Events and Information for Ministry Leaders
From around the archdiocese and beyond
Around the Archdiocese
Let’s Get Social
Lunch & Learn workshop about parish social media will take place on March 13th at 10:30am at St, Matthew the Evangelist in Billerica. Registration
International Pilgrim Virgin Statue
Archdiocese of Boston Tour
March 21st-April 5th
The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima is currently touring the U.S. Check out the schedule for the Archdiocese of Boston tour. The tour includes opportunities for Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, confession, processions and more.
Harvard Catholic Forum: Upcoming Events
When Notre Dame Was New: Music and Liturgy in Paris c. 1200
Thursday, March 20, 7:00 PM EDT
St. Paul’s Church, Cambridge, MA & Livestreamed
The Creed after 1700 Years
Sunday, March 30, 1:00 PM EDT
DiGiovanni Hall, 29 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge MA & Livestreamed
Veritas: The Saving Truth of Scripture with Scott Hahn
Friday, April 4, 4pm
St. Paul’s Church, Cambridge & Livestreamed
Boston Catholic Men’s Conference
A man after God’s own Heart
Human and Holy
Saturday, March 22, 2025, The Boston Marriott Quincy
Go to 2025 Boston Catholic Men’s Conference | March 22, 2025 for more information.
16th Boston Archdiocesan Social Justice Convocation
Hope for Our Common Home: Catholics Caring for Creation
March 29, 2025 – 9am to 2pm
Boston College High School, Dorchester
Hope for Our Common Home: Catholics Caring for Creation – Archdiocese of Boston – Boston, MA
Catholic Adoption Support Group
March 30th, 3pm
St. Linus, Natick
Looking for adoption support from a Catholic perspective? Consider joining the first meeting of this group which seeks to offer spiritual support through prayer and reflection, provide resources to support your adoption journey, and build a community of families walking the same path.
St. Paul Center Events
An Evening of Prayer with Dr. John Bergsma
April 4th, 5:3o-9pm
St. Rose of Lima, Topsfield
Study Scripture with Scott Hahn & John Bergsma
April 5th, 8am-3pm (includes Mass)
St. Mary’s, Waltham
Missionary Childhood Association
The Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) eagerly continues to inspire a missionary spirit amongst our youth to fulfill their baptismal call to mission through our motto: “children helping children.” Our resources are designed to foster thought, prayer, and action, in which students interact with daily “to-do” calendars, snapshots of ongoing work of MCA each month in the missions, discover new saints, and much more. By utilizing these materials, students will prioritize prayer and sacrifice for their brothers and sisters in Christ across the globe.
Be sure to checkout the website for the monthly toolbox to help you form a missionary spirit in your catechesis, schedule a mission visit, and learn more.
St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine looking for disciples to commit to Eucharistic Adoration
Looking for rest and a deeper prayer life? Come spend quiet time in adoration at St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine, located at 1105 Boylston Street. They host daytime Eucharistic Adoration weekdays from 7:30am to 8pm and weekends 12pm-8pm open to all. For after-hours Adoration and more information, please email qcunningham@omvusa.org. They hope you come and see! To sign up click here.
In Need of Free Faith Formation Books/Resources?
St. Timothy’s in Norwood has extra faith formation resources they are happy to donate to a parish in need. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Joanne Curry at jcurry@sttim.net.
If you have any materials/resources you’d like to donate to others, please let us know (at rmaffei@rcab.org) so we can share here.
Around the Region
Holy Cross Family Ministries
Lenten Events
March 19, from 12pm – 2pm, The Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of Mary at The Father Peyton Center
March 25, from 12pm – 2pm, The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord at The Father Peyton Center
April 5, from 5pm – 7pm, Mercy Night at Saint Joseph Chapel
“Marriage Illuminated” Date Night Series:
The Joy of Marriage
Married and engaged couples of all ages are invited to this monthly series for great fellowship, engaging talks, and a deepening of faith. Presentations offered by Craig & Amy Dyke, founders of Catholic Marriage Fellowship.
- March 29 – The Joy of Mercy
- April 26 – The Joy of Home
Go here to register to attend any or all sessions.
SoulFest
August 14-16th, 2025
Franklin County Fairgrounds, Greenfield, MA
For 27 years, SoulFest has been where music, faith and community come together to create extraordinary shared experiences. After years of unexpected change, it’s time to bring the SoulFest Family back together.
Go to The SoulFest Music Festival for more information and to get tickets.
Around the Country and beyond
Essay Contest: Religious Freedom and Polarization
The USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty, in collaboration with the Secretariat of Catholic Education and Our Sunday Visitor Institute, is hosting a religious liberty essay contest for high school juniors and seniors. The first-place essay will be published Our Sunday Visitor, and the author will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship. Learn more at www.usccb.org/religious-liberty-essay.
Catechesis for Conversion: How to Hand on the Treasures of the Faith
Free Online Training for Catechumenate Teams
Wednesday, March 12th, 2pm
Walking with Purpose
Join a quick, twenty-five-minute virtual event on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 12:30 pm ET or 8:30 pm ET. There are two time slots— during which you’ll learn how WWP helps women to read Scripture, create community, and strengthen Catholic faith.
Catholic Sprouts: Lenten Map
Catholic families and classrooms can journey through Lent with this Lenten Map.
EWTN: Free eBooks for Lent
The 2025 Lenten Meditations and The Seven Last Words will help you grow closer to the Lord this Lent. Join EWTN’s Chaplain, Fr. Joseph Mary Wolfe, MFVA, as he guides you through a series of meditations on the Sunday Mass readings during Lent and reflects on “the Seven Last Words” Jesus spoke from the Cross before His death.
Lent Resources for you and your family
Check out Lenten resources from Katie Warner. They include prayer postcards to accompany one of her favorite Lent practices, favorite titles on prayer and meditation, Lent and Easter reads from TAN books, among others!
Look to Him and be Radiant
March is the month of St. Joseph. This month’s Radiant Roundup features tons of ideas to celebrate and learn about the Guardian of the Holy Family!
Newman Connection: Free Lenten Resources
Lenten resources for campus ministers, including Ash Wednesday marketing materials, meditation guides, and more
St. Paul’s Center: Seven Last Words
In The Seven Last Words—a weekly Lenten video series from the St. Paul Center—Dr. Scott Hahn explores the final words that Jesus uttered while He hung dying on the Cross and shows how those words reveal the heart of our salvation.
McGrath Institute for Church Life
STEP Certificate of Catholic Theology program
The certificate in Catholic Studies offers a wide variety of course options that explore foundational Catholic beliefs and teachings perfect for any catechist, schoolteacher, lay minister, or learner. Learn more about the Program and required courses here.
The Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) and Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest (JVCNW)
Catholic, post-grad year of service programs. Jesuit Volunteers (JVs) serve full time in direct service roles (i.e. teachers, campus ministers, case managers, outreach workers) with agency partners (i.e. schools, parishes, non-profits) in 33 different locations across the United States. For more information, please contact Casey Driscoll (cdriscoll@jesuitvolunteers.org), Northeast Regional Recruiter for JVC and JVCNW, or take a look at the JVC website (jesuitvolunteers.org) and JVCNW website (jvcnorthwest.org). Please also check out our Instagram pages: @jvcnation and @jvcnorthwest.
April Word of Life
The Word of Life: April 2025 | USCCB is available in English and will be posted on the same webpage in Spanish as soon as it is available.
Catechetical Institute at Franciscan University of Steubenville
Tuesday, March 18th, 2PM
Tuesday, March 25th, 2PM
Hallow
Free Parish Kit for Lent – Kit includes banner, bulletin inserts, and pew cards. Pastors (and others authorized within a parish), go here to sign up for your kit.
Sing the Hours
Learn to chant Psalm 95 for Lent!
Go to Sing the Hours | creating sung offices of the Liturgy of the Hours | Patreon for more information.
FREE this Lent – Watch Introduction to Real Prayer
If you’ve ever struggled to pray or find it difficult to take your relationship with God to the next level, you’ve got to see this new series from Matthew Leonard and the Science of Sainthood!
Awaken to Hope: Free Resources from Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers for Your Lenten Journey
-Sunday reflection guides (available in English and Spanish)
– Formation opportunities and resources to deepen your spiritual experience including new stations of the cross, online workshops, and in-person formation programs.
-Weekly Small Group Scripture Reflections for Lent Join a community of missionary disciples every week, starting on Ash Wednesday. We will meet via Zoom with 2 groups:
12PM Eastern Time and 12PM Pacific Time.
-English Workshop on Lenten Resources Come join Jackie Hopper as she guides us through the Lenten Resources.
-Spanish Workshop on Lenten Resources This Spanish workshop will help you reflect and use these resources during the 40 days of Lent.
The National Eucharistic Congress
Walk with One
Walk With One is an invitation for individuals to accompany one person in their life back to Christ and his sacraments. This is not a one-and-done invitation. It’s a process involving discernment, intercession, building a Eucharistic friendship, and continuing to walk alongside this person as the Lord calls them to encounter him in a deeper way. Every active Catholic is invited to walk together on mission as a part of this initiative. Check out the parish kit full of beautiful new assets especially created for this initiative.
Cultivating Catholic Feminism
This program is made up of 21 video lessons, written and presented by Abigail Favale, Ph.D., and five mini-documentaries on the lives of different Catholic women, each living out Catholic feminism in her own way. The videos of the program are divided into three different sections.
Real Life Catholic: 2-week free trial offer of Chris Stefanick video courses
Fearless is a 7-part video series where we’ll talk about what you need to do to conquer your fear and start living life to the full, with guests like exorcist priest, Fr. Chad Ripperger, Navy Seal Dom Raso, Fr. Dave Pivonka, President of Franciscan University, and more.
RENEW International: Free webinar series
Featuring select topics from the RENEW resource Women in Conversation: Stand Up!, this free series, led by author Loretta Pehanich, will explore issues relevant to faith-filled women in today’s modern world. Click HERE to register today!
Messy Family Project: Pizza and Parenting
FREE course to help you build community in your parish. Click here for more information.
Ascension: Promote Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year
FREE promotional resources to help you share The Bible in a Year and The Catechism in a Year with your parish and beyond!
Jubilee of the Youth Pilgrimages
July 28-August 3, 2025
JMJYouth Jubilee 2025 Information and Registration
Xavier Society for the Blind
Xavier Society provides free religious, spiritual, and inspirational reading materials in braille, large print and audio to blind and visually impaired individuals worldwide. The organization offers over 1,000 braille titles including biographies of saints, theological dissertations, contemporary titles, and the New American Bible. One of their most popular publications is The Propers of the Sunday Mass – these are the readings, responses and prayers for the Mass on Sundays, special Feast Days and Solemnities.
For more information and to sign up, go to Xavier Society for the Blind — Xavier Society For The Blind.
Other Helpful Resources
52 Sundays
In the busyness of everyday life, Sundays can easily blend into the routine. 52 Sundays invites families to reclaim the Lord’s Day with thoughtfully crafted resources that help parents strengthen their domestic church, foster discipleship, and create a faith-filled home.
Avoiding Volunteer Burnout
Prevent volunteer burnout and create a healthy ministry environment. Discover Orange’s three practical tips for recognizing and avoiding burnout in your team.
Build a Bed Project
Are you seeking a meaningful team-building experience that brings your team closer and supports a great cause? A Bed for Every Child has the perfect solution for you!
Through sponsored team-building activities, they offer you the opportunity to bond with your team while making a difference in the lives of these children.
Book Fairs: A New Partnership of Ave Maria University and Ignatius Press
Discover books that foster creativity, imagination, and wonder — providing easy access to the best in literature for schools, parishes, parents, aligned with Catholic virtues. Books that can edify, shape character, and deepen faith. Learn more!
CatholicPsych Institute: Mindfully Praying Series
4 Free Mindfully Praying Audio Exercises to help you reconnect with your body in the present moment
Covenant Eyes: STRIVE
STRIVE is a free and powerful 21-day video series, created by Matt Fradd, that helps men understand why they go to porn and gives them the knowledge, tools, and accountability needed to quit. If you’re interested in learning more, contact Amanda Zurface, JCL.
Eucharistic Pilgrimage Resources for Kids
Check out these kid and family-friendly tools to help you plan a pilgrimage, especially one in connection to the Eucharist. The bucket list and pilgrimage passport would make perfect summer activities.
Read the full article about Eucharistic Processions and Pilgrimages for the Heart of the Revival Newsletter from the National Eucharistic Revival.
Eucharist: Deepen Your Love for Our Lord in the Eucharist
Fio the Home for Catholic Podcasts
First Witnesses: A Ministry of the Institute for Catholic Formation
First Witnesses is a comprehensive approach that supports parents and parishes in working collaboratively to stem the tide of disaffiliation. Research tells us parents have incredible influence when it comes to their children choosing to remain engaged in religious practices. Birth to age three is the most precious time in a child’s life when the appropriation of ritual and language is strongest. First Witnesses seeks to combine the latest research with practical resources and opportunities for parents and congregations to build a culture of faithfulness.
Listen, Teach, Send
USCCB approved National Pastoral Framework for Ministries with Youth and Young Adults
This framework gives guidance for the Catholic Church in accompanying and evangelizing young people: youth (in junior high and high school) and young adults (in their late teens, 20s, and 30s). To access it, click below.
Recordings of three-part webinar series on Christ the King Sunday and Listen, Teach, Send:
1- Planning for Christ the King Sunday Global Celebration of Young People
2- Anticipating the Listen, Teach, Send Framework
3- Implementing Listen, Teach, Send in local Catholic communities
Made in His Image
Pint Sized Theology of the Body for Families from Pearl & Thistle
Free Video Series for Families with Children age 6-9
Microdosing catechism
The article includes the following book recommendations:
Saints Around the World by Meg Hunter Kilmer
The How-To Book of the Mass by Michael Dubruiel
Your Questions, God’s Answers by Peter Kreeft
My Steps To
My Steps to is a Christian Mission with a goal of helping families, including children with special needs, pray! Check out their new Hello Jesus Picture Guide to Catholic Mass.
Newman Ministry
Parish leaders, connect your students to the Catholic Campus Ministry on their college campuses! Sign up for the program. Also, here are some parish materials to share the resources within your parish!
Protect Young Eyes
The team at Protect Young Eyes takes complex digital topics and makes them understandable. They’ve been walking with families, schools, and churches since 2015. Check out the website and app. Also, parents might find this video about talking to children about pornography helpful.
Quintessentials: a Resource from the Catholic Leadership Institute
Click here to check out the series of free resources highlighting the top five insights for parish ministry from their team in the field.
Real and True: How the Laws of Nature and Morality are Connected
Real and True (a project of OSV) offers one way to introduce the Ten Commandments *before* you teach them! See their video and check out their Unit 29 Discussion Guide!
Have you heard of Real + True before? What do you think of the videos and discussion guide? Let us know your thoughts by sending an email to pkrisak@rcab.org.
Real Life Catholic: Free course for married couples
RENEWED: 7 Steps to an Amazing Marriage includes 21 free videos that are both spiritual and practical. Developed by Chris and Natalie Stefanik.
Rejoice Counseling
Are you ready to have the true joy God wants for you? Check out the resources from Rejoice Counseling | Bringing the healing of Christ to the world
Thirteen: A First Look at Gen Alpha
What do we really know about the youngest generation of teens? Springtide Research Institute produced a new report, Being 13: A First Look at Gen Alpha; in it young teens share their thoughts on religion, politics, and technology; their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic; their mental health and well-being; and more.
The Three Big Questions
With this free resource from the Table Group, you can drastically reduce unwanted chaos and move forward as a family with greater clarity and purpose.
Wild Goose TV: Free Library of Films
At Wild Goose TV, our mission is simple and profound: to tell stories that help bring about encounters with Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We do this through films and series that reach millions worldwide. Sign In Now
Faith Formation Leader Resources
Patrick Krisak’s Bio
Patrick has worked for the archdiocese since 2014. He works in the areas of faith formation, ethnic communities, pastoral planning, evangelization, discipleship, and leadership. Patrick has worked previously in parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston and elsewhere as a Director for Evangelization, Director of Religious Education, and Coordinator of Youth Ministry. He and his wife have two sons.
Patrick Krisak
Director of Faith Formation and Missionary Discipleship
Contact Patrick
Liz Cotrupi’s Bio
Liz is first and foremost, a daughter of God. She is married to her best friend, Tony, and enjoys his help with preparing couples for marriage. She has three adult children and loves being “Nana” to her grandkids. Liz started serving in ministry when her children were small as many moms do. Eventually, her pastor asked her to run the high school faith formation program. Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in business from Worcester State College, she knew she needed more theology. After certificates in catechesis and youth ministry, she moved on to get her Master of Theological Studies from Saint John’s Seminary. Before coming to the Archdiocese of Boston in 2016, Liz was the director of youth and young adult ministry for the Worcester Diocese. She has been blessed to serve on team for Cursillo, lead pilgrimages to Marian sites, and mission trips locally and abroad.
Liz Cotrupi
Director of Family Life & Ecclesial Movements
Contact Liz
Jared Cowell’s Bio
Jared Cowell joined the Archdiocese of Boston as an Evangelization Consultant in December 2024. A native of Brockton, Jared attended Boston University, where he experienced a profound encounter with Christ thanks to the ministry of the Brotherhood of Hope and the dynamic Catholic community on campus. Jared eventually felt called to pause college studies to discern religious life with the Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor). Though ultimately called to family life, Jared considers his time with the friars an indispensable and fruitful step on his discipleship journey.
He later met his wife, Emilia and they were married in 2014 and settled in Dorchester. The Cowells soon became involved in parish life at St. Mark’s, Jared serving on the parish writing team and Emilia starting a new high school youth ministry/confirmation program. While living in Dorchester, Cardinal O’Malley appointed Jared to a four-year term on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council where he represented the parishes of the Central Region.
Jared has a diverse professional background, including experience in the insurance, music, and technology industries. Previously, he worked as the Director of Discipleship and later as the Director of Finance & Operations at Ascension Parish in Sudbury/Maynard. The Cowells live in Metrowest with their daughter. Outside of work, Jared loves spending time with his family, playing guitar, and is an avid fan of professional chess.
Jared Cowell
Evangelization Consultant
Contact Jared
Melissa Kalpakgian’s Bio
Originally from Texas, Melissa brings to the Boston area her southern hospitality and her “y’all.” Melissa has worked in evangelization efforts for the Church in some way, shape, or form in different areas of the country. Her fascination with St. John Paul II’s philosophical works led her to pursue a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of St. Thomas in Houston and her M.A. in Thomistic Philosophy from the Center of Thomistic Studies. She is also certified in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in Levels 1, 2, and 3. In her free time, she and her husband strive to discover the meaning of “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:9) in the various facets of life.
Melissa Kalpakgian
Evangelization Consultant
Contact Melissa
Rosemary Maffei’s Bio
Rosemary is originally from Hingham and, after living in Minnesota and Florida, returned to the area to attend Boston College. After graduating with a degree in Marketing and Human Resources, Rosemary made Boston her home and enjoyed work in human resources roles within financial services for over a decade.
In response to the Lord’s call to use her leadership and organizational development experience coupled with her love for Christ to serve the Church directly in her daily work, Rosemary pursued a Master of Arts in Ministry from the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization, complemented with study through Loyola University in Rome and the Theology of the Body Institute in PA, and joined the Archdiocese of Boston.
In addition to an interest in igniting a love for Christ in others through the new evangelization, she has a particular interest in the Theology of the Body, the dignity of human life, the intersection of faith and business, and the intersection of faith and culture. She loves visiting with the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration and meeting Him in each individual encounter until we see Him face to face!
Rosemary Maffei
Evangelization Consultant
Contact Rosemary
Lorna DesRoses’s Bio
Lorna DesRoses currently serves Black Catholics within the Archdiocese of Boston by supporting, assisting, and providing resources to assist in the work of evangelization within the Black Catholic community and assisting parishes and institutions to provide pastoral care in a culturally appropriate and culturally sensitive manner so that members of ethnic and cultural communities will feel welcomed, included, and valued as part of the life of the Archdiocese of Boston. Before serving in this capacity, she worked as a teacher of English as a Second Language in various educational settings. Lorna strives to joyfully give witness to the Good news of the love of Christ with everyone she meets. She lives in Boston with her husband Robert.
“We unite ourselves with Christ’s redemptive work when we reconcile, when we make peace, when we share the good news that God is in our lives, when we reflect to our brothers and sisters God’s healing, God’s unconditional love.” Sr. Thea Bowman
Lorna DesRoses
Evangelization Consultant, Ethnic Communities
Contact Lorna
Sr. Elsa Narvaez, HMSP’s Bio
Sr. Elsa Narváez Rodríguez, was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. In 2004, Sr. Elsa joined the Missionary Servants of the Word, a community that allows young people to serve as a lay missionaries for a period of time. After two and a half years as a lay missionary she decided to pursue religious life in the religious branch of the same community. Her firs assignment as a religious sister was in Portsmouth NH and after that she was sent to serve the Hispanic community of St. Joseph Parish in Lynn MA. Since 2016 Sr. Elsa has served Hispanic Communities within the Archdiocese of Boston.
Sr. Elsa Narvaez, HMSP
Evangelization Consultant, Hispanic Communities
Contact Sr. Elsa
Wendy Meija’s Bio
Born in El Salvador, Wendy came to the United States when she was three years old, and ever since then, she has called Massachusetts her home.
Raised in a beautiful Catholic family, Wendy volunteered her teenage years to youth ministry and volunteered for mission trips locally and abroad.
Wendy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Northeastern University and later pursued a career in public relations. Today, Wendy has more than ten years of experience in the field of public relations.
In addition to her new role at the Archdiocese, Wendy continues to serve as an active member of St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, along with her husband Deacon Franklin Mejia, and their two children, Gabriel and Isabella.
Wendy Rodriguez Mejia
Director of Multicultural Ministries
Contact Wendy
Dashe Videira’s Bio
Dashe joined the Archdiocese of Boston on All Saint’s Day in 2023. She believes she was led by God to deeply serve through the Multicultural Ministries team and support the growth of parishes across the Archdiocese.
Dashe grew up in a loving and service filled family in Foxboro, MA. Her father was a Knight of Columbus and her mother taught CCD at St. Mary’s Parish. Her father is a first generation American from Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. When Dashe was born, her parents decided to leave Staten Island, NY, and pursue a suburban “American Dream” lifestyle to raise their kids. Her parents worked incredibly hard running their 30+ year small business in order to send their four children to Catholic school. Dashe is the first of her family to graduate college and continue her studies. She received a BA in Psychology from Bridgewater State University and a graduate degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of the Rockies.
Dashe currently lives in Franklin, MA, with her husband and four children. In her spare time, she teaches a 5:30 am workout class a few days a week, supports local farming, and serves the community around Franklin and her kid’s schools.
Dashe Videira
Operations Assistant, Black Catholic Ministry
Contact Dashe