March 19, 2020
Catholic Diocese Liturgical Adaptations
To All Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, Religious Men and Women, and Faithful Laity of the Diocese of Fort Worth
Fort Worth Catholic Diocese Bishop Michael Olson has issued a new pastoral letter in response to rapidly developing matters regarding efforts to contain the coronavirus. The new adaptations go into effect immediately. Please click below for full letter.
View Pastoral Letter
Carta pastoral completa
Thư mục vụ
Due to the Coronavirus forcing so many to stay home, the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth will live stream the Sunday, 11 a.m. Mass from St. Patrick Cathedral for the foreseeable future. Go to the front page of the diocesan website at: www.fwdioc.org
Diaconate Ordination
Attention: All Parish Web Master, E-Bulletin Editors, etc.
The Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth is asking all web masters, e-Bulletin editors, etc. to please put this information on your e-Bulletins, websites, via email blast, social media or any other means of communication that are available.
Although the prohibition on large gatherings has necessitated a change in details, six men from the Diocese of Fort Worth will be ordained on March 19. The ordination had previously been scheduled for Vietnamese Martyrs Parish, which can seat 2,000. However, the Diocese of Fort Worth is complying with recommendations from national, state, and local health officials to limit gatherings to minimize the spread of coronavirus. The six seminarians, Jason Allan, Thomas Jones, Samuel Maul, Brett Metzler, Joseph Moreno, and Linh Nguyen, will be ordained at St. Patrick Cathedral at 6 p.m. in front of their closest family members only. The Ordination Mass will be livestreamed at fwdioc.org to provide their friends, extended family, and the faithful of Fort Worth the opportunity to join them in prayer and spiritual Communion.
Send Us Holy Week/Easter Mass Times
Parish Priests, Administrators and Business Managers
We would like to ask for your help in compiling the Easter Mass times for our 91 Diocesan parishes. Much like we did at Christmas, we want to make it as easy as possible for the faithful to find and attend Holy Week and Easter Masses.
As Holy Week fast approaches, we would like to kindly ask you to send us your Mass times, location, and offered language to the Diocesan Website Coordinators below, no later than Friday, April 3, 2020. Thank you for your help.
, Website Coordinator
, Assistant Website Coordinator
St. Junipero Serra Institute
Important information about St. Junipero Serra Institute
Please note that the beginning of the English classes schedule for this coming Monday has been postponed till Monday the 30th when the catholic Schools reopen, please check back for updates.
Información importante sobre St. Junipero Serra Institute
Por favor tenga en cuenta que el curso de introducción a la apologética que debería empezar el día 21 de marzo y el de introducción a la doctrina 2 que empezaría el 28 en la escuela de San Pedro ha sido postpuesto hasta el 4 de abril después que la escuela vuelva a abrir. Por favor revise periódicamente los anuncios para actualizaciones.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
Special Collection March 21-22, 2020
This Lenten season we have an opportunity to help our brothers and sisters in Christ, to serve Jesus in disguise, by supporting the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Collection. CRS provides support for six Catholic agencies that provide food for the hungry, legal assistance for the struggling, comfort for the lonely, a voice for the poor and aid for those affected by natural disaster. Resources for parishes in English and in Spanish – including bulletin covers, social media kits and web graphics - are available for download here.
CRS Parish Information
Social Media Resources
Recursos Para Redes Sociales
Lenten Discernment for Men
March 23 & 30, 2020
The Vocations Office invites all men in high school and college to attend a weekly Holy Hour and series of discernment topics on Monday evenings of Lent. This event will be at St. Patrick Cathedral and the evening will start with Holy Hour at 6:00 pm followed by dinner and a discussion of topics on prayer, seminary life, and the priesthood. Please RSVP the Friday before the event to or by calling 817-945-9321.
Annual Diocesan Appeal
March Promotional Materials: Lenten Almsgiving
During March, promotional materials for the Annual Diocesan Appeal focus on Lenten almsgiving and joining the Saint Francis Circle for monthly recurring giving. For more information, refer to the documents linked below.
Click here to access parish promotional materials in English and Spanish.
Click here to donate to the 2020 Annual Diocesan Appeal and help your parish meet its goal (or sign up for payroll deduction on ADP or text ADA to 91999).
Please contact at 817-945-9441, if you have other questions or need promotional resources for Lenten Almsgiving.
March Promotional Materials
Lenten Almsgiving Social Media Ad
Lenten Challenge Ad
Worldwide Marriage Encounter
March 2020
The Diocese’s program to building better marriage is coordinated by Worldwide Marriage Encounter.
Information from Worldwide Marriage Encounter coordinators is available for parishes to inform couples of upcoming Encounter events. Feel free to include this valuable information in your bulletins.
March Bulletin Announcement
March Bulletin Flyers
Advancing the Mission
March/April Newsletter
Meet our new executive director and our newest board member. Learn how we’re adapting to serve you during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dicsover which parishes have met their goals for the Annual Diocesan Appeal. Plus, Lenten resources, tax time pointers, stewardship saint of the month and more are covered in the March/April edition of Advancing the Mission, the bimonthly newsletter of the Advancement Foundation.
Advancing the Mission Newsletter
Come and See Weekend
Vocations Weekend Retreat, April 3-5, 2020
The Spring 2020 Come & See Weekend will take place at St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, LA. This vocations weekend retreat is scheduled for April 3-5, 2020 for young men 16 years and older who are in high school and college in the Diocese of Fort Worth.
Please invite young men to experience what life is like at St. Joseph’s Seminary with others who are discerning a call to the priesthood. Reserve your spot today by March 20, 2020.
For more information contact: or by calling 817-945-9321. Please find the flyer attached.
Parish Operating Grants
Grant Applications for FY21 Now Being Accepted!
Application Deadline May 1, 2020
Thanks to the generosity of the donors to the Annual Diocesan Appeal, the Advancement Foundation provides generous Operating Grants to parishes each year. In 2019-20, $873,000 was awarded to 30 parishes. Small, rural or needy parishes in need of additional support to meet their operating expenses are invited to apply for a grant by 5 p.m. on May 1. Applications will be reviewed by the Diocesan Pastoral Finance Committee and approved by the Board of Directors of the Advancement Foundation. All applicants will be notified by letter prior to June 30, 2020. Grants will be disbursed in twelve (12) equal payments beginning July 1.
For more details, including an application and a list of current year grant recipients, please visit: Annual Diocesan Appeal/Parish Grant Resources.
School Operating Grants
Applications for 2020-21 School Year Now Being Accepted!
Submit by 5 p.m. on May 1, 2020
Donors to the Annual Diocesan Appeal make possible operating grants to Catholic Schools throughout the Diocese of Fort Worth. In FY20, $175,000 was awarded to eight Catholic schools. Schools in need of additional support to meet their operating expenses are invited to apply for a grant by 5 p.m. on May 1. Debt payments, construction, renovation, security, maintenance, equipment and other capital expenditures are not eligible for an operating grant. Tuition assistance also is not eligible as the Advancement Foundation funds it in a separate distribution. Applications will be reviewed by the Diocesan Pastoral Finance Committee and approved by the Board of Directors of the Advancement Foundation. All applicants will be notified by letter prior to June 30, 2020. Grants will be disbursed in ten (10) equal payments beginning August 1, 2020.
For more details, including an application and a list of current year grant recipients, please visit: Annual Diocesan Appeal/School Grant Resources.
Catholic Charities Fort Worth
Come learn how we are Ending Poverty, One Family at a Time!
Join us for a one hour informational session, including a tour of our campus, that gives you an up close, behind the scenes look at how we are ending poverty in our community! We will discuss our poverty ending programs more in depth, share client stories, and encourage open questions and dialogue with each guest. Come learn about our mission to CREATE solutions, ERADICATE barriers, and TRANSFORM lives in our community!
Crossroads Newsletter
For Parish and School Business Managers and Staffs
The third quarter issue of Crossroads, the newsletter for Parish and School Business Managers from the Advancement Foundation, is available below. Please print and distribute copies to those in your organization needing the information it contains regarding upcoming dates, the Annual Diocesan Appeal, Special Collections, increasing donations, and 2019 tax statements for donors.
Parish Stewardship Resources
Second Quarter, April-June 2020
Below please find General Intercessions and Bulletin/Website Announcements tied to the weekly readings in both English and Spanish. For additional Stewardship Resources for Parishes (including resources for prior quarters), please visit: fwdioc.app.box.com.
Seminarian Daily Prayer List
We invite everyone to pray for our seminarians this year. Attached please find the 2019-2020 Seminarian Daily Prayer List. For any additional information please contact the .
Prayer List
Lista de Oraciones
Danh Sách Cầu Nguyện
Deacon Candidates Daily Prayer List
Please keep our deacon candidates in your prayers this year. Attached find the 2019-2020 Deacon Candidates Daily Prayer List. For additional information about the diaconate formation process visit us at fwdioc.org/deacon-formation.
Special Collection Calendar
2020-2021
Throughout the year, parishes throughout the Diocese of Fort Worth take up special collections to support the work of Christ in our Diocese, in the United States and throughout the world. Please give generously when these collections are announced in your parish.
Special Collections Calendar (2020) |
Colectas Especiales (2020) |
Diocesan Employment Opportunities
To better serve potential candidates for diocesan jobs, the e-Bulletin “Diocesan Employment Opportunities” has been streamlined into two categories with links. Click on a category to view all available jobs.
Diocesan Calendar
El Calendario de la Diócesis
The Diocesan Electronic Calendar is a listing of major events and activities at the Diocese as well as in parishes and schools. Parishes and schools may submit information that may be of interest to individuals outside of a parish or school for inclusion on the diocesan electronic calendar with a hotlink to details if appropriate.
El Calendario Electrónico de la Diócesis es una lista de los principales eventos y actividades en la Diócesis, así como en las parroquias y las escuelas. Las parroquias y las escuelas podrán presentar información que pueda ser de interés para las personas fuera de la parroquia o de la escuela para que se pueda incluir en el calendario electrónico de la Diócesis con un enlace directo a la información, si procede.
Diocesan Calendar / Calendario Diocesano
The following outlines what is needed when submitting events to be added to the Diocesan website calendar. For complete details, please review the PDF document below.
Requisitos para publicar eventos en el Sitio de Internet Diocesano. Para información más detallada porfavor revise el archivo PDF abajo.
For any questions or concerns about the e-Bulletin please contact the
Director of Communications, or