Springfield Area Young Adult Ministry is bringing the faith formation program Theology on Tap to the see city on Tuesday, Oct. 26. The first meeting, “The Catholic Politician, the Catholic Voter,” will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Brickhouse Grill and Pub, located on the southeast corner of Koke Mill Road and Iles Avenue on Springfield’s far west side.

In an election year dominated by economic and budget concerns, four of the five candidates for Illinois governor sat down with the Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) in late summer to discuss their views on those issues as well as legislative issues including education, abortion, the death penalty, immigration, and civil unions.

PARIS — St. Mary Parish recently hosted Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, who came to celebrate Mass and bless a rock garden that was created in his honor.

Dominican Sister Joan Sorge, principal of St. Agnes School in Springfield, is among 62 outstanding elementary and middle school principals from public and private schools across the nation who have been named as 2010 National Distinguished Principals by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).

SHERMAN — A conference open to all Catholic men in the Springfield area will be held Saturday, Nov. 6, at St. John Vianney Church, 902 St. John’s Drive. The conference theme will be “Fathers in Faith and Family.”

In a tribute to the sacrament of marriage about 225 couples were in Springfield on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 26 to take part in the diocesan anniversary celebration for couples who have been married 50 years or longer.

Over 600 students, chaperones, teachers, principals and PSR leaders from throughout the diocese joined missionaries Oct. 4 to fill the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield for Bishop Thomas John Paprocki’s first Mission Mass celebration in the diocese. School awards and Parish School of Religion awards for highest per capita donations to the Holy Childhood Association are presented at the annual Mass, organized by the Office for the Missions.

CARROLLTON — St. John the Evangelist Parish in Carrollton celebrated its 150th anniversary Oct. 3, at a Mass celebrated by Bishop Thomas John Paprocki. Father Henry Schmidt, St. John’s pastor, was a concelebrant at Mass, as was former pastor, now retired Father Joseph O’Reilly of Jacksonville. A reception followed at the Carrollton K of C Hall.

The Springfield Diocese Chapter of the Knights of Columbus will hold its 27th annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony and banquet Saturday, Oct. 23.

COLLINSVILLE — Catholic author and motivational speaker Matthew Kelly will be the main speaker at an interactive workshop called “Living Every Day with a Passion and Purpose” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 at Ss. Peter and Paul Parish, 207 Vandalia St.

GRANITE CITY — The Sisters of Divine Providence recently received two new associates from the Springfield diocese during a liturgy at Holy Family Church.

The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis welcomed 20 new associates Sept. 19 during the morning liturgy in St. Francis of Assisi Church at the Franciscan Motherhouse near Springfield. In a statement released for the occasion, Sister Jomary Trstensky, provincial superior, described the sisters' joy in accepting the formal commitments of the new associates. "We are pleased that there is a growing number of laity interested in developing their spirituality, learning more of St. Francis' way of life, and becoming more deeply aware of our unique charism," Sister Jomary wrote.

Just prior to the beginning of October, which is designated as a month to celebrate life, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki and hundreds of others welcomed pro-life activist Alveda King to take part in several events that were sponsored by the Office for Social Concerns, Springfield Right to Life and the Springfield Blessed Sacrament Parish Gospel of Life Committee.

MADISON — A new religious community of men recently moved into the Springfield diocese, setting up residency in what was once the convent at St. Mary and St. Mark Parish in Madison. Dominican Missionaries for the Deaf Apostolate (DMDA) is a seminary training program to prepare deaf candidates who are studying to become Catholic priests.

TROY — It is not every day you find a Knights of Columbus council that owns its very own chapel but Troy Knights of Columbus Council 9266 has just that. The chapel, located on the Council's property on Lebanon Road, in the southern part of Jarvis Township near Troy, was once St. John the Baptist Church in Black Jack. It was closed 18 years ago, and was suppressed four years later in 1996.

Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield is once again offering PSR Class for Exceptional People — religion classes for the developmentally disabled — at Blessed Sacrament School on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 7:30. The class kicked off with a picnic held on Sept. 22 and classes will run through May and will close with an end-of-the-year party and dinner.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki ended a nearly week-long stay in Decatur Sept. 23 with the Decatur Deanery Mass at 7 p.m. at Holy Family Church. “I spent most of the week in Decatur at the Convocation of Priests prior to the Deanery Mass of Welcome, so I got a good introduction to the area,” Bishop Paprocki later told Catholic Times. “I celebrated Masses at Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Patrick and Holy Family churches. I also got in my marathon training by running the Rock Springs-Fairview Trail, which was very scenic.”

The annual diocesan Respect Life Mass, with Bishop Thomas John Paprocki presiding, will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9 at Holy Family Church, 2606 Washington Ave., in Granite City. Immediately following the Mass, Bishop Paprocki will lead a rosary walk and prayer vigil to the Hope Clinic for Women, which provides medical and surgical abortions.

FENTON, Mo. — Father William Overmann, 74, retired priest of the Springfield diocese, died Sept. 19, at Mother of Good Counsel Home in St. Louis.

QUINCY — Alvin B. “Pete” Harman, age 83, of Quincy, died on Sept. 12 at Blessing Hospital. He was the father of Father Peter Harman, pastor of Cathedral Parish in Springfield.

The diocesan Office for the Diaconate will hold a general information meeting for men interested in the diaconate program from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24 at Christ the King Parish Center, 1930 Barberry Drive in Springfield.

GLEN CARBON — The new Father McGivney Catholic High School, which its supporters had hoped to see open its doors in 2011 on its purchased site, or in a temporary location, is not going to happen. The McGivney board of directors met Sept. 14, and voted to postpone the opening.

Official appointments from the Office of the Bishop

Butler Funeral Homes and Staab Funeral Home are proud to sponsor the second annual “Walk with Your Ancestors: A tour of Springfield’s Calvary Cemetery.”

In the midst of tragedy, prayer can make even the most desperate situation bearable — this is the truth that has been shown to the family, friends and fellow parishioners of 14-year-old Danielle Loftus.

Members pledge to foster vocations to priesthood, religious life

ALTON — A new Serra Club of Madison County has received its charter, and its membership of 38 men and women have been installed as charter members of Serra International. The installation took place at St. Ambrose Church, Alton, Sept. 12, during Mass celebrated by Msgr. Carl Kemme. Msgr. Kemme, the diocese’s vicar general, is the club’s chaplain.

ILLIOPOLIS — Resurrection Parish will hold a “welcome” potluck Sunday, Oct. 3 at 11:30 a.m. for its new parish life coordinator Sister Phyllis Schenk, OP, and Sister Josetta Brown, OP, who also lives in the parish house.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki continues to make his way around the 28 counties in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, to celebrate a Mass of Welcome and Reception in each on the diocese’s seven deaneries.

So far, supporters from the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and beyond have either pledged or donated just over $5,200 to support Bishop Thomas John Paprocki as he trains to run a marathon to raise money to help pay off the debt of the Cathedral renovation.