If you turned on the news or opened a paper a few weeks ago, you may have seen some jarring headlines about a new report that includes nearly 400 “abuser priests” from the state of Illinois. The news stemmed from a Chicago press conference by Jeff Anderson, a Minnesota-based litigator, who issued his “Anderson Report,” which lists names of accused priests ― names of priests that are already publicly available. So, what was new about his report? Nothing. Unfortunately, the media bought it. Worse, media reports failed to recognize some glaring admissions by Anderson. Read More

The eighth annual Woman of Distinction Mass and banquet will be held Saturday, June 1. This event is hosted by the Springfield Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. Each parish in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is asked to select an honoree in appreciation for their leadership and service to church and community. The celebration begins with 10 a.m. Mass, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. The honored women will be presented a certificate by Bishop Thomas John Paprocki and recognized at Mass. Read More

The annual Good Friday Way of the Cross for Peace and Justice will be held on April 19, beginning at noon at the Supreme Court Building at 2nd and Capitol. The 90-minute prayerful walk remembers Jesus’ passion and its connection with the sufferings of injustice experienced by God’s people in our world today. Join with others in this ecumenical experience of prayer. Read More

Joan Biebel would introduce herself with an instruction about how to say her last name. She would say, “It’s like Justin Bieber with an L instead of an R.” She would then proudly state, “I was the original J Biebs,” with a chuckle and smile. Mrs. Biebel just came to St. Teresa High School in Decatur in August of 2018. She poured herself out to others whether it was a kind smile, an encouraging word, or an offer to help. The real place of impact that Mrs. Biebel had was on retreats, like Kairos. She had an ability to make… Read More

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to build heightened awareness to prevent child sexual abuse. Christ calls upon each of his followers to protect everyone, especially our children and most vulnerable, from harm. When it comes to preventing child sexual abuse, we must first know the facts: The statistics of this atrocious crime are overwhelming. Each of us must keep our eyes and ears open to identify dangers to children. To recognize and stop child sexual abuse, screening and education through training is critical. Faith-based trainings that are true to the teachings of the Catholic Church are… Read More

Springfield Dominican Sister Margaret Joanne Grueter, OP, died April 1 at Sacred Heart Convent. She was born in Carrollton in 1952 to Charles “Bud” and Rosemary (Johnson) Grueter. She made her profession of vows in 1977 at Sacred Heart Convent. Sister Margaret Joanne was an educator who dedicated nearly half her 42 years of religious life to the students and faculty at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield. There she was assistant principal from 1994-1998 and principal from 2000-2016. In the interim, she completed a master’s degree in human development and counseling at UIS. From 2016-2018, she taught junior high… Read More

As we survey the highlights and “lowlights” of human history, there is a category of achievements (or achievements’ opposite) which have been classified as “dubious distinctions.” Especially now that baseball season has started, we may recall the obituary of Randy Jackson, who died on March 20 at age 93. His New York Times obituary noted that he hit the last home run for the Brooklyn Dodgers (Sept. 28, 1957, at Philadelphia) before the team found itself playing home games in Los Angeles. The Times called this a “melancholy achievement.” Read More

Some final considerations: Any predominant fault will be opposed to either an active or passive pursuit of God’s will. We will either fail to actively do what God wants by disobeying, sinning against the virtue of charity or seeking our will over his own; or we will fail to passively desire what God does by rebelling against his will for us with complaining and growing impatient because things seem out of our control. Read More

Bishop Paprocki's public schedule for the weeks of April 14 and 21 Read More

Daily events occuring throughout the Diocese Read More

I am confused about holy days of obligation. What or who decided that if the holy day falls on Saturday or Monday, we are not required to go to Mass unless for certain feast days? From childhood, it did not matter what day the holy day fell on, it was still a holy day of obligation. In addition, how come some dioceses and the requirements to attend Mass on these days sometimes differ?I am confused about holy days of obligation. What or who decided that if the holy day falls on Saturday or Monday, we are not required to go… Read More