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  Through the example and intercession of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, may a gentle disposition rule our hearts and allow for charity, reconciliation, and mercy in our lives. 

Catholic Relief Services Collection

March 13-14, 2021

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” — Rev 3:20

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Next weekend, our Diocese will take up The Catholic Relief Services Collection. Your support of this collection serves Jesus in disguise in some of the most marginalized communities in our world.

CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community. For over 75 years, CRS has been providing expertise and compassion to the very poorest of our brothers and sisters in more than a 100 countries. It helps support agriculture, education, and economic development to help the poor work their way out of poverty. It also provides relief in times of famine, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. 

When you give to CRS, you help fill the bellies of young children so they can focus and study hard in school. You help combat human trafficking and provide aid to survivors. Refugees and migrants find safety, assistance, and counseling. Wells are being dug to prevent women and children from traveling far to collect water. Wells also assist farmers in planting crops even during periods of drought so they can feed their local villages. 

Your support of this collection makes a difference for so many around the globe. Please prayerfully consider how you can support the collection this year. Support the collection, and answer the knock of Jesus in disguise. I am,

Most Reverend

W. Shawn McKnight

Bishop of Jefferson City

Last winter, Bishop McKnight requested all parishes to discern their own plans for carrying out the Church’s vision for parish life within their geographic territory. The bishop and his advisors gave a timeline and process for praying, discussing, and assessing each parish’s strengths and weaknesses in the areas of:

· Cultivating a spirituality rooted in the Catholic understanding of stewardship;

· Promoting effective co-responsibility among ordained ministers and the laity; and

· Helping every parish become universally recognized as a center of charity and a sanctuary of mercy within the larger community.

Pastors and lay leaders turned parishioners’ suggestions into doable, measurable objectives for carrying out the three goals over the next three years.

The diocesan staff received parish pastoral plans from 70 parishes.

Throughout the summer, a group comprised of Diocesan Pastoral Council member Rick Nichols; LeAnn Korsmeyer, Diocesan Director of Parish and Charitable Services; Father Jason Doke, Moderator of the Curia; Father Stephen Jones, Director of Stewardship, and Bishop McKnight reviewed and tabulated each of the plans.

Teens took part in online gatherings to give additional input.

Members of the Diocesan Pastoral Council met in August to ascertain themes and patterns among all of the parish plans. Their observations formed the basis for a working document presented at a September assembly of lay representatives throughout the Diocese.

Participants discussed the working document in small groups — specifically, the aspects that ignite their passion, items that need clarification, and any concerns.

Their insights figured into creating a revised working document of the diocesan plan.

Bishop McKnight consulted with the priests of the diocese during their annual Fall Institute before casting a final draft. He said the plan will shape how the diocese “coordinates and leverages its resources over the next three years, to assist the parishes in fulfilling their own goals and their own activities to which they are holding themselves accountable.”