Students weren’t the only ones to have a first day of school in diocesan schools this fall. Two principals also started the year in new schools, and one more has come out of retirement to lead the school he last served. Stacie Gianessi, who has been principal of St. Malachy School in Rantoul since 2015, […]
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Alumnus Angelo Perino cuts the ribbon to the new Perino Science Center at St. Bede Academy in Peru, while Abbot Philip Davey, OSB, and Andrea Perino hold it steady. Among those looking on are, from left, Michelle Mershon, principal of St. Bede; Matt McGinnis, director of the Legacy Project; and Dr. Ted Struck, superintendent of St. Bede. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
PERU — Expressing great gratitude for the gifts made and hard work undertaken over the last three years, Abbot Philip Davey, OSB, offered a prayer of blessing as the new Perino Science Center at St. Bede Academy was dedicated Aug. 19. “Come and see our new home,” he said, as he prepared to walk through […]
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Second-grader Luke Khouri holds out his hand to greet well-wishers as students walked through the new entrance to Blessed Sacrament School in Morton on Aug. 16. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
MORTON — Led by the eighth-graders, the students of Blessed Sacrament School walked into the new academic year by walking through the doors to the new school entrance on Aug. 16. Parents, grandparents and Blessed Sacrament parishioners lined the path to the $3.7 million addition, offering hugs and high-fives as the students passed by. The […]
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Everything in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium is made of real materials that are child-sized. Here, St. Philomena kindergarten teacher Debbie Salander works with Claire King, who is learning more about the Mass at an altar with a real chalice, ciborium and candles. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
As children around the Diocese of Peoria returned to school this week, they were greeted by their principals, teachers, and the best friend they will ever have: Jesus, the Good Shepherd. While he is the primary teacher in every Catholic school, Jesus is the only teacher for a religion program known as the Catechesis of […]
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Claire Kunkel, a fifth grade teacher from Trinity Catholic Academy in LaSalle, receives Communion from Father Matthew Hoelscher, who later presented a breakout session, "Teaching the 'Why': The Gift of Catholic Education," at the Diocesan Summer Institute. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Adolescence and young adulthood can be a confusing time for them, as well as the people who love them, teach them and journey in faith with them, but God gave all of us that time of life for a reason, according to Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, OP, the keynote speaker for this year’s Diocesan Summer […]
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Ed Bush holds his one-of-a-kind Golden Sandwich Award as he stands with Claire Crone, director of Sophia's Kitchen in Peoria. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Ed Bush calls himself a “jack of all trades,” but the faithful volunteer at Sophia’s Kitchen in Peoria added another title over the summer when he became the first recipient of the program’s Golden Sandwich Award. Claire Crone, director of Sophia’s Kitchen, said the award was created to honor the volunteer who served the most […]
Continue readingAnother way new principals have been given an opportunity to grow professionally is to serve as assistant principals for a year or more, in some cases while they complete their master’s degree in educational administration. “Mentorship is critically important for any new principal, public or private,” said Jerry Sanderson, associate superintendent of schools for the […]
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Catholic schools have always depended on team work and that has never been more important than this year, as diocesan schools look to new models of leadership. Of the five Catholic schools that are welcoming new principals this month, Corpus Christi in Bloomington has a principal team and Holy Cross in Champaign will have co-principals. […]
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The teens at St. Louis Church in Princeton gather for night prayer as their Totus Tuus session comes to an end July 19. That experience of prayer is an important component of the program, according to seminarian Jack Swoik (standing against the wall). (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
PRINCETON — Totus Tuus couldn’t have come at a better time for members of the youth group at St. Louis Church. Returning home from the Steubenville Conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, members of the youth group witnessed a fatal car accident on Interstate 80, just outside of South Bend, Indiana. The accident was […]
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In this 2018 file photo, Brinley Kluepping gazes up as Tom Anderson, a team member for Totus Tuus, explains the various aspects of Jesus' life and ministry depicted in the stained glass windows at St. Louis in Princeton during a church tour. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
PRINCETON – For six weeks this summer, five teams of “fools for Christ” crisscrossed central Illinois, encouraging young people of all ages to commit themselves entirely to Christ through Mary. In the process, Totus Tuus reached 24 parishes in the Diocese of Peoria, as well as one parish in Iowa and two parishes in Indiana. […]
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