Photo Caption: Nikki Chandler of St. Patrick’s Parish, Washington, chats with speaker Johnnette Benkovic after the inaugural Mother-Daughter Tea hosted by the diocesan Office of Evangelization on June 15. By: By Jennifer Willems No matter what they might have been feeling when they came to the Spalding Pastoral Center in Peoria to have tea with […]
Continue readingBy: By Jennifer Willems When it comes to winning souls for Christ, witness is much more effective than a war of words, according to lay evangelist Johnnette Benkovic. “The idea is not to convince someone. You may know the best thing for them is faith, but you have to respect where that person is,” she […]
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Photo Caption: This billboard message is seen by hundreds of drivers every day along Route 51 north of the DeWitt County village of Wapella. By: By Jennifer Willems WAPELLA — Be sure to look up as you drive north on Route 51 coming out of Wapella. The members of St. Patrick’s Church have a special […]
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Photo Caption: Bishop Jenky extends his hand in blessing over Stevan Sanchez of St. Hyacinth’s Parish, LaSalle, before they have their photo taken at the diocesan Mass for First Communicants on June 9. By: By Jennifer Willems It didn’t take long for the little hands of the children who had made their First Communion this […]
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Photo Caption: Wearing her baptismal robe, Michelle Neumann of St. Maria Goretti Parish in Coal Valley receives Communion at the June 3 Mass for new Catholics. By: By Jennifer Willems The minute she got the letter inviting her to the Mass for New Catholics at St. Mary’s Cathedral last Sunday, Michelle Neumann made a call […]
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Photo Caption: Sister Roberta Houlihan, CSJ, and Sister Mary Shryock, CSJ, at the piano in their house on Wagner Lane in Peoria, near Holy Family Church. By: By Jennifer Willems Moving from a six-bedroom house to a room with closet space for three habits presents certain challenges, but nothing that Sister Roberta Houlihan, CSJ, and […]
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Photo Caption: Dr. Sharon Weiss settles into her new office in the Spalding Pastoral Center in Peoria. By: By Jennifer Willems As a longtime principal at St. Patrick’s School in Washington, Sharon Weiss is used to wearing many hats. That will serve her well as the new superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of […]
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By: By Jennifer Willems If things had gone according to his plans, Deacon Daniel Gifford would have been a teacher, gotten married and settled down with a family. God had other plans. “It was a gradual revelation,” Deacon Gifford told The Catholic Post. “It became a serious question early in my second year at Illinois […]
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By: By Jennifer Willems Born in Bloomington, Deacon Timothy Hepner grew up in rural Lexington as the sixth of Brandon and Karen Hepner’s 10 children. His home parish is St. Mary’s in Pontiac, which is sending two busloads of parishioners to the May 26 ordination to celebrate with him and Deacon Steffen, who also claims […]
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By: By Jennifer Willems Two pastors of St. Philomena’s Parish in Monticello will offer assistance to Deacon Joel Phelps during his ordination weekend. The current pastor, Father Bruce Lopez, will be his vesting priest during the ordination liturgy. Father Patrick DeMeulemeester, who served in Monticello during Deacon Phelps’ first years in the seminary, will be […]
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