CNE Newsletter - August 20, 2026

The Marriage & Family Evangelization team is pleased to announce that Dr. Gloria Dodd has joined the team as the new Associate Director for Marriage Preparation. We are thrilled to welcome her! In this role, Dr. Dodd will organize the Pre-Cana Genesis retreats and train and support Marriage Preparation teams within parishes.

Previously, Dr. Dodd taught Mariology at the University of Dayton and served as the Marriage Preparation Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. She holds a License in Sacred Theology in Moral Theology, specializing in Marriage and Family, and has a background in Mariology. She is excited to use her education to share her story of living the vocation of marriage while helping young couples prepare for the sacrament.

When she is not assisting young couples in their marriage preparation, Dr. Dodd enjoys volunteering with OCIA at her family of parishes, Mother of God. She is also an active member of the Legion of Mary, which has led her to visit nursing homes, Catholic shrines, and Mariological conferences around the world. The youngest of nine daughters, she and her husband have 24 godchildren. Her favorite prayer is the Rosary, and her favorite Marian titles are Our Lady of Grace, Our Lady of Fatima, and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Dr. Dodd can be reached at gdodd@catholicaoc.org or (937) 281-4123. Please visit our website to learn more about marriage preparation: www.centerforthenewevangelization.org/marriage-family/marriage-preparation.

In Christ,
Adriana Vasquez

All parish evangelists, marriage and family evangelists, marriage apostolate leaders, mentor couples, priests, deacons, and NFP instructors are invited to our annual Marriage & Family In-Service on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at St. Mary of the Assumption, Springboro, beginning with lunch at noon followed by the program from 12:45 – 3:15 PM. This year’s topic is "Reconciliation with Christ and His Church: Convalidations." Our guest speaker will be Fr. Jacob DuMont, L.C. Resources and lunch will be provided, and the cost is $10 per person. Please register online

The CNE has a new OCIA page! Check it out here:
www.centerforthenewevangelization.org/ocia.

My intention with this webpage is to answer the most common questions that arise in initiation ministry and to be a relevant resource for you, whether you are interested in becoming Catholic, you are an initiation ministry coordinator, or you work specifically with initiating and receiving children of catechetical age. Each subpage also has a collection of resources and archdiocesan statements that pertain to this work.

I hope it is a help to you as you prepare for your next cohort of catechumens and candidates. Please let me know what you think, and of course, if you need anything, you know where to find me!

The Peace of Christ to you,

Nicholas Hardesty, Assoc. Dir. of Adult Evangelization & OCIA

nhardesty@catholicaoc.org.

Please join us for our upcoming book study! This fall, we will explore Pope Leo XIV’s first papal encyclical, Magnifica humanitas. In this era of radical technological development, we invite you to learn from our Holy Father and discuss how to apply his wisdom in your ministry context with members of the CNE and Parish Evangelists like yourself from across the Archdiocese.

2nd Tuesdays of the Month, from September to December, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM, on Teams (link will be sent).

All married couples, family, and friends are invited to the annual St. Gerard Mass of Hope for the Blessing of Children. Hosted by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, this free event provides an opportunity for prayerful support for married couples experiencing infertility or pregnancy loss. It includes Holy Mass on the feast day of St. Gerard Majella, the patron saint of expectant mothers, followed by a reception with fellowship, delicious hors d’oeuvres and resources. For more information contact Dcn. David Ulmer at dulmer@catholicaoc.org

Witness Missionary
Discipleship in Action!

The Our Lady of Light Family of Parishes will be hosting St. Paul Street Evangelization on Aug. 28 & 29, 2026 for a Regional Training on missionary discipleship and their method of initiating faith conversations. All are welcome to attend, learn, witness, practice the techniques of being “on mission,” and discover if this is the “something more” that God has in store for you!

To register, go to tinyurl.com/SPSEDayton. For more information, see the flyer at the button below:

Catholic Charities SWO is happy to coordinate with religious education programs in our service area in a variety of ways. We are able to offer Mental Health First Aid, an evidence-based program that teaches participants to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health challenges and to encourage the person experiencing them to seek help. The program has a few formats, including for adults who work with youth. It would be an excellent training for the catechists in religious education programs in parishes.

If your program is in search of a service project, we have ideas for all age groups. A few of the possibilities:

Making thank you cards for our volunteers (who love them!)
Collecting t-shirts and making totes for our food pantries
Collections of items (children's coats, hats, socks, shelf-stable food items, etc.)

We are happy to speak to groups of students on topics related to our services:

Hunger and food insecurity
Immigrants and refugees
Mental health
Catholic Social Teaching
The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

Pray with us!

Include Catholic Charities in prayer in the classroom (we can provide intercessions and our Catholic Charities prayer card)
Choose one of our departments for prayer in the classroom (prayer cards can be provided)
Offer a prayer service for the intentions of Catholic Charities

If you are interested in learning more or in arranging a service product or speaker, contact Mary Anne Bressler, Parish & Community Engagement Coordinator, mbressler@ccswoh.org, (513) 672-3714.