Dec. 14, 2023 Parish Link
Invitation to Earn the Ad Altare Dei Emblem - Members of Scouts BSA Troops and Venturing Crews from the Boy Scouts of America are invited to learn more about the sacraments by earning the Ad Altare Dei religious emblem. Members of the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting are organizing a series of virtual meetings to help Scouts from all over the diocese to participate. Scouts must be in the 7th grade or older and have been active in their troop/crew for 6 months or more. For more information, contact Kyle Holtgrave, (217) 698-8500, ext. 154 or email kholtgrave@dio.org. Details about the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting and other religious activities for Scouts are available at https://dio.org/scouts/.
Pope Paul VI National Catholic Unit Excellence Award - The Catholic Committee on Scouting would like to recognize Boy Scouts of America units that strive for excellence in celebrating their Catholic identity through their partnership with a parish or Catholic school. Similar to BSA’s Journey to Excellence Award, the Pope Paul VI National Catholic Unit Excellence Award consists of benchmarks that document how BSA units promote a strong Catholic identity in Scouting. Benchmarks include service to the charter organization, partnerships with various members of the charter organization and promotion of Catholic religious awards. For information about this award and a link to the online application, go to https://nccs-bsa.org/unit-award/
Scout Sunday - The annual observance for Scout Sunday is February 11. Scouts who have earned a religious emblem or recognition in 2023 will be honored in the Catholic Times. Please have completed religious award forms submitted by the end of the year for inclusion in the 2023 honors. The order form as well as suggestions on how to celebrate Scout Sunday in your parish is available on the diocesan website at https://dio.org/scouts/.
Retreats for Catechists - As part of the Evermode Institute formation program, all catechists and parish catechetical leaders participate in an annual retreat. Dates for 2024 are January 13 and April 6. Fall/Winter dates for the 2024-2025 school year have not been announced. Hospitality is available starting at 9:00 AM with the retreat starting at 9:30. The day concludes around 2:30 PM. The Evermode Institute is at 4867 Laverna Road in Springfield. The entrance will say “South Lobby” on the door. Register expected attendance for either date to catechesis@dio.org. Deadline is a week prior to the event.
Community of Religious Educators (CORE) - The next CORE meeting is Thursday, January 18 at 10 AM at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Springfield. CORE stands for Community of Religious Educators and is a regular gathering of religious educators for ongoing professional development, insights into diocesan initiatives and for networking with one another. Lunch is provided. Please register by January 11 by contacting Kyle Holtgrave at kholtgrave@dio.org or call (217) 698-8500, ext. 154. More information is available at https://dio.org/catechesis/parish-catechetical-leaders/.