Upcoming Events
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January 2021
Lent - Beginning February 17
January is Poverty Awareness Month. For resources about what Catholics can do to address poverty in the United States, visit USCCB’s Poverty USA website at www.povertyusa.org.
January 1, 2021
World Day of Peace. Pope Francis will deliver the annual World Day of Peace Message on January 1. The message will be posted along with a bulletin insert at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/war-and-peace/world-day-of-peace.cfm.
January 18, 2021
Martin Luther King Day Celebration Online. Holy Rosary & St. John Catholic Church invite you to their annual Martin Luther King Day, held online this year. Father Reynaldo S. Taylor of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will offer the message. Music minister, Vernon Hairston will share musical selections. Members of the parish will contribute words of wisdom from Scripture and from Dr. King. CLICK HERE.
January 21-29, 2021
9 Days for Life will take place Thursday, January 21 - Friday, January 29. 9 Days for Life is a multi-faceted novena for the respect and protection of human life. Each day, a different intention is accompanied by a short reflection, suggested actions, and related information. Sign up to receive the novena by email, text, message, or an app at www.9daysforlife.com. For a leaders resource which includes the printed novena, CLICK HERE. Additional resources to observe the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children are available here.
January 22, 2021
Respect Life Mass. The annual Respect Life Mass will be Friday, January 22, 2021, 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral. Bishop Robert J. Brennan will be the main celebrant. On this day of the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, our diocese will join all dioceses of the United States in observing a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. The Mass will be livestreamed on the Diocese of Columbus YouTube Channel and on St. Gabriel Catholic Radio, www.stgabrielradio.com. For more information contact the diocesan Office for Social Concerns at socmailbox@columbuscatholic.org or 614-241-2540.
January 22, 2021
Roe Remembrance - Greater Columbus Right to Life will sponsor this annual event on Friday, January 22, 2021, from Noon to 1 p.m., following the 10:30 a.m. Respect Life Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral. The Roe Remembrance will be held outside on the Ohio Statehouse lawn. It also will be livestreamed. For updates, visit www.gcrtl.org/roe.
January 28-29, 2021
National Prayer Vigil for Life. Livestream January 28-29, 2021, from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC. Also televised by EWTN. https://www.usccb.org/prolife/national-prayer-vigil-life-schedule
January 29, 2021
Youth Rally and Mass for Life. Livestream from Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2021, begins at 8:30 a.m. Visit https://youthrallyandmassforlife.org.
January 29, 2021
March for Life. The annual March for Life in Washington, DC, will be totally virtual. The rally takes place from 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., with the pre-rally concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. To sign up for the livestream, visit https://p2a.co/BIa5nXt.
National Migration Week 2021 Is Moving! September 20th - 26th, 2021
For nearly forty years, National Migration Week (NMW) has been celebrated the week after the Epiphany in January. One of the primary reasons for the selection of these dates was due to the timing of the Pope’s migration Day message, which was celebrated in mid-January.
In 2019, Pope Francis announced that that the World Day of Migrants and Refugees would henceforth be celebrated on the last Sunday of September. To maintain the custom of aligning NMW with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the Catholic Bishops of the United States recently decided to move National Migration Week to the last week in September. Given that we have already celebrated NMW 2020 in January of this year, the next National Migration Week that we will celebrate will be September 20 - 26, 2021, with the Vatican’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees taking place on Sunday the 26 th. More information about the celebration, next year’s National Migration theme, and resources will be made available on our Justice for Immigrants website in the spring of 2021.
February 2021
CRS Rice Bowl is a Lenten faith formation program for use in parishes, schools, religious education programs and by families and individuals in the home. CRS Rice Bowl ensures that the Catholic community of the United States is present in nearly 100 countries worldwide, serving the poorest among us through CRS. For more information, contact the diocesan Office for Social Concerns at 614- 41-2540 or socmailbox@columbuscatholic.org or visit the CRS website at www.crsricebowl.org.
Lenten Journey for Families. The diocesan offices for Social Concerns and Marriage and Family Life have teamed up to provide a Lenten journey for families: three ways to grow together – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. More details can be found on the diocesan website https://columbuscatholic.org/family-ministry-enrichment or call 614-241-2540. FLYERS English | Spanish
February 17 to April
40 Days for Life Faithful believers are praying that this effort will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in America. This peaceful prayer vigil will take place at an abortion facility in Columbus. Participants are asked to volunteer for one-hour shifts and sign a statement of peace. For details and to sign up for a time, visit www.gcrtl.org/40-days-for-life.html or call 614-445-8508.
March 2021
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. All persons with disabilities have gifts to contribute to the whole Church. Embrace. Welcome. Participate. For resources available to individuals, families, and parishes to work towards the goal of full participation, visit www.columbuscatholic.org/persons-with-disabilities.
April 2021
April is Autism Awareness Month For a copy of a bulletin insert developed by the diocese to promote greater inclusion of persons with Autism in the life of the Church and society, visit www.columbuscatholic.org/persons-with-disabilities. Bulletin Insert: English | Spanish
April 2
Virtual Walking Stations of the Cross In light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the annual diocesan Walking Stations of the Cross will not be offered in-person on Good Friday. Howevere, the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry and the Office for Social Concerns are working with local parishes and the Diocesan Youth Council to provide video and audio reflections for small groups, families, and individuals. There also will be a guide provided with a map of the Walking Stations route for those interested in making a self-guided pilgrimage in downtown Columbus. For details visit www.columbuscatholic.org/walking-stations.
April 22
Earth Day and Laudato Si’ Resources. During the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Special Anniversary Year, we are called to restore our common home. Catholic Climate Covenant’s 2021 Earth Day program is now available. This free one-hour educational program can be easily downloaded. It is intended for Earth Day (April 22) or the 6th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ (May16-24). The interactive program includes prayers, readings, a short video, discussion questions, and suggested “restoration” activities. Visit www.catholicclimatecovenant.org.
April 24
Converging Roads - Health Care and Human Dignity. Saturday, April 24, 2021, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus. Topics include Medicine and Morals in Making Clinical Decisions; Rights of Physicians, Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, Accompanying Children in the Womb and at the End of Life, The Catholic Healthcare Professional in a Secular Society, Access to Health Care for the Poor, and more. Continuing education credits for healthcare professionals will be offered. To learn more, CLICK HERE.
May 2021
May 15
Feast of St. Isidore, Patron Saint of Farmers. For online inovena of the St. Isidore novena, visit https://catholicrurallife.org/virtualnovena
May 16 - 24
6th anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si' On Care for our Common Home. Read about the Vatican's Special Laudato Si' Anniversary Year.
June 2021
First week of June
Stop Taxpayer Funded Abortion Petition Drive. Billions of taxpayer dollars could be used to pay for abortion. Sign the petition to Congress.
TAKE ACTION
Sign the petition to Congress!
June 22 - 29
Religious Freedom Week: Solidarity in Freedom. Join us, June 22 - June 29. The USCCB Pray-Reflect-Act series aims to help Catholics build solidarity with people of faith who are persecuted abroad and find strength to carry out the mission of the Church here in the United States. Read more.
September 2021
Suicide Prevention Month. September is National Suicide Prevention Month and the Diocese of Columbus is encouraging people to join the #BeThe1To movement from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. How can you #BeThe1To make a difference in the life of someone feeling isolated, alone, and in pain? Making a difference begins with you, and these five steps from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be an effective way for you to take action in your parish or school community and make an impact in someone’s life. CLICK HERE FOR RESOURCES.
September 1
Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Pope Francis has called for an annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on September 1, marking the beginning of the “Season of Creation,” which lasts through the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4. For resources, visit www.columbuscatholic.org/care-for-creation. Creation Care Bulletin Insert.
September 6
Labor Day
The USCCB Labor Day Statement calls for justice in challening times. To read the statement, CLICK HERE.
September to November
40 Days for Life. Faithful believers are praying that this effort will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in America. This peaceful prayer vigil will take place at an abortion facility in Columbus. Participants are asked to volunteer for one-hour shifts and sign a statement of peace. For details and to sign up for a time, visit www.gcrtl.org/40-days-for-life.html or call 614-445-8508.
September 20-26
National Migration Week
For nearly forty years, National Migration Week (NMW) has been celebrated the week after the Epiphany in January. One of the primary reasons for the selection of these dates was due to the timing of the Pope’s migration Day message, which was celebrated in mid-January.
In 2019, Pope Francis announced that that the World Day of Migrants and Refugees would henceforth be celebrated on the last Sunday of September. To maintain the custom of aligning NMW with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the Catholic Bishops of the United States recently decided to move National Migration Week to the last week in September. Given that we have already celebrated NMW 2020 in January of this year, the next National Migration Week that we will celebrate will be September 20 - 26, 2021, with the Vatican’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees taking place on Sunday the 26 th. More information about the celebration, next year’s National Migration theme, and resources will be made available on our Justice for Immigrants website in the spring of 2021.
October 2021
October is Respect Life Month
October is Respect Life Month and Respect Life Sunday is October 3, 2021. For resources to promote the dignity of human life visit our Respect Life Program page.
October 4
Feast of St. Francis Program. Every October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis celebrates the saint who saw all created beings as his brother or sister. Inspired by this example, Catholic Climate Covenant produces a free educational program to help your faith community explore how it can better care for creation and the poor. To learn more, CLICK HERE.
October - TBA
Mass of Inclusion - Celebrating the unique gifts of people with special needs.
November 2021
November 2
Election Day. "In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation." U.S. Catholic Bishops, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. Visit our Faithful Citizenship Page for Resources. Please vote. Let your voice be heard!
November 14
World Day of the Poor To read Pope Francis' message for the World Day of the Poor, Click here.
November 20-20
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) Collection will be on the weekend of November 21-22, the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Help break the cycle of poverty. For more information about how CCHD is working on the margins, go online at www.usccb.org/cchd or contact the diocesan Office for Social Concerns at (614) 241-2540.
November 25
Thanksgiving Day - Give thanks to God for our many blessings. Keep in your prayers farmers, farmworkers, and all people working in the food industry. For prayer and education resources visit http://catholicrurallife.org.
December 2021
Christmas Catholic Charities Collection. This annual collection allows the diocese to meet a variety of basic needs directly and through diocesan agencies and organizations including J.O.I.N. (Joint Organization for Inner-City Needs), St. Stephen’s Community House, Catholic Social Services, St. Francis Center, St. Lawrence Haven, St. Vincent Family Center, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. You can help share in this important work by generously supporting the Catholic Charities collection this year.