Category: Office of Discipleship and Evangelization

Vocations

Do you know a young man who has expressed interest in discerning a vocation to the priesthood? Do you know a young man who you think would make a great priest and might be open to investigating the possibility of this call in his life? As part of our work to help young men discern the Lord’s call for their lives, the Vocations Office is compiling a list of such men with the intent of keeping them informed about various vocations promotion opportunities such as retreats, mission trips, Operation Andrew Dinners, seminary visits, and so on. If you know of someone who we should add to our list, please contact Emma Murtha at emurtha@sfcatholic.org or 988-3772 or Father Tony Klein at frtonyklein@sfcatholic.org. 

SJV & IHM Seminary Visits 

Seminary Visits Flyer

Sign Up

Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus Come & See 

Come and See Flyer 2023-2024

 

Catholic principals, teachers, DREs, and catechists: Vianney Vocations is presenting a short, dynamic online workshop to help you promote vocations in your ministry. This online workshop is Tuesday, October 3 at 3 p.m. You can find more details at https://vianneyvocations.com/amplify/.

 

NATIONAL VOCATION AWARENESS WEEK: (November 5-11, 2023) Resources such as bulletin inserts, homily ideas, and handouts can be found at https://vianneyvocations.com/nvaw/

 

Operation Andrew Dinner Dates:

November 7, 2023 – St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center in Aberdeen: Mass at 5:00 p.m. with dinner and social to follow. 

November 8, 2023 – Pope Pius XII Newman Center in Brookings: Mass at 5:30 p.m. with dinner and social to follow. 

November 29, 2023 – St. Thomas More Newman Center in Vermillion: Mass at 5:15 p.m. with dinner and social to follow. 

December 5, 2023 – CTK Ministry at Christ the King in Sioux Falls: Mass at 5:15 p.m. with dinner and social to follow. 

 

Prayer for Vocations

Looking for a good prayer to use for an increase in vocations? Here’s one many of our parishes have been using for years.

Lord Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father and Mary Immaculate, grant to our young people the generosity necessary to follow Your call and the courage to overcome all obstacles to their vocation in life. Give their parents that faith, love and spirit of sacrifice which will inspire them to offer their children to God’s service and to rejoice whenever one of their children is called to the priesthood or religious life. Let Your example and that of Your Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph encourage both young people and parents and let Your grace sustain them. Amen.

 

Discipleship and Evangelization

Upcoming Events

Confirmation Retreats 2023
September 30 – Abbey of the Hills 

CGS Level 2 Part A with Carolyn Kohlhaas
June 3 – 8, 2024 – St. Lambert, Sioux Falls

CGS Level 1 Part A with Karen Sisson
June 19-21 and 24-26, 2024 – St. Lambert, Sioux Falls

National Eucharistic Congress
July 17-21, 2024 – Indianapolis

More Info

National Eucharistic Congress – Get $100 off tickets, limited supply
As part of the National Eucharistic Revival, tens of thousands of Catholics from across the country will be gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 17-21, 2024, for a National Eucharistic Congress. This five-day event will be a pivotal, unifying, and transformative moment for the Church in the United States, and we want to invite Catholics from across the diocese to participate.

To that end, we have been able to secure 100 “early bird” tickets, at a reduced rate. These tickets are for anyone in the Sioux Falls Diocese and are first come – first served. To claim your ticket, go to sfcatholic.org/eucharist.

Come witness the Holy Spirit do something amazing!

 

Confirmation retreat – Abbey of the Hills
The Abbey of the Hills is hosting a Confirmation retreat on September 30, 2023.  They will be bringing in a NET team to facilitate the retreat. This retreat is open to any youth preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation. For more information visit: www.AbbeyOfTheHills.org. The link to the flyer can be found here. 

 

Anniversary Mass – Dates TBD
There have been some questions about dates for anniversary Masses. The dates have not been set yet as we are waiting to coordinate with the new incoming pastors. Don’t worry, the Masses will be happening. Thank you for your patience in this time of transition!

 

Weekly “Power Hour” for Formation Leaders – Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
Power Hour will resume again on Tuesday, September 12. We are looking forward to catching up with you!

PCL Email List
If you are new or newly diving into our offerings, we invite you to join the PCL email list. You can sign up on the diocesan For Parish Leaders webpage.

Discipleship & Evangelization Offerings

Upcoming Events

Confirmation Retreats 2023
September 30 – Abbey of the Hills 

D-Camp 2023
July 9-12 – Broom Tree (High School) – [FULL]
July 13-16 – Broom Tree (Junior High) – [FULL]

CGS Level 2 Part A with Carolyn Kohlhaas
June 3 – 8, 2024 – St. Lambert, Sioux Falls

CGS Level 1 Part A with Karen Sisson
June 19-21 and 24-26, 2024 – St. Lambert, Sioux Falls

National Eucharistic Congress
July 17-21, 2024 – Indianapolis

 

More Info

National Eucharistic Congress – Get $100 off tickets, limited supply
As part of the National Eucharistic Revival, tens of thousands of Catholics from across the country will be gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 17-21, 2024, for a National Eucharistic Congress. This five-day event will be a pivotal, unifying, and transformative moment for the Church in the United States, and we want to invite Catholics from across the diocese to participate.

To that end, we have been able to secure 100 “early bird” tickets, at a reduced rate. These tickets are for anyone in the Sioux Falls Diocese and are first come – first served. To claim your ticket, go to sfcatholic.org/eucharist.

Come witness the Holy Spirit do something amazing!

 

Confirmation retreat – Abbey of the Hills
The Abbey of the Hills is hosting a Confirmation retreat on September 30, 2023.  This retreat is open to any youth preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation. For more information visit: www.AbbeyOfTheHills.org. The link to the flyer can be found here. 

 

Anniversary Mass – Dates TBD
There have been some questions about dates for anniversary Masses. The dates have not been set yet as we are waiting to coordinate with the new incoming pastors. Don’t worry, the Masses will be happening. Thank you for your patience in this time of transition!

 

Weekly “Power Hour” for Formation Leaders – Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
Power Hour is currently taking a summer break. They will resume in the fall.

PCL Email List
If you are new or newly diving into our offerings, we invite you to join the PCL email list. You can sign up on the diocesan For Parish Leaders webpage.

Discipleship & Evangelization Offerings

Upcoming Events

Confirmation Retreats 2023
June 24 – Brookings, SD 
September 30 – Abbey of the Hills 

D-Camp 2023
June 18-21 – Broom Tree (High School) – [FULL]
July 9-12 – Broom Tree (High School) – [FULL]
July 13-16 – Broom Tree (Junior High) – [FULL]

CGS Level 2 Part A with Carolyn Kohlhaas
June 3 – 8, 2024 – St. Lambert, Sioux Falls

CGS Level 1 Part A with Karen Sisson

June 19 – 21 and 24 – 26, 2024 – St. Lambert, Sioux Falls

National Eucharistic Congress
July 17-21, 2024 – Indianapolis

 

More Info

Eucharistic Revival – Year of the Parish Begins June 11
The Year of the Parish begins Sunday, June 11 on the Feast of Corpus Christi. The USCCB has encouraged each parish to host a Eucharistic Procession. The Knights of Columbus have put together a procession planning guide for your convenience. The USCCB has also encouraged participants to join in praying a Corpus Christi Novena. It begins June 2.

National Eucharistic Congress – Get $100 off tickets, limited supply
As part of the National Eucharistic Revival, tens of thousands of Catholics from across the country will be gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 17-21, 2024, for a National Eucharistic Congress. This five-day event will be a pivotal, unifying, and transformative moment for the Church in the United States, and we want to invite Catholics from across the diocese to participate.

To that end, we have been able to secure 100 “early bird” tickets, at a reduced rate. These tickets are for anyone in the Sioux Falls Diocese and are first come – first served. To claim your ticket, go to sfcatholic.org/eucharist.

Come witness the Holy Spirit do something amazing!

 

Summer Confirmation Retreats – 2023
The diocese is hosting one, possibly two, summer confirmation retreats this summer with the help of our Lumen Christi missionaries. The first date is June 24 and will be in Brookings, SD. Registration for this retreat is open now. Please visit sfcatholic.org/youth/confirmation-retreats/ to register and find out more information. The second date is pending as we attempt to find a hosting parish, but would be July 22. If your parish is interested in hosting this confirmation retreat, please reach out to let us know.

Confirmation retreat – Abbey of the Hills
The Abbey of the Hills is hosting a Confirmation retreat on September 30, 2023.  This retreat is open to any youth preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation. For more information visit: www.AbbeyOfTheHills.org. The link to the flyer can be found here. 

 

Anniversary Mass – Dates TBD
There have been some questions about dates for anniversary Masses. The dates have not been set yet as we are waiting to coordinate with the new incoming pastors. Don’t worry, the Masses will be happening. Thank you for your patience in this time of transition!

 

New CGS Training Opportunities
Holy Spirit and St. Lambert Parishes in Sioux Falls are hosting a Level 1 and a Level 2 training in June of 2024. Anyone who is interested in training is welcome to register. (Spots are limited.)

If you have any questions please contact:
Jodi Reel – St. Lambert Parish
605-336-8808, stlambertcgs@sfcatholic.org

Barbara Workman – Holy Spirit Parish
605-371-1478, bworkman@holyspiritsf.org

 

Weekly “Power Hour” for Formation Leaders – Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
Power Hour is currently taking a summer break. They will resume in the fall.

PCL Email List
If you are new or newly diving into our offerings, we invite you to join the PCL email list. You can sign up on the diocesan For Parish Leaders webpage.

Vocations

Do you know a young man who has expressed interest in discerning a vocation to the priesthood? Do you know a young man who you think would make a great priest and might be open to investigating the possibility of this call in his life? As part of our work to help young men discern the Lord’s call for their lives, the Vocations Office is compiling a list of such men with the intent of keeping them informed about various vocations promotion opportunities such as retreats, mission trips, Operation Andrew Dinners, seminary visits, and so on. If you know of someone who we should add to our list, please contact Emma Murtha at emurtha@sfcatholic.org or 988-3772.
Save the date: Nun Run, August 10-13, 2023 
Registration for the JPII Vocations Camp is open

This is our 7th Annual Vocations Camp for young men 12-16 years old! Young men going into 7th grade or just leaving their sophomore year are welcome. Father Tony Klein, Father Shaun Haggerty, Father Tom Hartman and Father Scott Miller, as well as several seminarians, will be leading the camp at Abbey of the Hills in Marvin, SD. This year we will have three full days, so if you are looking for more, this is the year to come!

We made a correction on the dates of the Vocations Camp on the flyer. The correct dates are on the flyer below. So sorry for the inconvenience.

2023 JPII Camp Flyer

Prayer for Vocations
Looking for a good prayer to use for an increase in vocations? Here’s one many of our parishes have been using for years.
Lord Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father and Mary Immaculate, grant to our young people the generosity necessary to follow Your call and the courage to overcome all obstacles to their vocation in life. Give their parents that faith, love and spirit of sacrifice which will inspire them to offer their children to God’s service and to rejoice whenever one of their children is called to the priesthood or religious life. Let Your example and that of Your Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph encourage both young people and parents and let Your grace sustain them.  Amen.

Discipleship and Evangelization Offerings

Upcoming Events

Fiat Dinner – Ecce Ancilla Domini
May 21 – Mater Ecclesiae Monastery

CGS – Level 1 Part B Training
June 19-24 – Risen Savior – Brandon

Confirmation Retreats 2023
June 24 – Brookings, SD (registration open)
July 22 –  location TBD
September 30 – Abbey of the Hills (registration open)

D-Camp 2023
June 18-21 – Broom Tree (High School)
July 9-12 – Broom Tree (High School) – [FULL]
July 13-16 – Broom Tree (Junior High) – [FULL]

National Eucharistic Congress
July 17-21, 2024 – Indianapolis

Power Hour
Tuesdays at 1 p.m. over Zoom 

More Info

National Eucharistic Congress – Get $100 off tickets, limited supply
As part of the National Eucharistic Revival, tens of thousands of Catholics from across the country will be gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 17-21, 2024, for a National Eucharistic Congress. This five-day event will be a pivotal, unifying, and transformative moment for the Church in the United States, and we want to invite Catholics from across the diocese to participate.

To that end, we have been able to secure 100 “early bird” tickets, at a reduced rate. These tickets are for anyone in the Sioux Falls Diocese and are first come – first served. To claim your ticket, go to sfcatholic.org/eucharist.

Come witness the Holy Spirit do something amazing!

 

Lumen Christi – Summer 2023
We have begun confirming with parishes who have requested a team the dates that a team will be available to them. If you did not get your request in, feel free to still send one in as there may be a few openings, or we can at least put you on a waitlist. For those who requested and are being matched, be looking for emails from gtibbetts@sfcatholic.org with more information, forms, etc. For more information on the Lumen Christi program or to request a team, please visit: sfcatholic.org/lc.

 

Fiat Dinner – Ecce Ancilla Domini
The Sioux Falls women’s discernment group with the Pro Ecclesia Sancta Sisters is hosting a Mass, talk and dinner with Bishop DeGrood at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Sioux Falls on May 21 from 5-8 p.m. All young women seeking God’s call in their vocational life are invited to attend. To RSVP or learn more, please visit sfwomensdiscernment.org.

 

Summer Confirmation Retreats – 2023
The diocese is hosting one, possibly two, summer confirmation retreats this summer with the help of our Lumen Christi missionaries. The first date is June 24 and will be in Brookings, SD. Registration for this retreat is open now. Please visit sfcatholic.org/youth/confirmation-retreats/ to register and find out more information. The second date is pending as we attempt to find a hosting parish, but would be July 22. If your parish is interested in hosting this confirmation retreat, please reach out to let us know.

Confirmation retreat – Abbey of the Hills
The Abbey of the Hills is hosting a Confirmation retreat on September 30, 2023.  This retreat is open to any youth preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation. For more information visit: www.AbbeyOfTheHills.org. The link to the flyer can be found here. 

D-Camp 2023 – Almost Full
There are just a few registration spots left for High School D-Camp 2023! The link can be found on our website: sfcatholic.org/youth/d-camp/

 

CGS – Level 1 Part B Training – Last Call
Last call, ticket sales close May 31. If you know someone who has completed Level 1 Part A and is looking for Part B, please invite them to join us at Risen Savior in Brandon June 19 – 24. Cost is $250. There are only a few spots remaining. You can register at sfcatholic.org/children-formation/. If you have questions, please contact us at cgs@sfcatholic.org or 605-988-3714.

Anniversary Mass – Dates TBD
There have been some questions about dates for anniversary Masses. The dates have not been set yet as we are waiting to coordinate with the new incoming pastors. Don’t worry, the Masses will be happening. Thank you for your patience in this time of transition!

 

Weekly “Power Hour” for Formation Leaders – Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
For a couple of years now, we have been holding weekly Zoom calls supporting our PCL’s throughout the diocese. These “Power Hours” are for priests and PCL’s and consist of ongoing formation, community, discussion, etc. Each week will be something a little different. These meetings are recorded for those who are unable to attend. Make sure to sign up on the PCL email list (see previous blurb) for information on which weeks these calls will be and for the Zoom links (the schedule varies a bit as we work around the School of Missionary Discipleship). Below is the schedule for the current semester:

January 10 – May 16 weekly at 1 p.m. with the exception of April 4, 25, and May 9.

PCL Email List
If you are new or newly diving into our offerings, we invite you to join the PCL email list. You can sign up on the diocesan For Parish Leaders webpage.

Discipleship and Evangelization Offerings

Upcoming Events

Eucharistic Revival Evening of Prayer
April 5, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Mount Marty University Chapel, Yankton

CGS – Level 1 Part B Training
June 19 – 24 – Risen Savior- Brandon

D-Camp 2023
June 18-21 – Broom Tree (High School)
July 9-12 – Broom Tree (High School) – [FULL]
July 13-16 – Broom Tree (Junior High) – [FULL]

National Eucharistic Congress
July 17-21, 2024 – Indianapolis

Power Hour
Tuesdays at 1 p.m. over Zoom 

More Info

Anniversary Mass
There have been some questions about dates for anniversary Masses. The dates have not been set yet as we are waiting to coordinate with the new incoming pastors. Don’t worry, the Masses will be happening. Thank you for your patience in this time of transition!

Recruiting Lumen Christi Missionaries for Summer 2023
The Discipleship and Evangelization office is planning to form, equip, and send out 20 Lumen Christi missionaries May 26 through August 6 of this year! We are inviting you to partner with us in these recruiting efforts by identifying exceptional candidates to apply. If you know someone who loves their faith, is college aged, and would be an amazing witness to youth, please encourage them to apply now! To learn more about Lumen Christi or to submit an application, please visit our webpage at sfcatholic.org/lc.

We are still taking requests for Lumen Christi teams for the summer of 2023. To find out more about Lumen Christi and to request a team for next summer, please visit sfcatholic.org/lumenchristi/

Lumen Christi – Summer 2023
If you have requested a Lumen Christi parish team for the summer, we apologize for not being able to solidify the date they will be coming to your parish yet. We are in the midst of hiring missionaries, but we are falling short on the number we need. We are hoping to figure out what this means for the summer schedule soon and confirm weeks with each of you. In the meantime, please pray for missionaries for our diocese. Thank you for all the support of this program and for sharing the word about it with your parishioners and other parishes. For more information on the Lumen Christi program or to direct individuals interested in applying, please visit: sfcatholic.org/lc

National Eucharistic Congress
As part of the National Eucharistic Revival, tens of thousands of Catholics from across the country will be gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 17-21, 2024 for a National Eucharistic Congress. This five-day event will be a pivotal, unifying, and transformative moment for the Church in the United States, and we want to invite Catholics from across the diocese to participate.

To that end, we have been able to secure some “early bird” tickets, which we will be making available for purchase soon. In the meantime, please email eucharist@sfcatholic.org if you’d like more information about this Congress and our diocesan participation in it.

Come witness the Holy Spirit do something amazing!

Deanery Eucharistic Revival Roadshows
The diocese is co-hosting deanery-wide Eucharistic Revival Roadshows in response to the USCCB’s National Eucharistic Revival. The desire is a revival in devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. These roadshows will serve as a model for those looking to host something similar during the year of the parish which begins in June 2023. Please join us at a location nearest you.

D-Camp 2023 – Almost Full
There are just a few registration spots left for High School D-Camp 2023! The link can be found on our website: sfcatholic.org/youth/d-camp/

CGS – Level 1 Part B Training
If you know someone who has completed Level 1 Part A and is looking for Part B, please invite them to join us at Risen Savior in Brandon June 19 – 24, 2023. Cost is $250. There are only a few spots remaining. You can register at sfcatholic.org/children-formation/. If you have questions, please contact us at cgs@sfcatholic.org or 605-988-3714.

Weekly “Power Hour” for Formation Leaders – Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
For a couple of years now we have been holding weekly Zoom calls supporting our PCL’s throughout the diocese. These “Power Hours” are for priests and PCL’s and consist of ongoing formation, community, discussion, etc. Each week will be something a little different. These meetings are recorded for those who are unable to attend. Make sure to sign up on the PCL email list (see previous blurb) for information on which weeks these calls will be and for the Zoom links (the schedule varies a bit as we work around the School of Missionary Discipleship). Below is the schedule for the current semester:

January 10 – May 16 weekly at 1 p.m. with the exception of April 4, 25 and May 9.

Zoom etiquette reminder: If you are on the Zoom call, please have your video on and come ready to engage in the conversation. If you will be working on other things, walking around, have to take a call, or are eating, etc., please ensure your video and microphone are both off so as not to distract others from the person speaking.

PCL Email List
If you are new or newly diving into our offerings, we invite you to join the PCL email list. You can sign up on the diocesan For Parish Leaders webpage.

Vocations

Do you know a young man who has expressed interest in discerning a vocation to the priesthood? Do you know a young man who you think would make a great priest and might be open to investigating the possibility of this call in his life? As part of our work to help young men discern the Lord’s call for their lives, the Vocations Office is compiling a list of such men with the intent of keeping them informed about various vocations promotion opportunities such as retreats, mission trips, Operation Andrew Dinners, seminary visits, and so on. If you know of someone who we should add to our list, please contact Emma Murtha at emurtha@sfcatholic.org or 988-3772.

College Connection 

Dear Pastors and Parish Administrators,

This summer, Bishop DeGrood will send a letter to the graduating seniors in our diocese so that he can personally congratulate and encourage them to seek God’s will in their lives. To make this possible, we are requesting the following information from you: names, cell phone number, parent’s names, addresses, sex and plans after graduation for all seniors.  

In conjunction with Bishop’s letter, in the past several years, the Vocations Office has used college information to help keep our youth connected with their Catholic faith while they are at school. This has been done with the aid of the SERRA Clubs in our diocese through a program called College Connection.

Through this program, letters are sent out to the seniors, encouraging them to get involved in the local Catholic community at the school they will be attending. The information given will only be forwarded on to the Newman Centers and Catholic Campus Ministry organizations that they will be attending in our diocese. This will help our campus ministers connect your students to other Catholic students and Catholic events. 

It is our hope that with this information we can keep more of our young people connected with the practice of their Catholic faith and continue to encourage the growth of their spirituality. 

Google Form you can share with your senior parents to fill in for their seniors

Please fill in the Google form by May 1.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for all that you do to promote religious vocations.

In Christ,

 

 

Prayer for Vocations

Looking for a good prayer to use for an increase in vocations? Here’s one many of our parishes have been using for years.

Lord Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father and Mary Immaculate, grant to our young people the generosity necessary to follow Your call and the courage to overcome all obstacles to their vocation in life. Give their parents that faith, love and spirit of sacrifice which will inspire them to offer their children to God’s service and to rejoice whenever one of their children is called to the priesthood or religious life. Let Your example and that of Your Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph encourage both young people and parents and let Your grace sustain them.  Amen.

Discipleship and Evangelization Offerings

Upcoming Events

Eucharistic Revival Evening of Prayer
March 23, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. – St Mary, Aberdeen
March 29, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. – Immaculate Conception, Watertown
April 5, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Mount Marty University Chapel, Yankton

CGS – Level 1 Part B Training
June 19 – 24 , Risen Savior- Brandon

D-Camp 2023
June 18-21, Broom Tree (High School)
July 9-12, Broom Tree (High School)
July 13-16, Broom Tree (Junior High)

Power Hour
Tuesdays at 1 p.m. over Zoom 

More Info

Lumen Christi
The Discipleship and Evangelization office is planning to form, equip, and send out 20 Lumen Christi missionaries May 26 through August 6 of this year! We are inviting you to partner with us in these recruiting efforts by identifying exceptional candidates to apply. If you know someone who loves their faith, is college aged, and would be an amazing witness to youth, please encourage them to apply now! To learn more about Lumen Christi or to submit an application, please visit our webpage at sfcatholic.org/lc.

We are still taking requests for Lumen Christi teams for the summer of 2023. To find out more about Lumen Christi and to request a team for next summer, please visit sfcatholic.org/lumenchristi/

Deanery Eucharistic Revival Roadshows
The diocese is co-hosting deanery-wide Eucharistic Revival Roadshows in response to the USCCB’s National Eucharistic Revival. The desire is a revival in devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. These Roadshows will serve as a model for those looking to host something similar during the year of the parish which begins in June 2023. Please join us at a location nearest you.

National Eucharistic Congress
As part of the National Eucharistic Revival, tens of thousands of Catholics from across the country will be gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 17-21, 2024 for a National Eucharistic Congress. This five-day event will be a pivotal, unifying, and transformative moment for the Church in the United States, and we want to invite Catholics from across the diocese to participate.

To that end, we have been able to secure some “early bird” tickets, which we will be making available for purchase soon. In the meantime, please email eucharist@sfcatholic.org if you’d like more information about this Congress and our diocesan participation in it.

Come witness the Holy Spirit do something amazing!

D-Camp 2023 – Almost Full
There are just a few registration spots left for D-Camp 2023! If your parish would like to support youth financially in attending camp, please let us know. We can create a discount code for your youth to register, and then we will bill the parish after camp. The link can be found on our website: sfcatholic.org/youth/d-camp/

CGS – Level 1 Part B Training
If you know someone who has completed Level 1 Part A and is looking for Part B, please invite them to join us at Risen Savior in Brandon June 19 – 24, 2023. Cost is $250. There are only a few spots remaining. You can register at sfcatholic.org/children-formation/.  If you have questions, please contact us at cgs@sfcatholic.org or 605-988-3714.

Going Deeper Retreat – Canceled
Due to some scheduling conflicts that came up, we had to cancel the Going Deeper retreat that was scheduled for March 31 – April 2 at the Abbey of the Hills. We are in the process of planning future Going Deeper retreats. You can check our website for updates as we have them.  sfcatholic.org/deeper

Power Hours
For a couple of years now, we have been holding weekly Zoom calls supporting Parish Catechetical Leaders (PCL) from around our diocese by offering an opportunity for growth in both spiritual and professional development and to have a space to bounce ideas off one another and inspire and encourage one another in our shared mission (PCLs include priests, deacons, DREs, YMs, discipleship coordinators, RCIA coordinators, etc.). Power Hours are held at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays approximately every other week. Zoom invitations are sent to the PCL email list weekly.

PCL Email List
If you are new or newly diving into our offerings, we invite you to join the PCL email list. You can sign up on the diocesan For Parish Leaders webpage.

Vocations

Do you know a young man who has expressed interest in discerning a vocation to the priesthood? Do you know a young man who you think would make a great priest and might be open to investigating the possibility of this call in his life? As part of our work to help young men discern the Lord’s call for their lives, the Vocations Office is compiling a list of such men with the intent of keeping them informed about various vocations promotion opportunities such as retreats, mission trips, Operation Andrew Dinners, seminary visits, and so on. If you know of someone who we should add to our list, please contact Emma Murtha at emurtha@sfcatholic.org or 988-3772.

College Connection 

Dear Pastors and Parish Administrators,

This summer, Bishop DeGrood will send a letter to the graduating seniors in our diocese so that he can personally congratulate and encourage them to seek God’s will in their lives. To make this possible, we are requesting the following information from you: names, cell phone number, parent’s names, addresses, sex and plans after graduation for all seniors.  

In conjunction with Bishop’s letter, in the past several years, the Vocations Office has used college information to help keep our youth connected with their Catholic faith while they are at school. This has been done with the aid of the SERRA Clubs in our diocese through a program called College Connection.

Through this program, letters are sent out to the seniors, encouraging them to get involved in the local Catholic community at the school they will be attending. The information given will only be forwarded on to the Newman Centers and Catholic Campus Ministry organizations that they will be attending in our diocese. This will help our campus ministers connect your students to other Catholic students and Catholic events. 

It is our hope that with this information we can keep more of our young people connected with the practice of their Catholic faith and continue to encourage the growth of their spirituality. 

Google Form you can share with your senior parents to fill in for their seniors

Please fill in the Google form by May 1.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for all that you do to promote religious vocations.

In Christ,

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Operation Andrew Dinner

As part of our work to help young men discern the Lord’s call for their lives, the Vocations Office is organizing an upcoming Operation Andrew Dinner that Bishop DeGrood will be attending. Operation Andrew Dinner at Pope Pius XII Newman Center in Brookings on March 21 from 5:15-8 p.m. If you know of someone who should go to this dinner, please contact your priest.

Prayer for Vocations

Looking for a good prayer to use for an increase in vocations? Here’s one many of our parishes have been using for years.

Lord Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father and Mary Immaculate, grant to our young people the generosity necessary to follow Your call and the courage to overcome all obstacles to their vocation in life. Give their parents that faith, love and spirit of sacrifice which will inspire them to offer their children to God’s service and to rejoice whenever one of their children is called to the priesthood or religious life. Let Your example and that of Your Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph encourage both young people and parents and let Your grace sustain them.  Amen.