Update+
Volume 3, Number 13 March 29, 2022
Totus Tuus Coming to Diocese of Worcester This Summer
The Office of Religious Education will be piloting a new summer program called Totus Tuus. Named after St. John Paul II’s papal motto, Totus Tuus shares the Gospel and promotes the Catholic Faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship.
Totus Tuus missionaries, consisting of 2 Worcester diocesan seminarians and
2 college students will join the dioceses of Burlington, VT, Manchester, NH, and Portland, ME to train together from June 8-17. After training, the missionaries will be facilitating summer programing (similar to a Vacation Bible School) each week for students in Grades K-12 in our parishes during the weeks of:
2 college students will join the dioceses of Burlington, VT, Manchester, NH, and Portland, ME to train together from June 8-17. After training, the missionaries will be facilitating summer programing (similar to a Vacation Bible School) each week for students in Grades K-12 in our parishes during the weeks of:
June 26-July2, July 10-16, July 17-23, July 24-30 and July 31-Aug 6
So far, the parishes of St. John in Clinton, St. Mary in North Grafton, Mary Queen of the Rosary in Spencer, and St. Mary in Uxbridge have expressed interest in having Totus Tuus in their parish, but we do have room for a couple more parishes. If interested, please contact Darleen Farland at dfarland@worcesterdiocese.org for more information.
Please see link below for additional Totus Tuus information.
Many of you are facilitating the Synod surveys in your parishes. We also want to gather and submit our responses as catechetical leaders. We have a particular perspective as parish ministers that should be heard. Below you will find the days/times we have set aside for this process. We do not have locations yet – could you host? Please complete the survey so that we can schedule the dates soon
Circle of Grace
For those parishes who use Flocknote to communicate with RE families or for anyone who may wish to have the Parent Letter information for Circle of Grace in pdf format for each individual grade, please contact the ORE and we will be able to provide those pdf links to you.
While we are deep in the season of Lent, you are also thinking about upcoming First Communions and Confirmations. These are prayers you may want to pass along to families who have candidates or have catechists use them as part of their session closing prayers.
BLESSING DURING THE TIME OF PREPARATION FOR CONFIRMATION:
“N., in baptism you were claimed for Christ. May God bless you now and watch over you.”
BLESSING DURING THE TIME OF PREPARATION FOR FIRST COMMUNION:
“N., may the Lord Jesus touch your ears to receive his word,
and your mouth to proclaim his faith.
May you come with joy to his supper to the praise and glory of God.
Amen.”
These blessings are taken from the USCCB Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers – a very useful book to have in your library.
Mindful of the fact that “one size does not fit all,” you may want to pass along this link to some families of middle school and high school youth. This relatively new company has some interesting interactive material. It is for enrichment.
Basic Catechist Training
Liturgy & Sacraments
May 8 to June 4
As we approach the joyful Easter season, encourage your catechists to enrich their knowledge of the Liturgy & Sacraments through our online Basic Catechist Certification Courses, offered through the Office of Religious Ed.
Click on link for more information.