Archives
By: Jennifer Willems - November 10, 2016 -
Featured Article
Election, Pekin, sainthood, Sheen, St. Joseph, students
Eighth-grader Andrew Lambe, deputy manager for Dorothy Day's "campaign," casts his vote in the "Sainthood Ballot" at St. Joseph School in Pekin on Election Day. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
PEKIN — Elections end with winners and losers, unless the contest is held at St. Joseph School. Students here used Election Day to cast votes in a “Sainthood Ballot” where all the candidates are winners ultimately. The ballot included six candidates — two Servants of God, two Venerables and two Blesseds — who are being […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - November 2, 2016 -
News Article
Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Heroic Families, Peoria, Peter Howard
Dr. Peter Howard stands near a photo of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria Museums at the Spalding Pastoral Center. Archbishop Sheen's "prophetic wisdom and spiritual legacy" is a favorite topic as Howard speaks around the country. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Comic books, TV shows and movie screens are packed with superheroes and their feats and as much fun as that can be, there’s nothing fictional about the need for heroes in family life today, according to theologian Peter Howard. Rather than using superpowers, however, these heroes must rely on the power of God to save […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - November 2, 2016 -
Featured Article
Champaign, conclusion, Diocese of Peoria, fruits, holy doors, LaSalle, Nauvoo, Normal, Peoria, Rock Island, Year of Mercy
Father Tom Otto opens the Holy Door at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Nauvoo at the conclusion of a 17-mile Walk to Mercy pilgrimage on Sept. 24. The Year of Mercy ends on Nov. 20. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
As the Jubilee Year of Mercy draws to a close, it is with grateful hearts that pastors, chaplains and pastoral ministers note that people of all ages accepted the invitation to experience God’s mercy for themselves and extend it to others. “I’ve had the grace of being the pastor of two Holy Doors — the […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - November 2, 2016 -
News Article
Guy Consolmagano, Urbana, Vatican Observatory
Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, director the Vatican Observatory, will speak on "Cosmic Faith" via Skype to a gathering at St. Patrick, Urbana, on Sunday, Nov. 20. (Provided photo)
URBANA — With the help of Skype, St. Patrick Church will host a presentation by Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, director of the Vatican Observatory, on Sunday, Nov. 20. “Cosmic Faith: Exploring the Big Questions of Science and Religion” will begin at 2:30 p.m. Father George Remm, former pastor of St. Patrick Parish, will be the […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - November 2, 2016 -
News Article
Wearing a bright red vestment, Bishop Jenky celebrates the annual Red Mass on Oct. 30 at St. Mary's Cathedral. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Judges, lawyers, government officials and civil servants were remembered in a special way as Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, celebrated the annual Red Mass last Sunday, Oct. 30, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria. The Mass takes its name from the red vestments worn by the bishop and permanent deacons in honor of the Holy […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - November 2, 2016 -
Featured Article
Assembly Day, Diocese of Peoria, Hepner, Rhonda Gruenewald, vocations
Rhonda Gruenewald, author of "Hundredfold: A Guide to Parish Vocation Ministry," speaks with Father Timothy Hepner, diocesan director of vocations for recruitment, during a break at the Priest Assembly Day on Oct. 25. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Fostering a culture of vocations isn’t a new concept in the Diocese of Peoria, although a fresh approach was unveiled Oct. 25 when clergy gathered at the Spalding Pastoral Center for a Priest Assembly Day. The annual meeting also gave the priests an opportunity to pray together, catch up and hear from Bishop Daniel R. […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - November 2, 2016 -
Featured Article
Cursillo, Diocese of Peoria, retire, Skender
Deacon John and Jackie Skender stand in front of an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the chapel dedicated to her in the Spalding Renewal Center in Peoria. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Deacon John Skender had hoped to “ride off into the sunset” after stepping down as diocesan spiritual director of Cursillo next month. That’s not going to happen — he’s scheduled to be the spiritual director for a Cursillo weekend in February. “I’m not going to disappear,” he said with a laugh. That’s a good thing, […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - October 24, 2016 -
Featured Article
Cursillo, prison ministry
More than 50 men at the Danville Correctional Center took the opportunity to participate in the Cursillo weekend in September. Many of them were committed Christians who were well-versed in the Bible, which team members found humbling and inspiring. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
DANVILLE — Driving to the Danville Correctional Center with a Cursillo team recently, Laura Mohrbacher admits to feeling some apprehension. Prisons always seemed like dark, dangerous places and she had no intention of going into one — even for Cursillo. God kept tapping her on the shoulder, however, asking her to think about it. Since […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - October 21, 2016 -
Featured Article
AdvancED, Office of Catholic Schools, strategic planning
Students from St. Patrick School in Washington form a prayer circle before the recent IESA sectional cross country meet in Bloomington. Catholic schools of the Diocese of Peoria were noted for their "obvious expression of Catholic identity" by the external review team from AdvancEd. (Provided photo/Kara Kamienski Photography)
Several years of strategic planning by the Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Peoria earned a glowing report card last week, when the entire school system was recommended for accreditation by an external review team from AdvancEd. “We were validated in the fact that we have excellent schools. They said when they were […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - October 17, 2016 -
News Article
EAST PEORIA — Sister Mary Pacifica Lorber, OSF, died on Oct. 14, 2016, at the motherhouse of The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. She was 104 and in her 78th year of religious profession. Visitation is planned for 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17, in the motherhouse chapel, 1175 St. Francis Lane. […]
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