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By: Jennifer Willems - May 24, 2022 -
Uncategorized
Father Don Roszkowski said he finds joy in those moments that God uses him, such as when he's preaching "and all of a suddenn you can just feel the Holy Spirit." (Provided photo)
When Father Donald Roszkowski needs inspiration, he looks to Luke 5:17-39, the story of the paralytic man who was lowered through a hole in the roof by four friends so he could see Jesus. “All of us are broken in some way, somehow,” he said. “I can really feel my brokenness and the things that […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - May 24, 2022 -
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Father Bowan Schmitt presides over the Graduation Mass for Schlarman Academy on May 22. He serves as chaplain of the Danville school. (Screen grab)
DANVILLE — Father Bowan Schmitt said having a Marian devotion is essential for Christ’s followers and he credits Mary for making him aware of his vocation to the priesthood. “Our Blessed Mother helps us to draw close to Jesus, and she assists us in our efforts to follow His will,” he said. “Our Lady’s prayers […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - May 24, 2022 -
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Father David Whiteside said leading pilgrimages has been a big part of his priesthood. Here he is ona pilgrimate to Israel in 2012. (Provided photo)
HAVANA — Growing up in a Catholic home and attending St. Philomena School in Peoria, Father David Whiteside said he thought about priesthood occasionally. But when he attended Emmaus Days for the first time, “the Lord revealed himself to me most powerfully.” “I could feel the love of God and the presence of God so […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - May 24, 2022 -
Uncategorized
Father Greg Nelson, pastor of St. Mary Parish and School in Bloomington, shows that school lunches can be fun with the right companion. Provided photo
BLOOMINGTON — Father Greg Nelson was interested in many types of work, but realized he was only going to be happy if he served God as a priest. The son of Carl E. and Cheryl G. Nelson, he was born in Peoria on Oct. 25, 1967. Father Nelson earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - May 24, 2022 -
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Father Carl LoPresti poses with octogenarian Maria Palafox, now deceased, who touched his soul with her love and joy of life. He called her "Mamasita di mi corazon" or "little sweet mother of my heart." (Provided photo)
FAIRBURY — Observing the power and effect of the sacraments has been the biggest influence on Father Carl LoPresti, especially those he administered to the elderly, sick and dying over the course of his priesthood. “These privileged experiences are also among my most memorable, and grateful moments,” he said. Father LoPresti was born in Indiana, […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - May 24, 2022 -
Uncategorized
Father Chris Gerard Haake leads a eucharistic procession around St. Patrick Church in Dwight. One of the greatest lessons he has learned over the last 25 years is to be faithful to daily prayer and eucharistic adoration. (Provided photo)
DWIGHT — Father Chris Gerard Haake started thinking about the priesthood when he was 6. His pastor at St. John the Apostle in Woodhull, Father Arnold Klauer, was a friend of the family and planted a seed from which his vocation would grow over time. The son of James and Bernice Haake, Father Haake was […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - May 24, 2022 -
Featured Article
Ten priests serving in the Diocese of Peoria are marking their 25th anniversary of ordination this year. Six of them were ordained on May 24, 1997, by Bishop John J. Myers at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria. They are Father Chris Gerard Haake, Father Carl LoPresti, Father Gregory Nelson, Father Donald Roszkowski, Father Bowan Schmitt […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - May 23, 2022 -
News Article
Father Joseph Mary Brown, CSJ, celebrates Mass at Padre Pio's altar in San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy on Oct. 25, 2015. He said "the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, that is, Jesus Himself" is what drew him to the priesthood. (Provided photo)
Ten priests serving in the Diocese of Peoria are marking their 25th anniversary of ordination this year. The first is Father Joseph Mary Brown, who was ordained for the Congregation of St. John by Bishop John J. Myers on April 26, 1997, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria. The profiles for Father Chris Gerard Haake, […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - May 19, 2022 -
News Article
Matthew Vander Vennet, director of advancement and development at The High School of Saint Thomas More in Champaign, makes a point as the advancement committee for the Partners in Mission process at the school gets busy on April 29. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
CHAMPAIGN — The High School of Saint Thomas More became the fifth and final diocesan high school to put together a strategic plan this month, with the guidance of Partners in Mission, a Boston-based consulting firm engaged by the Office of Catholic Schools. With the approval of Bishop Louis Tylka, all the plans are due […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - May 5, 2022 -
Featured Article
Lisa Gray, principal of Sts. Peter and Paul School, Nauvoo, receives a retirement gift from Bishop Louis Tylka at the end-of-the-year celebration hosted by the Office of Catholic Schools on May 3. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Meeting challenge after challenge presented by COVID-19 for the last two years has left many principals and pastors of Catholic schools tired. At a Mass marking the end of the school year, however, Bishop Louis Tylka let them know their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. “You are a gift to us, to our schools, to our […]
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