Making Connections
On this day, as we remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I ask that we recognize the best way we can strengthen our communities, our nation, our church, is by working together to ensure every human being is treated with dignity. As Dr. King wrote in Letters from Birmingham Jail,…
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By Bishop W. Shawn McKnight This Advent, many Catholics throughout our diocese will be participating in a four-session program called “A Steward’s Way.” We’ll be meeting in small groups in our parishes (and others will be meeting in our closed Facebook group) to reflect on our gratitude to God for the gifts of family and…
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By Bishop W. Shawn McKnight The preparation for my ad limina visit to the Holy See is well under way. In July, I submitted to Rome a 137-page report, which covers the activity of the Diocese of Jefferson City since the last report by Bishop John Gaydos in 2010. The Latin phrase “ad limina” refers…
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The Diocese of Jefferson City was highlighted in this recent column by Kim Smolik, CEO of Leadership Roundtable. “Bishop McKnight and other Catholic leaders are modeling a new culture of leadership rooted in reformed structures,” Smolik wrote. “The future of the Church depends on it.” Read more This article was first published by the Berkley…
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Bishop W. Shawn McKnight issued the following letter to be distributed to parishes this weekend: Dear Faithful of the Diocese of Jefferson City, On Friday, the Missouri Attorney General issued a report based on a 13-month investigation on clergy sexual abuse of minors in the four Roman Catholic dioceses of Missouri. The report is more…
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Bishop W. Shawn McKnight For some, their first encounter with a Mass offering is at a funeral service. There’s those piles of envelopes, obviously meant for money, with the option of writing down the name of the deceased for a Mass to be offered for the repose of their soul. Or you may read in…
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Bishop W. Shawn McKnight I am returning to our Diocese believing the bishops of the United States have done the right thing in their work this week to make us more accountable to the lay faithful and priests. We had a robust discussion regarding how to strengthen our response to Pope Francis’ document, Vos Estis…
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Homily of Bishop Shawn McKnight Chrism Mass | April 11, 2019 | Cathedral of St. Joseph Today we celebrate in a special way the one priesthood of Jesus Christ and our renewal in the Holy Spirit to fulfill Christ’s mission through the blessing of the sacred oils. This celebration, coming as it does before our…
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By Bishop W. Shawn McKnight This year, we have seen some wonderful news for our diocese. In late January, we were able to announce that generous, anonymous donors have given $1 million to the diocese to use for tuition assistance of students at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Sedalia. Then, two more gifts, each worth…
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By Bishop Shawn McKnight Next January, I will be making a special trip to Rome, along with other bishops from Missouri and some adjoining states. We have been invited to make our “ad limina” visit to the Holy See. The Latin phrase refers to one of the primary reasons for the visit, to pray at…
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