The third annual Fortnight for Freedom will take place in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and in many other dioceses across the United States from June 21 to July 4. The theme of this year’s Fortnight, a project of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, is “Freedom to Serve” and will focus on the freedom to serve the poor and vulnerable in accord with human dignity and the Catholic Church’s teaching.

WICHITA, Kan. — As the day of ordination as a bishop of the Catholic Church approached, Bishop-elect Carl Alan Kemme, 53, presided at an evening of Solemn Vespers held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita on Wednesday, April 30. Call it divine intervention that the cathedral bears the same name as that of his home cathedral where he was ordained a priest on May 10, 1986.

On Saturday, May 10, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki ordained four third-year diocesan seminarians to the transitional diaconate during 10 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.

On Saturday, May 24, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will ordain two men priests for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois during a 10:30 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Recently, Deacon Steven Arisman and Deacon Seth Brown shared with Catholic Times just how they came to be called to the priesthood and how they look forward to serving in the future.

Like many young people, three students from Benedictine University at Springfield spent their spring break this year in a warm climate. However, Sean McConnell, Linh Le and Zack Mapes didn’t head down to Florida to have fun; instead they went on a mission trip to the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic with Fundacion Mariana San Isidro Labrador (FUMSIL).

During Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday (April 13), Lent ends and the Easter triduum begins. A single three-day celebration of the Paschal mystery, the triduum opens with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening. Here’s a short explanation of what happens at your parish and at Catholic parishes all over, during this sacred time.

EDWARDSVILLE — Two bands featuring young musicians from Edwardsville will be gathering April 5 to raise funds to financially assist the family of Willow Tolly, a junior at Edwardsville High School.

Thanks to three area Knights of Columbus councils, the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council and fundraising campaigns held at various parishes, the Lifetime Pregnancy Health Center (LPHC) in Springfield now has an ultrasound machine to allow expectant mothers to see their unborn babies — many for the first time.

Over the first weekend of Lent 370 people from 59 parishes and one university campus attended the Rite of Election of Catechumens and of the Call to Continuing Conversion of Baptized Catholics with their priests, deacons, RCIA leaders, sponsors, godparents and friends. Because the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception would be too crowded to hold all of those people, folks from the Springfield and immediate surrounding areas took part in the Saturday evening liturgy while those who live some distance away were there on Sunday afternoon.

Two parishes, St. Jude in Rochester and St. Peter in Quincy, are holding parish missions during Lent, with Father Albert Haase, OFM, speaking on “Signed and Sealed with the Cross.”