The 2010 Diocesan Adult Enrichment Conference is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 7 and Monday, Nov. 8. This year’s DAEC will be held at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel, breaking from the traditional Springfield venue.

People in the Springfield diocese and beyond who want to learn more about the Lenten season now have one more resource available to them. A new Lenten resource page is currently on-line at www.dio.org/lent.

Archbishop George J. Lucas of Omaha, former bishop of the Springfield diocese, will return to Springfield shortly after Easter to celebrate confirmation at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Friday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m.

Sgt. Maj. Diane Rogers may be a long way from home, but with the help of several parish priests, she never feels far away from God.

EDWARDSVILLE — St. Mary Parish in Edwardsville is launching a Life Teen program for high school students beginning with a Life Teen Mass and a Life Night on Sunday, Feb. 21. The Mass, held at St. Mary Church, 1802 Madison St., will be celebrated by Father Tom Meyer, at 6 p.m. Following Mass, a Life Night will be held in the school from 7-9:30 p.m.

CARROLLTON — St. John the Evangelist School recently hosted a convocation as part of a long-term planning process to ensure the future of Catholic education in the area. The six-hour convocation was held during the afternoon on Sunday, Jan. 10.

On Jan. 22, approximately 100 individuals took part in an all-day prayer vigil outside of Planned Parenthood in Springfield. The vigil, organized by two Springfield women and supported by Springfield Right to Life and the diocesan Office for Social Concerns, was a peaceful protest to Planned Parenthood bringing RU-486, the abortion pill, to the capital city.

GRANITE CITY — Holy Family School eighth-grader Joshua Nelson started 2010 out on a bright note by riding in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, Calif.  However, for the first half of his life Joshua couldn’t even participate in regular sports events or attend extended play dates with his friends because he suffered severe kidney disease.

Springfield Club Frontiers International is sponsoring the 35th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast at the Hilton Hotel, 700 East Adams St., on Monday, Jan. 18. This year’s speaker is Father Joseph A. Brown, SJ.

When Msgr. Ossola and the people of Little Flower Parish in Springfield began collecting toys for Catholic Charities this Advent, they had no idea what an emotional roller coaster awaited them. As it turned out, they discovered people of all faiths are really in the Christmas spirit this year.