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Volume 6, Number 8 August 26, 2025
CALENDAR
Sep 11 Evening with Dr. Joe Paprocki
6 - 8 pm: Chancery Library
Sep 16 Master Catechist Course-Introduction to Worship & Sacrament
Holy Family of Nazareth Parish, Leominster
4 pm - 6 pm (8 sessions)
Sep 21 Catechetical Sunday
Sep 24 Basic Catechist--The Church (4 sessions)
6 pm - 8 pm Our Lady of Czestochowa, Worcester
Sep 26 Ministry Award Banquet
Sep 29 Master Catechist Course--Introduction to Scripture
All Saints Academy, Webster (8 sessions)
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Oct 7 Introduction to the Ministry of the Catechist (3 sessions)
St. Carlo Acutis Parish at St. Joseph Church, North Brookfield
6 pm - 9 pm, October 7th; 6 pm - 8 pm October 14 & 28
Oct 9 Passport to Success: Dr. Joseph White
10 am - 2 pm St. George Church, Worcester
Oct 11-13 Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Training Level I Part I, B
St. Rose of Lima Parish, Northborough
Oct 26 Wedding Anniversary Mass
Oct 30 Celebrate Priesthood
Nov 6 Introduction to the Ministry of the Catechist (3 sessions)
Holy Family of Nazareth Parish, Leominster
6 pm - 9 pm November 6; 6pm - 8 pm November 13 and 20
Nov 16 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION WEEK (November 16 to 22)
Dec 7 Spirituality of the Catechist Advent Retreat
Open to all. Required for catechist certification.
Holy Family of Nazareth Parish, Leominster 2 pm - 8 pm
TBA ---- OCIA team training sessions and Infant Baptism team training sessions.
CATECHIST TRAINING
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Toward Master Certification...
Introduction to Worship and Sacrament
Holy Family of Nazareth Parish
750 Union Street, Leominster, MA 01543
8 Tuesdays beginning September 16th
4 pm - 6 pm
Elizabeth Marcil, Instructor
$65 registration fee includes text
See Attached Registration Form
Click Box for Online Registration
Introduction to Scripture
All Saints Academy
48 Negus Street, Webster, MA 01570
8 Mondays beginning September 29th
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Barbara Ramian, Instructor
$65 registration fee includes text
See Attached Registration Form
Click Box for Online Registration
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Won't you join us for these two very special events?
An Online "Live" Evening with Joe Paprocki
September 11, 2025--6 pm to 8 pm
Chancery Library, Worcester
The Office of Religious Education has been working with Joe Paprocki (author of The Catechist's Toolbox and 24 other books) to develop a basic catechist course focusing on The Church. Come and explore how the ORE can help train your catechists.
Passport to Success
October 9, 2025--10 am to 2 pm
St. George Parish, 38 Brattle Street, Worcester
Dr. Joseph White, Presenter
How can we help young people navigate the new digital landscape? Could AI eventually replace the catechist?
and also
Is there a "right time" to discover particular concepts in religion class?
Dr. Joseph White is a Child and Family Psychologist and Associate Publisher for Catechetical Resources at OSV Publishing. He has many years of experience in the field of family counseling, has served as a Director of Faith Formation, authored 12 books.
2025-2026 REPORT REMINDER REMINDER
As you plan your programs for the upcoming year, please keep in mind these due dates for Office of Religious Education Reports.
- Circle of Grace Safe Environment Report: Due February 6, 2026
- Student Inventory Report: Due May 29, 2026**
**Please remember that the inventories are given to the students TWICE: once at the BEGINNING of your program and then again at the END.
With careful planning you should be able to incorporate these requirements into your programs and return the completed forms to us by the due date. If you would like ideas or suggestions for implementation please contact us. Click on the links below to get the report forms online.
Ann Dziokonski
In Memoriam
It is with deep sadness that we share the news that one of our former catechetical leaders, Ann Dziokonski, has recently passed away. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.
RESOURCES
Tools for the Jubilee Year of Hope
- Parish Sessions
- Send-Home Tools
- Books to Learn More
Help your people understand the theological virtue of hope, what it means for their daily lives, and how it connects to our call to share the faith with others.
For further information, visit:
pastoral.center/jubilee-2025
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ORDER OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (OCIA)
Many have been asking about resources for OCIA.
By far the best resource for teams is TeamInitiation – https://teaminitiation.com/ Subscribe for free to their newsletter which always has training articles and curated resources. An individual membership ($360 a year) includes: a library of self-paced interactive online courses, a library of training webinars, bite-sized podcast conversations, comprehensive training articles, dismissal reflection questions and more. A parish team membership is $1,499 a year. If enough parishes were interested, we could look into a diocesan membership. Team Initiation is the full-time work of Nick Wagner and Diana Macalintal. Some of you will remember the training we had with them at Immaculate Conception Parish in Worcester some years ago.
The Association for Catechumenal Ministry – https://acmocia.org – has a free newsletter and many resources for purchase. Caution: as you will notice, many of the resources have not been updated to include the new OCIA language.
Apprentices in Faith – https://www.apprenticesinfaith.com – from RCL- Benziger is the successor to Foundations in Faith which has been used (and is still good) throughout the Diocese. A membership includes downloadable resources for all periods of the OCIA, all Sundays, and more. A membership entitles one to a free subscription to “Young Apprentices” which has the same resources adapted for children. P.S. – the Foundations in Faith – material is still fine. Just make sure to use correct terminology.
Awaken – https://www.pflaum.com – is the adult component of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies program. Based on the lectionary, this material is specific to the period of the catechumenate. The other Gospel Weeklies are also approved for OCIA with children.
The Catholic Way – https://pastoral.center/ocia – also has downloadable resources for “breaking open the word” during the period of the Catechumenate.