February 8, 2024 Parish Link
Retreats for Catechists - As part of the Evermode Institute formation program, all catechists and parish catechetical leaders participate in an annual retreat. The next retreat is Saturday, 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 to register is March 21.
Adult Confirmation - Bishop Paprocki will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for adults who have been catechized but have not yet been Confirmed on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Details, including suggested formation programs, are posted on the diocesan website at https://dio.org/catechesis/sacramental-prep/. Confirmandi must register for this event by May 9. For more information, contact Kyle Holtgrave in the Office for Catholic Education at (217) 698-8500, ext. 154, or email kholtgrave@dio.org.
Community of Religious Educators (CORE) - The next CORE meeting is Saturday, March 23 at 10 AM at St. Mary in Shumway. The main topic for the meeting is to develop standards for an orientation program for new catechists. 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 March 13 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/.
Religion Assessment - ACRE assessments are to be administered between February 1 – 15 by all Catholic school and faith formation programs in the diocese. ACRE - Assessment of Catholic Religious Education - is a tool that helps administrators assess how well religious education programs are forming committed Christian disciples. Data from these assessments is essential for strategic planning at the diocesan level, as well as giving local administrators valuable information on how well students understand the faith. Testing is done in grades 5, 8 and high school upperclassmen. The assessment can be done online or using forms provided by ACRE. More information about ACRE is available on the diocesan website.