Archives
By: Jennifer Willems - September 25, 2019 -
Uncategorized
end-of-life, Father Alfred Cioffi, Respect Life Conference
Father Alfred Cioffi responds to a question from Loreto Xavier of Bloomington during his session on end-of-life issues at the Diocese of Peoria's Respect Life Conference on Sept. 14. On a stand next to the speakers were relics of St. Catherine of Siena (left) and Pope St. John Paul II, patrons for the conference. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Saying everyone will face decisions about care at the end of life sooner or later — if not for themselves, then for someone they love — Father Alfred Cioffi started a conversation about some of those issues with participants at the Respect Life Conference on Sept. 14. The beginning of life is known and occurs […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - September 25, 2019 -
Uncategorized
abortion, Kevin Burke, men, Rachel's Vineyard, Respect Life Conference
Father John Verrier laughs as his friend, keynote speaker Kevin Burke, begins his talk at the Respect Life Conference on Sept. 14 at the Spalding Pastoral Center in Peoria. The co-founder of Rachel's Vineyard Ministries, Burke is a pastoral associate of Priests for Life. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
When it comes to abortion, women may have the procedure but that doesn’t mean men are exempt from the pain, said Kevin Burke, co-founder of Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries for post-abortive women and a pastoral associate of Priests for Life. He said well-meaning people may ask, “Why is this important?” or “Why should we care?” “The […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - September 25, 2019 -
Uncategorized
Respect Life Conference, RSM, Sister Mary Angela Alexander
Sister Mary Angela Alexander, RSM, director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and Catholic Relief Services of the Diocese of Phoenix, addresses human trafficking in a talk Sept. 14 at the diocesan Respect Life Conference in Peoria. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
While many people wouldn’t include human trafficking on a list of respect life issues, it goes against everything that God desires for his people, according to Sister Mary Angela Alexander, RSM, the last speaker of the day. “Everything that you have heard before — abortion, racism, sexism, absent fathers, the breakdown of relationships between men […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - September 25, 2019 -
Uncategorized
Internet, pornography, Respect Life Conference, Sister Marysia Weber
Sister Mary Angela Alexander, RSM, looks on as Sister Marysia Weber, RSM, answers a question about the neurobiology of addiction to internet pornography during a question-and-answer session at the Diocese of Peoria's Respect Life Conference on Sept.14. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Saying that she never intended, as a woman religious, to spend so much time looking at internet pornography, Sister Marysia Weber, RSM, noted that it is one of the most common addictions in the world. “I have been looking at this topic for 15 to 20 years and every single time I look it up, […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - September 25, 2019 -
Uncategorized
Respect Life Conference, Ryan Bomberger
Speaking to the junior high and high school students during the schools session of the Respect Life Conference on Sept. 13, Ryan Bomberger engaged them in quizzes as he did some myth busting about what organizations that promote abortion are saying. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
The first thing Ryan Bomberger did in his session with students from around the Diocese of Peoria on Sept. 13 was to have them stand, look at one another, and say, “I’m glad you’re alive.” Those words are very important for the man who was conceived in rape, but carried to term and placed for […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - September 15, 2019 -
Featured Article
Cecilia Soñé, Father Alfred Cioffi, Kevin Burke, Respect Life Conference, Ryan Bomberger, Sister Mary Angela Alexander, Sister Marysia Weber
With the Knights of Columbus ever vigilant, Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, poses with the coordinator and some of the speakers from the Diocese of Peoria's inaugural Respect Life Conference after the closing Mass on Sept. 14. They are (from left) Cecilia Sone, director of Respect Life Ministry for the diocese; Sister Mary Angela Alexander, RSM; Kevin Burke; Sister Marie Paul Lockerd, RSM; and Sister Marysia Weber, RSM. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
(Updated Sept. 25, 2019) Hearing about threats to human life and the God-given dignity of every person, nearly 600 people who attended the Diocese of Peoria’s first-ever Respect Life Conference explored what they could do to care for those who are most vulnerable. Not only did that include the unborn, but also people at the […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - September 12, 2019 -
Featured Article
Deacon Matt Levy, Father Adam Cesarek, Father Michael Pica, Father Tom Otto, Priests pedaling for prayers
Members of the track team from Holy Cross School in Mendota ran with Father Michael Pica, Father Tom Otto, Father Adam Cesarek and Deacon Matt Levy as they completed last year's Priests Pedaling for Prayers ride across the Diocese of Peoria. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
As the Priests Pedaling for Prayers prepare to embark on their third bike ride across the Diocese of Peoria to raise awareness of and prayers for vocations, they’re looking to Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen for inspiration and support. The jerseys for the 2019 ride, which begins in Rapids City on Sept. 30 and ends […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - September 12, 2019 -
Featured Article
Benedictines, Chris Mandle, Rock Island, Sister Stefanie MacDonald, virtual monastery
The Virtual Monastery Experience gives visitors an opportunity to see what St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island offers so they will feel more comfortable coming in person and perhaps considering religious life. (Provided photo/Mandle Design Inc.)
ROCK ISLAND — It’s a question Sister Stefanie MacDonald, OSB, is asked often when people find out she lives in a monastery: “Can I go there?” “They think they can’t go in,” said Sister Stefanie, director of vocations for the Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island and a preschool teacher at Our […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - September 11, 2019 -
Featured Article
Ann and John Collet give veteran usher Bob Hollenbeck a reason to stop while taking the collection at St. Patrick Church in Seneca on Sept. 8. Hollenbeck, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on Oct. 1, has been an usher there for 63 years. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
SENECA — Over the course of a century, Bob Hollenbeck has done just about everything he’s wanted to do. So what will he wish for when he celebrates his 100th birthday on Oct. 1? “Two more years,” he replies with a chuckle and a twinkle in his eye. “I’ve had such a good life,” Mr. […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - September 5, 2019 -
Featured Article
abortion, Father Edward Ohm, respect life, State Capitol
Father Edward Ohm of Lincoln organized the Rally Against Abortion at the State Capitol as a private citizen in an effort to pray for government officials and offer reparation for sins against God. During the prayerful, peaceful event on Sept. 4, he blessed the building with holy water and consecrated it to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
SPRINGFIELD — Tears fill Shirley Buckner’s eyes when she talks about abortion, and her heart breaks at the thought of what happens to the unborn during the procedure that will stop theirs. “It’s so horrible. It’s horrible,” said Buckner, a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Mount Pulaski. “Such a beautiful life that’s snuffed […]
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