Feb. 22, 2024 Parish Link

LAST CALL - submit your parish Triduum schedule - Catholic Times will publish parish Triduum liturgical schedules for Holy Week, which will appear in the March 17 edition, which means Catholic Times will need your schedule by Feb. 22. If you would like to include your Triduum liturgical schedule, please fill out this online form: Triduum Schedule Request Form (jotform.com) If you have multiple parishes, you will have submit the form more than once. Thanks!

Have a new parishioner in the past few months? Someone leave your parish? Do this - Please send all new updates (names and addresses of your parishioners) for subscriptions for Catholic Times to Ruth Staab (rstaab@dio.org) and/or Laurie Weakley (lweakley@dio.org). This includes new parishioners, people who moved out of your parish, or those who have died. As a reminder, if you do this regularly, you will not have to send us massive updates later on. Thank you!

Need several more monstrance photos from parishes - Catholic Times has been featuring monstrances from our parishes during the Eucharistic Revival on the last page of the magazine. We only have a few more and would like several more to get us to the close the revival in the summer. If your parish has not been featured, please take a photo of your monstrance, with the Blessed Sacrament in it, and take the photo vertically. See example for how to take the picture. Send it to Andrew Hansen: ahansen@dio.org

Looking for spring/summer work? - Calvary Cemetery in Springfield is hiring seasonal trimmers for the spring and summer. These are part-time, temporary positions (mornings and early afternoons). $14/hour. Must be 18 to apply. Call (217) 523-3726 or email director@calvary.dio.org for information.

Feel free to copy and paste this into your bulletins.

New policies

Effective Immediately:

https://dio.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Book-II-%C2%A7524-Leaves-of-Absence.pdf – Revisions to the Leaves of Absence policy made on 12-21-23 incorporating statutory changes for 2024.

Effective April 1, 2024:

https://dio.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Book-V-%C2%A74250-Deposit-and-Loan-Fund-Policy.pdf - This policy is intended to give a general overview of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois Deposit and Loan Fund and the procedures of the same.

https://dio.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Book-II-%C2%A74000-Salary-and-Benefits-for-Diocesan-Priests.pdf – This policy sets out the Salary and Benefits for Diocesan Priests, please note §4001.3. Stipends and Stole Fees.

Let us know if your parish/community has a young adult group - Does your parish or community have a Catholic Young Adult Group? Please contact Maggie Koester at the diocese (mkoester@dio.org) with the group’s contact information, social media page, and any other information as the diocese is building a new Young Adult Ministry webpage.

Very limited National Eucharistic Congress tickets available for nearly half price - The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois has pre-purchased weeklong passes to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis this July at a discounted rate, and we’d like to offer the opportunity to the people of our diocese.

Passes are $200 (a savings of $160) and can be purchased at https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=XebMKt. Confirmation of this purchase will come in an email in which you will receive a payment code. After you receive that payment code, you will then need to register for the Eucharistic Congress itself by going here: https://www.eucharisticcongress.org/register. When checking out after clicking a “full event pass,” you will then put in your code during the payment option so the price becomes $0. Lodging, meals, and travel will need to be booked and paid for separately.

Lenten webpage - Check out the diocese's Lenten webpage where people can find inspiration, resources, and support for their Lenten journey, especially in seeking out the sacrament of confession.

(Find this announcement to copy and paste in the bulletin announcement section)

Nominate a teacher for the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award – Do you know a Catholic school teacher who strives for academic excellence with a focus on the Catholic mission? Know a teacher who left a lasting impression on you or your child? Know a teacher who goes above and beyond for his or her students and who lives authentically Catholic? Nominate that teacher for the diocesan wide St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award! Nominations are due by March 10. Go to https://dio.org/schools/eas/

(Find this announcement to copy and paste in the bulletin announcement section)

New No Smoking Poster for the State of Illinois - The State of Illinois has a new No Smoking Sign that will need to be posted at the entrance of all buildings. Here is the link for the poster to be downloaded.

Assisted Suicide:  A bill supporting assisted suicide will be introduced this spring legislative session. The website Stop Assisted Suicide offers many resources to explain the dangers of assisted suicide.

DCJH Donations:  The DCJH Allocation Committee will be meeting soon to grant DCJH funds to applicants.  Please send DCJH donations to the diocesan finance office so we have an accurate accounting of funds available to grant to organizations.  If you have any questions, contact Cindy Callan, 217-321-1137.

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

Springfield Right to Life Art Contest:  Calling all young artists.  The “Children Helping Children” PRO-LIFE 2025 Calendar Art Contest for grades 5-12 is now accepting ARTWORK submissions. The competition is open to all artists in the Springfield Diocese and has cash prizes. If you would like more information on contest rules please visit the Springfield Right to Life website at https://springfieldrtl.org or contact our office at 217-523-2700.

Promote Totus Tuus is hiring missionaries - Every year, Totus Tuus, a popular program for Catholic students from 1-12 grade comes to parishes all around our Diocese. The Diocese of Springfield is now hiring Totus Tuus Missionaries for the summer of 2024! Please put this image in your bulletin/e-blasts and encourage faithful college-aged men and women to apply!

Parish Registration to host Totus Tuus - Totus Tuus returns to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois in the Summer of 2024. Parish Registration is now open! Please use this link to register: https://form.jotform.com/232916484986069

Totus Tuus will run for 5 weeks at various parishes in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois throughout the summer. Totus Tuus runs during weeks between June 8th - July 26th, 2024. There will be a break week with no Totus Tuus during that time as well. Specific dates will be assigned after registration.

The mission of Totus Tuus is to instill in young people a true longing for holiness, a deep desire for daily conversion and an openness to their vocation. This is done by challenging the youth to give themselves entirely to Christ through Mary and continually strengthen their prayer lives in imitation of Her.

Please direct all questions to the Diocesan Director of Totus Tuus, Daniel Heffernan at dheffernan@dio.org.