A Reflection on George Floyd from Bishop Joseph Perry
What a disturbing video capture, in view of the world’s eyes, of George Floyd detained by a police officer kneeling on his neck till life was crushed from him; a frightening emblem of relations white-and-black reinforced by similar atrocities embedded in memory of recent days; lest we forget other black men, young and old, grandfathers, great grandfathers, great-great grandfathers, ancestors whose necks were locked in chains during the Middle passage, then by ropes from a tree, a litany of men our brothers demeaned and emasculated. Is this the message of America towards its black citizens? Is this the fundamental assessment of whites towards blacks? Is this the closeted attitude of a nation calling itself free towards blacks and other groups this nation throws to the sides? And, so we pray, and we pray some more, and we pray still, hoping for deliverance in this vale of tears.
Remarks of Cardinal Cupich for Governor Pritzker’s meeting with faith leaders
Governor J.B. Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle were joined by Cardinal Cupich and other faith leaders on June 2 to call for peaceful action amidst the current protests and demonstrations. Please see Cardinal Cupich’s remarks.
Resources from USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism
At usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/racism are many resources to share with your parish and school communities, such as the pastoral letter against racism Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love, which people can be encouraged to read along with its Study Guide, as well as Everyone Belongs – a children’s book on the reality of racism and our Catholic response.
Archdiocese Announces Phased Plan to Open Churches
A plan to prudently and gradually resume the full scope of public sacramental celebrations, liturgies and faith practices, has been designed. The Plan envisions a set of required measures and phases. There will be an ongoing review of the Plan so that adjustments are made in accord with new data. The basics of the Plan are as follows:
- A robust communications effort to inform parishes and parishioners of the Plan and any updates to it.
- Each parish needs to recruit non-vulnerable volunteers at the parish level to assist the pastor in implementing the Plan.
- The selected volunteers are to complete training by way of a webinar.
- A required certification of readiness to reopen will be required of each parish at each phase. Each parish is to complete an implementation template confirming completion of all action steps and demonstrating that there are a sufficient number of trained volunteers to execute it.
- Phase I allows for parishes to reopen for Baptism, Reconciliation, Weddings and Funerals.
- Phase IA allows for parishes to reopen for private prayer and Eucharistic Adoration.
- Phase II allows for reopening for weekday and weekend Masses.
- All gatherings have an attendance limit of 15 to 20% of church capacity.
- Through ongoing discussions with pastors, health care professionals and civil authorities, there will be a review of the Plan as we progress with an eye to making adjustments in accord with new data.
For more information, including a letter from Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, please click here.
Virtual PreCana
The Archdiocese of Chicago is thrilled to offer live PreCana sessions virtually in English, Spanish and Polish!
Participants enjoy the benefit of live interaction with other couples as well as the ease of having private conversations in the comfort of their own homes. Those who participate do not need to be living or getting married in the Archdiocese of Chicago to fulfill their PreCana requirement through these virtual sessions. For more information, including how to register, please visit pvm.archchicago.org/virtual-precana.
Virtual Grief Groups
Each online grief group consists of a small group of adults (18 years of age or older) who have lost a family member or a friend. In the absence of our usual in-person parish life, our online grief groups are places to share stories and feelings with others who have also experienced loss. Our online grief group facilitators are not counselors and do not give advice, but they will be present to listen and to guide each grief group in prayer and discussion. As Jesus comforted Martha and Mary after the death of their brother, Lazarus, a grief group is a place of comfort in our tradition. If you have experienced loss and are interested in joining us, please sign up here.
Virtual Prayer Groups – You Can Still Register!
During these extraordinary times we wish to offer the following virtual initiatives as a means for our parishes to build community and fortify our faith together. You do not need to be Catholic or live in the Chicago area to join – all are welcome!
Virtual Prayer Groups
Small groups that connect regularly to pray, read and reflect on scripture, share prayer intentions and share helpful tips/resources (meet approximately twice a week). Small prayer groups will meet English, Spanish and Polish.
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Liturgy Training Publications has developed further prayer resources for use during the crisis. Among them are the Liturgy of the Hours for every Sunday, and resources for the sick and dying. (Link)
Music Licensing
For information regarding music licensing for streamed or recorded Mass click here.
Praying Through the Pandemic
Praying Through the Pandemic is a flexible resource for individual or group prayer, focused on praying about—and through—the COVID-19 pandemic. Available in English – Spanish coming soon. Click here.
Prayer and Worship Resources
Ongoing Prayer Resources
- The Office for Divine Worship has additional prayer resources here.
- Liturgy Training Publications (LTP) has responded to the current COVID-19 situation by developing opportunities to pray at home in English and Spanish. (Link)
- Magnificat is currently offering complimentary access to its at-home prayer resources (English | Spanish)
- Daily Catholic Gospel is a free daily email resource providing reflections on the Gospel of the day (English/Spanish)
- Liturgia de la horas / Spanish liturgy of the Hours (Spanish)
- Liturgy of the hours (Link 1 | Link 2)
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Alpha
Enjoy open conversation with other young adults and experience a program that has helped millions experience Christ and learn how to share Christ with your peers. Young Adults, ages 18 – 39, are invited to participate in Alpha on Monday nights starting June 29 through September 21. It's 90 minutes, free and takes place on Zoom. For more information see this flyer.
Voices on the Periphery, a TOT Series
To ensure everyone’s safety while still bringing everyone together, our summer Theology on Tap series will be held online throughout the month of July rather than at individual parishes across the city. Five local community organizers will help us focus on listening to and amplifying the voices of those who may not have the biggest platform in our society. Each session will be open to all individual young adults, young adult groups and parishes across the archdiocese. Learn more about each session below!
Voices on the Periphery: the Holy Spirit Amid COVID-19 & Racism (Link)
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
7 – 8:30 p.m.
You are invited to a virtual Theology on Tap with Luana Lienhart, OFS on Wednesday, July 15!
Luana is a Secular Franciscan and holds a Master of Social Work and Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) from Loyola University Chicago. She has worked in social services and ministry in varied settings in the Chicago-Metro area and is an adjunct instructor at DePaul University.
She will be sharing her knowledge on the “Gift of the Spirit and finding joy in Christ during Covid-19”. Covid-19 and the protests against racial injustice have marked our humanity, and this talk will invite us to reflect and identify where we can find joy via the gift of the Spirit in the midst of a pandemic and a transformative time of protesting racial injustice.
Voices on the Periphery: Caring for the Homeless in Chicago (Link)
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
7 – 8:30 p.m.
You are invited to a virtual Thelology on Tap with Fr. Ed Shea OFM on Wednesday, July 22!
Father Ed Shea OFM has been involved in Young Adult Ministry for several years and really enjoys speaking with young people about what it means for us to be Catholic in this day and age. A Franciscan priest from St. Peter’s in the Loop who loves to sing and tell stories, more than anything he thrives on celebrating the sacraments of the Church. A true follower of St. Francis, Father Ed finds reasons to rejoice often in the goodness of God’s presence in our world.
The movement from blindness to sight is a Gospel narrative that is also a call to conversion. Fr. Ed will invite us to take seriously the call to conversion, even in the smallest of ways, in our own individual lives. “May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:17)
Voices on the Periphery: Turning a Curse into a Blessing (Link)
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
7 – 8:30 p.m.
You are invited to a virtual Theology on Tap featuring Mr. Wayne Smith on Wednesday, July 29!
Mr. Wayne Smith is a convert to the Catholic Church who was raised as a Jew and then became a rebellious atheist for 35 years, especially during the 60s and 70s when rebellion, recreational drugs and experimental sex became mainstream. As a photographer who was going blind, his life fell apart and he became suicidal. God was waiting for him at the bottom of the proverbial “barrel” and He drew him into the Catholic Church and a relationship with Jesus Christ. In 1996 as he was baptized at St. Michael’s in Old Town. That began a new way of life and his struggles against his old habits. As somebody with a disability, he knows what it means to be pushed to the periphery. He came to understand that his disability did not define who he was but, rather, his relationship with God and neighbor as taught by the Catholic Church. He no longer has to make up his own rules and loves being obedient to the ways of Jesus Christ. It is a constant journey.
Mr. Smith will discuss coming to faith in the Church and God after growing up Jewish, losing his sight and ability to work along with his faith, fighting discrimination which led to depression and even a suicide attempt, only to find hope, faith, and love not apart but in the midst of his darkest moment. Wayne will discuss how becoming disabled has changed his life; where God was in the midst of his suffering and loss; what the Church and society have done to help persons with disabilities and what more they could do moving forward.
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CRS Rice Bowl Grant Applications Now Available!
We are currently accepting 2020 – 2021 Rice Bowl Grant Applications!
To request an application or to learn more, please contact our office at ohds@archchicago.org. Applications can be submitted between now and August 31st.
Respect Life Packet Requests
To all the Respect Life Coordinators,
We, in the Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity, Respect Life Ministry, work closely with our United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, under the guidance and direction of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, works to teach respect for all human life from conception to natural death, and organize for its protection.
Our Respect Life Ministry works closely with the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, which is once again making it possible to provide your parish with a USCCB Respect Life Packet for 2020 – 2021. Click here and fill out the form to officially request a Respect Life Packet (one packet per parish request please).
Cloth Masks
Looking to buy a cloth mask and support a local, women-owned co-op? The worker-owners of Living La Fiesta (LLF) have been intensely affected by COVID-19. The majority of the worker-owners are immigrant women who support their families. In order to continue doing so, they have shifted from preparing food to making homemade protective masks for members of the general public, given Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan currently requires all Illinois residents to wear masks in public. Every dollar goes directly to LLF and its worker-owners. (Link)
Mental Health Resources
Due to COVID-19, anxiety and depression are on the rise; however, resources are available.
National Pastoral Migratoria
National Pastoral Migratoria has put together a series of virtual training and learning opportunities for this year’s Institute. See the flyer for the different opportunities both in English and Spanish. For more information or to register, contact Yohan Garcia at 312.534.8371 or ygarcia@archchicago.org.
Pastoral Migratoria “Asamblea Virtual”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our Immigration Ministry has continued its ministry of accompaniment. Biweekly on Saturdays, the ministry convenes a virtual assembly for parish leaders via Zoom from 12 – 1:30 p.m. (Next date: June 13) For more information, contact Miguel Salazar at msalazar@archchicago.org.
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Fall Religious Education and Youth Ministry – FAQ
Please review the following answers to frequently asked questions from pastors, catechetical leaders, catechists and parents regarding fall religious education programming.
Will parishes be allowed to conduct religious education and youth ministry on-site?
The Archdiocese is planning to allow parishes to conduct REP and youth ministry on-site in the fall, provided it can be done safely. Please note that guidelines may change as the public health situation evolves.
What should our programming look like?
Parishes should assess their capacity to provide virtual and on-site opportunities this fall. It is recommended that parishes consider a hybrid model of religious education which blends virtual/at-home and in-person experiences. This allows for flexibility in adapting programming if the public health situation either improves or becomes more precarious.
Will we receive safety guidelines?
Archdiocesan guidelines and policies regarding social distancing, PPE, sanitization and other safety precautions in religious education and youth ministry programming are planned to be released in the coming weeks.
Are we allowed to have on-site gatherings for children and youth now?
Since district-specific school/religions education guidelines for the next academic year have not yet been released, all activities for minors (under the age of 18) remain cancelled until those guidelines are provided and take effect.
What about adult formation?
Non-liturgical adult gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed on parish campuses as long as social distancing and cleaning/disinfecting guidelines are adhered to and masks are worn. Guidelines for non-liturgical meetings is available here.
Publisher Virtual Training Series
The Archdiocese will host a series of publisher trainings throughout July and August to help parish catechetical leaders prepare their fall programming. Complete session calendar can be found here.
If you miss a session but would like to review a recording, please contact your vicariate Lifelong Formation Coordinator.
NEW Directory for Catechesis
The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization recently released the NEW Directory for Catechesis. As the Catholic Church embarks on the mission of teaching the Christian faith, the new Directory for Catechesis (2020) lays the how-to guidelines for catechesis and presents universal norms to guide pastors and catechists in the work of evangelization. The Directory will be indispensable for all those responsible for formal religious instruction, including pastors and parish priests, deacons, lay and religious catechists, and religious education teachers in dioceses, parishes, and schools.
Pre-order in English or Spanish today.
Learning the New Directory – Magnify Series
Magnify is a series of virtual events over a 4-month span that will introduce participants to the new Directory for Catechesis and explore each of the chapters in depth. Magnify begins with a 2-day virtual event September 18th and 19th. Magnify continues with 1-day virtual events in the months of October, November, and December. Presented by the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. Register here and use the code MAGNIFY.
Addressing Racism with Children and Youth
Combating the Sin of Racism – Virtual Workshop from Sophia Institute
Spend time exploring practical ways to address this very important issue with students of all grade levels. The session will look at racism as a sin, a failure to love, and explore ways to engage students in conversation about this topic in religion instruction and holistic school culture. August 19, 2 – 4 p.m. Register here.
How to Talk About Racism, Part 2: The Questions – Webinar from NFCYM
The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry is offering this follow up to their initial webinar, How to Talk About Racism. During this first webinar there were many questions asked. In order to more fully address these questions, a second webinar, How to Talk About Racism – Part 2: The Questions, will be held on Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 1 p.m. CDT. Learn more and register here.
Resources and Opportunities
Hispanic Summer Institute 2020 – Spreading the Word of God in the new normal
God, through the pandemic, is giving the opportunity to live and share as ONE family under the same roof, to worship God from our living room and practice and live our faith as a small Church! The Hispanic Summer Institute offers a series of presentations intended to help participants learn how to be and act as intentional disciple of Christ, experience and live as ONE body and ONE domestic Church and be the REAL Jesus in the time of the pandemic.
Sessions
- Wednesday, July 15 at 7 p.m.: Alejandro Marco, Kerygmatic and Mystagogical Catechesis
- Wednesday, July 22 at 7 p.m.: Ms. Nelly Lorenzo, More Alive, More Human
- Wednesday, July 29 at 7 p.m.: Fr. Claudio Díaz, You Are the Now of God
Learn more here. Register here.
Faith Formation Masterclasses – Sadlier Religion
Register now for Sadlier’s two most popular Masterclasses, which provide ideas and strategies for working in an online environment with students and their families. Once you register, you will receive your first of three class emails. Each email will give you "ON DEMAND," anytime access to the Masterclass video, reflection questions, and featured resources for that class.
Called and Co-Responsible – Summer Seminars for Church Life Renewal
The McGrath Institute for Church Life is hosting a series of virtual seminars this summer aimed at empowering pastoral leaders for the work of renewing the Church, especially in light of present challenges. “Called & Co-Responsible” explores and promotes the shared responsibility of all the baptized for the evangelizing mission of the Church. Seminars in the series examine how the laity and clergy might together commit to renewing the life of the Church both now and into the future. All seminars will be recorded and are available for free on The McGrath Institute for Church Life website. Learn more and register here.
How to Get Kids Excited About the Mass – 9 Tips from Ascension Press
Motivating children to enjoy the Mass experience has served as a challenge for parents and grandparents for generations. As parishes are opening for masses again, parents may be struggling with that challenge and with re-starting the regular habit of attending Sunday Mass as a family. Here are nine easy tips that can help parents give their children or grandchildren a little boost in going to Mass.
40 Ways to Foster Prayer in Your Home – Free Booklet from Loyola Press
Our lives offer many opportunities to pray, and we can share those opportunities with the children in our care. Find inspiration for different ways to pray in the home by downloading Tom McGrath’s suggestions for 40 Ways to Foster Prayer in Your Home—in English or in Spanish. The booklet can be shared (for free) with families in your parish. Learn how to receive your free booklet here.
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