Week of May 27
WALK WITH JESUS ON OUR CITY STREETS IN UNPRECEDENTED EXPERIENCE – You are invited to join the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, coming to seven cities in our diocese July 8-12! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience in which Catholics will pray and publicly follow Jesus through Eucharistic processions. Cities include Collinsville, Alton, Quincy, Girard, Springfield, Effingham, and Teutopolis. Mass, adoration, potluck dinners, and powerful witness talks are also part of the experience. BE THERE WHEN GOD MOVES IN YOUR COMMUNITY! Go to dio.org to learn more and register!
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***Note for parishes below. You will see the Totus Tuus schedule. Just pick the location(s) closest to you to promote. You can copy and paste the rest. Thanks!***
Sign up your child for Totus Tuus, popular weeklong summer program coming to a parish near you – This summer, the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is excited to have Totus Tuus, a fun and faith-filled experience for children coming once again to several parishes across the diocese. Totus Tuus is a weeklong Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness, and eucharistic worship. The program inspires in young people (grades 1-12) a true longing for holiness, a deep desire for daily conversion, and an openness to their vocation.
For the schedule below, grades 7-12 are from Sunday-Thursday each week and the program is in the evenings. For grades 1-6, the program is Monday-Friday and starts in the morning and finishes in the afternoon.
June schedule:
- June 9-13 (grades 7-12), June 10-14 (grades 1-6): Mother of Perpetual Help (Maryville), St. Katharine Drexel (Springfield), St. Isidore (Dieterich)
- June 16-20 (grades 7-12), June 17-21 (grades 1-6): St. Clare of Assisi (O’Fallon), St. Francis Solanus (Quincy), St. Mary (Paris)
- June 23-27 (grades 7-12), June 24-28 (grades 1-6): Ss. Mary and Joseph (Carlinville), Our Lady of Lourdes (Decatur), St. Francis Xavier (Jerseyville)
July schedule:
- July 7-11 (grades 7-12), July 8-12 (grades 1-6): Holy Family and St. Elizabeth (Granite City), St. John the Evangelist (Carrollton), St. Boniface (Edwardsville)
- July 21-25 (grades 7-12, July 22-26 (grades 1-6): St. Mary (Pittsfield), St. Peter (Petersburg)
Costs vary by parish. For more information and to sign up your child, go to dio.org/totus-tuus-camper-registration or call the parish office that is hosting Totus Tuus near you. You can also contact Daniel Heffernan, Programming Coordinator, Office for Vocations, with questions at dheffernan@dio.org.
100 Not Impossible Catholic Trivia Questions – How well do you know our faith, the history of the Church, the sacraments, the bible, Catholic tradition, and more? Take the test! Go to youtube.com/diospringfield or search “Dive Deep” on all the major podcast platforms to listen and subscribe. Dive Deep is the podcast of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
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Called and Sent – Join other high school students in our diocese for a 4 day/3 night retreat from July 14-17 at the Villa Maria Retreat Center in Springfield. Encounter Jesus in a new, deep, and meaningful way. Have loads of fun and enjoy the beautiful views at this lakeside retreat house. To register, go to dio.org/events. For questions, contact Daniel Heffernan at dheffernan@dio.org.
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The Curia is hiring! – We are looking for passionate individuals for the roles of Director, Office for Safe Environment, Safe Environment Assistant, and Internal Auditor. Please visit dio.org/jobs for more information.
Attend the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17-21 – This summer, join tens of thousands of passionate Catholics will travel from every corner of the U.S. to experience the healing power of Jesus Christ, present in the holy Eucharist at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Soak in the Presence of Jesus alongside people of all walks of life – a vivid image of the universal Church. You will participate in beautiful liturgies, lifting your voice in prayer alongside world-class musicians, hear from the most influential Catholic speakers of our day, and make history as part of the first National Eucharistic Congress in nearly 100 years. This is the beginning of a new chapter of faith in America. Will you be there? Register at eucharisticcongress.org.
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Eucharistic Revival Award – The National Catholic Committee on Scouting has created a new patch award for Scouts of all ages to help us on our journey through the Eucharistic Revival. By learning about the Eucharist and participating in various spiritual experiences, Scouts can earn the main Eucharistic Revival patch and up to eight additional rockers to circle the main patch. For more information about how to earn these awards, please contact the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting at (217) 698-8500, ext. 154, or email scouting@dio.org.
Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat – for people affected by abortion, September 27-29, 2024, Villa Maria Retreat Center. Cost is $150. Scholarships are available for those not able to pay the full registration fee. Please let others know about this healing opportunity. For more information call 217-698-4456, or email projectrachel@dio.org
Project Rachel: Help for women and men to heal from the pain of abortion. For assistance call 1-877-RACHEL-5.
Retreat for married couples offered – Worldwide Marriage Encounter presents weekend experiences for married couples to rekindle romance, enhance meaningful communication, and deepen and renew commitment. Sign-up now! For more information or to apply, go to wwme.org or call Terry & Eric Engholm at 314-649-7317. Next ones:
8/2/2024 – 8/4/2024, St. Peters, MO
9/27/2024 – 9/29/2024, St. Peters, MO
10/11/2024 – 10/13/2024, Springfield, IL
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STEWARDSHIP BULLETIN REFLECTIONS
June 2, 2024
Feast of Corpus Christi
“Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them and they all drank from it.” – Mark 14:23
Jesus, the perfect steward, gave thanks, just before He gave Himself up for us, completely for our salvation. He offers us the same chance to drink from His cup. In the bread and wine, we meet Christ personally. If we follow Him, drinking from His cup means we offer our own self-sacrifice, using all of our gifts for the benefit of others and to do His work on earth.
June 9, 2024
10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” – Mark 3:24
Within your parish community, do your ministries collaborate with each other or do they compete against each other? Do your parish ministries work for the greater glory of God or do they work for the glory of the people running them? The primary goal of parish ministry is not to increase Mass attendance, increase the number of volunteers or increase offertory. The primary goal is to be one Body of Christ that helps people take one step closer to Jesus. If it’s not doing that, it’s not worth doing.
June 16, 2024
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10
We are all accountable for all of the gifts God has given us – our time, our talent and our treasure; everything we have and everything we are. Each of us is accountable not only for our own life but for the lives of others as well. One day God will ask each of us what did we do with the gifts we were given. How will you respond?
June 23, 2024
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“The he asked them, ‘Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?’” – Mark 4:40
Do you really trust God? Is God your first choice or last resort? Is your faith something you just do on Sunday or do you live the Gospel message every day of the week? Many of us know about God. How many of us have a personal relationship with Him? Start now, open your heart to receive our Lord. Talk and listen to Him every day. Move your discipleship from head knowledge to heart knowledge.
June 30, 2024
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“…as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be equality.” 2 CORINTHIANS 8:14
One of the tenants of living a grateful and generous lifestyle is giving without expecting anything in return. It is important that we not only grow, nurture, and share our gifts; but that we also teach our children and encourage others to do the same. This is the communal aspect of our Catholic faith. We are the “Body of Christ.” We are called to be dependent on each other and not live in isolation.
July 7, 2024
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“As the Lord spoke to me, the spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and I heard the one who was speaking say to me, ‘Son of man, I am sending you…’” Ezekiel 2:2-3
God has a plan for each of us. He calls us to do something for Him. But, He doesn’t leave us on our own to figure it out. He gives us the resources we need to do His work. Are you listening for God’s call? When you hear it, do you get on your feet and do the work He asks of you? Do not be afraid. God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called. Answer His call.
July 14, 2024
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts.” Mark 6:8
Imagine taking nothing but a stick when you go on a trip. The Apostles must have really trusted in God’s providential care. Think of all the material things “we can’t live without” in today’s world. We make our life’s journey more difficult because of all the material baggage that we drag along. Putting God first in everything and putting our money and possessions second gives us freedom because we don’t become “slaves” to wanting to acquire more things.
July 21, 2024
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31
Do you spend time, every day, alone and in silence listening to how God is calling you? If not, you are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to develop a more personal relationship with Him. Unless we talk and more importantly, listen to God every day, how else will we know how He is calling us? Consider making a retreat this year, spend some “alone” time with God.
July 28, 2024
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”
John 6:9
The miracle of the Loaves and Fishes carries two important messages. First, no matter how little we have, we always have enough to share. Second, Christ can take our humble gifts and do great things with them if we are just willing to let Him. Nothing is impossible with God. All of our gifts, big or small, were given to us for a reason. No gift is too small or insignificant!
August 4, 2024
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not.” Exodus 16:4
When the Israelites gathered more than their daily portion of manna, the surplus became wormy and rotten. In the same way today, self-reliance, pride and ego leads to hoarding and excessive surplus of goods and money. Living a stewardship lifestyle helps us discern our “wants” from our “needs”. Living a grateful and generous lifestyle reminds us that God will provide all that we need and that we have plenty to share.
August 11, 2024
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Get up and eat or the journey will be too much for you!” 1 Kings 19:7
God knows that committing to a stewardship lifestyle is difficult. However, we were not designed to do it on our own, we need God’s help. Fortunately, God gave us the greatest gift of all, His son, Jesus. Through the gift of the Eucharist, we unite our sacrifice with Jesus’ sacrifice to do the will of God, Our Father. We receive the strength and courage to be His missionary disciples.
August 18, 2024
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” John 6:56
This line from Scripture is what ultimately separates Catholics from our Protestant brothers and sisters. Jesus is really present in the bread and wine that are consecrated at Holy Mass. It is His actual body and blood that we consume. This is the greatest gift that we can receive. The Eucharist shows us how great of love that Jesus has for each of us.
August 25, 2024
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
“If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve…As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
When we commit to serve the Lord, we become a disciple in the work of the Lord. A disciple is a person who spends time in prayer every day, joyfully participates in charitable works and generously supports their local parish and Church mission. If we say we serve God, our words and actions should reflect the Gospel message to others.
September 1, 2024
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Be doers of the word and not hearers only…” James 1:22
It’s easy to understand the definition of stewardship – living a grateful and generous life. The hard part is doing it! How do your words and actions reflect God’s word? Do you share your time in prayer with God daily? Do you use your talent to help those in need without expecting anything in return? Are you generous with your financial resources? If not, what are you waiting for?
September 8, 2024
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?” James 2:5
What is more important – being rich in faith or rich in possessions? Society tells us that possessions are most important. God teaches a different lesson. When we are rich in faith, we keep God first and experience true joy and peace. When we put possessions first, we soon realize we can never have enough and happiness is fleeting. When we put faith over possessions we truly realize it is better to give than receive.
September 15, 2024
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34
Living a stewardship lifestyle means not only being responsible for my own life, but for the lives of others as well. We realize that our gifts are not intended for ourselves, rather they are meant to be shared with others. “Taking up my cross” means doing things when someone else needs me and not when it’s convenient for me.
September 22, 2024
Stewardship Awareness Sunday in the Archdiocese of St. Louis
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35
Jesus teaches us that we are called to love one another. Love involves sacrifice. Sacrifice is a word that many of us don’t like to hear. We think it means that we must give up something that we want. However, the literal meaning of sacrifice is “to make holy,” from the words “sacer” = sacred and “facere” = to make. In other words, when we sacrifice, we make our lives holy by sharing our gifts in the service of God.
September 29, 2024
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.” Mark 9:41
We are made in God’s image and likeness. We tend to forget this. When you look at others, do you see the face of Jesus in them? When others look at you, do they see the face of Jesus in you? When we realize that all lives matter to God, then gratitude and generously become easier. Why? Because that’s the way we are made! We are one Body of Christ; when one of us is hurting, all of us feel the pain.