May 4, 2020

The next Information Bulletin is Monday, May 11, 2020.
Deadline for submissions is Thursday, May 7, at 4:30 p.m.

Email your Information Bulletin items to the editor.

Parish budget preparation
All pastors/administrators and parish business managers will find attached a letter from the Office of Financial Services regarding the 2020-2021 diocesan assessments. Also attached are documents that include the assessments, budget preparation information and the priests’ salary scale.

Priesthood ordination still on schedule
This year's priesthood ordination for the Diocese of Erie is still slated to take place on Friday, May 29. However, due to the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus and social distancing, its location has been moved to the St. Mark Seminary Chapel and will have only immediate family and essential clergy in attendance.

We will have further information about livestreaming the ceremony in May. If local, state and federal coronavirus guidelines are relaxed by that time, then some adjustment to this plan may be possible. Future developments could change these arrangements, but the current plan is that the ordination Mass will take place as scheduled. Please keep Deacons Kevin Holland and Joseph Petrone in your prayer as they complete their final ordination preparations.

St. Mark Catholic Center to remain closed at least through May 8
St. Mark Catholic Center in Erie will remain closed at least through May 8 and possibly beyond, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of employees who work at SMCC continue to work remotely and are able to respond to email and voicemail messages. The diocese is committed to monitoring the latest information available from reliable sources regarding the pandemic. Go to the diocesan website at www.ErieRCD.org for all of the most up-to-date information on the pandemic and its impact on the diocese.

Sign language interpreted liturgies available
The Office of Worship has received requests for livestreamed sign language interpreted liturgies. The National Catholic Office for the Deaf has made a resource available with links to several Masses around the country. A PDF is attached. Please direct any questions to the Office of Worship at worship@ErieRCD.org.

Memorial Day Mass cancelled
The annual Memorial Day Mass at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Erie that was scheduled for May 25 has been cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Catholic Foundation is available to help
How is your parish doing during this pandemic? Are you having trouble communicating with parishioners? Are your offertory and CSA funds coming in? Please let the team members at the Catholic Foundation of Northwest Pennsylvania know if they can help you with any fundraising and CSA efforts. Reach out at any time to Lisa Louis at 814-824-1237 or llouis@cfnwpa.org or Michelle Basista at 814-824-1192 or mbasista@cfnwpa.org.

COVID-19 emergency relief effort continues
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Diocese of Erie is collaborating with the Catholic Foundation of Northwest Pennsylvania and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Erie, Inc., to broadly offer support and promote Catholic giving for immediate needs. The intent is to encourage local Catholic giving with the ease of three online platforms:

A Community Relief Fund has been established through Catholic Charities, Inc., to support specific emergency outreach efforts through agencies, diocesan ministries and parishes. Pastors are welcome to apply for funds to provide direct assistance to those in need.
A Parish Offertory Support effort is being made with the assistance of the Catholic Foundation of Northwest Pennsylvania. This gives parishioners an opportunity to make their offertory donations online if they are not already set up to do so.
The #iGiveCatholic program in which our diocese participated last fall has been activated to facilitate online emergency fundraising. Many Catholic schools, parishes and ministries throughout the Diocese of Erie used this as a successful platform for a one-day online fundraising effort on Giving Tuesday 2019.

All three platforms can be accessed easily through the COVID-19 Relief Effort banner on the diocesan homepage, www.ErieRCD.org. Everyone is encouraged to share this information broadly through whatever channels of communication are available to them. Questions about these initiatives may be directed to the following:

Parish Offertory
Catholic Foundation, Lisa Louis at llouis@cfnwpa.org or 814-824-1237

Community Relief Fund
Catholic Charities, Ann Badach at abadach@ErieRCD.org or 814-824-1252

#iGiveCatholic
Catholic Foundation, Michelle Basista at mbasista@cfnwpa.org or 814-824-1192.

Learn to spot online scams
Phishing scams aim to acquire valuable personal and financial information such as your Social Security number, credit card details or passwords for online accounts. Malicious individuals use this information to steal your identity and your money. Perpetrators “bait the hook” with attractive messages meant to lure victims in from the Internet. Although many phishing schemes arrive in email, they can come in many forms, including social media, pop-up ads, phone calls and texts. Visit https://www.eriercd.org/Computer-Security-Awareness-Training.html#phishing to read articles on phishing from the FTC and AARP.

Job openings in the diocese
See the classified section below for current position openings. Here’s a quick link to diocesan, school and parish jobs: https://www.ErieRCD.org/employment.html.

Attachments

Sign language
Young People Who Care program director

Parish Bulletin Announcements

PW Protected Attachments:

Clergy and Department Heads click here to login.

2020-2021 assessments
2020-2021 budget information
2020-2021 fiscal letter
2020-2021 priest salary scale
Sign language
Young People Who Care program director

There are no activities to announce this week.

Erie Catholic School System seeking principal
The Erie Catholic School System is seeking a full-time principal for a preschool to grade 8 school. Appointment to this position will begin effective July 1, 2020. Go to http://ErieCatholic.org/careers for further details. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Young People Who Care, Inc. hiring program director
Young People Who Care, Inc., (YPWC), a Clearfield County nonprofit organization, is seeking a program director. See the attachment for full details.

Director of liturgical music/organist
St. Peter Cathedral in Erie is seeking a full-time director of liturgical music/organist. For complete details on the position and how to apply, go to https://www.eriercd.org/employment.html.

Church items available
Religious items from the former St. Joseph Church in DuBois are available to ecclesiastical entities, such as parishes, schools and religious communities. Pictures can be found at www.eriercd.org/mydioerie-cat.php. Scroll down to “3a Clergy” and log in.

Principal position available at Mother Teresa Academy
Applications are being accepted for the position of principal at Erie’s Mother Teresa Academy. For complete information, go to https://www.eriercd.org/employment.html.

Teacher, principal and president positions available
The following are job openings in education in the Diocese of Erie. For details, go to https://www.eriercd.org/employment.html.

Full-time high school English teacher, Kennedy Catholic Family of Schools, Hermitage
Principal, St. Michael Elementary School, Greenville
President, Shenango Valley Catholic School System
Principal, St. Gregory School, North East

Director of liturgy and music/elementary music teacher
Immaculate Conception Parish in Clarion is seeking a full-time director of liturgy and music/elementary music teacher. Competitive compensation package. For complete details, go to https://www.eriercd.org/employment.html. Interested candidates should e-mail a resume and letter of interest to Kim Kroh of the Liturgy and Music Task Force at KimKroh@comcast.net.

McKean parish hiring director/coordinator of parish evangelization
St. Francis Xavier Parish in McKean is hiring a full-time director/coordinator of parish evangelization. For a detailed description of the position and the application process, go to https://www.eriercd.org/employment.html.

Oil City parish hiring director/coordinator of faith formation
St. Joseph Parish in Oil City is seeking a director/coordinator of faith formation. This is a full-time, exempt position that reports directly to the pastor and supervises numerous volunteer catechists and parent volunteers. For information about the position and how to apply, go to https://www.eriercd.org/employment.html.