Catechesis

Mission Statement of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
The mission of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is to build a fervent community of intentional and dedicated missionary disciples of the Risen Lord and steadfast stewards of God’s creation who seek to become saints. Accordingly, the community of Catholic faithful in this Diocese is committed to the discipleship and stewardship way of life as commanded by Christ Our Savior and as revealed by Sacred Scripture and Tradition.

To further this mission, the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is committed to implementing the Four Pillars of Discipleship and Stewardship, namely:

i. Hospitality – to invite people proactively to join us in prayer, especially Sunday Mass;
ii. Prayer – to provide well-prepared celebrations of the sacraments and other occasions for prayer as signs of hope and paths of grace to heaven;
iii. Formation – to study the Bible and learn more about Jesus and our Catholic faith; and
iv. Service – to serve each other, especially those in need, by practicing charity and justice.

Mission of the Office for Catholic Education
The Office for Catholic Education is responsible for overseeing diocesan programs, initiatives and resources related to strengthening the Church’s impact in fulfilling its ongoing mission of formation and catechesis, the third pillar of Discipleship and Stewardship in the diocesan Mission Statement.

A Note from the Director
In the Fourth Diocesan Synod which concluded in 2017, Bishop Paprocki promulgated a new mission statement for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. One of the points in the mission statement includes a renewed emphasis on formation. Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, challenges us to “grow in discipleship throughout life” and that “all believers need and are called to build vibrant parish and diocesan communities of faith and service.” Parish and diocesan communities “cannot exist without a strong, complete, and systematic catechesis for all its members” (p. 2, emphasis added).

Additionally, the Fourth Diocesan Synod in paragraph 59, section A states:

The faithful of all ages are urged throughout their lives to study the Bible in light of the Catholic faith, to learn the teachings of the Catholic faith through ongoing formation and education, and foster those means which the Church uses to make the faith known and fervently practiced, e.g., Catholic media, lay retreats for men and women, confession of sins in the Sacrament of Penance, and frequent visits to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, whether exposed for adoration or reserved in the tabernacle.

My challenge as the director for the Office for Catholic Education for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is to be a resource for catechists and other leaders in faith formation to achieve this vision from our bishops of a strong, complete and systematic catechesis in our Church today as emphasized by Bishop Paprocki in the synod statue noted above.

This portion of the diocesan website is dedicated to helping parish leaders find resources to help in our mission to form “intentional and dedicated missionary disciples of the Risen Lord and steadfast stewards of God’s creation who seek to become saints” (Diocesan Mission Statement).

Kyle Holtgrave, Director

Communication
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Staff

Kyle Holtgrave
Director for Catechesis
Email: kholtgrave@dio.org
Extension: 154

Thank you for taking the time to contact the Office for Catechesis! Whether it is via email, phone or mail, we look forward to hearing from you.

Mailing Address
Office for Catechesis
1615 West Washington St.
Springfield, Illinois 62702-4757

Phone: 217-698-8500

E-mail: webmaster@dio.org