June 17, 2024
The next Information Bulletin is Monday, June 24, 2024.The deadline for submissions is Thursday, June 20, at 4:30 p.m.
The Diocese of Erie Information Bulletin advertises and promotes activities and events sponsored by diocesan entities such as parishes, schools, religious communities and groups. The IB is unable to advertise or promote activities or events not sponsored by such entities. Submissions may run a maximum of two editions. The administrative offices of the diocese reserve the right to edit submissions.
Email your Information Bulletin items to the editor.
Complete the annual Parish Report for Child Protection Compliance
Parishes are reminded that the annual Parish Report for Child Protection Compliance is now due. All parishes are required to complete the report. The information in the report is necessary to complete the annual USCCB Charter Audit for Child Protection Compliance that the diocese undergoes each year. The report and instructions are attached. For questions or assistance in completing the report, please do not hesitate to contact Cindy Zemcik at 814.824.1195 or czemcik@eriercd.org.
Peter’s Pence Collection
Pastors and administrators will find attached Bishop Persico’s letter introducing the 2024 Peter’s Pence Collection. Parishes are asked to publicize this collection in a significant way on the weekend of June 22-23.
Office for Divine Worship monthly newsletter
The Office for Divine Worship presents a monthly newsletter to aid in preparing celebrations that will occur in that particular month. The July newsletter is attached.
Catholic Social Ministry grant opportunity
The Catholic Foundation of Northwest Pennsylvania is now accepting applications for its Catholic Social Ministry grant. Applications will be accepted through July 29. Those eligible to apply for these grants are Catholic 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving people within the 13 counties of the Diocese of Erie, departments of the Diocese of Erie and parishes. Each organization must have programs supporting family ministries, justice and peace, respect life, parish social ministry, ministry to persons with disabilities or natural family planning. Grant guidelines and criteria can be found on the Catholic Foundation website at https://www.cfnwpa.org/grant-seekers/catholic-social-ministry-grant-guidelines-criteria.
2025 Confirmation schedule
The 2025 confirmation schedule for the Diocese of Erie is now available and can be found in the attachments. Contact the Office for Divine Worship with any questions at 814.824.1271. If any changes are made to the confirmation schedule during the year, it will be updated at www.eriercd.org/bishop/worship.html.
Rice Bowl project concludes
Catholic families united this past Lenten season to participate in the CRS Rice Bowl project. This effort was a huge success and is greatly appreciated. Funds raised during the CRS Rice Bowl project are now due. Please turn those into Financial Services at the Diocese of Erie as soon as possible so that the process of distributing funds to our local food pantries may begin. If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Slaby at eslaby@ccincerie.org.
FOCCUS inventory resource for pastors and parish secretaries
The Marriage and Family Life Office is providing a basic tutorial video for pastors and parish secretaries to navigate the FOCCUS Pre-Marital Inventory website. The video walks through important steps such as logging in, purchasing, and creating and finding the reports for FOCCUS Pre-Marital Inventories. This tutorial is ideal for new secretaries to whom pastors have delegated the creation and printing of inventory reports and/or priests who have not used their account recently. The tutorial can be found at https://youtu.be/FlV1qZu2mWo; further questions can be addressed to Kate Wilson at kwilson@eriercd.org or 814.824.1261.
Upgrade to Windows 11 to remain secure
All parish staff should upgrade to Windows 11 by October 14. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 after October 14 and those parishes that don’t upgrade will be vulnerable to significant security risks and could subject parishioners to identity theft. Stay safe and learn more at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/getting-ready-for-the-windows-11-upgrade-eb50813f-c7da-4cf8-89a3-6ba0d33b2773.
Twelve steps to stay safe online
Stay safe online through safety awareness training. Without training, people can fall victim to financial fraud, identity theft or data loss. Stay ahead of malicious individuals hoping to do you or your parish harm. Read 12 steps that will help you stay safe online: https://www.eriercd.org/Online-safety.html.
Stay connected through Ministry Platform
Pastors and parish staff can now stay connected by sending an email through Ministry Platform. Several email templates have been created to advertise your summer activities like a parish picnic, festival or bake sale. Tip: once you create your own template you can save it to reuse every year. To download or read instructions, visit https://www.eriercd.org/images/pdf/computer/mp/specialeventsemail.pdf. If you would like to see email templates for other common parish events, email it@eriercd.org for consideration.
Job openings in the diocese
See the classified section below for the latest position openings. Here’s a quick link to diocesan, school and parish jobs: https://www.eriercd.org/employment.html. For Erie Catholic School System jobs only, go to https://www.eriecatholic.org/about/careers.
PW Protected Attachments:Clergy and Department Heads click here to login.2024 Parish Annual Report and Instructions Peter’s Pence 2024 Office for Divine Worship newsletter 2025 Confirmation schedule 105th Annual St. Ann Novena information BOL-Grief Ministry flyer BOL-Camero flyer Our Lady of Mercy VBS 2024 flyer with registration 2024 VBS St. Francis Xavier flyer Bingo poster |
St. Ann Novena to celebrate 105th year
The 105th annual St. Ann Novena will take place beginning on Thursday, July 18 and conclude on the Feasts of Sts. Ann and Joachim on Friday, July 26 at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church, 921 East Ave., Erie. Several special events are planned during the nine-day Novena.
As part of the Novena, a very special visit of the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima will arrive at St. Ann Parish at 8 am on Sunday, July 21. There will be an opening procession followed by a special 8:30 am mass celebrated by Bishop Persico. She will remain in the church for the 11 am mass the same day and will be available for veneration until 4:00 pm when a farewell will be held. This visit is sponsored by the Diocese of Erie World Apostolate of Fatima, the Knights of Columbus and the Legion of Mary.
For additional information about the 105th annual St. Ann Novena, please see the attachment.
Comfort Through Grief Ministry event
St. Joseph Bread of Life Parish, Erie, hosts Comfort Through Grief Ministry meetings every fourth Monday of each month. This month, the parish will welcome guest speaker Father Larry Richards on June 24 from 6:15 to 8 pm in the St. Joseph Parish Community Center, 147 West 24th St., Erie. Doors open at 5:30 pm. All are welcome. For more information, please see the attached flyer or contact Barb at 814.323.2806 or email dulcibarb@aol.com.
Enter to win a 1969 Chevy Camero
St. Joseph Bread of Life Parish, Erie, is holding a giveaway for a 1969 Chevy Camero. The 1969 Camero has a 350 V8 engine and Chevrolet’s classic small block with a TH350 hydramatic transmission. Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased online at http://www.stjoesbol.org. The drawing will be held July 6 and proceeds benefit the parish.
Our Lady of Mercy to hold Vacation Bible School
All lords and ladies, maidens and pages and all guardians of God’s kingdom are invited to put on a helmet of holiness and take up a shield of salvation to be part of this great summer event. Vacation Bible School (VBS) will be held the week of July 29 to August 2 from 9 am to noon at Our Lady of Mercy Church, 837 Bartlett Rd., Harborcreek. VBS is open to children who are four years old to those in sixth grade. Please see the attached flyer to register.
Adult and teen volunteers are also needed to make VBS a success. Volunteers can help with story time or crafting, can be group leaders or help make gametime fun. Any amount of volunteer time is appreciated. Clearances are required for all volunteers.
If you have any questions about the camp or wish to volunteer, please contact Irene Lucas at ilucas@ourladyofmercychurch.org or 814.899.6132. Registration closes on July 21.
St. Francis Xavier Parish to host Scuba VBS
Looking for oceans of fun this summer? With the theme of diving into friendship with God, a vacation bible school – Scuba VBS – will be held this July 8-11 from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at St. Francis Xavier Parish, 8880 Main St., McKean. Children entering Pre-K to 5th grade are invited to an amazing undersea adventure to experience the ever-flowing, never-ending love of God. For more details and to register, see attached flyer or please visit www.https://vbspro.events/p/a194e7 or contact Ashley Junk at ajunk0133@gmail.com or 724.591.4118.
Catholic Charities Bingo
All bingo enthusiasts are invited to participate in the annual Catholic Charities Bingo on Friday, June 21. Win fabulous prizes including designer purses, top-of-the-line electronics and cold hard cash. It's time to dab those numbers and bring home the ultimate jackpot! Don't miss out on this thrilling opportunity to win big and have a blast all while helping a great cause. Join in on a night of fun, luck and unforgettable prizes. Purchase tickets at: https://bit.ly/ccbingo2024. Contact Tina with any questions at 814.824.1260 or tespin@ccincerie.org. See the attached flyer for additional information.
Support Catholic education through annual Winavette fundraiser
Erie’s St. Jude the Apostle Parish, in partnership with www.winavette.com, presents an opportunity to win a 2024 1LT Corvette Convertible Stingray or $50,000 in cash. There will be over $100,000 in prizes awarded including a second-place family vacation cruise or $5,000. To celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas, cash prizes will be awarded for 12 consecutive days leading up to the grand prize drawing on Christmas Eve. All proceeds support Catholic education and ministries within the parish community. Tickets are available now for $50. For more details, please visit www.winavette.com.
There are no classified ads in this edition of the Information Bulletin.
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