Clergy Connect Guide

How it works for you, step by step, with pictures of each screen.

Welcome, Father

Every Mass covered, without the phone tree.

Questions? Contact your diocesan office.

Sign Inclergy-connect.com/login

Getting started

Step 1: Signing in
On your phone or computer
Go to clergy-connect.com/login and sign in with your email and password. First time? Tap Set Your Own Password in your welcome email. Forgot it? Tap Forgot password? on the sign-in page.
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Step 2: Keep it on your phone
On your phone or computer
Open clergy-connect.com/install on your phone and follow the one or two taps it shows. Clergy Connect then opens like an app, and you'll usually stay signed in.
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On an iPhone, in Safari: Share, then Add to Home Screen.
Step 3: Your churches
On your phone or computer
In My Profile, pick every church under Churches you cover, check your Travel radius (miles) (or tick Any distance to hear about every request), then tap Save profile.
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Pick your churches, then Save profile.
Step 4: Your Masses
On your phone or computer
In My Schedule, add each weekly Mass and confession time: pick the type, day, time and church, then tap Add. Funerals and weddings go in by date. You only do this once.
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Type, day, time and church, then Add.
Step 5: Can't make one?
On your phone or computer
Tap Request a Sub at the top, pick the date (or several), and tap Submit request. Nearby priests are emailed for you. The Mass is yours until someone claims it, and you're emailed when they do.
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Pick one date or several, then Submit request.
Step 6: Asked to cover?
In your email
You'll get an email. Tap Claim This Request, then Yes, I'll cover this, or Sorry, I can't so it moves on sooner. No sign-in needed. The first priest to say yes covers it.
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The email.
The page it opens. Tap Yes.

Rather not sign in at all?

Use your Quick Link: your Masses with I need coverage beside each, and the requests near you. It's at the bottom of every email we send you.

Covering a Mass

Thank you for being ready to step in. Sub only priests, this is your whole job. Print this as one page.

Step 1: Who gets asked
On your phone or computer
Requests go to priests whose Travel radius (miles) reaches the church, measured from the nearest church you cover. Sub only priests are measured from the Home city in My Profile. Tick Any distance under your radius to be asked about every request in the diocese, however far.
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A priest with churches: his travel radius.
Sub only: measured from his home city.
Step 2: From the email
In your email
Tap Claim This Request, then Yes, I'll cover this. Can't do it? Tap Sorry, I can't: the office sees your answer, you aren't reminded about it, and once everyone asked has said no it goes on to the next priests right away. Changed your mind? Tap Undo, or just claim it. If someone got there first, the page says so.
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The email.
The page it opens. Tap Yes.
Step 3: From your Dashboard
On your phone or computer
Everything still open is under Open across the diocese. Tap I'll cover this on any of them, even ones you weren't emailed about, or Sorry, I can't.
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Step 4: Already busy that day?
On your phone or computerIn your email
You'll be asked. Tap Accept — I can do both, or tick what to drop that day and tap Accept and remove the ticked commitment, or Cancel — don't accept. Your own Mass is still yours to arrange.
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Tick what to drop that day, or keep both.
Step 5: Can't make it after all?
On your phone or computer
On your Dashboard under You're covering, tap Can't make it, then Hand it back. The priest who asked is told, and it goes out again.
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Then tap Hand it back.
Step 6: Going away?
On your phone or computer
In My Profile, under Vacations, add the dates and tap Add vacation. You won't be asked to cover while you're away, and you're offered a sub for your own Masses.
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Pick the dates, then Add vacation.

For the diocese office

Admins and parish staff. Priests can skip this part. Print this as one page.

Step 1: Approving requests
Diocese office
Open Approvals from the menu under your name. Tap Approve to send it out, pick a priest and tap Assign & approve, or Deny with a note. Under History, Responses shows who was emailed about each request and who said they can't.
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Step 2: A priest calls the office
Diocese office
In Approvals, use Submit on behalf of a pastor. Pick the priest and the dates. It's approved as it's made, and you can assign someone right there.
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Step 3: People and roles
Diocese office
In People & Parishes, the Users tab lists everyone. The Role menu is Priest, Priest + Admin, Sub only, Sub only + Admin, Parish staff or Admin only.
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The Role menu is on each row.
Step 4: Adding many at once
Diocese office
On the Import tab, download the setup file, add one row per priest per weekly Mass, and upload it. You see every change before anything is saved.
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Step 5: How requests run
Diocese office
In Settings, Requests & Matching sets what needs approval, who is asked and when the follow-ups go. Notifications is the alerts you get yourself.
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Requests & Matching starts with your own rules, in order.
Step 6: Messages to the diocese
Diocese office
In Settings, open Messages: an email, a banner in the app, or both, to whoever you choose. Drafts, templates and scheduling too.
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The preview shows the real email, filled in for whoever you pick.
Step 7: Parish staff
Diocese office
A parish secretary works for one or more priests. Pick the priest in the Working for menu at the top of Request a Sub, Schedule or Profile, then do what he would do himself.

Common questions

I never got my welcome email, or I don't know my password.

Check your spam or junk folder for an email from Clergy Connect. Otherwise go to Forgot password, type your email and we'll send you a link to set a new one. Still nothing? We may have a different email on file for you. Questions? Contact your diocesan office.

What is my Quick Link?

A page of your own that works without signing in. It lists your upcoming Masses, each with I need coverage, and the requests near you that need a priest. It's at the bottom of every email we send you, and in My Profile under Your quick link (with a printable guide and QR code). Keep it to yourself, or give it to whoever answers the parish phone.

A Quick Link page: your upcoming Masses, each with I need coverage

Do I have to sign in every time?

No. You'll usually stay signed in on that phone or computer, especially once it's on your Home Screen. Claiming from an email and your Quick Link never need a sign-in at all.

I tapped Claim, but someone else already has it.

The first priest to say yes covers it, and the page tells you who. Thank you for answering; there's nothing more to do.

I can't cover a Mass I was asked about. Do I need to reply?

Please tap Sorry, I can't on the email’s page, your Dashboard or your Quick Link. The office sees it, you won’t be reminded about it, and once everyone asked has said no it goes on to the next priests without waiting. Changed your mind? Tap Undo, or just claim it.

How far away will I be asked to go?

Only as far as your Travel radius (miles) in My Profile, measured by road from the nearest church you cover. To hear about every request, however far, tick Any distance under it. Your diocese may also choose to ask everyone, whatever the distance.

A Mass changes for a season (summer, Lent).

In My Schedule, tap Pause beside that Mass, pick the start and end dates and tap Add pause. It disappears for those dates and comes back on its own. To change it for good, tap Edit or Remove instead.

My Schedule: Pause beside a Mass, with start and end dates and Add pause

Who can see my phone number and email?

The diocese office always can. Other priests see them only when your diocese turns on the Directory, or when you're covering for each other. In My Profile, tick Hide email from other clergy or Hide phone number from other clergy to keep them private.

I get too many emails, or not the ones I want.

In My Profile, open the Notifications tab. Under Your emails, switch each kind on or off. Emails you must see, like being assigned a Mass, always come.

Can I get an alert on my phone instead?

Yes. Put Clergy Connect on your Home Screen (clergy-connect.com/install), then in My Profile, Notifications, tap Enable on this device. Email keeps working as well. More about phone alerts.

I'm not comfortable doing this online.

That's fine. The diocese office can ask for a sub for you, and a parish secretary can be set up to look after your Masses. Questions? Contact your diocesan office.

Something not working? Send us a message.

Clergy Connect Guide

Getting started

Step 1: Signing in

Step 2: Keep it on your phone

Step 3: Your churches

Step 4: Your Masses

Step 5: Can't make one?

Step 6: Asked to cover?

Covering a Mass

Step 1: Who gets asked

Step 2: From the email

Step 3: From your Dashboard

Step 4: Already busy that day?

Step 5: Can't make it after all?

Step 6: Going away?

For the diocese office

Step 1: Approving requests

Step 2: A priest calls the office

Step 3: People and roles

Step 4: Adding many at once

Step 5: How requests run

Step 6: Messages to the diocese

Step 7: Parish staff

Common questions