A sign on a church door in Peoria tells of the suspension of public Masses and all parish activities as a coronavirus precaution. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic is a fast-breaking story around the globe, nation, and now in the Diocese of Peoria. This site, along with The Catholic Post’s Facebook page, will be a source for latest developments affecting Catholic life and events in our diocese. We invite parishes and schools to make cancellations known to our newsroom by calling 1-800-340-5630 or via email at cathpost@cdop.org.

BREAKING: Bishop Jenky temporarily suspends Mass obligation, educational programs in new directive.

Following is list of cancellations received through Saturday, March 14. Watch for further updates.

• The Diocese of Peoria’s Youth Rally, scheduled for Saturday, March 14, at the Spalding Pastoral Center in Peoria, has been canceled.
• Life Advocacy Days announced for March 18, 25 and April 1 at the State Capitol in Springfield have been canceled, according to the Catholic Conference of Illinois. The action comes after all events and tours there were canceled until further notice to limit the possible transmission of the coronavirus.
• All events and meetings at the Cursillo/TEC building in Peoria have been canceled or postponed through the end of March. In addition, Prison Cursillo No. 1215 has been postponed and the Ultreya scheduled for April 4 has been canceled. The building will be closed on Monday nights through April 20. Bishop Jenky has asked for prayer groups to cancel gatherings there at this time.
• Blessed Sacrament Church in Morton has canceled its annual trivia night, a fundraiser for Catholic HEART Workcamp, on Saturday, March 14.
• The annual dinner auction to benefit St. Mary School in Metamora, scheduled for Saturday, March 14, has been postponed until further notice.
• Costa Catholic Academy in Galesburg announced on Facebook that the confirmation retreat planned for Saturday, March 14, has been canceled.
• The annual Lebanese Food Festival, scheduled for Sunday afternoon, March 29, in the St. Sharbel Maronite Parish Hall in Peoria, has been canceled.
• The Maggie Bertram Foundation for the Fine Arts’ Irish Fest and Fish Fry planned for this Friday, March 13, at Holy Family School in Peoria has been postponed and will be rescheduled.
• The Altar and Rosary Society breakfast scheduled for Sunday, March 22, at St. Anthony in Atkinson has been canceled.
• At St. Mary of Lourdes Parish in Germantown Hills, there will be no CCD on Sundays, March 15 and 22, and the Lenten Soup Supper and Speaker has been canceled for Monday, March 16. Future dates in the series will be decided on a week-to-week basis.
• The “Lenten Meditations” concert series planned by the Prairie Singers have been canceled. They were scheduled for this weekend at St. Patrick in Ottawa and St. Bede Abbey in Peru, and for next weekend at St. Michael the Archangel in Streator and St. Patrick in Seneca.

FISH DINNERS

• Fish dinners planned for Lent at Holy Cross Church in Champaign will not take place. Father Joseph Donton, pastor, posted the announcement on Facebook March 12, saying, “In light of President Trump’s most recent address to the nation, I believe it prudent for us to consider suspending some of the public events that are non-essential to our faith life here at Holy Cross. In consultation with the organizers, I have decided to cancel our Fish Frys for the remainder of Lent.”
• Due to precautions prescribed by the Champaign County Health Department, the fish fry scheduled for March 13 at St. Matthew Church in Champaign has been canceled.
• The Metamora Knights of Columbus have canceled the fish fry planned for March 13 at the Snyder Village Center in Metamora.
• Peru Catholic School has canceled the fish fry scheduled for Friday, March 20.
• St. Joseph’s Parish Club in Chenoa has canceled the Lenten fish fry planned for Friday, March 27.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATIONS

• The city of Peoria has postponed the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 17. The 8 a.m. Mass that precedes it at St. Mary’s Cathedral has been canceled.
• At the request of the Rock Island County Board of Health, the 35th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade scheduled for March 14 has been postponed. Other related events, including a Mass preceding the parade at St. Mary Church in Rock Island, also will not take place.
• St. Patrick Church of Merna in Bloomington has postponed a St. Patrick Day Celebration that was scheduled to take place at the parish from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 15.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

• The Lenten Stations of the Cross at St. Joseph Church in Pekin have been canceled until further notice.
• All parish programs, including Stations of the Cross, have been canceled at St. Matthew Church in Champaign. The church and adoration chapel remain open, however, for personal prayer.

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