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Urbana parish’s Festival of Lessons and Carols showcases both unity, diversity

By: Tom Dermody - December 11, 2018 - Featured Article Advent, Franklin Gallo, Lessons and Carols, St. Patrick, Urbana

As the St. Patrick Bell Choir plays at left and Dr. Franklin Gallo accompanies on organ, a combined choir of nearly 100 voices sings at the close of A Festival of Lessons and Carols at St. Patrick Church in Urbana on the evening of Dec. 9, the Second Sunday of Advent. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)

URBANA — Just as Jesus’ birth brought joy to local shepherds and kings from far-off lands, the anticipation of celebrating the miracle 2,000 years later united diverse groups in an evening of song and prayer Dec. 9 at St. Patrick Church here. Eight choirs, representing several ethnic communities, took part in the third annual A […]

Beloved retired religious continue to inspire; national collection this weekend

By: Jennifer Willems - December 6, 2018 - Featured Article Brother George Matsuoka, collection, DSF, Lacon, OSB, retired religious, Sister M. Alphonse, St. Bede

Sister M. Alphonse Husak, DSF, a longtime nurse, enjoys the time she spends with caregivers (from left) Becky Lamie, CNA; Renee Perrin, RN; and Sydnie Angel, CNA, at St. Joseph Home of Lacon. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)

In her day, Sister M. Alphonse Husak, DSF, was a force to be reckoned with. Calm and competent as a nurse, she was often called in the middle of the night to help mothers during labor and delivery or assist with emergencies at St. Francis Hospital in rural Mountain View, Missouri. She spent 45 years […]

Diocese’s Cursillo communities gather for Ultreya, are thanked by Bishop Jenky

By: Jennifer Willems - December 5, 2018 - Featured Article Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, Cheryl Miller, Cursillo, Cursillo en Espanol, Diocesan Ultreya, Dr. Rick Miller

Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, holds a gift basket that was presented to him by Cursillo en Espanol during a Mass for Cursillo communities from around the Diocese of Peoria on Dec. 1 at St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria. The gift was in thanksgiving for how Bishop Jenky welcomed a Spanish-speaking option of the spiritual renewal movement to the diocese 13 years ago and has supported it. A Santa Claus pillow could be seen clearly and the bishop quipped that "I'm starting to look like the jolly old fellow -- beard, belly and all." (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)

“De colores!” With this traditional greeting of the Cursillo community, Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, welcomed members of the spiritual renewal movement from throughout central Illinois who braved tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings Dec. 1 to be at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria for the second Diocesan Ultreya. Offering a thunderous “De colores!” in return, […]

Back in Urbana, Maryknoll Lay Missioner Dr. Susan Nagele shares gratitude, stories

By: Tom Dermody - December 5, 2018 - Featured Article Africa, Dr. Susan Nagele, Maryknoll Lay Missioners, Nagele, Urbana

Dr. Susan Nagele, a Maryknoll Lay Missioner from St. Patrick Parish in Urbana, is pictured in South Sudan last March with Regina Lotyam, a catechist. South Sudan is one of three nations in which Nagele served during 33 years of medical service in Africa. (Provided photo)

URBANA — Dr. Susan Nagele, who witnessed both miracles and misery during a remarkable 33-year career as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner serving in East Africa, is thankful. “I am one of the most fortunate people in the world,” said Nagele, 63, in closing a recent talk to a women’s group at her home parish of […]

Peoria Notre Dame teacher sings at National Christmas Tree Lighting event

By: The Catholic Post - November 29, 2018 - Featured Article

U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in the 96th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony near the White House in Washington. During the event, a choir from the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, sang, including Sister Mary Esther Downey, OP, who teaches theology at Peoria Notre Dame. (CNS/Jim Young, Reuters)

By Mark Pattison, Catholic News Service, and Catholic Post staff WASHINGTON (CNS) — Sister Mary Esther Downey, OP, who teaches theology at Peoria Notre Dame High School, was among a 10-voice choir from the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist from Michigan that sang at the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on the […]

Washington couple sees progress on priest’s ‘dream’ school in Uganda

By: Jennifer Willems - November 28, 2018 - Featured Article Building Hope in Kids-Uganda, Father Julius Turyatoranwa, St. Patrick Church Washington

John and Kay Grillot of Washington and Father Julius Turyatoranwa are surrounded by many of the workers who are building the campus of St. Patrick Nursery and Primary School in Isingiro District, Uganda. Behind them is the administration building (left) and dining hall (right). The school will open in February. (Provided photo)

WASHINGTON — Before he earned his doctorate in educational administration from Illinois State University and returned to Uganda, Father Julius Turyatoranwa often shared with parishioners his dream of building a school there. In doing so, he touched the hearts of the people of central Illinois. Now they have “touched” that dream in a very special […]

For impoverished children, joy will arrive in 1,014 boxes from around our diocese

By: Jennifer Willems - November 21, 2018 - Featured Article Boxes of Joy, Brimfield, Cross Catholic Outreach, Father Andru O'Brien, Nympha White, St. Joseph, Tina Windish

Father Andru O'Brien blesses the shipping boxes containing nearly 300 Boxes of Joy that were filled at St. Jude Parish and School in Peoria. The effort was organized by Marilyn Rusk, who stands to his right. The parish's donation helped to triple the number of Christmas packages that were sent to Cross Catholic Outreach from St. Joseph in Brimfield, which served as a drop-off site for the second year. (Provided photo)

Cross Catholic Outreach was hoping to put a Christmas smile on the faces of 70,000 children through this year’s Box of Joy program, and parishes around the Diocese of Peoria provided 1,014 of those smiles. The program invites people to fill a shoebox-size container with gifts for a girl or boy in one of three […]

Pair’s ‘Bearded Wisdom’ podcast shares faith, humor at U of I . . . and beyond

By: Jennifer Willems - November 21, 2018 - Featured Article Bearded Wisdom, Champaign, Heath Morber, podcast, Shawn Reeves, St. John's Catholic Newman Center

Shawn Reeves, left, director of religious education at St. John's Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois in Champaign, and Heath Morber, director of music, have a rapport that makes their new podcast, "Bearded Wisdom," easy to listen to. (Provided photo)

CHAMPAIGN — It’s not often that talk about baseball cards leads to a deeper discussion about faith, but somehow Shawn Reeves and Heath Morber make it work during their new podcast, “Bearded Wisdom.” “Providing insights on Catholic culture and faith,” the podcast is part of Catholic Illini ministry at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center. Reeves […]

Spreading the good news about benefits of state’s tax credit scholarship program

By: Jennifer Willems - November 21, 2018 - Featured Article Catholic schools, Invest in Illinois, Jerry Sanderson, Peoria Notre Dame, tax credit scholarships

Dr. Anthony Holter, executive director of Empower Illinois, gives an overview of the Invest in Kids Act during a workshop for Catholic school leaders on Nov. 15 at Peoria Notre Dame High School. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)

Committed to making the second year of the tax credit scholarship program better than the first year, leaders from Empower Illinois recently worked with Catholic school principals, pastors and teams from around the Diocese of Peoria to deepen their understanding of the Invest in Kids Act and help them brainstorm ways to spread the word […]

Teens walk with Jesus at Diocese of Peoria’s Abide in Me retreat in Bloomington

By: Tom Dermody - November 8, 2018 - Featured Article Abide in Me, Alleman High School, Bloomington, Corpus Christi, Father Eric Bolek, Sarah Hogan, Sister Bernadette

Father Eric Bolek carried Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament to each participant in the Abide in Me diocese-wide youth retreat for a moment of personal encounter and adoration. The 40-hour retreat for high school students took place Nov. 2-4 at Corpus Christi School in Bloomington. Father Bolek is chaplain of The High School of Saint Thomas More in Champaign and parochial vicar of St. Matthew in Champaign and St. Boniface, Seymour. (Provided photo/Daryl Wilson)

BLOOMINGTON — Nearly 100 high school students from across the Diocese of Peoria accepted an invitation to be in Jesus’ eucharistic Presence throughout a weekend retreat called Abide in Me hosted Nov. 2-4 at Corpus Christi School here. “The whole mission of the retreat is to really give each of the youth a profound and […]

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