Pastoral Ministry Days 2024
March 3-5 / Terra Sancta Retreat Center
Produced by the Office of Faith Formation and Pastoral Ministries
Each year, the leaders and faithful of our diocese gather at Terra Sancta Retreat Center to celebrate Pastoral Ministry Days (PMD) as a diocesan family. We are already beginning to look forward with excitement to this year’s gathering on March 3-5, 2024.
The general theme for this year’s PMD is: “As for Me and My House, We Will Serve the Lord: Strengthening Parishes from the Inside Out.” The featured speaker for this year’s gathering will be Joel Stepanek, currently the Chief Operating Officer of the National Eucharistic Congress.
This year’s presentations aim to strengthen parish life in several aspects:
- Helping each parish to live their own mission more faithfully, effectively, and zealously.
- Engaging with the Flourishing Families initiative as parish communities and parish families to nourish our identity, mission, lives of prayer and holiness, ministries, and fruitfulness.
- Leaning into the final year of the Eucharistic Revival, which is a year of mission, in which the Holy Spirit is sending us out.
This year’s Pastoral Ministry Days should not be missed! We look forward to welcoming all parish staff, ministers, leaders, and volunteers. This is a day in which to learn, grow, receive grace, and be renewed and inspired with our mission in the Church. Registration is now open!
Joel Stepanek
Chief Operating Officer of the National Eucharistic Congress
We have a special treat this year in hosting Joel Stepanek! Joel is currently serving as Chief Operating Officer for the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis this summer. Before joining this team in 2022, he served for 10 years in various leadership capacities with Life Teen, including Vice President of Parish Services and Director of Resource Development. Joel is a sought-after speaker who has traveled across the world speaking to groups of all sizes, ages, and vocations. Joel is the author of several books, including “Beginning Well: Seven Spiritual Practices for the First Year of Almost Anything,” “Chasing Humility: 8 Ways to Shape a Christian Heart,” “XY: An Authentic Masculine Identity,” and “Getting More Out of Confession.” He is a co-author of “The 99,” an evangelization program from Ascension and is a contributing author for Youth Cartel and Youth Specialties. He also continues to serve as an adjunct professor for Franciscan University of Steubenville. We are very much looking forward to welcoming Joel and his dynamic and engaging message.
PMD Recorded Sessions
Session 1 – The Garden: Bearing Fruit That Remains
Session 2 – Chasing Humility: The Heart of a Leader
Session 2 Testimony – Fr. Robert Kinyon
Mass Homily – Fr. Kerry Prendiville
Session 3 – Good Soil: Creating Life Giving Cultures at Your Parish
Session 3 Testimony – Deacon Chuck and Jean Loehr | Amy Julian & Jean Quade
Session 4 – We Will Serve: Missions That Matter
Session 4 Testimony – Quinn Gill
Session 5 – Why of the Eucharistic Revival
Session 5 Testimony – Fr. Tyler Dennis
Conference Schedule
Sunday, March 3:
4:30pm: Registration opens (main lobby entrance)
7:00—8:00pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (Holy Cross Chapel)
8:00pm: Wine and cheese social
Monday, March 4: Day 1 of PMD
6:30-7:30am: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (Cenacle Chapel)
7:00am: Registration opens
7:30am: Breakfast
8:30am: Welcome, Morning Prayer, Introductions
9:15am: Session #1
10:00am: Break
10:30am: Session #2
11:45am: Holy Mass
12:30pm—2:00pm: Lunch
2:00pm: Session #3
3:25pm: Breakout Sessions
4:15pm: Break
4:30pm: Concluding Remarks, Overview of Evening
4:45pm: Vespers
5:00pm: Dinner
6:30pm: Night of Worship with Adoration, Confession & Prayer Teams
8:00pm: Conclusion
Tuesday, March 5: Day 2 of PMD
6:30-7:30am: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (Cenacle chapel)
7:30am: Breakfast
8:30am: Session #4
10:15am: Breakout Sessions
11:00am: Break
11:30am: Holy Hour
12:30pm: Lunch
2:00pm: Closing Session #5
2:45—3:45pm: Closing Mass
3:45pm: Final blessing, departure
