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Bishop Tylka begins ‘Welcome Tour’ with liturgies in Bloomington and Pontiac

By: Jennifer Willems - August 3, 2020 - Featured Article Bishop Louis Tylka, Bloomington, Pontiac

Kelly and Kel Krenz and eight of their 10 children and two grandchildren visit with Coadjutor Bishop Louis Tylka in the parish center of St. Mary Church in Pontiac. The opportunity to meet people followed the Mass for the Pontiac Vicariate on Aug. 2. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)

Coadjutor Bishop Louis Tylka started to get acquainted with his new diocese last weekend by celebrating Masses at St. Patrick Church of Merna in Bloomington on Aug. 1, and at St. Mary Church in Pontiac on Aug. 2. He drew a joyful response by calling them the first stops on his “Welcome Tour.” “I think […]

Schools’ office names distinguished principal, pastor, and teacher of year

By: The Catholic Post - December 5, 2019 - Featured Article Bloomington, Central Catholic, Distinguished, James Taber, Msgr. Mark Merdian, Noreen Dillon, Pastor, Peoria d D, principal, Rock Island, St. Mark, St. Pius X, Teacher

Dr. Noreen Dillon is congratulated by students at St. Mark School in Peoria on Principal Appreciation Day after learning that she had been named Distinguished Principal of the Year by the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools. Also recognized were Msgr. Mark Merdian, pastor of St. Pius X School in Rock Island, as Distinguished Pastor of the Year, and James Taber, longtime science teacher at Central Catholic High School in Bloomington, as Distinguished Teacher of the Year.

In the season of thanksgiving, the Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Peoria is recognizing three people who have given many years of service to Catholic schools. They are Msgr. Mark Merdian, pastor of St. Pius X School in Rock Island, Distinguished Pastor of the Year; Dr. Noreen Dillon of St. Mark School […]

Youths at diocese-wide Abide in Me retreat assured ‘God desired you. Period.’

By: Tom Dermody - November 8, 2019 - Featured Article Abide in Me, Bloomington, Corpus Christi, Eucharist, Father Matthew Hoelscher, FSGM, Katie Bogner, Sister M. Clementia

Phil Lee, director of the diocesan Office of Divine Worship, places a monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament atop a tower of candles during a period of adoration at the Abide in Me youth retreat held Nov. 1-3 at Corpus Christi Catholic School in Bloomington. Father Eric Bolek, parochial vicar of St. Patrick Church of Merna, Bloomington, and St. Mary, Downs, is at right. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)

BLOOMINGTON — In this age of brief texts and tweets, Father Matthew Hoelscher had a four-word message for high school youth from across the Diocese of Peoria who spent last weekend on a retreat at Corpus Christi Catholic School here. “God desired you. Period,” he repeatedly emphasized during a homily on Nov. 2 at Abide […]

Vigils, extra events as 40 Days for Life set Sept. 25-Nov. 3 at three sites in diocese

By: Tom Dermody - September 13, 2019 - News Article 40 Days for Life, Bloomington, Champaign, Mary Kate Knorr, Mitch McVicker, Peoria, Unplanned

Concerned individuals and parish groups are invited to take part in coordinated campaigns of prayer, fasting, and peaceful public vigils to end abortion during 40 Days for Life outreaches planned in the Diocese of Peoria and around the nation from Sept. 25 to Nov. 3. Daily vigils, at which participants also pray for help and […]

Hispanic Ministry offers a professional listening ear to area’s Spanish-speaking

By: Tom Dermody - August 28, 2019 - Featured Article Bloomington, Hispanic ministry, LaSalle, Olga Figueroa, psychotherapist, Sister Isabel Romero

Sister Isabel Romero, SCTJM, director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Peoria, is pictured with Olga Figueroa, her longtime friend from Mexico. Figueroa is a psychotherapist who offered workshops and private counseling in August to Spanish-speaking Catholics in LaSalle, Peoria, and Bloomington. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)

As a priest from Mexico was hearing confessions for 14 hours during a retreat day for Spanish-speaking Catholics of the Diocese of Peoria last summer, Sister Isabel Romero, SCTJM, offered to help move things along. “Do you want me to tell them to be a little more quick — to just say their sins?” asked […]

Site of new chapel for OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center is blessed in Bloomington

By: The Catholic Post - June 20, 2019 - News Article Bloomington, OSF HealthCare Saint Joseph Medical Center

An artist's rendering of the new chapel for OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington.

BLOOMINGTON — Groundbreaking and blessing ceremonies took place on June 5 for a new $1.2 million chapel to serve patients, their families, and the staff of OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center. The 3,000-square-foot chapel will be located at the hospital’s main entrance and will nearly double the size of the existing chapel. The St. […]

100 in Bloomington take part in a national prayerful protest of Planned Parenthood

By: Tom Dermody - April 26, 2019 - News Article abortion, Bloomington, candlelight, Planned Parenthood

Deacon Michael An of Epiphany Parish in Normal blesses about 100 people who had just completed a candlelight prayer vigil on the evening of April 13 on the sidewalk outside Planned Parenthood's Bloomington Health Center. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)

BLOOMINGTON — Stephanie Adams saw the movie “Unplanned” and felt a call to do something to support the pro-life effort. “The Holy Spirit took over my heart,” said Adams, who is active in “Alpha,” an evangelization outreach at the Bloomington-Normal Catholic parishes. When Adams learned shortly after seeing the movie that a Protest Planned Parenthood […]

St. Vincent de Paul food and clothing pantry re-opens at new Bloomington site

By: Tom Dermody - April 2, 2019 - Featured Article Bloomington, clothing pantry, food pantry, new site, St. Vincent de Paul Society

Volunteers joined clients outside for prayer before doors opened for the first time April 1 at the new location of the food and clothing pantry operated by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Holy Trinity Conference in Bloomington. The pantries moved into the former Corpus Christi (Holy Trinity) Junior High School near Holy Trinity Church following a six-month renovation. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)

BLOOMINGTON — “The communion of saints has got to look an awful lot like this.” So said Deacon Bob Hermes, spiritual adviser to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Holy Trinity Conference, as he looked April 1 at more than 50 volunteers gathered in the main distribution room of the conference’s new food and […]

Bloomington group home from Panama and sharing World Youth Day experience

By: Tom Dermody - January 31, 2019 - Featured Article Bloomington, Central Catholic, Lauren Booth, World Youth Day

World Youth Day pilgrims from the Bloomington group (in yellow shirts) are pictured Jan. 26 at the Saturday night vigil at St. John Paul II Field near Panama City, Panama. Pope Francis led adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the evening and, after hundreds of thousands camped overnight, returned to celebrate the gathering's closing Mass. (Provided photo)

BLOOMINGTON — Over the weekend they were praising Jesus with 700,000 new friends and Pope Francis on a sweltering field in Panama. On Tuesday the seven students and two teachers were back at Central Catholic High School here bracing for record cold, but warmed by the memories of their experiences at World Youth Day. And […]

Transfer of Pontiac station expands the network, reach of Catholic Spirit Radio

By: Jennifer Willems - January 31, 2019 - News Article Bloomington, Catholic radio, Catholic Spirit Radio, Normal, Pontiac, WPJC

The coverage map for Pontiac-based WPJC, 88.3 FM.

NORMAL — Catholic Spirit Radio of Bloomington-Normal, WSPI 89.5 FM, is undergoing network expansion. Public Reality Radio, WPJC, 88.3 FM was transferred to WSPI ownership on Nov. 30. The talk radio station in Pontiac was deeded to Catholic Spirit Radio by Goodrich Radio, which simulcasts its sister flagship station WPRR from Grand Rapids, Michigan. WPJC began broadcasting in […]

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