Respect Life Month
October is an opportunity to reflect on how deeply the Sacred Heart of Jesus loves all God’s children. May we respond to the call to respect, defend and cherish those who are most vulnerable, from the beginning of life until its end.
Quote of the Month
“Our churches tell stories through stained glass, statues and scripture. As some of those items are no longer present in communities, it’s important to have a place [the planned Diocesan Archives Center] for collective storytelling. Not just for treasures like stained glass, but for the documents and records that show where we’ve been as we discern where we’re going.”
-Very Rev. John-Michael Lavelle, D.Min., diocesan Vicar of Missionary Discipleship and Curator of the Patrimony
Photo above: Bishop Bonnar, Chancellor Joan Lawson, and honored guests shovel dirt at the groundbreaking for the Diocesan Archives Center on September 15, 2025. Photo credit: Vince Taddei
See the full story by Vince Taddei at https://catholicecho.org/2025/09/17/preserving-the-past-building-the-future-diocese-breaks-ground-on-archives-center/
For more Catholic inspiration, connect with the Diocese of Youngstown and The Catholic Echo on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Welcome to the Digital Communique!
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
For full list of bulletin announcements, please download the Text Only Attachments
The Communique collects important information provided by diocesan offices for parish ministry leaders. It also includes promotional materials for diocesan events and programs, where applicable.
Questions? Contact Meagen Farrell, Communications Manager, at communications@youngstowndiocese.org or (330) 744-8451 x275.
The printable format publication is sent by email as a PDF or Word file.
Announcements suitable or adaptable for parish bulletins are noted. Where applicable, links to attachments and graphic files are included for each office below: click to save/download the file.
Other Events & Shared Publicity
Events from around the diocese can also be found on The Catholic Echo Events Calendar. You can upload or find publicity for Catholic organizations outside of diocesan offices in our new Shared Publicity Folders. Anyone with the link can view these folders. If you are employed at a DOY-affiliated parish, school or lay organization, you can request Editor access to upload publicity materials.
- October 2025 Shared Publicity Folder https://bit.ly/oct2025sharedoy
- November 2025 Shared Publicity Folder https://bit.ly/nov2025sharedoy
- December 2025 Shared Publicity Folder https://bit.ly/dec2025sharedoy
Diocesan Events This Month
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
12th
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Events for September
13th
Events for September
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Events for September
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Events for September
16th
Events for September
17th
Events for September
18th
Events for September
19th
Events for September
20th
Events for September
21st
National Migration Week
Events for September
22nd
National Migration Week
Events for September
23rd
New Episode of The Catholic Echo Podcast
National Migration Week
Events for September
24th
National Migration Week
Events for September
25th
Deadline to Register for 25th, 40th, 50th, 55th, 60th and over Wedding Anniversary Celebration in Canton
National Migration Week
Divine Mercy Chaplet | Fridays, Alternating Diocesan Cemeteries
Events for September
26th
National Migration Week
Events for September
27th
New Episode of Wineskins
National Migration Week
Priesthood Sunday
Events for September
28th
Events for September
29th
Events for September
30th
Events for October
1st
Respect Life Month
Annual Red Mass for Legal Professions
- Mary Fioramonti
Events for October
2nd
Ohio March for Life
Events for October
3rd
St. Francis of Assisi Pet Blessing
Our Sunday Mass from St. Columba Cathedral
Parish Presentations After Mass (Warren)
St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day Mass, Bishop Bonnar presiding
Chancery
Click the name of the office to read the announcement titles, and click the headlines for more information. Links to download the parish bulletin/publicity materials are listed below.
- Safe Environment Compliance Reminder for Music Ministers – No child, young person, or vulnerable adult is permitted to interact with a music minister that is not safe environment compliant.
- Safe Environment Materiales de Boletín (in Spanish) – The attached bulletin announcement regarding education, screening, reporting, and victim assistance, should be included bi-monthly (every two months) in all parish bulletins.
- Safe Environment Bulletin Announcements (in English) – The attached bulletin announcement regarding education, screening, reporting, and victim assistance, should be included bi-monthly (every two months) in all parish bulletins.
- Upcoming Events with Bishop Bonnar (Bulletin Materials) – Bulletin materials available for upcoming events with Bishop Bonnar.
- Can I “Surprise” Someone with their Baptism Record? – For records 70 years or newer, certificates may be provided only for the person named in the sacramental record, a diocesan official involved in canonical investigations, a parent or legal guardian of a minor child, or an individual with valid power of attorney for the person who received the sacrament.
- Catholic Mass Opportunities at Six County Fairs This Summer in the Diocese – Masses take place in Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana, Ashtabula, Portage and Stark Counties
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
Safe Environment Bulletin Announcements (Bulletin Materials | Materiales de Boletín)
The attached bulletin announcement regarding education, screening, reporting, and victim assistance, should be included bi-monthly (every two months) in all parish bulletins.
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
JUBILEE 2025 EVENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & RESOURCES
- Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass (Bulletin Materials) – The Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass will take place onSunday, June 28, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Saint Columba Cathedral, Youngstown. The deadline for couples to register at their parishes is May 22, 2026.
- 2026 Marriage Preparation Formation Opportunities – The Diocese of Youngstown has updated their 2026 dates for Marriage Preparation Engaged Couple Retreats.
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
Marriage Preparation Retreat Days on October 25 (Bulletin Materials)
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
25th, 40th, 50th and over Wedding Anniversary Celebration in Canton on 10/26 (Bulletin Materials)
Registration forms with Pastor’s signature due to parishes by September 26th.
Visit doyorg.wpenginepowered.com/jobs to see a full listings of current openings. Click the category to view recent postings, and click the title to view details for each listing. Questions? Contact Matthew Hazi, Human Resources Director, at mhazi@youngstowndiocese.org.
- Music Director | St. Dominic Church (Youngstown) (9/15/2025)
- Lead Maintenance position – St. Catherine of Sienna, Boardman, OH (6/9/2026)
- Bookkeeper – St. Catherine of Sienna, Boardman, OH (6/9/2026)
- St. Carlo Acutis Parish Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (8/12/2025)
- Parish Director of Religious Education | Youngstown City Parishes (3/25/2026)
- Director of Religious Education – St. Rose Parish – Girard, OH (5/28/2026)
- Bookkeeper & Human Resource Officer (PT) | Trumbull North Catholic Community (3/17/2025)
- Permanent Substitute (K-8) – St. Christine School, Youngstown (9/18/2026)
- Head Softball Coach – Ursuline High School, Youngstown (9/9/2026)
- Preschool Teacher – ECLC @ St. Luke, Boardman (9/9/2026)
- Pre-K Assistant – ECLC @ St. Luke, Boardman (9/9/2026)
- Cafeteria/Office Aide – St. Paul School, Salem (8/28/2026)
- Music Teacher (Part Time)-Our Lady of Peace School, Canton (8/28/2026)
- PreSchool Director/Teacher – Sts. Philip and James Elementary School, Canal Fulton (8/21/2026)
- Pre-School Teacher’s Aide (Part Time) – Villa Maria Teresa School, Hubbard (8/21/2026)
- Primary Teacher – St. Patrick School, Kent (8/11/2026)
- Grades 5-8 Aide – St. Joseph the Provider, Youngstown (8/7/2026)
- Lunch Monitor – St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School, Louisville (7/23/2026)
- Substitute Teachers for All Diocesan Schools 2026-2027 School Year (7/22/2026)
- Intervention Specialist – St. Patrick School, Kent (5/13/2026)
- Preschool Teacher (5-Days) – ECLC, Youngstown (7/16/2026)
- Full-Time Aide – St. Christine School, Youngstown (6/23/2026)
- Sports Performance Assistant – St. Vincent-St. Mary High School – Akron (9/1/2026)
- Bus & Van Driver position – St. Vincent-St. Mary High School – Akron (9/1/2026)
- Music Director – Our Lady of Fatima – West Milton, OH (8/18/2026)
- Boy’s Lacrosse Head Coach at St. Vincent -St. Mary High School, Akron OH (8/3/2026)
- Director of Music Ministry – Holy Family Parish, Stow, OH (7/24/2026)
Click the name of the office to read the full text of the announcements. Links to download the parish bulletin/publicity materials are listed below.
- Catholic Charities Regional Agency Announces Return of “Chefs for Charity” Event – The event takes place September 17 at St. Demetrios Community Center in Warren
- Current Needs – Product of the Month! (Bulletin Materials) – Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County presents a program designed to address the most urgent needs of our clients by focusing on specific essential items each month.
- Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County Annual Bocce Tournament (Bulletin Materials) – Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County announces Annual Bocce Tournament on September 5, 2026!
- CHEFS FOR CHARITY ’26 – Catholic Charities Regional Agency announces CHEFS FOR CHARITY ’26!
- Catholic Charities Regional Agency Announces Return of “Chefs for Charity” Event – The event takes place September 17 at St. Demetrios Community Center in Warren
- School Supply Drive Supporting Portage County Families (Bulletin Materials) – Catholic Charities Serving Portage and Stark Counties. School Supply Drive in Portage County.
- Prison Ministry Volunteer Retreat & Training on September 19 – The deadline to RSVP for the one day event is September 9
- Join the First Friday Divine Mercy Chaplet for Prison Ministry – DOY Prison Ministry invites you to join us in praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3pm for all those involved in the justice system.
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County
Lunch & Learn: Protecting Our Most Vulnerable Neighbors (Bulletin Materials)**
Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County
HALO Gala on Nov 8th (Bulletin Materials)**
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Youngstown
Breakfast with the Bishop on 12/2 (Bulletin Materials)**
Catholic Charities Serving Stark & Portage Counties
Social Hour with the Bishop on 12/4 (Bulletin Materials)**
Office of Peace & Justice
October is Respect Life Month (Bulletin Materials)**
Click the name of the office to read the full text of the announcements.
Click the name of the office to read the full text of the announcements.
- The Catholic Echo Podcast Topics: September-December 2026 – Join us for a biweekly discussion of your burning spiritual questions. For more information about the Catholic Echo Podcast topics, visit catholicecho.org/podcast.
- Wineskins Schedule: September 2026 (Bulletin Materials) – The “Wineskins” radio show features reflections on the lives of the saints and the sacred scriptures, along with thoughts on a variety of topics and issues from a Catholic perspective.
- Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17: Have you Registered Yet? Registration Deadline is Friday, October 9 – Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17. Registration is now open! Early bird pricing until 9/20, deadline to register 10/9. We want to to see YOU at Ministry Day!
- Parish Directory Updates – Please note recent changes to merged parish web addresses, offices, and other directory updates.
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
Wineskins & The Catholic Echo Podcast (Bulletin Materials)**
Learn more at catholicecho.org/podcast
Clergy and Religious Services
Click the name of the office to read the full text of the announcements. Links to download the parish bulletin/publicity materials are listed below.
- Catholic Leadership Institute Update – Parishes whose pastors participated in the Catholic Leadership Institute Intensive Track will retake the Disciple Maker Index survey this fall. Parishes who participated in the virtual track are also invited to retake the DMI. Please contact CLI directly for details.
- Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17: Have you Registered Yet? Registration Deadline is Friday, October 9 – Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17. Registration is now open! Early bird pricing until 9/20, deadline to register 10/9. We want to to see YOU at Ministry Day!
- The Office of Vocations for Diocese of Youngstown Launches New Branding – The mission is to help men and women discern and respond to God’s call
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
Vocations Intercessions and Bulletin Blurbs (Bulletin Materials)**
Watch our social media for more updates.
Vocations Social Media
- Website: www.doyorg.wpenginepowered.com/vocations/
- Facebook: doyvocations
- Instagram: doyvocations
Development and Stewardship Offices
Click the name of the office to read the full text of the announcements. Links to download the parish bulletin/publicity materials are listed below.
- News About the Appeal: 92.2% – Fr. John-Michael Lavelle emails updates on individual parishes’ performance on the Appeal. This information is also posted online here.
- July-Sept 2026 Stewardship Bulletin Thoughts (Bulletin Materials | Materiales de Boletín) – It is recommended that every week, in every parish, a stewardship reflection should be included in the weekly bulletin.
Annual Diocesan Appeal Updates
This information is also posted at www.doyorg.wpenginepowered.com/appeal under “Parish Toolkit and Updates.”
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
Office of Missions
World Mission Sunday, October 18/19 (Bulletin Materials)
Winter 2025 Stewardship Bulletin Thoughts (Bulletin Materials | Materiales del Boletín)
It is recommended that every week, in every parish, a stewardship reflection should be included in the weekly bulletin.
Pastoral and Educational Services
Click the name of the office to read the full text of the announcements. Links to download the parish bulletin/publicity materials are listed below.
- Personnel Reports and Catechetical Reports Deadline Quickly Approaching! (10/13/26) – Current leaders are asked to complete and return the personnel lists for all catechetical and pastoral ministers and the program report as soon as possible.
- Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17: Have you Registered Yet? Registration Deadline is Friday, October 9 – Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17. Registration is now open! Early bird pricing until 9/20, deadline to register 10/9. We want to to see YOU at Ministry Day!
- Lifelong Learning: New Course For Adults starting in October – All adult faith formation courses are open to anyone wanting to grow in their faith and learn more about our Catholic Church. There are courses offered online and in-person.
- Let us Pray for Persons With Disabilities, their families, and our parishes – Parishes are encouraged to utilize these to add to the Universal Prayers at weekend Masses, and prayer groups are encouraged to utilize these at meetings/gatherings to pray for persons facing challenges or accommodation needs due to disabilities.
- Next Parish Ministers Meeting: September 30, featuring Bishop Bonnar – Parish Ministers Fall Meeting to take place on September 30, 2026. Sponsored by the Office of Faith Formation and Lay Ecclesial Ministry.
- Prayer Intentions for Pastoral Ministers at Parishes – Prayers of petition for lay ecclesial ministers. Sponsored by the Office of Faith Formation and Lay Ecclesial Ministry.
- Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17: Have you Registered Yet? Registration Deadline is Friday, October 9 – Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17. Registration is now open! Early bird pricing until 9/20, deadline to register 10/9. We want to to see YOU at Ministry Day!
- Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17: Have you Registered Yet? Registration Deadline is Friday, October 9 – Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17. Registration is now open! Early bird pricing until 9/20, deadline to register 10/9. We want to to see YOU at Ministry Day!
- Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17: Have you Registered Yet? Registration Deadline is Friday, October 9 – Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17. Registration is now open! Early bird pricing until 9/20, deadline to register 10/9. We want to to see YOU at Ministry Day!
- Safe Environment Compliance Reminder for Music Ministers – No child, young person, or vulnerable adult is permitted to interact with a music minister that is not safe environment compliant.
- Upcoming Parish Music Events (Bulletin Materials) – Join us for live music events at: the 2026 Cathedral Concert Series; 5/30 St. Columba Cathedral Festival Orchestra Concert
- Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17: Have you Registered Yet? Registration Deadline is Friday, October 9 – Ministry Day 2026 on Saturday, October 17. Registration is now open! Early bird pricing until 9/20, deadline to register 10/9. We want to to see YOU at Ministry Day!
- 2025-2026 DOY Catholic Schools Year in Review – The Office of Catholic Schools has released statistics for the 2025-2026 school year.
- 2026-2027 DOY Catholic Schools Calendar Available – The Office of Catholic Schools has published the calendar for the 2026-2027 school year.
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
The Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry is now on social media! Please give it a like and follow!
Miscellaneous
The Necrology (In Memoriam) for Diocesan Clergy is now available online!
Many thanks to Robalyne Sciubba for keeping the printable Necrology updated.
Gratitude to Rev. Joseph Ruggieri who has created a Google calendar to help you pray by date.
Diocesan Cemeteries (Bulletin Materials)
Click the name of the office to read the full text of the announcements. Links to download the parish bulletin/publicity materials are listed below.
- Rosary at the Cemetery Chapel on the 1st Wednesday at 10am (Bulletin Materials) – Pray the Rosary on the first Wednesday of the month at 10:00am in the Chapel of any of our four Diocesan Cemeteries.
- Chaplet of Divine Mercy (Bulletin Materials) – Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services offers the Chaplet of Divine Mercy Prayer Service in the chapels of our four Cemeteries at 3:00p.m. every Friday at alternating locations.
PARISH BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Fridays at 3pm (Bulletin Materials)
Rosary at Four Diocesan Cemeteries (Bulletin Materials)
Please share these flyers and bulletin announcements as applicable to your location:
Other Events
FAQ: Where do I send my announcements?
You are invited to submit events and announcements for The Catholic Echo to Editor-in-Chief Katie Wagner at kwagner@youngstowndiocese.org.
Are you planning a parish music event? Please contact/copy Diocesan Director of Music Ralph Holtzhauser at rholtzhauser@youngstowndiocese.org.
BULLETINS/PUBLICITY
Shared Publicity Folders -UPDATED LINKS
Catholic parishes, schools, and lay organizations are invited to share your flyers, images, and bulletin announcements using Google Drive. All @youngstowndiocese.org emails should have access to these folders, and others can request access on a case-by-case basis. We will respond to all requests within one business day and appreciate your patience.
- Oct 2025 Shared Publicity Folder https://bit.ly/oct2025sharedoy
- Nov 2025 Shared Publicity Folder https://bit.ly/nov2025sharedoy
- Dec 2025 Shared Publicity Folder https://bit.ly/dec2025sharedoy
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