Bishop Thomas John Paprocki has received a letter from Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, secretary of state for the Vatican, thanking him for a $58,219.76 contribution from the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois to the 2011 Peter's Pence collection.

Through prayer and sacrifice, Charleston parish preserves 'patrimony of faith and art'

CHARLESTON — A "Legacy of Light for generations to come," the stained glass windows in St. Charles Borromeo Church in Charleston are cleaned, restored and installed once again in the church where they have stood for 95 years.

Over 400 youth and adults from throughout the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois will travel to Washington, D.C., next weekend to participate in the March for Life on Monday, Jan. 23. The annual march is held on or near the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision in 1973 that legalized abortion in the United States.

Springfield resident in training to head national Catholic women's group

Springfield resident Rebecca Woodhull was recently installed as the president-elect of the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) at their ChIicago convention. She will serve in that capacity until September 2013, when she will be installed and serve as president for two years. Finally, she will serve two more years after that as past-president.

The Springfield Council of Catholic Women is hosting its first celebration of Women of Distinction in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois on Saturday, June 23 at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. All parishes in the Springfield diocese are invited to name a woman from their parish Council of Catholic Women, Altar Society or Catholic woman's group to be honored with the Our Lady of Good Counsel Award. The day will include a 10:30 a.m. Recognition Mass celebrated by Bishop Thomas John Paprocki in the Cathedral, followed by a luncheon in the Atrium.

EFFINGHAM — Effingham Catholic Charities will hold a Catholic Charities Hoedown Feb. 4, at the Effingham KC Corral. The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a social, followed by a chuck wagon supper at 7 p.m. Jeans and western wear are the encouraged dress.

The National LIFE (Living in Faith Exchange) Runners pro-life group not only has a new Springfield Chapter, but Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is the 2012 national chaplain.

BRUSSELS — Historic Immaculate Conception (St. Mary) Church at 111 East Main St. in Brussels was destroyed by a fire that began Christmas Eve night, bringing great sadness to a town that has always cherished the nearly 150-year-old building. Point Fire Protection District Chief Don Seiferman said investigators believe the fire was started because of an electrical problem.

GRANITE CITY — St. Elizabeth Holy Name Altar Society will host Dr. Scott Hahn and his wife Kimberly for a series of talks on Saturday, July 14, 2012. The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end around 3:15 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Jan. 2 and are $25 for each individual.

Eight members of Knights of Columbus councils in the Springfield diocese were inducted into the Springfield Diocesan Chapter Hall of Fame at the 28th annual induction ceremony and banquet on Oct. 15.

Merry Christmas, and thanks to all the young artists who shared their talents in the annual Catholic Times Christmas cover contest. This year, numerous entries competed for the honor of appearing on the cover of the Christmas edition of the diocesan newspaper.

Approximately 70 people were in attendance at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield on Dec. 12, when Bishop Thomas John Paprocki held an Evening of Repentance and Prayer for Those Harmed in the Church. Identical services were held simultaneously in each of the other six deaneries of the Springfield diocese at: Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Mt. Zion; St. Boniface in Edwardsville; St. Francis of Assisi in Teutopolis; Our Saviour Church in Jacksonville; St. Agnes Church in Hillsboro; and Blessed Sacrament Church in Quincy.

MT. OLIVE — Dark grey skies, wind gusts and intermittent bursts of chilly rain showers did little to brighten the spirits of people going to Mass Dec. 4 at Holy Trinity Church in Mt. Olive. It was the last Mass in the church, built in 1913 to serve a then-growing Slovak Catholic community.

HIGHLAND — Father Chuck Edwards, Deacon Ron Hesson and five parishioners of St. Paul Parish in Highland traveled to Haiti last month to visit their sister parish, St. Charles Borromeo in Gonaives, Haiti.

A Nativity scene stands in the rotunda of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield to celebrate and bear witness to the reason for this holiday season — the birth of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the fourth year a privately funded Nativity scene has been set up in the rotunda, next to the governor's "holiday tree." It will remain on display through Dec. 28.

Catholic high school students volunteer to help others during holiday season

In the spirit of real charity, Catholic high school students around the diocese have been busy making sure that people in need enjoy a happier holiday season.

Grease will be the spring musical at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield. Five performances will be given March 22-25 in SHG's newly renovated Dominican Hall Auditorium, 1200 West Washington. The musical's name was announced Nov. 16 during the SHG choirs' sixth annual Dessert & Dazzle, held at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, in downtown Springfield. The choirs include Encore, Premiere, and mixed chorus.

On Nov. 12, six women from the Springfield diocese took their definitive promises as Secular Discalced Carmelites at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Peoria. They are now members of Mary, Mother of the Blessed Sacrament Community in Peoria.

Three parishes and a Newman Center in the Springfield diocese each will host Vianney, a live theatrical one-man drama, portraying St. John Vianney, the 19th century saint Pope Benedict XVI chose as "the model of all the priests in the world."

The dioceses of Springfield, Belleville and Joliet have made the decision to drop appeals in the lawsuit against the State of Illinois concerning foster care and adoption services.

EDWARDSVILLE — Catholics Alive, a Newman organization at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIU-E), recently won the Educating for Justice Award from the Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA) for a Shoe Project program.

VANDALIA — The spirituality and life of Servant of God Maria Esperanza de Bianchini, (1928-2004) was the subject of a retreat held Nov. 11-13 at Our Sorrowful Mother's Ministry in Vandalia.

Two teams of adult hockey players will be facing off to raise money for Catholic Charities on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the Nelson Center at 1601 N. Sixth St. in Springfield's Lincoln Park. That evening, not only will adults be playing hockey at 7 p.m., but that game will be followed by a high school game featuring Sacred Heart-Griffin High School up against Chatham Glenwood High School.

The Jubilate children's choir and the Chorale of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield, including several community musicians, will present an Advent concert at the church on the corner of Walnut and Laurel streets on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 4 p.m. "This concert is the first in a series of concerts to be presented in the 2011-2012 season," said Jody Kienzler, choir director at Blessed Sacrament.

GRANITE CITY — Considering the popularity of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) in parishes throughout the Springfield diocese in the late 1950s, '60s, and early '70s, former CYO members at St. Elizabeth Parish in Granite City may be on to something. On Nov. 12, St. Elizabeth CYOs (1962-1975) held a 40th anniversary reunion at the parish.

DECATUR — One of the groups to emerge from the interfaith Decatur Poverty Summit that grew out of the Just Faith program in 2008 at St. Thomas Church recently opened much needed housing — a Decatur Family Refuge.

MARYVILLE — A much anticipated Father McGivney Catholic High School in southeastern Madison County is a step closer to opening in the fall of 2012. The school received $110,000 in new pledges over the summer, hired a principal, signed up its first 10 students, completed the first phase of renovations to a wing of St. John Newman in Maryville which will serve as its initial facility, and hosted an open house.

EDWARDSVILLE — A Mass of dedication and thanksgiving was celebrated last month for a new grotto and prayer garden on the grounds of St. Mary Church and School on Madison Street. When former pastor Father Thomas Meyer discovered a statue of Mary from the original St. Mary Church on Park Street in a parish storage room, he and members of the St. Mary Ladies Guild, and other parishioners, set about to restore the statue to its original beauty and create a permanent setting for it. Autenreib Studios was hired to restore the statue.

Chiara Center will host its annual Franciscan Nativity Festival Dec. 2-4 at 4875 LaVerna Road in Springfield, on the grounds of the Motherhouse of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. Hours for the event are 2-7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2; noon-4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3; and noon-4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4.