OCTOBER MONTHLY NOTES 2026
From Most Rev. John B. Brungardt, Bishop of Dodge City
25th Anniversary of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration
Dear Priests,
Please find below information about two opportunities in 2027 for spiritual renewal, formation, prayer, and priestly fellowship for your consideration.
Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola – Louisiana
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, offered by Amoris Christi at Grand Coteau Retreats in Louisiana, will take place from June 29 through August 1, 2027.
The Spiritual Exercises will be offered in 30-day, 8-day, 5-day, and 3-day formats, providing several opportunities for prayer, reflection, and spiritual renewal.
For additional information, please visit:
www.spiritual-exercises-ac.org
St. Paul Center 2027 Priest Conferences
The St. Paul Center invites priests to join brother priests for biblical formation, authentic fellowship, and spiritual renewal. Three conference dates and locations are available:
January 5–8, 2027
Huntington Beach, California – Paséa Hotel & Spa
April 5–8, 2027
Galveston, Texas – Grand Galvez Hotel & Resort
July 12–15, 2027
Wheeling, West Virginia – Oglebay Resort
For additional information and registration, please visit:
https://stpaulcenter.com/priests
Decorations for Holy Days and holidays
As the Holy Days and holidays draw near, let us keep our Parish and School decorations Catholic:
- No ghouls, witches, slashers, etc., for October 31. Rather emphasize All Saints Day costumes and decorations.
- No Santa Clauses for Christmas. Let’s keep Christ’s Nativity central. Gift-giving can be related to the three Magi (Matthew 2:1-12). St. Nicholas, bishop (in miter & crosier, with accompanying story) is helpful.
- No easter bunny. May we focus on the Resurrection of our Lord during Eastertide.
Thank you for keeping Christ and the saints at the center of our Catholic Parishes and our Catholic Faith.
Blessings in the Lord, Bishop John.
“When two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst” (Matthew 18:20)
From Sr. Janice Grochowsky, CSJ, JCL, Chancellor
Official Catholic Directory – It's time for the annual updating of your parish information on the Official Catholic Directory portal. The contact persons of each parish and entity should have received an email from OCD. If a contact person is new to the process, they will need to follow the directions provided to register in order to gain access to the OCD portal in order to update parish information.
Sacramental Records Training – As always, if there are any new staff or volunteers tasked with recording sacraments and/or creating sacramental certificates, please contact me (620-227-1527 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to set up a mutually agreeable time for me to come to your parish for training.
From Fr. Jacob Schneider, Chair Presbyteral Council
Presbyteral Council
For Notes of the August 18 Presbyteral Council meeting, click HERE. We welcomed Fr. John Stang as a newly-appointed member of the council. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 17.
Georgina Paz, Director of the Curia
Position Available: Curia Intern
January – July 2027
A full-time internship is available from January 2027 to July 2027.
More information about the position can be found on the diocesan website at this link Employment
Interested applicants can complete the application form found below and submit it to Emma Webs, Director of Youth Ministry and Religious Formation, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For a full position description, you may also contact Emma.
https://www.dcdiocese.org/images/stories/documents/Employment-Application-2026.pdf
From Fr. John Stang, Director Priestly Vocation Promotion
From the Finance Office
From the Safe Environment Office
From Mason Eck, Director of Development
Proclaim 365- Thank you for your participation. If you need additional Proclaim 365 materials or have any questions, please be sure to contact me. Mason Eck, Director of Development, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 620-213-0276
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart" (Proverbs 3:5).
From Sonya Cooksey, Donor Relations & Communications Coordinator
📅 November 17, 2026
💰 FREE | Open to the Public
From Diana Ramirez, Director of Matrimony, Family Life & NFP
Project Rachel- diocesan post-abortion healing ministry
Postcards will be sent to the parishes to provide a simple way for someone to reach out for help.
They include the dedicated phone line listed below and other resources for individuals seeking hope and healing.
When someone calls, someone will be there to listen, offer support, and help them find the resources that may be appropriate for their situation.
Need someone to talk to?
Call our dedicated, confidential line: (620) 253-4311.
*Available during office hours.
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me, delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him and be radiant, and your faces may not blush for shame.”
(Psalm 34: 5-6).
PREPARE ENRICH
Few of us are ever taught the skills now down, talk openly, listen to one another, and learn practical skills that strengthen their relationship.
The exercises we learned through our training are designed to do just that. We use them with couples in the marriage preparation process
as we review their assessment results, but these same exercises can also be valuable for couples who are already married.
Consider using Prepare Enrich with married couples who come to you seeking help with their relationship. By facilitating the
exercises in the workbook you received during training, you can give couples a structured opportunity to have important conversations,
practice healthy relationship skills and begin building a stronger marriage. All exercises can be found in your workbook and online!
Please let me know if you need help logging in or locating the materials on the website.
iTHIRST INITIATIVE
ADDICTION is a defining crisis of our time. It’s a problem that affects countless individuals, families, parishes, and dioceses across the country,
and leads to a range of serious physiological and mental health problems. Ultimately, however, the desolation, abandonment, and guilt that
define the addicted life are in many ways spiritual problems that require a spiritual remedy.
SPIRITUAL COMPANIONS Your iTHIRST Spiritual Companions, are available for private, confidential, and anonymous discussions intended
for spiritual consolation and guidance to navigate the challenges of addiction for you or someone you love. These confidential discussions
can be in person, on the phone or through video conferencing.
*These are not professional counseling sessions and are not intended to replace them.
To schedule a session contact: Office of Matrimony, Family Life & Natural Family Planning- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (620) 227-1546
CATHOLIC IN RECOVERY support groups
Find a Meeting - Catholic in Recovery
This October, the Spiritual Life Center will welcome returning program, "Catholic in Recovery", a retreat on the topic of healing from
addictions and unhealthy attachments through the grace of God.
For more information and to register, please visit: Spiritual Life Center - Catholic in Recovery
JOIN US LIVE on Facebook to pray the Respect Life Novena
October 22-30th at 10 am. We will alternate praying in English and Spanish each day and
will provide the material to follow along through Facebook prior to the prayer.
ENGAGED ENCOUNTER
For more information and to register please visit:
https://dodgecity.engagedencounter.com/
Retreat in Spanish:
October 17-18, 2026- St. Patrick’s, Plains.
NFP INTRODUCTORY SESSIONS
Fri. Oct. 9th, 2026- Zoom, 6 pm
Sat. Oct. 10th, 2026- Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 10:30 am
Tue. Oct. 13th, 2026- Zoom, 7 pm
Registration:
https://www.jotform.com/form/202755828904160
For more information about NFP methods visit: https://www.dcdiocese.org/nfp.
MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT RETREAT
This retreat consists of talks about the Christian Calling, the Sacrament of Matrimony, Intimacy, Living the Faith in the Home, and Forgiveness.
It allows time for couple and group reflection questions, lunch, opportunity for confessions during a time of adoration and may conclude with Mass.
If you are interested in offering a retreat like this at your parish, please contact me and we can explore how it can be adapted to your parish's particular needs. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (620) 227-1546
From Eric Haselhorst, Director of Stewardship
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Finalize the Festival of Ministries and witness speakers.
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Ensure Follow-Up Committee plans emphasize hospitality.
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Prepare parish communications that clearly state: Time, Abilities/Charisms, and Tithe/Alms are responses to grace, not measures of worth.
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Distribute Time, Abilities/Charisms, and Tithe/Alms forms:
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At Mass
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Through home delivery (an act of hospitality)
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Through the mail or school children
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Homilies emphasize stewardship as a way of life.
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Lay Witness Talks focus on lived experience.
From Coleen Stein, Director of Adult Formation
Adult Formation
Tuesdays with the Diocese
Sign up: https://www.dcdiocese.org/af
Fall 2026
Grow Deeper
Presented via Zoom
Free of charge
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
October 6 - The Second Vatican Council
Why lay ministry?
Presenter - Fr. Frank Coady
The vocation “crisis” of the last 50 years has brought about a blossoming of lay ministry in the Church. Ordained ministry will always be essential to ecclesial life, but priests and deacons today experience their ministry in a spirit of collaboration with various other ministers. Indeed, bishops rely on lay ministers to help them accomplish the Church’s mission of being Christ for the world. In the same way that St. Paul identified and felt supported by multiple ministries in the early Church, this variety of ministries has enriched the Catholic community in recent years.
October 20 - Youth Walking with our Youth
Presenter: Emma Webs
Jesus commissions us all to "make disciples" (Mt 28:19). An often overlooked yet crucial first step in forming disciples is listening. Inspired by the risen Christ on the Road to Emmaus, we will discuss how we can support the young church through practical listening skills, community life, and pastoral care.
November 3 - Synodality
The Human Library
Presenters: Debbie Snapp & Doug Keller
The Human Library is a place where real people are on loan to readers. A place where difficult questions are experienced, appreciated and answered. Debbie Snapp will share her story of a severe allergic reaction that became what she describes as her near-death experience. Doug Keller will share a powerful witness of faith and second chances through the life-changing journey of a heart transplant.
Sign up: dcdiocese.org/af 
From Dave Myers, Southwest Kansas Catholic Editor
See SKC deadlines here: Deadlines (dcdiocese.org)
Thanks so much for the terrific photos sent in by your parish. I'm trying to run more issues in full color, though I have to limit them to 16 pages.
I continued to find events on parish Facebook pages that could have benefitted greatly from being freely advertised in the SKC. With our deadlines in mind, please consider sending the upcoming parish event information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I'll turn it into a free Happenings Listing.
Same goes for photos. Please continue to send photos for use in the "Around the Diocese" section. I've received many compliments on the pages!
Check out the full color, 100 (or thereabouts) page online SKC! Because it's reformatted on 8.5 x 11-inch pages, people can easily print a page that might be of special interest to them.
From Emma Webs, Director of Youth Ministry and Religious Formation
Called to Be - high school youth ministry event on November 4th hosted at St. Dominic parish in Garden City from 6:30-9 p.m. Information about our keynote speaker, Ton Nguyen, can be found below. RSVP to Emma at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your parish name and number of students attending.
Trina Delgado, Superintendent of Schools
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October Principal Meeting - Oct. 13 @ 10 AM, Catholic Chancery
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Diocesan Teacher Institute Day - Oct. 30, COLG
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Vocations Day - Nov. 6, COLG (5th Grade only) 9:45-1:45 PM
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November Principal Meeting - Nov. 10 @ 10 AM, Catholic Chancery
Executive Officer, Scholarships for Catholic Schools, Inc.
Scholarships for Ca✝︎holic Schools Board Meeting - Thursday, Oct. 27, 2026 @ 10 AM, Catholic Chancery
WHAT is a State Tax Credit … a state tax credit is an amount of money that can offset against a state tax liability. Federal Tax Credits - COMING January 2027!
HOW does a Tax Credit work … An eligible contribution to our low-income student scholarship program, allows you a 75% reduction in what you owe in state taxes. The approaching FEDERAL tax credit will be a dollar-for-dollar match allowing a 100% reduction in what you owe in federal taxes!
ARE state tax credits for this program always AVAILABLE … there was a TOTAL of 10 million dollars in STATE tax credits made available for this program - January 1, 2026. As of October 1, 4 million dollars in tax credits have already been awarded.
Last year, the state ran out of available tax credits mid-December. This year tax credits are going more quickly than ever before. The word is out! They are available on a first-come, first serve basis.
INTERESTED in getting YOUR state tax credit AND assisting students across our diocese ... Visit our SGO website at https://www.dcdiocese.org/scholarships-for-catholic-schools-inc or phone 620-227-1513
From Debbie Snapp, Catholic Charities
Executive Secretary to the Bishop
Confirmation Schedule 2026-2027
LTP-Orders
It is time to order Workbooks, Liturgical Year Calendars, Sourcebooks, At Home With the Word, and Visiting the Sick and Homebound from Liturgy Training Publications for 2027. If interested in these or any other LTP materials, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
By placing your order through the Diocese, your parish will receive a 35% discount.
Click HERE for Liturgy Training Publications Inventory.
Upcoming Diocesan Events
2026
December 5 - Mass/Celebration for COLG 25th Anniversary and Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of the Diocese) at the Cathedral
2027
January 30- Pilgrimage for Life at the Cathedral
February 6- Day of Consecrated Life Celebration, location TBA
February 14- Rite of Election/Call to Continuing Conversion at the Cathedral
March 18- Chrism Mass at the Cathedral
April 17- Stewardship Conference at the Cathedral