DECATUR — Jerry Allan Smith, father of Father Marty Smith, a priest of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, passed away March 16 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur with his family by his side. He lived in Mt. Zion and was 77 years old.

It is a Thursday afternoon at Serenity Manor, a senior living facility in Springfield. Some residents are taking naps. Others are watching television. For five faith-filled Catholics, they are meeting in a room to receive Our Lord in the holy Eucharist from Father Peter Chineke, parochial vicar at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

St. Mary parishioner in Taylorville shares her conversion story

TAYLORVILLE — For decades, Lucia Snow of Taylorville described herself as a “spiritual person.” But things started to change in 2017. That’s when she and her family moved close to St. Mary Church and School in Taylorville. Two of her children enrolled in the school and “fell in love with the Catholic faith” she says. Soon, they were baptized, along with her two daughters at the time.

The three days of the sacred triduum are the bridge connecting Lent to the 50 days of Easter. Intended to be lived as a whole, these three days: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday’s Easter Vigil are the encapsulation of the Lord’s life, death, and resurrection that we are called to embrace each day of our lives. While the liturgies of these days (while seen as one) each contain unique remembrances from our Lord’s life, they remind us that ultimately our faith is not about history. It is about God’s saving action, beyond all time, being made present for our participation. Our “triduum experience” can only be richer if we make the sacrifice to participate all three days.

During Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday (March 28) Lent comes to an end before the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, which is the beginning of the Easter triduum. The three chronological days are liturgically one day and form what the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops calls “the summit of the Liturgical Year.”

Answers to your questions about Bishop Paprocki’s modified dispensation, effective April 11

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki announced that, effective April 11, Divine Mercy Sunday, the general dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days will be modified to be limited to the following groups:

Totus Tuus program launches in June, July across diocese

After a year of the pandemic, children are probably itching to get out of the house, socialize, and have fun. Parents are probably just as eager to have their children try some new experiences. This summer, the Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is excited to have Totus Tuus, a fun and faith-filled experience, coming to several parishes across the diocese in June and July.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) are urging Catholics to avoid taking the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine if other options are available saying that it “raises questions about the moral permissibility of using vaccines developed, tested, and/or produced with the help of abortion-derived cell lines.”

SPRINGFIELD — HSHS Illinois Home Care is holding a food drive in March for the Catholic Charities food pantry to help those struggling with food insecurity.

It all started with an ice cream cone.

Over eight decades ago two teenagers — Kincaid native Victor Lanzotti and Taylorville native Lucille Russell — met on the town square in Taylorville. When Lucille suggested that Vic buy her an ice cream cone, Vic had a flirty response: “Sure, but just the nickel one so you won’t get fat!” As it turns out, Lucille got her ice cream and Vic got the girl.

Earlier this school year Sacred Heart-Griffin High School students began putting their faith into action by standing up for life — literally. The Cyclones for Life Club meets not in a school classroom but rather by gathering on the sidewalks outside Planned Parenthood in Springfield.

Ss. Mary and Joseph parishioner in Carlinville shares his conversion story

CARLINVILLE — He is a union ironworker. He travels to work on windfarms, bridges, metal buildings, hospital expansions, and stadiums. During his young career, coming home from work, or during other occasions of thought, Eddie Ray says he considered getting baptized. Over the years these thoughts filled his mind and soul which slowly led him to becoming more of a faith-filled person he says — but it was meeting his wife, Lauren, that would ultimately lead him to Catholicism.

Margaret Antenan has been working for the Catholic Church in Springfield for 50 years including 15 years at Blessed Sacrament Parish. She started teaching at Sacred Heart Grade School in Springfield for 15 years. Antenan taught mostly second and third grades. For two years after that, she was principal at Sacred Heart Grade School. After Sacred Heart Grade School closed in 1987, she started work in parish administration for St. Patrick Parish and Sacred Heart Parish and continued as they merged into St. Katharine Drexel Parish. In 2005, then-Father David Hoefler (now Msgr. Hoefler), pastor of Blessed Sacrament, offered her the job of office manager. She has been in that position ever since.

HIGHLAND — Her picture is full of rich colors, unmistakable joy, and a deep reverence for Jesus, not to mention, it is also just a beautiful creation. But ultimately, the artwork captures the essence of keeping Christ in Christmas. It is those reasons why Camille Winkler, a third-grader at St. Paul Catholic School in Highland won first place in the national “Keep Christ in Christmas” poster contest sponsored by the Catholic War Veterans of the United States.

Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday on Springfield’s east side, you can witness the compassionate and giving face of Christ. That’s when volunteers with the St. Martin de Porres Center hand out food and clothing to dozens of individuals and families in need.

ST. MEINRAD, Ind. — Brother Stanley Rother Wagner, OSB, professed solemn vows as a Benedictine monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey in a ceremony on Jan. 25 in the Archabbey Church at St. Meinrad, Ind.

On March 31, the Chiara Center in Springfield will close permanently. The Chiara Center is a retreat and conference center on the grounds of St. Francis Convent, the home of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, at 4875 LaVerna Road, Springfield.

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the three tried and true ways that Christians have prepared for Easter over the centuries. When Ash Wednesday comes, we may feel overwhelmed or unprepared for this great spiritual season. Here are 10 tips for making this Lenten season a time of growth in holiness.

Building the Kingdom, one house at a time is exactly the goal of Steve and Jodie Koch. In 2019, with their enthusiasm and financial boost, the Springfield Catholic community was able to build a Habitat for Humanity home in partnership with a wonderful, hard-working woman and her son.

Your donation also gives you 75 percent tax credit

Student demand for Illinois’ tax credit scholarships is at an all-time high. This school year, 481 students in 30 schools across the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois received a scholarship to attend Catholic school thanks to $1,485,527 in generous donations.

Dive Deep, the official podcast of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, has launched season six. Several area priests join hosts Andrew Hansen, Amber Cerveny, and Father Chris House this season for several episodes as the crew covers topics ranging from Lent and the Gospel of Mark to free will and Fatima. Dive Deep is available on all the popular podcasting platforms. Go to dio.org/podcast to listen and subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Springfield resident and WWII veteran shares how his faith has guided him for a century, and the advice he has for all of us

June 6, 1944. Then 23-year-old Jasper Madonia joined 156,000 soldiers in one of the most heroic days in American military history — the Normandy landings, referred to as D-Day. The pivotal Battle of Normandy lasted from June to August and ultimately paved the way for the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany during World War II.

Do you have a question about the Catholic faith? Confused about a Catholic Church teaching? Maybe you wonder why priests do this or why our tradition says that. The popular Hey, Father! series is going LIVE to answer your questions.

Despite cold temperatures, more than 150 students and other lay Catholics from across the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois hit the streets of downtown Springfield to march for life Jan. 29, raising their voices for the voiceless and protesting unjust laws that attack the dignity of human life. Passing the Statehouse, Illinois Supreme Court building, and Governor’s Mansion, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki led the group in peacefully praying the rosary for an end to abortion and a greater respect for human life. This year marked the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Jan. 22, 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

If there was a mother who approached you and needed assistance, would you know where she could go for help? Mothers often devote themselves to their family and are ready to make sacrifices for their children. Yet, many expectant and parenting mothers face challenges such as: lack of support from the father, financial strains, and pressures from family and friends. Pregnant and parenting moms in need are in our parishes and in our communities. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone in the parish community knew where a pregnant or parenting woman could find help?

Lent is the 40-day, penitential season of preparation for Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 17) and ends with the paschal triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, April 1-3). “Each year, through Mother Church, God gives us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed … as we recall the great events that gave us new life in Christ,” Pope Francis said.

We often refer to our marriage as “Jim and Nancy’s Excellent Adventure.” If someone had told us that our married life would be a roller coaster, we might have opted to stay single! Yet, in his providence, God knew what he was doing when he brought us together through a mutual friend.

The Springfield Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (SDCCW) is offering four $500 scholarships to recognize outstanding Catholic female high school seniors. Applicants will be judged on how they exemplify the SDCCW’s mission values of leadership, faith, and service.

2021 Catholic Schools Week Edition