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wyse-marquette-color.jpgwyse-marquette-color.jpgThe Marquette WYSE Team advanced to the WYSE state finals academic challenge held at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, on April 14 and finished second overall out of over 20 teams competing in their division (based on enrollment). The team was able to advance to the state finals after having won first place at both regional and sectional competitions held earlier this winter.
backpage-first-communion-021.jpgbackpage-first-communion-021.jpgIt's first holy Communion time at parishes all around the diocese. Following months of preparation April and May are the usual months for second-graders to first receive the sacrament, says Chris Malmevik, associate director for Catechesis.
Catholic schools and parish schools of religion in the Springfield diocese did their part to make Pope Benedict XVI's birthday a little bit happier this year. In all, 17 diocesan schools or PSRs were listed on a service pledge/birthday gift presented to the Holy Father on April 16, his 81st birthday.
The 2008 Liturgical and Sacred Art Exhibition will be held May 3 through June 7 at the Gallery of the Springfield Art Association, 700 N. Fourth St. in Springfield. The exhibit is being held in conjunction with the Liturgical Arts Festival of Springfield.
dl-providence.jpgdl-providence.jpgOn April 12, parishioners of St. Mary and St. Mark Parish, Madison/Venice, celebrated with gratitude the 87 years of service of the Sisters of Divine Providence, according to parish life coordinator Sister Mary Clare Fichtner, OP.
franciscans-cymk.jpgfranciscans-cymk.jpgFranciscan Friars of the Sacred Heart Province came from hundreds of miles away to celebrate the 150th anniversary of their religious order's foundation in the Midwest, at the "cradle" where it all began - Teutopolis. Parishioners and friends of the friars packed St. Francis of Assisi Church on April 12 for the 5:30 p.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop George J. Lucas, with Father John Doctor, OFM, provincial, and Father Austin Albers, OFM, St. Francis pastor, as concelebrants.
Saturday, 26 April 2008 20:00

Papal Visit Memories In Pictures

pope-cp-horz.jpgpope-cp-horz.jpgBishop George J. Lucas, four diocesan priests and several dozen youth and adults of the Springfield diocese were able to attend events during Pope Benedict XVI's first papal visit to the United States. Many of them carried cameras and were able to photograph the Holy Father during his April 15-20 stay. Here is a gallery of pictures they brought home to share with Catholic Times.
Sister Barbara Smith, OSB, is making her lifetime profession as a Benedictine sister on April 27. She has been at the monastery of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison since August of 2002 and has completed her period of preparation and decision-making.
When the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception closes for a year-long restoration and renewal, starting Oct. 1, Cathedral parishioners and others will not have to go much out of their way in order to attend a "Cathedral" Mass.
April 25 is the deadline for principals to return scholarship applications for the Ursuline Academy Foundation Awards for the 2008-2009 academic year.
unity-run-rgb.jpgunity-run-rgb.jpgThe cold and wet weather on April 12 did nothing to dampen the spirits of the approximately 100 people who gathered to support Blessed Sacrament School in Springfield.
Saturday, 19 April 2008 20:00

SCI-Benedictine to offer doctorate program

At its April meeting, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) approved a proposal by Benedictine University to begin offering a Ph.D. program in organization development on its Springfield College in Illinois campus in Springfield.
dl-hh-conference.jpgdl-hh-conference.jpgThe American Province of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is hosting their congregation's International Leadership Conference from April 14-25 at Chiara Center, Springfield. The 20 Hospital Sisters' congregation representatives will discuss various aspects about their international life in their ministry of healing. Bishop George J. Lucas will celebrate a Mass with the sisters on April 20 in St. Francis of Assisi Church.
Saturday, 19 April 2008 20:00

A vision for each parish

cp-parish-planning-cass-county.jpgcp-parish-planning-cass-county.jpgA vision for each parish is to continue the mission of Jesus Christ through building up of a faith-filled, vibrant Catholic community of word, worship and service, says diocesan chancellor Marlene Mulford. How that will come about is through careful and prayerful pastoral planning, she says.
cp-parish-plainning-decatur-rcia.jpgcp-parish-plainning-decatur-rcia.jpgWorking together with their pastors, a small group of parishioners at two Decatur parishes and another small group of parishioners from all four Cass County parishes are helping spread the news - pastoral planning works.
Catholic families in the Springfield diocese have been invited to consider supporting the Built in Faith, Renewed in Hope campaign for the renewal of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

dl-saint-joseph-exterior-scaled.jpgdl-saint-joseph-exterior-scaled.jpgSt. Joseph's Home of Springfield has begun a major capital campaign to construct a 28-bed residence dedicated to the care of men and women with various forms of dementia. Total cost of the project is estimated at $4.75 million.

Saturday, 12 April 2008 20:00

TEC Conference to host workshop, May 2-4

The regional TEC Conference, in conjunction with the Peoria Diocese, will hold a Communities of Faith and Follow-Through (CF&F) Workshop  May 2-4. The three-day training event, held at the Spaulding Renewal Center in Peoria, will focus on the role each TEC adult faith community plays in ministering to Catholic youth and young adults before, during and after the TEC weekends.

Saturday, 12 April 2008 20:00

Marquette to present spring musical

Marquette Catholic High School will present the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers April 17-19 in the MCHS Auditorium, 219 East Fourth St., in Alton. Doors open at 6 p.m., and performances begin at 7 each night.

Several dozen members of the Springfield diocese are looking forward to seeing Pope Benedict XVI in person when he makes his historic first papal visit to the United States later this month. Most of them will be seeing the Holy Father in New York, while a few will participate in a Mass and/or meetings with him in Washington, D.C.

The community is invited to step into someone else's shoes for 24 hours and take part in a street retreat on Saturday, April 26.
Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church will present its fourth annual women's retreat, sponsored by the parish Moments for Moms Ministry. This event, entitled "Blessed Art Thou: God's Amazing Grace" is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the parish center.
dl-wright-belize-lucas.jpgdl-wright-belize-lucas.jpgWhen Bishop Dorick Wright arrived in Springfield Dec. 7 from Central America to undergo eyesight treatment, he never envisioned he would be here for over 11 weeks. But when he was finally released by his doctors and could return home to his Diocese of Belize on Feb. 27, he took a new vision with him.
On Thursday, April 17 there will be a special 5 p.m. Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in memory of Bishop Joseph A. McNicholas on the 25th anniversary of his death.

ursuline_chapel2_031608.jpgursuline_chapel2_031608.jpg The Young Adult Mass in Springfield on Sunday nights has moved to the former Ursuline chapel on the SCI/Benedictine campus, 1400 North Fifth St. Entrance to the chapel can be accessed off the small parking lot off Sixth Street, just north of Eastman Avenue. 

Catholic Charities of Decatur will sponsor a dinner dance on April 12 at the Decatur Club. A cash bar cocktail hour begins at 6:30 p.m., dinner is at 7:30, followed by dancing to Five Card Draw, a MacArthur High School group. The event is black tie optional and reservations are $60 per individual.   
yp-student-ambassadors.jpgyp-student-ambassadors.jpgA group of Sacred Heart-Griffin High School student ambassadors recently took a field trip to visit  the critically ill children at St. John's Hospital's Carol Jo Vecchie Women and Children's Center.
Fifth-graders at St. Thomas School in Newton had a pleasant surprise when they opened their latest issue of the Holy Childhood Association's publication It's Our World.
Quincy University will offer a study weekend entitled "Jesus at the Table: The Meaning of the Meal," presented by Father Bill Burton, OFM, on Friday, May 16 to Sunday, May 18 at Our Lady of Angels Spirituality Center, 18th Street and Seminary Road. The study weekend begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday evening and ends after lunch on Sunday.
Since the November information sessions, 105 of the Springfield diocese's 131 parishes have signed up to participate in the Why Catholic? program, a process of adult faith formation and evangelization that covers the basic teachings of the Catholic Church.
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