With a loving nod to the late Alex Trebek, whose final show as host of “Jeopardy” aired Jan. 8, the coming days could fill the board of the game show’s regular category of Potpourri. There are various celebrations, observances, and events in mid-January that merit individual editorial comment. So let’s see how well readers know […]
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"In this Year of Grace 2021 and for the rest of our lives, let us all in various and individual ways, try again to make room in our hearts for Jesus," writes Bishop Jenky in his 2021 Festival Letter. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, opened 2021 by encouraging everyone in the Diocese of Peoria to renew their faith in Jesus and then “boldly share this faith with everyone they meet.” In his 19th and what is expected to be his final Festival Letter, titled “Jesus,” the bishop counters “these days of COVID, confusion, quarantine, […]
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Women and children dressed in festive attire and carrying the flags of Spanish-speaking nations process into St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria on Dec. 12 at the start of an evening Mass on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
The daylong celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Dec. 12 was capped by an evening Mass with two bishops present and confident prayers that Mary our Mother will not “let go of our hand in the midst of so many trials.” The colorful costumes used in cultural […]
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Each guest in Catholic Charities' Christmas Program received a bag of gift cards designed for their household and made possible with support from 33 parishes in the Diocese of Peoria. Distributing at the West Peoria campus Dec. 14 were Sid Ruckriegel, Stefanie Tarr, and Julie Enzenberger. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
There was a circle of charity flowing Dec. 14 at the Heading Avenue campus of Catholic Charities in West Peoria. The campus was just one distribution point for Catholic Charities’ annual Christmas Project, which this year assisted about 360 families throughout the diocese and more than 1,125 individuals. Pandemic safety precautions made this year’s pick-up […]
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The theme of the 2020 Annual Diocesan Appeal is "Know, Love, Serve." It was conducted primarily through direct mail this year because of the pandemic.
In this most challenging year, Catholics of the Diocese of Peoria are responding generously to a modified Annual Diocesan Appeal that opened in September — six months later than usual and in the middle of a pandemic. With a goal set at $6 million, pledges have already crossed $5.2 million and more than $4.3 million […]
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Schlarman Academy Class of 2020 member Wade Huddleston tells how students at the Danville school give back to the community in this screen grab from a student-produced video that won a diocesan contest to promote “Stewardship in Action.” It was later part of a diocesan video that received first place honors from the International Catholic Stewardship Council.
DANVILLE — Video editing is a “fun hobby” for Jack Girouard. But the senior at Schlarman Academy now has an international award on his film resume. The success began when an entry that Girouard and a few Schlarman friends submitted last school year was named the winner in the Diocese of Peoria’s first video contest […]
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The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is Saturday, Dec. 12.
The Dec. 12 feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a major gathering day for Hispanic Catholics, but across the Diocese of Peoria plans are being modified to reflect the health concerns of 2020. “We will still celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe but with the (pandemic) restrictions,” said Rosie Romero, diocesan director of Hispanic Ministry. […]
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Coadjutor Bishop Louis Tylka celebrates a Mass at the tomb of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen at St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria on Dec. 9, the 41st anniversary of the media pioneer's death. Assisting are seminarians Deacon Nicolas Wilson, left, and Deacon Austin Bosse. The Mass followed a nine-day novena praying for Archbishop Sheen's canonization cause. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
A Mass at the tomb of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on the 41st anniversary of his death on Dec. 9 also was a first opportunity for the Diocese of Peoria to mourn the death from COVID-19 two hours earlier of the vice postulator of the famed media pioneer and author’s cause for canonization. “We gather […]
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Newly appointed volunteer coordinator Stefanie Tarr is pictured in the St. Gianna Baby Pantry, located within the Bessette Center at 1825 N.E. Adams St. in Peoria. It is one of two baby pantries under the umbrella of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Peoria. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
Stefanie Tarr can get emotional listening to the stories of parents she assists at the St. Gianna Baby Pantry in Peoria, one of two baby pantry outreaches in the Diocese of Peoria operated through Catholic Charities. “I was a single parent of four kids,” said Tarr, formerly of Champaign and now living in Peoria. “They […]
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The word "COVID-19" is reflected in a vaccine drop that dangles from a syringe needle in this illustration photo. (CNS/Dado Ruvic, Reuters)
We are grateful for the scientists developing vaccines for COVID-19 and pray their resulting products are safe and effective. We are also grateful for Catholic bioethicists and other church officials who are monitoring the processes to determine if they are morally produced and distributed in an equitable manner. A memo sent to the U.S. Catholic […]
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