western Capitol Inn in Jefferson City. Spend quality time with the most important person in your life, celebrate how far you've come, and learn valuable tools to make your marriage even stronger. The weekend costs only $75, and scholarships are available. Register online at jeffcityme.com
Lenten Leader Retreat for DREs, Catechists, and Youth Ministers - March 28
Mark your calendars for a Lenten leader retreat designed for DREs, Youth Ministers, and Parish Leaders on March 28, 2026. Join us for a day of rest, community, and prayer! Register here. https://diojeffcity.org/
Marriage Retreat
Registration is now open for the 2026 Diocesan Marriage Retreat! Join us March 13-14, 2026 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph. Our retreat will be led by two inspiring couples from the Marianist Retreat Center. Childcare will be available.
Apply Now
College Scholarships Available
College Scholarships AvailableApplications for college scholarships are now available! Through a generous donation from the family of William H. (Bill) Simon, funding is available to high school seniors or current college students with financial needs who commit to practicing their faith. The deadline to apply is March 27. Find eligibility details and applications at diojeffcity.org/scholarships
March For Life
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.
