Monday Message, November 7, 2022

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KNOW

As per the memo sent last week from Pat Krause, please note that ParishSoft has been updated. Pat and her team are offering lots of formation sessions. See the memo for the complete list.

Our friends at Sadlier are inviting you to a webinar this week. Advent: A Season of Waiting For and With. Sign up here.

Speaking of Advent, come and get your posters. Just email Carmela and let her know when you are coming and they will be at the front desk. We will also have them in person on the 18th for this event that you should attend.

The Virtus Coordinator role has been added to each team in LEAD. Please add that information by going to My Learners and then scrolling down to My Team.

Also, the deadline is approaching for cleaning up your lists of catechists.

Update: There will be three opportunities for your catechists to meet with the Bishop: February 4, March 18, and April 22nd. We are looking to host these around the diocese to help catechists attend. Invitation will go out after December 1st, so please make sure we have the list of catechists updated in LEAD.

Safe Environments is looking for the following information for the 2022-2023 Religious Ed school year. If your information is already in ParishSoft, great! You win a prize and can skip this part. If it is NOT in PS, please send this information to Maribel now. Today. This morning.

  • Number of students in faith formation
  • Number of Catechists
  • Number of classes for the 2022-2023 school year

Several parishes are hosting face-to-face formation for Readers and EMHCs. Check out the course listing in LEAD to see who, what, when, and where.

RELFECT

A friend of mine died last week. She was a Sister of Mercy for 73 years and, aside from my mother, was probably the most influential woman in my life when it came to ministry. At her funeral, the priest told a story I had heard before but long forgotten.

A family goes to a restaurant for dinner and mom and dad order steak. The child orders a hot dog. “No, no,” Mom says, “Bring him a steak, potatoes, and carrots.”

Ignoring the mom, the waitress asks, “Would you like ketchup and mustard on your hot dog?” The child answers and the waitress departs.

Stunned, the mom and dad stare at the child. “See,” the child says, “She sees me.”

That’s what Sister did for everyone she met. She saw them. Each person was real to her and when you spoke to Sister, you were the only person in the room.

So that is my challenge this week: to see people. Put the phone down, resist the temptation to look at the watch, ignore the email, focus. See people in a way that gives them dignity.

Sister would appreciate that.

LAUGH