Each parish in our diocese is responsible for sharing YEARLY Safe Environment lessons to every age group in grade school. This is a yearly requirement of YOUR CURRICULUM. Please be sure to follow our diocesan requirements. More information can always be found in our policies and procedures portal, by clicking on the green button below:

The Patron of the National Eucharistic Revival will be canonized this month! There is a limited release film coming to theaters April 27-29. It is a great event to consider for parish groups! Locally, in our diocesan regions, it is set to play in Victor, Gates, Webster, Ithaca, Camillus, Syracuse, and Binghamton. Click on the green button below the trailer to learn more about schedule options!

HOPE: Its Enemies and Discipline

"One of the greatness enemies of hope is forgetting God's promises."

As we draw closer to the hope that is found in the celebration of the resurrection of Christ at Easter and continue the celebration of Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope, we invite you to this day of contemplation and prayer.

Abbot Gerard D'Souza, OSCO who is the leader of the Abbey of the Genesee Trappist Monastery will be guiding the retreat. The day will include two talks, prayer, personal reflection time, and a soup lunch. If you have any questions or need additional information, click on "Contact Us" in the menu bar above.

• 10:00 a.m.- First Talk with Abbot D'Souza & Conversation
• 12:00 p.m.- Sext (Midday Prayer) & Lunch
• 1:30 p.m.- Second Talk with Abbot D'Souza & Conversation
  
  

Participants are welcome to attend 7:00 a.m. Mass at the Abbey! Starting after Mass, the retreat house will be open for fellowship and hospitality prior to the first talk. You may also participate in Vespers at 5:30 PM

3258 River Rd. Piffard, Bethlehem Retreat House

April 10, 10:00 A.M -3:30 P.M

Go and Make Disciples: Catechists as More than Teacher

When we talk about passing on the faith, we must do more than just teach a subject. How do we make our Catholic faith real for those in our faith formation programs? Join us as we discuss various methods and techniques that can help pass the faith to the next generation, bringing the Good News to all the world.

This Catechist Formation will be offered twice. As this will be formatted as a discussion, participation is encouraged, however, those who sign up but are unable to join will get a recording along with any handouts.

Presenter: Don Smith, Diocesan Coordinator of Sacramental Catechesis and Family Life

Click on the paragraph below to learn more and register!

Join on us for this free workshop; a great way to celebrate the Jubilee of Persons with Disabilities! RSVP to Dave Barocsi by April 25 by clicking on the photo below. Volunteer catechists are welcome; bring your team!

Awaken-Becoming Disciples of the Word is the adult level of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies that parallels the 32 weekly children’s lessons. Written by popular Catholic author and speaker Dr. Jo Ann Paradise in a user-friendly way to reach the minds and hearts of adults to accompany them on their faith journey. With Awaken, you can now engage everyone in your parish or school from Preschool to Adult. Click on the PDFs below to get all 4 weeks and try it out with your adult groups!

As part of your parish membership, you have access to the Catechetical Review which is published 4 times a year. It is worthwhile to spend some time with each new edition! Did you check out the latest edition #11.1? Below is an article on parables and storytelling by Olivia Spears. I encourage you to take a minute for this short read but also to look at the full edition which focuses on the Jubilee year!

Take the time to answer all the questions provided in a workshop. If you answer the questions provided throughout the workshop's progress, you will get a print out of additional, helpful resources. So take the time to answer the questions and input the answers, to extend the learning you will receive in each Franciscan at Home workshop!

What do you need to do to evangelize the many who will come to your parish during this holy season but haven't been there in awhile? HIGHLIGHT all the good you are doing and engage them with vibrant hospitality once they are present!

Family Camp is a Catholic Faith-Based Residential Weekly Camp for families located in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region between Naples and Penn Yan. Counselors lead groups of children in the morning program and assist families throughout the day playing sports and games, swimming in the pool, making arts and crafts and many more activities. Counselors have a great opportunity to bond and serve the Lord with those who embrace their faith and are excited to share and celebrate it. Volunteering at Family Camp can be used to meet school service hours or sacramental preparation hours.

Click on the PDF below to find out more and please advertise to teens in your parish!

The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) National Awards strive to honor exceptional contributions to youth ministry, recognizing individuals and organizations that shape the vibrant youth ministry landscape in the United States. There are eight award categories that endeavor to acknowledge dioceses, apostolate, individuals, organizations, parishes, and families. Nominations must reflect innovative approaches that embrace the mission and vision of NFCYM.

Nominees should have experience in the ministry for which they are nominated for a minimum of five years, though this is preferred but not required (except for the Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati and Saint Carlo Acutis Awards, where a minimum of two years is preferred but not required).

Nominations will be accepted now through May 15. Awards will be conferred at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in November. For more information about the award and nomination process, click the button below.

As of March 24, 2025, 13 parish groups have registered 143 pilgrims for NCYC 2025! Registrations will continue to be accepted until final capacity is reached. The Office of Evangelization & Catechesis announced the final capacity for the pilgrimage will be 146 pilgrims. For more information, resources, and other helpful tips visit the NCYC 2025 portal by clicking the button below. If you have questions, contact Mark at Mark.Capellazzi@dor.org.

With the support of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), the New York State Community of Catholic Youth Ministry is a platform for those involved in youth ministry within New York State to collaborate with/support one another and engage in the work of NFCYM. NFCYM is recognized as the largest youth ministry organization in the United States and is the foundation for synodal dialogue about the needs and concerns of those who minister to youth. ALL THOSE WHO MINISTER TO/WITH YOUTH IN THE DIOCESE OF ROCHESTER ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO JOIN THE COMMUNITY'S FACEBOOK GROUP BELOW. For more information, email Mark here.

Saturday, April 26

4:30 p.m.

St. Theodore's (Gates)

STAY Young Adult Ministry in collaboration with several other parish young adult ministries will be hosting a gathering for young adults in celebration of the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis! The gathering will include Mass, a blessing at the end of Mass for anyone interested in having their phones or other devices blessed, and a special Italian-style potluck dinner. There will also be opportunity to play games, socialize, and more during this gathering! Young adults interested in attending the gathering and bringing a dish to pass, are encouraged to check out the "signupgenius" here or clicking the button below.

With feedback that many young adults seeking opportunties to engage in and live out their Catholic faith in the Diocese of Rochester are on Instagram, the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis has added a new way to connect for them to connect on social media. The Diocese of Rochester Young Adult Ministry now has a presence on Instagram. To connect with us on Instagram or Facebook, click the button below.

Connect with us!

Pope Francis declared 2025 a Jubilee Year in 2022 after the COVID pandemic. He wanted to give us hope for the future: “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire..."

The new activity asks participants to pray the Jubilee Prayer, learn about the logo and also learn what a Jubilee Year is and how often it can be proclaimed and other requirements. The activity patch will only be available until January 6, 2026, when the Jubilee Year ends. In addition to the activity patch, Scouts and Scouters are encouraged to find out if their local diocese/archdiocese or eparchy is holding any special Jubilee activities throughout the year. To learn more about this activity, click the button below.

July 6-12, 2025

Philmont Training Center

Cimarron, New Mexico

Youth ministers, clergy, Scout leaders, families—all are welcome to come for a faith-filled, informative and fun week. A course highlight will be learning to incorporate the new USCCB document “Listen, Teach, Send” into Catholic Scouting. Religious Emblems Counselor training will also be offered. For more information and to register, click the button below.

Confirmations are coming up. Please remember that each parish should work with those with whom they are celebrating and submit one liturgy form to Don TWO weeks before the celebration.

If you have any families that need to adjust their celebration, please contact Don as soon as you know about it. There are many moving parts, and the more time we have to make the change, the easier it is for everyone involved (including other families who may need to change dates).

Don is working on the delegation letters for Confirmations at the Easter Vigil. If you have not submitted the Baptized Catholics expecting to be Confirmed at the Vigil, please email him the following information before April 3:

· Name

· Age

· City/Town of Residence

· Parish of Baptism (name & town)

· Date of Baptism

· Parish Name

· Vigil Celebrant

Remember that the updated OCIA should be used for all Rites, including the Scrutinies and Sacraments. If you have any questions on what Rite or Rites you need, please check the PDF below.

From “Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism” (p. 11-14)

1.1 Candidates for Baptism

· This section outlines that children and infants are defined as those who have not yet reached the age of discernment and therefore cannot profess personal faith. That is typically defined as 7 years old.

· Children as baptized into a faith proclaimed for them by their parents and godparents.

· The first consideration for the time of Baptism is the spiritual welfare of the child!

· Baptism can happen on any day, but Sunday or, if possible, the Easter Vigil are preferred. As a rule, an infant is baptized in the parish church of the parents. It can be celebrated at a special celebration of the Eucharist, a Sunday Mass, or within a Liturgy of the Word.

· To fulfill the true meaning of the Sacrament, children must later be formed in the faith in which they have been baptized.

1.2 Parents

Parents are to be interviewed before a child is baptized.

· This is to help parents come to an awareness of the rights and responsibilities of Baptism, the significance of the event, and to help them celebrate as best as possible.

· It should be in-person, not over the phone or online.

· It should help discern at least a minimal effort to live the Christian life.

· Serious lack of that effort to live the Chrisitan life constitutes legitimate reason for delaying the baptism. Baptism I to be deferred, not refused!

· The purpose of any delay is to allow time for the parish to assist the parents to come to a fuller understanding of their own faith-life in the Church, and their responsibilities to their child and the community.

· The parish has an obligation to offer the parents opportunities for adequate development of their faith.

· Priests and deacons will not baptize a child whose baptism has been delayed for legitimate reasons in another parish. Consultation with the pastor who delayed the Baptism is in order in these instances.

1.3 Preparation

· Parents should be instructed properly on the meaning and obligations associated with the Sacrament.

· Reasonable flexibility and pastoral prudence are advised in matter of preparation programs.

· Parish programs should be directed toward enabling parents to show a genuine commitment to the faith and to the Church on their own behalf and that of their child.

· It is best if the preparation begins before the child is born, but it may begin after.

1.4 Sponsors (Godparents)

· Sponsors (godparents) should be instructed properly on the meaning of the Sacrament and the obligations attached to it.

· The sponsor (godparent), together with the parents, presents an infant for Baptism and helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life.

· Prerequisites for Sponsors are outlined.

· A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community is not to participate except together with a Catholic sponsor and then only as a witness to the Baptism.

· These norms apply to both infant baptism and OCIA.

1.5 Celebration of the Sacrament

· Whenever possible, families should be combined for the celebration of the Sacrament so that its communal, ecclesial nature is more evident.

· After baptism is the duty of the parents and godparents to assist the child to know God and to prepare to receive Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist.

Let’s explore that…

Baptism is the beginning of a life as a Christian. When someone who cannot profess that faith is baptized, his/her parents and godparents promise to instill that lifestyle. The parish is expected to help parents understand this basic promise and what it will mean to live that out.

It is stressed multiple times that we do not deny baptism – EVER. We will defer it when there’s reasonable certainty that the promise to raise the child in the faith cannot be met. It should be noted that the policies say that “a minimal effort be shown to live the Christian life.” We are not expecting perfection, but a concerted effort. The policy actually gives six markers of a minimal effort.

It is also important to recognize that the preparation outlined by the policy is meant to be flexible with pastoral prudence. Life is hectic for household with a newborn, or even an expecting family. By only offering baptism preparation, for example, on the first Saturday of the month-take it or leave it, we are not showing flexibility or pastoral prudence.

The last line of the entire section is also a prime point of consideration: “In this duty they are to be helped by the pastor by suitable means.” It refers to raising the child in the faith, and is directed at the priest, but could also be read, “It is the pastor and parish’s responsibility to help the parents and godparents instill the faith in the newly baptized children of their community.”

Each month watch here for what is coming up in the Jubilee. Resources and news will be here, along with any ideas that you share. Speaking of - what are you doing for the Jubilee? Share it with us so we can share it out.

Please visit our Diocesan page for the Jubilee: https://oec.dor.org/jubilee-2025/

Throughout the year, Pope Francis has invited specific groups to gather in Rome for the Jubilee. In April, he has invited:

April 5-6 Jubilee of the Sick and Health Care Workers

Ideal time for a healing Mass, an opportunity to talk about and offer the healing Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, a time to reach out to area hospitals, hospice homes and nursing homes ,and a perfect time to bless those who minister to the sick professionally in the health care field and each day as caregivers to family members.

April 25-27 Jubilee of Teenagers and the Canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis.

Learn about and celebrate our first Millennial saint and celebrate the gifts of all teenagers in your parish!

April 28-29 Jubilee of Persons with Disabilities

Make efforts to make your programming inclusive to all!

• Jen Hughes, at St. Martin de Porres, includes a Jubilee "learning station" at each of her family faith gatherings. This gives families an opportunity to keep connecting to the Holy Year and to focus on the specific jubilees that are happening each month with activities related to our faith themes.
• The parish of St. Theodore's is sharing "Messages of Hope," to those recently released from incarceration.
• St. Pius X is handing out Jubilee buttons and bookmarks in conjunction with the year. They recently took their faith formation families on a Jubilee "pilgrimage" around the parish to learn more about all things Jubilee!
• The communities of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Church of the Nativity will focus their Lenten Taizé prayer on Messages of Hope

Let us know about the great things your parish is doing to celebrate the Jubilee!

Check out this Scavenger Hunt from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Don has been working (and will continue to work) on short blurbs that can go in your bulletin each week. They relate the Sunday Gospel to one of three themes: Jubilee, Hope, or Pilgrimage. They also give a "ponder point" for parishioners to consider over the week. This will be updated as he finishes more weeks. (updated to include Sundays through May.)

Our office enjoyed some time with the staffs of St. John Vianney and Our Lady of the Valley on a recent Saturday morning to help them learn more about how the Catechetical Institute can be used effectively in their parishes! We are available to work with you; let us know how we can support your ministries! Thank you for the invitation, Fr. Jaeger!

Welcome to Jon Robson, who has taken a role at St. Mary's in Auburn, on the catechetical staff.

Welcome to Ana Haff who will be taking over for Barbara Quinn as she retires. Barbara has been an amazing asset to our faith formation extended family and will be missed. She has wonderful things to say about Ana and we look forward to meeting her! Ana will be in the Auburn parishes that include Sacred Heart, St. Alphonsus, and Holy Family.

Contact for information on all newsletters, evangelization, training, consultation

Mark Capellazzi, Project Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry x1375

Contact for youth ministry/young adult or Catholic scouting consultation/website questions, Certification process

Don Smith, Coordinator of Sacramental Catechesis and Family Life x1243

Contact for Sacramental information and Fully Engaged

Website: oec.dor.org
Location: 1150 Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3228