When I first stumbled across a draft of Schaupp's initial paper on the thresholds eight years ago, I instantly sensed that here was a language for something that nearly everyone in pastoral ministry has encountered. We all know lots of Catholics who have some genuine spiritual yearnings — Catholics in whom the Holy Spirit is obviously at work — and yet who are clearly not yet disciples or even close to discipleship. Listening to people's journeys in light of these thresholds or stages of conversion enables us to honor the first reality while dealing effectively with the second.

More than 700 students from schools and parishes across the diocese participated in this year's Youth Days, which took place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3. They gathered in different venues to learn to be "missionaries in training." This is the fifth year that Kyle Holtgrave, associate director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Springfield diocese, has organized and hosted Youth Days, which began in Springfield and have grown to include many other areas.

With these words, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki challenged current and future students of Father McGivney Catholic High School (FMCHS) to take advantage of the gift bestowed upon them — the gift of a Catholic education.

GRANITE CITY — Ruth E. Holtman, mother of Father Jeff Holtman of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, passed away peacefully at her home on Sept. 18. She was born Jan. 22, 1925 in Keokuk, Iowa, the daughter of the late Roy and Olive (Basford) Kinman.

GILLESPIE — Victoria Auda, mother of Msgr. Lawrence J. Auda of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, died Sept. 21 at Heritage Health of Gillespie. She was 106.

Benjamin Coggeshall, the son of Robin and Claudia Coggeshall of St. Thomas Parish in Camp Point, was ordained to the Catholic priesthood for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. Canon Coggeshall was ordained by Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

DECATUR — Catholic Charities of Decatur has added eight new members to its advisory board. The new members are: Kimberly Amsalem, Ken Hendriksen, Farah Mahmood, Gretchen Murphy, Matt Nadelhoffer, Kylee Roney, Ruth Towne and Jesica Willcut. They began their three-year terms in September.

The diocesan Office for Catechesis will present the Diocesan Adult Enrichment Conference (DAEC) at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel at 4191 US 36 West (Wyckles Road) in Decatur Nov. 16-17.

EFFINGHAM — Bishop Thomas John Paprocki invited diocesan priests to Effingham for three days last month to share his vision on strategy, parish planning and heeding Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's call to adopt the new evangelization, a call continued by Pope Francis.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will lead the annual Prayer in the Public Square rosary rally on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Illinois State Capitol Building at Capitol Avenue and Second Street in Springfield. The faithful will gather in front of the Lincoln statue at noon for the hour-long event.

With a clear blue late summer sky and a just-warm-enough temperature, Sept. 7 would have been a lovely day for a wedding. However, for the many couples who gathered at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception that Sunday afternoon, it turned out to be a beautiful day to celebrate decades of married life.

"God has a word for you this day."

Pat Gohn, author of Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious spoke these first words to more than 120 women that attended "In Her Cherished Heart 2014" on Sept. 13, at the Chiara Center in Springfield.

QUINCY — When terrorists attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, by crashing hijacked airliners into New York's World Trade Center, Father Mychael Judge, OFM, a fire department chaplain, rushed to the scene to administer sacraments to dying firefighters. In ministering to others, Father Mychael himself became the first officially announced fatality of 9-11. NYC firemen said Father Mychael opened the gates to heaven for the firefighters and others soon to arrive.

One at Cathedral, Springfield; one at St. Peter Church, Quincy

Two Red Masses will be celebrated in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois in the upcoming few weeks: one at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield and another at St. Peter Church in Quincy.

DECATUR — Decatur area Catholics will gather Sept. 22, 23 and 24 for a 40-hours devotion at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 3850 Lourdes Dr., Decatur.

QUINCY — Quincy Catholic elementary schools and the QCES Foundation have announced total enrollment has increased by 68 students, to 1,023, or an increase of 7 percent, for the 2014-15 school year.

There is a familiar saying around Father McGivney Catholic High School that goes something like this, "It's a great day to be a Griffin," and it appears this saying continues to hold true.

Within the last two weeks, the Father McGivney Board of Education officially voted to move forward with its $7.5 million project to construct a new, state-of-the-art facility on the property the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois owns in Glen Carbon at the corner of Old Troy and Bouse Roads.

In an end-of-summer, start of the school year event, the third annual Catholic Camp-O-Ree for all Scouts in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois was held Sept. 5-7 at Camp Illinek on Lake Springfield. Camp Illinek is one of the camp properties of the Abraham Lincoln Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

Just as the new school year is getting under way for students of all ages, diocesan seminarians are going back to classes as well. According to Father Brian Alford, director of Vocations, 22 men are currently seminarians for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki has urged all parishes in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois to heed the call of bishops nationwide to aid suffering Christians and others victims of violence in the Middle East.

Parents and grandparents of St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Parish in Springfield are encouraged to bring children, ages 3-6, to a new faith formation program that is beginning Sept. 21.

Patricia L. Fischer has recently begun her work as president and CEO of St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield. She began her new role at St. Francis on Aug. 18. She succeeded Daniel Perryman, who in March was appointed president and CEO of St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur. Most recently, Fischer has been vice president, Physicians Services for Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton.

Continuing a tradition that has lasted for decades, Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield is once again offering its PSR for Exceptional People, beginning with a picnic get-together in mid-September that will kick-off the 2014-2015 academic year.

EDWARDSVILLE — St. Mary Parish this week will begin the new DVD minstry to men and women who have suffered from separation and divorce.

EFFINGHAM — Principal Vicki Wenthe might be new to Sacred Heart School, but she has a lot of company in that area. Due to several recent retirements and an added kindergarten class her staff of 22 individuals includes a new preschool teacher aide, new kindergarten and second grade teachers, a new music and band teacher, a new administrative assistant and a new cook.

Bishop Emeritus Victor Galeone, formerly of St. Augustine, Fla., delivered a spirited defense of Pope Paul VI’s prescient 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae. To a roomful of couples, parents and sometimes squirming children at the Cathedral Atrium Aug. 10., Bishop Galeone spoke about natural family planning as a method to remain true to the church’s doctrine against contraception. He quoted Pope Paul VI extensively from the encyclical itself.

The Office for Catechesis of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, in conjunction with local parishes, is pleased to offer faith formation courses for adults in locations across the diocese. These courses, which are open to everyone, are designed to help Catholics grow in their faith, respond to questions about the church, and make faith-filled decisions in their lives.

For many parents, getting kids ready to go back to school plays havoc with the family's finances. Those seemingly endless lists of required school supplies are often costly, not to mention paying the price of replacing clothes the children may have outgrown over the summer.

For more than 25 years, Msgr. John Ossola has celebrated Mass for untold thousands of visiting Catholics on the two Saturdays of the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. Msgr. Ossola relies on volunteers — both drafted and undrafted —to assist him in the auditorium of the Illinois Building.