Approximately 70 people were in attendance at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield on Dec. 12, when Bishop Thomas John Paprocki held an Evening of Repentance and Prayer for Those Harmed in the Church. Identical services were held simultaneously in each of the other six deaneries of the Springfield diocese at: Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Mt. Zion; St. Boniface in Edwardsville; St. Francis of Assisi in Teutopolis; Our Saviour Church in Jacksonville; St. Agnes Church in Hillsboro; and Blessed Sacrament Church in Quincy.

HIGHLAND — Father Chuck Edwards, Deacon Ron Hesson and five parishioners of St. Paul Parish in Highland traveled to Haiti last month to visit their sister parish, St. Charles Borromeo in Gonaives, Haiti.

EDWARDSVILLE — Catholics Alive, a Newman organization at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIU-E), recently won the Educating for Justice Award from the Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA) for a Shoe Project program.

Two teams of adult hockey players will be facing off to raise money for Catholic Charities on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the Nelson Center at 1601 N. Sixth St. in Springfield's Lincoln Park. That evening, not only will adults be playing hockey at 7 p.m., but that game will be followed by a high school game featuring Sacred Heart-Griffin High School up against Chatham Glenwood High School.

Chiara Center will host its annual Franciscan Nativity Festival Dec. 2-4 at 4875 LaVerna Road in Springfield, on the grounds of the Motherhouse of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. Hours for the event are 2-7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2; noon-4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3; and noon-4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4.

Although overall enrollment in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is down a bit this academic year, enrollment is up in some schools, says Jean Johnson, superintendent of Catholic schools. One school in particular, Marquette Catholic High School in Alton, has seen tremendous growth.

The still-faltering economy is adding unwanted stress to low-income families as they prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2011. So as the holidays approach, food pantries across the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois are asking for assistance from the public to aid those who will come to them for help.

Just in time for holiday decorating and gift-giving, St. Joseph's Home of Springfield has released its 19th city ornament.

DECATUR — St. Mary's Hospital recently donated more than $10,000 to the WSOY NewsTalk 1340 Community Food Drive.

KANSAS CITY — Bishop Thomas John Paprocki finished the Kansas City Marathon on Oct. 15 in four hours, eight minutes and 39 seconds. It was his 18th marathon and he finished 13 minutes and 8 seconds better than his 2010 time at the Denver Marathon.