GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Tips and tricks for making your bulletin more dynamic and welcomingBulletin announcements promoting Re-membering Our Sunday Story
Parishes are encouraged to schedule announcements that have been prepared for their bulletins periodically between now and the end of 2021. Announcements below can be copied and pasted for this purpose. A logo to accompany the announcements, suitable for printing and for digital use, is available at https://www.eriercd.org/SundayStoryPrayerCards.html
INTRODUCTORY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Diocese introduces Re-membering Our Sunday Story initiativeThe Faith Formation Office of the Diocese of Erie has spent months coordinating an initiative to ensure that people feel welcome as they return to public worship. Over the next six months, the Re-membering Our Sunday Story effort will provide an array of resources, from prayer cards and bulletin announcements to social media posts and a pastoral letter from Bishop Lawrence Persico. Watch for the logo indicating the information is part of the effort to make sure the return to parish life after the pandemic is transformative. Stories about the effort can be found at www.nwpaCatholic.com.
Diocese launches Re-membering Our Sunday Story initiative
On the day he was introduced to the Diocese of Erie, Bishop Lawrence Persico said he had only one item on his agenda: to share with you the love of Jesus Christ. He promised he would encourage us to embrace Jesus, and to open our hearts to the God who loves us so much that he sent his only son to die for us so that we might have life and have it to the fullest. At the bishop’s request, the Office of Faith Formation, with the help of a task force, has created the Re-membering Our Sunday Story initiative designed to help parishioners discover a deeper appreciation for what it means to gather for Mass, to receive the Eucharist and to be part of a community. Watch for the theme as it appears in various outreach efforts through the end of the year, including video testimonials from parishioners across the diocese now available at www.eriercd.org/SundayStory.html.
ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING BISHOP PERSICO’S PASTORAL LETTER
Bishop Persico invites parishioners to Re-member Our Sunday StoryIn addition to a more substantial pastoral letter that is part of the diocesan Re-membering Our Sunday Story campaign, Bishop Lawrence Persico has written a letter to the Faithful. “The sacrifices and deprivations brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are causing us to rethink priorities,” he writes in the one-page letter. “As protocols are eased, parishioners are discovering a deeper appreciation for what it means to gather for Mass, to receive the Eucharist and to be part of a community.” Find the letter at www.Eriercd.org/SundayStoryPastoralLetter.html.
Bishop Persico releases pastoral letter
As part of the Re-membering Our Sunday Story initiative, Bishop Lawrence Persico has released a pastoral letter for parishioners to reflect on in pandemic. Anchored in the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, the letter considers the challenges faced during the past 18 months. The bishop’s words also are an invitation to make the most of this unique moment. “It is my hope that each of our lives will be renewed by the Eucharist,” he writes, “and each of our parishes will become vibrant Eucharistic communities that offer noble and beautiful worship to God and humble and compassionate service to those in need.” Find the letter, as well as questions for reflection and discussion, at www.eriercd.org/SundayStory.html.
Bishop Persico’s pastoral letter in pandemic invites us to deepen our commitment
“It is time for us to come together again as disciples of Christ and to “re-member” our Sunday story,” Bishop Lawrence Persico says in his new pastoral letter written in time of pandemic. “By this I do not mean only a recalling of the teachings and legacy of Jesus Christ that deepen our faith; I also mean that we need to come together again as the Body of Christ…and to become in Christ the faith-filled disciples that we are called to be.” The letter, along with questions for reflection and discussion, can be found in its entirety on the Re-membering Our Sunday Story webpage at www.Eriercd.org/sundaystory.html.
Bishop Persico’s pastoral letter in pandemic encourages ‘vibrant encounters’
All are invited to read and discuss Bishop Lawrence Persico’s Re-membering Our Sunday Story: a pastoral letter written in pandemic. “I offer this reflection on our Sunday story in order to help our parish communities to make the celebration of the Eucharist more engaging, more vibrant and more effective encounters with the presence of Christ, who is always our true Companion,” he writes. “It is in these encounters that we discover how our parishes can become Eucharistic communities of love, service to others and communion with one other and with all of God’s People.” Find the letter, as well as questions for reflection and discussion, at www.Eriercd.org/SundayStoryPastoralLetter.html.
Bishop Persico’s new pastoral letter offers chance to reflect on lessons from the pandemic
Our faith in Christ teaches us that we encountered the presence of God with us during these days of pandemic in the courage of doctors, nurses, emergency medical personnel, essential workers, teachers, food pantry volunteers and so many others. Their service and bravery in the face of this virus have helped us to see the presence of Christ in them and to hold on to hope. These thoughts and more can be found in Re-membering Our Sunday Story: A pastoral letter in pandemic, offered by Bishop Lawrence Persico. Accompanying the letter are thought-provoking questions such as: What acts of service did you witness during this pandemic? In your parish? In the world? How can we better connect our celebrations of Eucharist to our parish life, our personal life, and our home life? The letter and questions, designed for both individuals and small groups, can be found at www.Eriercd.org/SundayStoryPastoralLetter.html.
Re-membering Our Sunday Story paving the way for national initiative
In his letter introducing the Re-membering Our Sunday Story initiative, Bishop Lawrence Persico said he asked the diocesan Office of Faith Formation to create the effort in order to help parishioners fully embrace this unexpected period of renewal created by the full return to in-person worship. “I believe it will lay the groundwork for next year, when the American bishops launch a three-year effort to help us grow in our understanding of the Eucharist,” he said. What new ways did you experience communion with other people during this pandemic? What new insights do you have about God and God’s presence because of this pandemic experience? These questions and more can be found, along with the pastoral letter Bishop Persico issued during the pandemic, at www.Eriercd.org/SundayStoryPastoralLetter.html.
ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING PRAYER CARD
Prayer available as part of Re-membering our Sunday Story initiativeBishop Lawrence Persico is encouraging parishes and individuals to offer the prayer created as part of the Re-membering Our Sunday Story initiative. The prayer calls upon the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to draw us together and unite us in communion with Christ, with each other and with those in need. Downloadable prayer cards are available at www.eriercd.org/SundayStoryPrayerCards.html.
ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING VIDEO TESTIMONIALS
Parishioners across the diocese share their Sunday storiesThe Re-membering Our Sunday Story initiative includes a series of two-minute videos featuring testimonials from parishioners around the diocese. In it, they discuss how they have dealt with the challenges of the pandemic, what they experienced when they could not attend Mass or receive the Eucharist, and their hope as we begin returning to community life. Visit www.eriercd.org/sundaystoryvideos.html to see the stories and consider discussing with others: What is your Sunday Story?