EDITOR’S NOTE: Below are photos and brief biographies of the valedictorians and salutatorians of the seven Catholic high schools and academies in the Diocese of Peoria. We congratulate them, all Class of 2022 graduates, their school staffs and families for their accomplishments and perseverance — especially through the years of pandemic. The top students were […]
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Leaders of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Peoria pose with Bishop Louis Tylka following a Mass for staff, volunteers, partner groups, and other supporters at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria on May 18. From left are Suzie Meismer, ministry coordinator and senior case manager; Sister Michelle Fernandez, SCTJM, executive director; Bishop Tylka; Jan Blaney, coordinator of the Tolono Food Pantry; and Angelica Toliver, Champaign outreach ministry coordinator. The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody
The Catholic Charities “family” in the Diocese of Peoria gathered for a day of prayer, thanksgiving, and fellowship on May 18. “It’s so overwhelming to see all of you present today,” said Sister Michelle Fernandez, SCTJM, executive director, prior to a luncheon at the Spalding Pastoral Center recognizing staff, volunteers, and others who partner with […]
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In this 2021 file photo, children in the Totus Tuus day program at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Morton gather for prayer, song and a fun activity as the day begins. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Twenty-four sites throughout the Diocese of Peoria will host “Totus Tuus” weeks this summer, providing Catholic children in grades 1-12 a prayer-filled and fun environment to help them come closer to Christ. “Totus Tuus” is a Latin phrase that means “totally yours.” It was St. John Paul II’s motto to describe his dedication to Jesus […]
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A water bottle bearing the Emmaus Days prayer is in the foreground during an outdoor discussion at a 2021 Emmaus Days session. (Provided photo)
Boys and young men from throughout the Diocese of Peoria are invited to take part in Emmaus Days this summer, a vocations awareness program that provides a spiritual and fun environment designed to make them more aware of God’s presence in their lives. Four sessions, led by seminarians and with involvement from diocesan priests on […]
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Father John Bosco Mujuni, who will celebrate his 25th anniversary of ordination on Aug. 17, is pastor of Immaculate Conception, Lacon, and St. John XXIII, Henry. (Provided photo)
LACON — When he was 8, Father John Bosco Mujuni became an altar server. While he was at Mass one day, his father pointed to the priests and said, “I would like you to be like these priests.” “The wish of my father and my active involvement as an altar boy and being involved in […]
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Bringing the sacraments to people -- especially those who are dying -- have been rewarding moments for Msgr. Jason Gray, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Peoria Heights. (Provided photo)
PEORIA HEIGHTS — It was attending Emmaus Days, a vocations awareness program sponsored by the Diocese of Peoria, that drew Msgr. Jason Gray to the priesthood. “This retreat was important in helping me realize that praying, ‘Thy will be done’ in the Our Father really means that I should want to do God’s will over […]
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Father Antonio Dittmer raises the monstrance during Benediction at the Spanish Father-Son Encounter April 9 at the Sacré-Coeur Retreat House in Magnolia. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
MOLINE — Father Antonio Dittmer credits his parents, Ramona and the late Richard Dittmer with creating the “fertile soil” for his vocation. Attending Emmaus Days in 1985 nurtured the seeds that had been planted. “I think Emmaus Days taught me that God has a will for me and if I am faithful to prayer, he […]
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Ten priests serving in the Diocese of Peoria are marking their 25th anniversary of ordination this year. Among them are Father Antonio Dittmer and Msgr. Jason Gray, who were ordained on July 12, 1997, by Bishop John J. Myers at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria. They had been studying at the Pontifical North American College […]
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Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio comforts people in Uvalde, Texas, outside the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center, where students had been transported from Robb Elementary School after a shooting on May 24. (CNS/Marco Bello, Reuters)
By Carol Zimmermann / Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — When news broke of the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller was in a meeting with about 150 archdiocesan priests. The meeting was rescheduled and several priests left right away to be with people in the Texas town about 100 […]
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Tom Cruise stars in a scene from the movie "Top Gun: Maverick." The Catholic News Service classification is A-III -- adults. (CNS/Scott Garfield, Paramount Pictures)
By Catholic News Service In this rousing sequel to the 1986 blockbuster, directed by Joseph Kosinski, the first film’s protagonist, a Navy fighter pilot (Tom Cruise), is ordered by his superiors (Val Kilmer and Jon Hamm) to tread unfamiliar territory by becoming an instructor to a new generation of trainee aviators. As he tries to […]
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