DECATUR — Little did Sister JoAnn Schullian, OSF, realize the impact attending a talk would have on her life.

Priests in the Springfield diocese will gather with Bishop Thomas John Paprocki for their annual Priests Jubilee Celebration on Tuesday, May 3, at Villa Maria Catholic Life Center. Celebrating 25 years of priestly ministry are Fathers Charles Edwards and James Flach and Msgr. Carl Kemme, VG.

The entire staff of Graham & Hyde Architects Inc. in Springfield enjoyed a unique treat on April 5, when WQQL Cool 101.9 radio personality Amie Meneghetti delivered a specially-made cake to their office.

The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis installed members of their 2011-2015 provincial council at a eucharistic liturgy March 27 at St. Francis of Assisi Church on the motherhouse grounds near Springfield. Members of the provincial council are: Sister Jomary Trstensky, OSF, provincial superior; Sister Maureen O’Connor, OSF, provincial vicaress; Sister Christa Ann Struewing, OSF, provincial councilor; and Sister Gertrude O’Connor, OSF, provincial councilor.

EFFINGHAM — The 12th annual Austin Luckett Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Friday, May 13, at the Cardinal Golf Course, as a benefit for Effingham Catholic Charities.

Sacred Heart-Griffin High School and St. John’s Hospital AthletiCare in Springfield have been honored with an award for exemplary partnership between an educational institution and business enterprise. The award was presented April 13 by the Business/Education Partnership of Sangamon County.

QUINCY and BRUSH CREEK, Mo. — Chicago Cardinal Francis George, OMI, led a pilgrimage April 6 and 7 to Quincy and nearby Missouri sites relevant in the life of Father Augustus Tolton, the country’s first acknowledged black priest, whose cause for beautification and canonization is under way. At St. Peter Cemetery in Quincy, the archbishop made a canonical examination of Father Tolton’s gravesite and led the group in prayers.

During Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday (April 17), Lent ends and the Easter triduum — a single three-day celebration of the Paschal mystery — begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening. Here’s a short explanation of what happens at your parish, and at Catholic parishes all over, during this most sacred time.

ALTON — Students and faculty at St. Mary Middle School in Alton are taking part in a 40-day mini-retreat during the current Lenten season. The retreat, called “Journey with Jesus 40 Days” is a part of their regular school day.

In the midst of Lent, Springfield's Patricia Kendall finds her expertise in the field of cooking fish a much sought after source of knowledge. For over 20 years, Kendall, a St. Cabrini parishioner who calls herself "The Fishlady," has been teaching people how to cook fish. She has done food demonstrations, taught cooking classes, given seminars and written a cookbook, all with the goal of helping others discover how easy it is to cook fish.

Catechumens and candidates attending the Rite of Election of Catechumens and Call to Continuing Conversion of Baptized Candidates received a warm welcome at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield the second weekend of Lent.

The Hospital Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis who are serving in Japan are safe, reports Brian Blasco, director of communications for the Hospital Sisters in Springfield. Now in the aftermath of the March 11 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami, Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach is positioned to help those in northeastern Japan left devastated by the disaster, he said.

Hygiene kits need to be assembled not only for Japan, but for other Third World countries who ask for them almost daily. This list is very specific but must be followed as required by the World Health Organization. If these directions are not strictly followed they will not be accepted. Please be exact and be sure all items are new. There is a suggested donation of $1 to accompany each kit to help with shipping.

DECATUR — The Bob Kuban Band will be featured during Decatur Catholic Charities’ annual fund-raising gala, beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the Decatur Club.

The annual Springfield Catholic Grade School Art Showcase, sponsored by the Department of Art at Benedictine University at Springfield, is currently on display on campus at the Charles E. Becker Library Gallery, 1500 N. Fifth St.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will be a special guest runner in a 5K Shamrock Shuffle fund-raiser for St. Patrick Catholic School in Springfield on Saturday, April 16, at Springfield’s newest park — Southwind — at 4965 S. Second St.

Blessed Sacrament Church in Springfield will hold a Lenten Mission, April 4-6, led by Father Thomas Sullivan, CPM. The mission will begin at 7 each evening, with a reception after the Tuesday session, and Mass at the Wednesday session.

Twenty-one organizations in central Illinois have been awarded grants from Catholic Relief Services Operation Rice Bowl and the Office for the Missions of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The grants were awarded to assist in providing food for the hungry in various parts of the diocese.

CHICAGO — The Archdiocese of Chicago held the first session in the cause for the beatification and canonization of Father Augustus Tolton on Feb. 24 at St. James Chapel in the Archbishop Quigley Center in downtown Chicago. Cardinal Francis George, OMI, of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph N. Perry, diocesan postulator for the cause of Father Tolton, and Bishop John Gaydos, of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Mo., were among those participating in the formal occasion.

Members of the Westside Rotary were on hand at Catholic Charities’ St. Clare’s Health Clinic in Springfield Feb. 23 to see dental equipment purchased in part with funds donated by their organization and to receive a personal “thank you” from leaders of the health clinic.

Father Tom Donovan, pastor of St. Aloysius Parish in Springfield, along with the faculty and students at St. Aloysius School recently welcomed some special visitors to their school.

The national 40 Days for Life Campaign is now under way through April 17 in Granite City.

The Serra Club of Springfield is sponsoring its sixth annual Lenten Day of Prayer and Reflection on Saturday, March 26 at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 1615 West Washington St. in Springfield. Springfield Serra Club is part of Serra International, a Catholic organization that is focused on furthering vocations to the priesthood and  religious life.

COLLINSVILLE — The women of Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Collinsville are holding their annual women’s day event on Saturday, April 16 at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Rt. 157 in Collinsville. The day runs from 8 a.m. through 3 p.m., costs $15 and includes lunch. Women from throughout the diocese are invited to register to attend.

The Springfield Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW), an affiliate of the National Council of Catholic Women, is once again offering diocesan leadership scholarships that recognize outstanding Catholic female high school seniors. This year, four $500 scholarships will be awarded. Applicants will be judged on how they exemplify DCCW's mission values of leadership, faith, and service.

The Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) will hold its annual Lenten retreat for Catholic women on Wednesday, April 13 and Thursday, April 14, at the Villa Maria Catholic Life Center on Lake Springfield. All women of the diocese are invited.

One Church, One Home project helps homeless mothers rebuild their lives

CHATHAM — Catholics recognize reaching out to help people who are in need as part of their baptismal call. Thanks to the generosity of parishioners at St. Joseph the Worker, in Chatham, a homeless mother with three young children moved into a fully furnished two bedroom apartment in January. The parish partnered with MERCY Communities in its new project called One Church, One Home.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki has received a letter thanking the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois for a contribution of $117,766 to the 2010 annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious.

In a letter to Catholics in the Springfield diocese, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki has provided information on contributing to the recovery of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, from recent catastrophic flooding.