At an Oct. 14 gathering of Catholic lawyers at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki announced the establishment of a volunteer legal services program to assist people who cannot afford legal representation.

With 20 seminarians from the Springfield diocese in all levels of formation, and several young men in the diocese interested in learning more about the priesthood, the diocese's director of the Office for Vocations, Father Brian Alford, is optimistic about the future.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was filled on Sunday, Dec. 8 for the bestowal of diocesan honors as the Springfield diocese commemorates 160 years of the Catholic faith in central Illinois.

SUNSET HILLS, Mo. — Eugene Kerber Jr., father of Father Joseph Kerber of the Springfield diocese, died Nov. 28 in Sunset Hills. He was 93 years old.

DECATUR — Students at St. Patrick School in Decatur responded in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan by raising over $1,000 in change to send to devastated areas in the Philippines.

ST. LOUIS — Ursuline Sisters of the Central Province announced Dec. 2 they will begin to transition sisters from their Queen of Peace Infirmary and adjoining convent in Alton to other retirement and health care facilities. More than half the Ursulines in the province attended the four-day meeting in St. Louis, following Thanksgiving.

Merry Christmas, and thanks to all the young artists who shared their talents in the annual Catholic Times Christmas cover contest. This year, over 750 entries were submitted to vie for the honor of appearing on the cover of the Christmas edition of the diocesan newspaper.

INDIANAPOLIS — Over 100 people from the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois were on hand to take part in the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), held Nov. 21-23 in Indianapolis. They were there with the over 23,000 people from all 50 states, the military archdiocese and the U.S. Virgin Islands who participated in the biennial event that gathers together Catholic teenagers, youth ministers, diocesan leaders, pastors and seminarians.

An estimated 500 people filled the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield Nov. 20 to join Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Springfield diocese in Prayers of Supplication and Exorcism in Reparation for the Sin of Same-sex Marriage.

JACKSONVILLE — Freshmen at Routt Catholic High School have begun their four-year high school experience with plenty of prayer, thanks to their theology teacher, Maureen Bradish.

Chiara Center in Springfield will host the annual Franciscan Nativity Festival Dec. 6-8 at 4875 LaVerna Road, on the grounds of the motherhouse of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. Specific dates and times for the festival, which is free and open to the public, are: Friday, Dec. 6 from 2-7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 7 from noon-4 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 8 from noon-4 p.m.

The Serra Club of Springfield, along with Dr. David Mack and the Marian Center of Springfield, are sponsoring the 21st annual Novena of the Immaculate Conception from Saturday, Nov. 30 through Sunday, Dec. 8. The novena, which honors "Mary, Our Mother" will begin each evening at 7 p.m. at Christ the King Church, 1930 Barberry Drive in Springfield.

In a show of a real Christian spirit and great sportsmanship, Sacred Heart-Griffin High School welcomed the players, students and fans of the Washington Community High School Panthers to the SHG Athletic Complex on Nov. 23 for the Class 5A playoff semifinal game.

St. Aloysius School students celebrated Veterans Day with some special visitors who shared stories of their military service in a program called "A Salute to American Veterans." On hand to talk to the students were SPF 5 William Owens, who served in U.S. Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War, and Capt. Sandra Gilmore of the U.S. Army Reserves.

Scheduled to coincide on the same day that the Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn will sign into Illinois law the redefinition of civil marriage, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will offer "Prayers of Supplication and Exorcism in Reparation for the Sin of Same-Sex Marriage" at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20. Clergy, religious and laity are invited to attend.

In honor of the 160th anniversary of its founding, the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, formerly the Diocese of Alton, will hold a presentation of diocesan honors and recognition at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will preside.

St. Agnes Parish in Springfield will celebrate its 125th anniversary Saturday, Nov. 16. Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will preside at the 4:30 p.m. Mass at St. Agnes Church, 245 N. Amos Ave. A reception will be held after Mass in the parish hall.

Over 600 Catholic school students and others from throughout the Springfield diocese attended the annual Mission Mass celebrated Oct. 22 by Bishop Thomas John Paprocki at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. The students, their parents/drivers, teachers and principals were joined by missionaries and missions supporters, to comfortably fill much of the cathedral.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki ran his 20th marathon on Oct. 20, completing the first-ever Springfield Marathon, in four hours, 24 minutes and 48 seconds.

LIVINGSTON — Sacred Heart Parish, Livingston, in northeastern Madison County is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The Livingston parish was founded in December 1913 by Bishop James Ryan of the Alton diocese. The original church building was destroyed in a fire, but a second building was quickly constructed and on Thanksgiving Day, 1914, it was rededicated.

ALTON — The Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George held a Veni Si Amas discernment retreat at their provincial house Oct. 18-20.

The Brinkerhoff Home Foundation of Springfield has made a $5,000 gift to the Ursuline Sisters of the Central Province. The gift is part of the final distribution of funds held by the Brinkerhoff Home Foundation, which recently was dissolved.

In conjunction with the annual Red Mass and luncheon for members of the Catholic Lawyers Guild held on Oct. 14, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki announced that Catholic Charities in the Springfield diocese is initiating a volunteer legal services program to assist those who cannot afford legal representation with civil matters.

From Crazy Horse to Land of Lincoln

On your mark, get set ... uh, rev up the snow blower.

A record-breaking, early-season winter storm that dumped more than 4 feet of snow on western South Dakota caused the cancellation of the annual Crazy Horse Marathon, originally scheduled for Oct. 6. Among the disappointed runners was Bishop Thomas John Paprocki.

Over 750 students from Catholic grade schools in various parts of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, as well as a large number of high school students, gathered during the first week of October for Diocesan Youth Days. This year the youth came from Decatur, Jacksonville, Springfield and Quincy.

St. John's Breadline in Springfield was forced to close its doors and cancel its lunch service Oct. 9, after a car smashed into the entrance to its building at 430 N. Fifth Street at 9:20 a.m.

GRANITE CITY — Danielle Folkerts, a freshman at Marquette Catholic High School in Alton and a spring graduate of St. Elizabeth School in Granite City, has been selected by Gateway East Young Achievers, a chapter of the International Leadership Network (ILN), as one of the 295 students to receive recognition as a Gateway East 2013 Young Achiever.

St. Joseph's Home of Springfield has released the official City Ornament celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Springfield Art Association and Edwards Place. This is the 21st ornament in the collectible series depicting landmarks or events unique to Springfield.

FLORENCE, Italy — Benjamin Coggeshall, son of Robin and Claudia Coggeshall of Camp Point, was ordained to the transitional diaconate for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest by Archbishop Guido Pozzo, secretary to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. The liturgy took place July 3 at the Church of St. Michael and Cajetan in Florence.