Cluster Parishes of Portsmout and Chesapeake

Exciting News!  The cluster will be doing a 33 day consecration to Saint Joseph beginning February 16th.  Each day the scripture, reflection and prayer will be posted on the Facebook group (Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake Offical Group) or you can download the entire consecration right here:  https://www.unleashthegospel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/33-Days-of-Prayers-and-Daily-Challenge_ENGLISH.pdf

On March 20th all participants will be consecrated to Saint Joseph at a special Mass and Father Tony and Father Dan M. will be giving talks about Saint Joseph.  Stay tuned for more info.  

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Great News!!  We are now using Flock Notes to better communicate with our parishioners.   If you haven't received a flock note it's because we don't have a good email for you.  Please send an email to [email protected] with the email you read most often.  If you are a new parishioner, please register with a good email and phone number.    

This is just a freiendly reminder as it has become more and more frequent that people are receiving fake emails requesting money, gift cards, etc.  from someone pretending to be a person that they know.  Unfortunately, many of these emails tend to come in the form of a Gmail account pretending to be the bishop or our pastor.  While, the Diocesean I.T. department has zero control over which email accounts are created through Google, it's important to identify these fake email accounts, and remember that the Bishop or anyone at the Cluster will NOT handle business thorugh an email address that is not part of the Richmond Diocese domain @richmonddicosese.org or clusterparishes.com.  

These scams continue to be perpetuated because they continue to work.   We ask that you do not reply to such emails, click on the lins within those emails or download content in them.   If you receive help requests that you think are legitimate, verify that the person is legitimate by calling them directly on another known valid number.  Don't ask the emailer for information or a call.  Find an offline mehtod of correspondence that you and that person have used in the past to talk with each other.   

Have you ever turned around to someone at home and said, "What?"  Only to have the say, "I didn't say anything."  Most of the time we just shrug that off, right?  Can you imagine Samuel sleeping in his room?  Three times he heard someone calling him.  Finally, it downed on him.  God was calling him!  As we near the beginning of the Annual Diocesean Appeal, take some time to be still, to be quiet and list to the Lord.   Listen to what He is saying and how you will uspport the Annual Diocesean Appeal this year.  

Youth Group Students: 

Come Join us for a night of faith and fellowship!  All middle and high school students are invited to attend Youth Group on Sundays from 5:30 - 6:30.  Due to Covid we are virtually meeting through Zoom.     Please contact Madre Collins for more inforamtion [email protected] or call her at 757-484-7335

Greetings Everyone, 

Currently we have been using a Facebook Group called "Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake Official Group".  We will be moving over to using a Facebook page (Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake).  This allows us to be more transparent.  You don't have to join, you just have to like and follow the group to get updates.  Otherwise you can just go look at the page without any other action.  We will be live streaming masses from the Page.  I will update on the group where to go but for anyone, you can go to the page and see what is going on.   I hope this helps.  Just trying to survive the IT learning curve.  Theresa

Bishop Knestout announces the implementation of a hotline to report suspected financial, administrative or human resource misconduct within the Diocese of Richmond.

The hotline is handled through EthicsPoint, an independent, third-party reporting system, to ensure accountability and transparency. This helps to safeguard the resources entrusted to us by the people of our diocese. Reports can be made online or by phone. Employees, volunteers, clergy, parishioners and any other individual wishing to make a report can do so anonymously.

The toll-free number is 844-739-3210 and is offered in multiple languages. To submit a report online, visit the diocesan website, www.richmonddiocese.org, and select “EthicsPoint.”

The hotline number is not a 911 or emergency service number. Individuals should not use this number to report information that is of an immediate threat to life or property.

Additionally, EthicsPoint is NOT intended to receive information about sexual abuse allegations. Abuse allegations should be reported immediately to local law enforcement and the Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Hotline at 1-833-454-9064.

Additional information including a video message and letter from Bishop Knestout, a list of frequently asked questions and other resources regarding EthicsPoint can be found by visiting the diocesan website.

Bishop Knestout encourages anyone aware of sexual abuse of minors on the part of clergy or staff of our diocese to notify civil authorities, call the Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Hotline at 1-833-454-9064, and reach out to the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator, Jennifer Sloan at 1-877-887-9603.  

Click here for additional information on how to report abuse and harassment.

Bishop Knestout has released the names of clergy in the Diocese of Richmond that have a credible and substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor. The list also includes clergy from other dioceses and religious communities who served in the Diocese. Click here to view the list.

For more information on our Diocese's responses to the clergy sex abuse scandal, click here.

A smart device application for the Cluster Parishes is available for Apple and Android devices. Search for “Parish App” from WeConnect by Liturgical Publications, Inc.

Alternatively, iPhone users can text ParishApp1 to 555888 or click here and Android users can text ParishApp2 to 555888 or click here to download the application.

Enter “Cluster Parishes of Portsmouth and Chesapeake” to set your home parish. Be sure to enable messages in your device to receive push notifications, such as changes in Mass times, weather cancellations, or other important information.