Over 700 students, missionaries and relatives, teachers, chaperones, and PSR representatives from throughout the diocese attended the Mass celebrated by Bishop George J. Lucas. Fathers Tom Meyer, Chris Comerford, Dean Probst, Chuck Edwards, Donald Knuffman and Michael Haag, were concelebrants, and Father Chris House was master of ceremony.

The Springfield Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) collected a record amount of money for designated projects during the last fiscal year, according to a report given at the annual DCCW Convention in September in Quincy.

Students at St. Patrick Catholic School in Springfield are temporarily without swing sets, slides and jungle gyms. However if Norman Calmese and the staff at the Capital City Courier, a local monthly newspaper, meet their financial fund-raising goals, the children will once again be swinging, climbing and playing on brand new outdoor playground equipment.

For the first time, use of funds from the Harvest of Thanks, Springtime of Hope endowment for the formation of ordained ministers have been approved to help pay expenses for the recent priests' convocation.

For the second year in a row, a student from the Springfield diocese has been chosen a winner in the Holy Childhood Association Christmas Artwork Contest. Carmen Gobble-Barger, a student at Cathedral School in Springfield, was one of 24 students chosen nationwide to have her artwork reproduced as a 2007 Holy Childhood Association Christmas card. Ten honorable mentions were also chosen.

St. Antoine Hospital in Jeremie, Haiti, will soon have much needed hospital beds, surgical instruments and other hospital supplies, thanks to Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach (HSMO) in Springfield and the diocesan Office for the Missions, who responded to an appeal from the Haiti Ministry of Health for assistance in stocking and supplying the hospital with much needed items.

Four area Illinois State Knights of Columbus council's from District 76 have been recognized as award winners for outstanding programs during the 2006-2007 fraternal year. The announcement was made at the Knights of Columbus headquarters in New Haven, Conn.

Just over a month after Nick's health problems began, Lisa's 22-year-old daughter Megan Reeves unexpectedly collapsed and passed away on July 15. The young woman and her fiancé had been boating on the river near Beardstown on one of the hottest days in 2006. Lisa believes the heat contributed to Megan's death.

Science labs, classrooms, a school chapel, large music room and individual practice rooms, huge multipurpose rooms, and a gymnasium are just some of the new school facilities which were built at Catholic high schools in the Springfield diocese, in part by funds raised in the Harvest of Thanks, Springtime of Hope campaign.

Tuition assistance totaling $120,085 from the Harvest of Thanks, Springtime of Hope education endowment is available for distribution to diocesan schools for the 2007-2008 school year. The figure represents a $21,985 increase from the previous year's total distribution of $98,100.

PSR Class for Exceptional People (religion classes for the developmentally disabled) will begin later this month at Blessed Sacrament School in Springfield. The classes are open to all developmentally disabled children and adults, ages 7 and up, from the greater Springfield area.

A spirituality workshop under the direction of Father Albert Haase, OFM, will be held Oct. 5-7 at the new Chiara Center located on the motherhouse grounds of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. Influenced by the writings of spiritual masters throughout the centuries, the workshop will examine some key themes including the true and false self, growth toward freedom, prayer, and the spiritual journey.

Twenty-six parishes in the diocese recently received checks totaling $172,559.11 in the final distribution to parishes from the Harvest of Thanks, Springtime of Hope Campaign. Final distribution of parish sharing funds was made Aug. 17 as the diocese closed the books on the campaign after completion of the fifth pledge year. Since the campaign began in January 2002, over $2.8 million has been returned to parishes - well over the $2.4 million originally estimated at the beginning of the campaign.