decatur poverty summit.jpgOver 200 people from 17 churches in Decatur and Mt. Zion gathered at a "Poverty Summit" at St. Thomas Church, on Nov. 23. The summit was called to address poverty issues in the Decatur area and organized by an interdenominational Social Justice Committee established by area Catholic parishes.
p3-qnd-and-file.jpgAt the direction of Bishop George J. Lucas, the Quincy Notre Dame Foundation has acquired title for the school's real estate, which had previously been held by the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
dl-habitat-house-2.jpgWith Thanksgiving just a few days away, a Springfield mother with seven children is counting her blessings. Patty Redpath and her children, who range in age from 17 to 2, are preparing to move from their double-wide mobile home into their new Habitat for Humanity house. The house, at 1000 Knoll Point in Springfield, is the largest ever built by Habitat for Humanity in Sangamon County.
cathedral-lincoln-window-edit.jpgAs part of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, a photo of the stained glass "Lincoln" window from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield has been included in an art exhibit.
night-march.jpgDuring Respect Life Month a group of parishioners from Ss. Mary and Joseph Parish in Carlinville donned "Celebrate Life" T-shirts and made posters to carry in the Rotary Club Halloween Parade, Oct. 25. Respect Life supporters from other communities joined the SSMJ group to walk or ride on its "Celebrate Life" float in the night-time parade.
The 23rd annual Breadline Sunday, a bread sale to support St. John's Breadline in Springfield, will be observed in area churches and synagogues after services on Nov. 22 and Nov. 23. The event takes place every year the weekend before Thanksgiving.
daec-speaker-crowd.jpgOver 1,000 people from throughout the diocese participated in "A Steward's Way," the Diocesan Adult Enrichment Conference, held Nov. 2 and 3 in Springfield at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. At the conference opening Mass on Sunday, All Souls Day, Bishop George J. Lucas in his homily asked, "What will I have to give on the day that it is demanded? Today and tomorrow, we are going to address the question of what it means to live fully in Jesus Christ as stewards."
dl-remarriage.jpgSs. Peter and Paul Parish began a new program this fall to help couples preparing for, or in second marriages, after being a widow or widower, or having received a declaration of nullity for a previous marriage. As the Nov. 4 election approaches, Bishop George J. Lucas has issued a two-part invitation to Catholics in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
In his weekly column in this issue of Catholic Times and in a letter to parish leaders, Bishop Lucas first asks that all parishioners in the diocese be invited to a time of eucharistic exposition and adoration in the days preceding the election.
p3-psundayusa.jpgOn Oct. 26, Catholic parishes in the Springfield diocese and throughout the United States will show support of their priests with prayer, celebration and personal tributes. That's because the last Sunday of October is designated as Priesthood Sunday, a one-day celebration of the priesthood originated by parish lay leaders and coordinated by the USA Council of Serra International and the Serra International Foundation.
dl-mcgivney-hs.jpgA group promoting a new Catholic high school for southern Madison County has opened a campaign office at 1043 Century Drive in Edwardsville. Bishop George J. Lucas blessed the premises Oct. 4, as more than 40 well-wishers, local priests and elementary school principals looked on.
dl-cantor-joe-simmons-headshot-2.jpgA cantor formation workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at Christ the King Parish Church, 1930 Barberry Drive in Springfield.
p16-eschbach-barn.jpgJust as fall foliage bursts into color in central Illinois, and the high price of gasoline has at least temporarily gone down, the Calhoun County Church and Quilt Tour plus the Barn Quilts for Calhoun County Project seems like a great incentive to get out and go for a drive.
p3-Mission-Mass-08-025.jpgSt. Isidore School in Farmersville and St. Elizabeth Parish School of Religion in Marine in their respective categories gave the highest per capita contributions to the Holy Childhood Association in the 2007-2008 school year. The top five Catholic schools and top five PSRs were announced at the annual Mission Mass celebrated by Bishop George J. Lucas in Springfield on Oct. 1.
dl-abortion-clinic-march.jpgAll the pews at Holy Family Church in Granite City were filled and people were standing in the back of church at the annual diocesan Respect Life Mass, celebrated by Bishop George J. Lucas on Oct. 4. "We had 600 people, the largest turnout I've witnessed, since I've been here," Father Larry Brunette, Holy Family pastor, said.
Oswald-Simpson.jpgLast month, Oswald Simpson of Jamaica spent a few life-changing days in Springfield, thanks to the generosity of Springfield residents and members of the local medical community. The 65-year-old Simpson underwent a pacemaker placement procedure at Prairie Heart Institute at St. John's Hospital.
Father-Neili-bw.jpgOur Lady of Lourdes will hold a parish mission Oct. 18-22, with Paulist priest Father Bruce Neili leading the discussion and prayer on "Responding to the Spirit."