A piece of Catholic history became a memory this week with the razing of the former Sheen Pastoral Center in Peoria, built as a convent in 1958 and adapted for use as headquarters for many central offices of the Diocese of Peoria from 1985 to late 2008. The space will be utilized for guest parking […]
Continue readingTwo diocesan offices tasked with fostering the culture of life are now operating as one. Effective July 1, the Office of Family Life assumed the responsibilities previously handled by the Office of Respect Life and Human Dignity. The change was announced by Patricia Gibson, chancellor of the Diocese of Peoria, on July 14. In her […]
Continue readingWASHINGTON (CNS) — Thousands of Catholics marched on Vietnamese streets July 26 to protest the beating of two Catholic priests and the detainment of seven Catholics after a violent police raid at a disputed church site. In a series of coordinated marches throughout the Vinh Diocese, about 500,000 people gathered to demand the release of […]
Continue readingVATICAN CITY (CNS) — Vatican concerns about how some recent decisions of the U.S. Episcopal Church will impact the search for full Anglican-Roman Catholic unity are echoed in a reflection by Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, the head of the Anglican Communion. Writing July 27 about the Episcopal Church’s recent general convention, Archbishop Williams […]
Continue readingVATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI will focus on the connection between protecting the environment and working for peace in the message he will publish for World Peace Day in 2010, the Vatican said. The theme the pope has chosen for the Jan. 1 celebration is “If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Safeguard Creation,” […]
Continue readingRating: L (R) NEW YORK (CNS) — The following is a capsule review of a movie recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Atmospheric but ultimately exploitative chiller about a couple (Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga) who adopt a 9-year-old Russian-born girl (Isabelle Fuhrman) from a […]
Continue readingMary Olson knows a thing or two about marriage. The 93-year-old Farmer City resident has been in the same one for 75 years. (See story, page 1.) While she advises couples considering marriage to “make sure you’re ready to be married for life,” she’s troubled by the number of marriages that are ending in divorce. […]
Continue readingBy: By Msgr. Stuart Swetland Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 19 Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 23:1-3,3-4,5,6; Ephesians 2:13-18; Mark 6:30-34 “Come away by yourself to a deserted place and rest awhile” (Mark 6:31). “For he (Christ) is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives […]
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Photo Caption: 22 freshman and sophomore boys took part in Emmaus Days Session III at St. Bede. By: By Jared Olar God has an individual plan for everyone, and we are called to cooperate with that plan whatever it may be. That important message was delivered to about 100 boys and young men who took […]
Continue readingThe State of Illinois budget crisis has forced Catholic Charities to make painful program and staffing reductions that are expected to adversely affect thousands of children, youths and adults across central Illinois. “It is with a heavy heart and extreme concern that today at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Peoria we announce the beginning […]
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