October 11, 2021
The next Information Bulletin is Monday, October 18, 2021.
Deadline for submissions is Thursday, October 14, 2021, 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 submission
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Confirmation planning process underway
Pastors, administrators and religious education leaders are asked to review the revised confirmation planning process in the attached document. Please note that, except for the Eastern Vicariate, the process works through the dean. The due date for a parish’s response to the dean is Oct. 29, 2021. The due date for the dean’s submission is Nov. 12, 2021. For further questions, please contact the Office of Worship at 814-824-1271.
Reminder of optional memorial for St. John Paul II, pope
Oct. 22 is the optional memorial for St. John Paul II, pope. Aside from the usual Mass readings of the day, any Lectionary readings from the Common of Pastors: For a Pope may be used. Please see the attached documents for the Collect and the Office of Readings.
#iGiveCatholic yard signs and offertory envelopes available
#iGive Catholic yard signs and offertory envelopes are available for all eligible participating Catholic schools, parishes and ministries. Each organization may request up to two yard signs and up to 500 envelopes. The envelopes are ideal for donors who are unable to make online gifts, those who will make donations of less than $20, or those who make large gifts and would like to avoid associated fees. To place an order, contact Kathy Grisier of the Catholic Foundation at kgrisier@cfnwpa.org or 814-824-1236.
Care for our common home this month
October is a month devoted to care and protection of all creation. Pope Francis continues to ask for prayers and actions on care for our common home, the earth. For more information, go to https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/.
#iGiveCatholic registration closes Nov. 3
The registration deadline to participate in #iGiveCatholic is Nov. 3. Like last year, this is an “opt in” process. Register your parish, school or ministry at https://erie.igivecatholic.org/register. Registration instructions and other helpful resources can be found at https://www.cfnwpa.org/giving-options/igivecatholic/igivecatholic-resources. As a reminder, organizations that register by Oct. 20 will be eligible for a drawing on Nov. 30 of four cash prizes of $250 each. Questions? Contact Kathy Grisier at kgrisier@cfnwpa.org or 814-824-1236.
Attention, priests and deacons: Check your Microsoft Office account
Priests and deacons of the Diocese of Erie who use Microsoft Office to check their eriercd.org account are advised that Outlook versions 2010 and 2013 will no longer work as of Nov. 1. Outlook 2016 build 16.0.4599.9999 and older are also no longer supported. Purchase an upgraded version of Microsoft Office 365 through the diocese for $36 per year or check your eriercd.org account for free by going to http://www.office.com by using a phone or tablet app. Microsoft Office 365 includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook Access and Publisher. Microsoft Forms is also included if you need a tool for creating online forms and surveys.
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 http://ErieCatholic.org/careers.
AttachmentsConfirmation planningOffice of Readings, St. John Paul II optional memorial Collect, St. John Paul II optional memorial
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PW Protected Attachments:Clergy and Department Heads click here to login.Confirmation planning Office of Readings, St. John Paul II optional memorial Collect, St. John Paul II optional memorial |
Take Back the Site vigil planned in Erie
The Sisters of St. Joseph, Sisters of Mercy and Benedictine Sisters of Erie are sponsoring a Take Back the Site vigil Oct. 12 at 5:15 p.m. to pray for Amy E. Hoffer, who was killed Aug. 28 in Erie. The prayer vigil will be held outside 506 Lincoln Ave., Erie. Masks will be required. A non-violent way of life is possible.
Adult religious education classes to be held at St. Lawrence Parish
Adult religious education classes will be held Oct. 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and Oct. 14 from 9 to 10 a.m., both at St. Lawrence Parish, 180 E. State St., Albion. The Oct. 13 class is about the sacraments, with Deacon Paul McCoy as leader. Order a book for that class at https://store.wordonfire.org/collections/the-sacraments/products/the-sacraments-study-guide. The Oct. 14 class is about the Gospel of Matthew, with Terry Bowersox as leader. Order a book at www.catholiccompany.com/ignatius-catholic-study-bible-gospel-matthew-i364/. For questions or for assistance in ordering a book, contact Susie at stlawrencelife@gmail.com or call her at 814-464-6196, or call the parish office at 814-756-3623.
Bingo planned Oct. 17 at Polish Falcons
Erie’s St. Mark the Evangelist and Mount Calvary parishes, with the Knights of Columbus #13826, are hosting a cash bingo event on Oct. 17 to benefit children and youth programs at both parishes, as well as the charities of Knights #13826. The event will be held at the Polish Falcons Club, 431 E. 3rd St., Erie. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Only 200 tickets are available; the cost is $20 per ticket. To purchase tickets, contact Stacey Badowski at 814-899-3000 or Frank at 814-823-2528. Besides bingo, there will be cash prizes, a basket raffle and games of chance. Kitchen and cash bar will be available through the Polish Falcons.
Benedictines offer discernment retreat
The Benedictines Sisters of Erie are offering a discernment retreat at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery from Friday evening, Oct. 22, to Sunday, Oct. 24. Join in a weekend of reflection and sharing centered on Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister’s book What Are You Looking For? Participants are also invited to join in the life, prayer and leisure of the Erie Benedictine community while discerning how God is speaking in their lives. For more information, email vocations@eriebenedictines.org. Note: This is an in-person event that will be adapted to Zoom if necessary.
Family Communion Breakfast scheduled at Blessed Sacrament Parish
Blessed Sacrament Parish, 1626 W. 26th St., Erie, is hosting its Family Communion Breakfast on Oct. 24 immediately following the 8:30 a.m. Mass. The featured speaker is Deacon Greg Kandra of the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, who will share how the events of 9/11 shaped his vocation to the permanent diaconate. He co-wrote the CBS documentary “9/11.” In his 30-year broadcast journalism career, Deacon Kandra won a number of awards, including two Emmys, two Peabody Awards and four awards from the Writer’s Guild of America. Tickets are $10 for anyone 12 and up; children under 12 eat free if attending with a paying adult. Tickets are on sale after all Masses or at the parish office daily from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Breakfast includes French toast, sausage, hash browns, fruit, coffee, orange juice and milk.
Fall Fest planned at Mercy Center of the Arts; pre-school seats still available
Mercy Center of the Arts, located at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, 1531 East Grandview Blvd., Erie, is a sponsored preschool ministry of the Sisters of Mercy. In operation since 1970, the school integrates art, music and sciences into a curriculum that successfully prepares children for kindergarten and life-long learning. All are welcome to the Mercy Center of the Arts Fall Fest on Oct. 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. There will be games, apple cider, crafts and sweets. There are still seats available for the Tuesday/Thursday preschool class. To learn more about the school, go to www.mercycenterofthearts.com. Private tours are available by calling 814-824-2519.
The Cloud of Unknowing to be explored at Bethany Retreat Center
The Cloud of Unknowing, a 14th-century work that is the basis for the method and practice of Centering Prayer, will be explored Oct. 25-30 at Bethany Retreat Center in Frenchville. Doug Laplante will lead an exploration into five key elements of the spiritual journey: spiritual growth, humility, dealing with thoughts, intention, and unity. The retreat is designed for participants with a well-established Centering Prayer practice. Through a combination of prayer and contemplative dialogue, participants will delve deeply into the teachings of The Cloud of Unknowing. The cost is $598. A commuter option is available. To register, call 814-263-4855 or visit www.bethanyretreatcenter.org.
Young adults invited to Halloween party
On Oct. 29, Erie Catholic Young Adults will host a Murder Mystery Halloween Party in the multipurpose room at St. George Church, 5145 Peach St., Erie. Everyone between 18 and 40 is welcome to come and mingle with other young adults and work together to figure out the mystery at-hand. Reservations are necessary for food preparation as well as assigning cast roles for the night. Register at https://erieya.org/murdermystery or get further information by contacting Father Andy Boyd, parochial vicar at St. George, at aboyd@eriercd.org or 814-864-0622, ext. 354. The event is free, but a free-will offering is welcome.
Parish mission planned at Force parish
All are invited to a parish mission on the Eucharist at St. Joseph Church, 17744 Bennetts Valley Highway, Force, Oct. 30 through Nov. 2. Father Kevin MacDonald, CSsR, will introduce the mission experience and preach at weekend Masses, Oct. 30 at 5:30 p.m., and Oct. 31 at 9:15 a.m. Services will be held every day from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 beginning at 7 p.m. A preview of Father MacDonald’s mission message can be found at www.redemptoristmission.com/come-to-the-mission.
Cathedral Prep’s open house for middle school boys and girls
Cathedral Preparatory School, 225 W. 9th St., Erie, is holding an open house for middle school boys and girls on Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is an optional Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the school’s David H. Bowes Auditorium. Guided tours will include interactive classroom demonstrations, a look at renovations and expansion coming in the fall of 2022, information about the transition to a co-ed campus, hands-on science experiments, information on MedPath, Esports, the new STEM lab, the new dance and arts studios and more. Learn about financial aid and how to graduate from Prep with a semester or more of college completed. Students in attendance will be entered in a drawing for tuition discounts. For more information, call 814-453-7737, ext. 3.
There are no classifieds this week.
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