NEWTON — Thunderstorm warnings earlier in the day and a sweltering heat index had little impact on the hundreds of parishioners, former parishioners and friends who came out Sunday afternoon, July 18, to see Bishop Thomas John Paprocki dedicate a new St. Thomas Church in Newton.

Twenty-five parishes in the Springfield diocese have received catechetical grants totaling over $16,000 from the diocesan Office for Catechesis. The grants are funded by contributions to the Harvest of Thanks, Springtime of Hope campaign, which was held in conjunction with the diocese’s 150th anniversary in 2003.

Chairpersons of pro-life committees in parishes throughout the Springfield diocese are invited to a luncheon from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 1615 W. Washington St. in Springfield.

ALTON — The Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George will celebrate the profession of first vows and the reception into the novitiate of several sisters during Mass at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 15. Four novices will make their first profession of vows, and three postulants will be received into the novitiate.

The annual Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) was held on the campus of Benedictine University in Springfield July 5-10. The 25 participants were led by 18 adult and youth leaders who taught them leadership and communication skills, community building and group dynamics.

During the month of September, a Mass of Welcome and Reception for Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will be held in each of the seven deaneries of the Springfield diocese. Collections taken at the Masses of Welcome will benefit Catholic Charities of the Springfield diocese.

A DVD of the June 22 installation of Bishop Thomas John Paprocki as ninth bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is now available for pre-order. The DVD includes the entire Mass, from the entrance procession through the recessional and runs a little over two hours.

GLEN CARBON – Mike Scholz, recently hired as the first principal of Father McGivney Catholic High School, has resigned. Scholz was to start this month but has resigned due to personal reasons.

BISHOP CREEK — As a young girl growing up on a farm with six sisters and five brothers, Martha Brummer never gave much thought to her family’s size. There were lots of large families in the Effingham area. From the outset, her parents, Clete and Agnes Brummer taught their children “God is part of our family.”

Blessed Sacrament School in Springfield was recently named a winner in the Pepsi Refresh Project, entitling the school to a $25,000 grant. The grant money will be used toward the purchase and installation of bleachers in the new school gym. According to the Pepsi Refresh Project website the entire cost of the bleachers will be $43,326.

Registration is still open for Wading Deeper 2010, that will take place Friday and Saturday, July 30 and 31 at Holy Family Parish at 410 S. State St. in Litchfield. This year’s topic is “Discernment: Conversion’s Partner in Christian Initiation” and the presenter is Sister Donna Steffen, SC.

A group of 60 individuals — 48 youth and 12 adult chaperones — came to Springfield June 28-July 2 to participate in a new mission project called Just5Days. The mission is a five-day experience of service, hands-on learning activities, prayer and liturgy for community groups of middle school youth and adult leaders from Catholic parishes and schools.

Totus Tuus, a week-long summer parish mission program for Catholic youth in grades 1-12, is back this summer, after a successful first-year run last summer in the Springfield diocese.

GLEN CARBON — The appearance of heavy construction equipment on the site of the future Father McGivney Catholic High School in Glen Carbon is a telling sign: It won’t be long now.

Father Donald J. Meehling, retired priest of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, died June 27 at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, age 78.

CARROLLTON — In addition to being known as a long-time priest and pastor, Father Henry Schmidt can now call himself a published author. The parochial administrator of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Carrollton, All Saints Parish in White Hall and St. Michael Parish in Greenfield, Father Schmidt has published his first book, The Pastor’s Sandal Path.

An overflow crowd filled every available pew at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield and spilled over into the atrium on June 22 to witness Bishop Thomas John Paprocki become the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.

On the night before he was installed as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki was joined in Evening Prayer at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception by a cardinal, several bishops, Msgr. Carl Kemme, priests, deacons, seminarians, many members of his large family, hundreds of Catholics from all over the diocese, as well as ecumenical, interfaith, government and civic leaders.

Hundreds of viewers from across the United States and around the world watched or monitored the Rite of Reception and Installation of Bishop Thomas John Paprocki from the Springfield’s diocese’s website www.dio.org. Several area news outlets and Catholic blogs also linked to the video on the diocesan website.

HIGHLAND — Two long-time parishioners at St. Paul Parish in Highland have recently won top state awards from the Knights of Columbus. The awards were announced at the Illinois State Knights of Columbus Convention held in Peoria early last month.

The Dominican Sisters of Springfield welcomed 32 new associates during the morning liturgy at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel on Sunday, May 16. Sister Barbara Blesse, OP, vicaress general, accepted the formal commitments of each new associate.

The Diocese of Springfield offers gratitude to the following individuals, families and parishes, for their contributions toward the reception and installation of Bishop Thomas John Paprocki.

On May 20, during a one-day trip to Springfield, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki spoke to Catholic Times editor Kathie Sass.

Series of Masses of Welcome in deaneries will be held in September

The June 22 Rite of Reception and Installation of Bishop Thomas John Paprocki as ninth bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois will be streamed live on the Internet on the diocesan website www.dio.org.

Six community projects addressing the root causes of poverty will receive local grants from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

Brother Jason P. Nesbit, CSV, a native of Granite City, will be ordained to the diaconate at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 5, at Maternity BVM Church in Bourbonnais. Bishop Jacques Berthelet, CSV, a Viatorian and bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Canada, will confer the sacrament.

It was a lovely day both outside and inside the newly-restored Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield on the morning of Saturday, May 29, as Cardinal Francis George, OMI, of Chicago ordained Wood River native Father Stephen A. Thompson and Ghana, West Africa native Father Paul Kala to the diocesan priesthood.

Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) and four of its hospitals recently were honored with environmental awards from Practice Greenhealth at the Environmental Excellence Summit held May 12 in Baltimore.

The Knights of Columbus Springfield Diocese chapter meeting will be held Sunday, June 13, at the Effingham Knights of Columbus Hall. All Hall of Fame members in good standing are asked to be present and assist in the selection process which begins at 12:30 p.m. The council luncheon will begin at 1:15 p.m. followed by the meeting at 2 p.m.