Photo by Marijn Fidder/Caritas International. A former Springfield Blessed Sacrament student, parishioner living in Poland, who is taking in Ukrainian refugees, describes the scene at the border, the devastation happening to innocent families, and stories of heroism

By ANDREW HANSEN
Editor

POLAND — Children cling to their parents. Families desperately try to find safety. Lines of people wait for food. Ambulance sirens blare. News media rush around. Makeshift fires and big tents are set up to provide some reprieve from the cold. Loud announcements and cries of desperation fill the air. 

This is the scene playing out in several cities in Poland along the Ukrainian border as more than 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees have fled their war-torn country. Despite the chaos, these cities in Poland have become beacons of hope for these refugees after Russian President Vladimir Putin had his country unjustly attack Ukraine, raging war on an innocent nation.

“There’s no sense of time. Hours contract into minutes, and minutes stretch into hours. You arrive to pick someone up at 15:00 and they don't come through the border until after 21:00. You drive through the middle of the night, and still there is traffic all around, big buses, full of people, or empty, on the return trip to get more people. The sense of the place is warped as well. You’re in Poland, but mostly hear Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, English, German.”

Those are the thoughts of a former Springfield resident who attended Blessed Sacrament School and Parish and graduated from Springfield High School and who has been living in and out of Poland since 2014. She wished to remain anonymous. She is one of countless of people who is performing heroic acts of love and charity, compassionately taking in some refugees.

For the past several weeks, she has driven to Hrebenne, Poland, which sits on the border. There, tens of thousands of Ukrainian people have poured in. This is one of just many sites where one can witness true grace. This former capital city resident is one of many who are showing courage in the face of calamity, compassion in the face of chaos, and unending generosity in the face of uncertainty — a perfect of example of putting on the face of Christ.

Photo by Marijn Fidder/Caritas International. “I've done something as simple as playing with children while exhausted mothers rest and also helping transport people from the border to destinations in Poland,” she said. “I've hosted refugees as well. Right now, I have a mother and her two daughters staying with me. The girls are 8 years old and 14 months. They fled Ukraine with less than $100 and their only possessions were the clothes on their backs. So, the past few days I've focused a lot on making them feel welcome, finding clothes and things for them like diapers, trying to organize school for the 8-year-old, and helping them navigate the situation in Poland.”

She has also helped organize community wide donation drives of medical supplies, clothes, toys, bedding, and things for babies, and she has helped coordinate accommodation, transportation, and assistance for Ukrainians once in Poland, such as finding legal services, opening a bank account, and arranging transportation out of Poland.

“Most Poles I know are hosting or have hosted a Ukrainian refugee family,” she said. “Business-owners, lawyers, journalists, and teachers — people from the most humble to the most exclusive echelons of Polish society, everyone has an open bed, a spare room, or a free flat that they are offering right now. Still, people keep coming, and coming. This massive inflow of people is especially visible at the train stations, where there are masses of people, bundles of clothes for donation, free food, and people sleeping on the floor, waiting for accommodation or for their train. Not all Ukrainians stay in Poland. Some go on to countries in the European Union, like Germany or Sweden. Many Ukrainians fear Putin and Russia will strike Poland next, so they don't want to stay too long.”

Even for Ukrainians who are able to escape the physical danger, their mental anguish remains.  Thoughts of family members trapped back in Ukraine, fearing family members will be killed fighting the Russians, the devastation of their home country, and loved ones being lost to an unjust war. Men over 18 cannot leave Ukraine. They have to stay behind to serve in Ukraine’s territorial defense forces, something these men take pride in doing, with some Ukrainian men in Poland and throughout Europe returning on their own initiative to protect their country. 

“There are terrible reports of Russian military strikes on civilians,” she said. “At the beginning of March, Russia struck a maternity hospital. Entire families have been wiped out from attacks on civilian cars as people are fleeing. Families have been gunned down while walking through what was supposed to be a humanitarian corridor. Russian news is determined to pretend like these things did not happen, or that they were justified in happening. So, the Ukrainian people are suffering immediate harm of their country being invaded without provocation, the second harm of intentional attacks on civilians, and on top of that, those attacks are denied or justified. It is awful. Because of all this, when talking to refugees, I don't ask questions about their experience. But if they talk, I will listen and listen.”

Some of those stories she has learned has touched her profoundly, as she has several friends from Ukraine. One of her friends had their father missing. Later, it was discovered he died, killed under Russian fire while was crossing the street to buy groceries in the city where he's lived all his life. Another friend is a young man. He finished his studies and was excited about his new job. Now, he is spending most of his time in a bunker and making Molotov cocktails. Another friend is a neurosurgeon, as is her husband. She fled with her children, and the father stayed, to serve as a medic in the military. 

Photo by Marijn Fidder/Caritas International. She also has Russian friends, who she describes as “very frightened.” Some have fled, but others remain. Russia has cracked down mercilessly on war protest and dissent. At the beginning of March, the Russian legislature voted unanimously to outlaw anything other than the official Russian government reports of the "operations in Ukraine,” including making it illegal to call it a "war." People can be punished with a prison sentence of up to 15 years. 

“A lot of coverage in the U.S. is using a U.S. or NATO-centric lens, but that lens ignores the history of these places and the words coming from Putin's mouth,” she said. “To a large degree, this war is about history and about Putin's legacy. Putin sees Ukraine as irrevocably part of Russia, to the extent of claiming that Ukraine as a state doesn't exist. From that mindset, he sees the separation of Russia and Ukraine as a mistake that needs to be rectified. He is willing to go to great lengths to bring the space and the people of Ukraine back under Russian control. But that is not what Ukrainians want. Ukraine is a sovereign country, and Ukrainians have the right to choose their country's direction.” 

Photo by Marijn Fidder/Caritas International.The chaotic scene playing out in the border city of Hrebenne comes on the backdrop of what happened about 80 years ago in Bełżec, Poland, about 15 minutes away from Hrebenne. Bełżec was the site of one of the worst extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany during World War II. This site was not a concentration camp. The camp’s only purpose was to kill. There are still lines of sinister-looking train tracks marking the camp's former sight. Those who pass through Bełżec describe it as a place where you can feel the history in the air, which mixes with the deep apprehension of the present. In this part of Poland, with the wood and coal smoke in the air, old homes, and large tracts of farming land, if feels like you’ve stepped backward a century, to pre-war Poland.

“Given the circumstances that bring everyone to the border, it is hard not to reflect on the horrors that happened there, hard not to think about as we pass bus upon bus full of people fleeing, that once upon a time, this place saw train car after train car of people arriving, sentenced to death, judged, and condemned for their personhood, who they were. There are a lot of thoughts that come from the juxtaposition of the two situations.” 

There is also the best spiritual weapon we have as people of faith, which Bishop Thomas John Paprocki wrote about in his March 6 Catholic Times column: “Our strongest weapon, and the most important thing we can do is to pray, asking our Blessed Mother, the Queen of Peace, and her son Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to bring a peaceful end to this dire conflict.”

In my last parish, I was told that intinction was not allowed.  Our parish priest does do intinction when he receives the Body and Blood of Our Lord. Is intinction OK for priests but not lay people?
Christine

For those unfamiliar with the practice, intinction is the dipping of the consecrated host into the Precious Blood and then receiving the “intincted” host in holy Communion.

According to the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal), the detailed document that governs the celebration of Mass, the Precious Blood may be distributed in a number of ways: by drinking directly from the chalice, intinction, or by means of a spoon or tube. Receiving by spoon or tube, however, is not customary in the Latin Rite dioceses in our country.

Yet both the GIRM and the U.S. Bishops allow reception by intinction by both clergy and lay faithful when certain protocols are followed to ensure proper respect for the Precious Blood. 

For priests, the GIRM specifies that after the principal celebrant has received Communion in the usual way, the concelebrating priests wishing to receive by intinction “approach the altar one after another, genuflect, and take a particle, dip it partly into the chalice, and, holding a purificator under their chin, consume the intincted particle. They then return to their places as at the beginning of Mass” (249).

Concerning the laity, the GIRM instructs: “If Communion from the chalice is carried out by intinction, each communicant, holding a Communion-plate under the mouth, approaches the Priest who holds a vessel with the sacred particles, with a minister standing at his side and holding the chalice. The Priest takes a host, intincts it partly in the chalice and, showing it, says, The Body and Blood of Christ. The communicant replies, Amen, receives the Sacrament in the mouth from the Priest, and then withdraws” (287).

Notice what is required: a purificator for priests and a communion-plate under the mouth of the laity, as well as the imperative to receive the intincted host in the mouth. Both seek to prevent irreverences like the Precious Blood dripping onto the altar, floor, or one’s hands. Also, it is always the priest who intincts and distributes the host; neither deacons nor the lay faithful are to intinct the host themselves and self-communicate. 

So, in answer to your question, yes, intinction is allowed for both priests and laity when the appropriate prescriptions are followed. Yet, receiving directly from the chalice has been and remains the customary way of receiving the Precious Blood in the Roman Rite.

Father Seth Brown is pastor of Mother of Dolors Parish in Vandalia and St. Joseph Parish in Ramsey. He is also chaplain of Our Sorrowful Mother’s Ministry, chaplain of the Vandalia Correctional Center, and research theologian for the Diocesan Curia.

By DIANE SCHLINDWEIN
Managing Editor

EDWARDSVILLE — For nearly 19 years, Theresa Howard of Edwardsville has been in a unique vocation — she is a consecrated virgin living in the world. That means she has taken vows to live “consecrated to God, mystically espoused to Christ and dedicated to the service of the Church” (Canon 604). In short, she has taken a vow of living in perpetual virginity and is responsible to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, receives the sacraments, and is faithful to private prayer. 

Howard took her vows at St. Mary Church in Alton, with then-Bishop George Lucas consecrating her to this form of religious life on May 4, 2003. She was the first consecrated virgin the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. She is not known as “Sister,” and lives in her own home and is responsible for her own material needs. She does not wear a veil or any special clothing, but she does wear a special ring, which is her a symbol of her mystical marriage to Christ. 

Looking back on her spiritual journey, Howard, who is now a parishioner at Mother of Perpetual Parish in Maryville and a member of the United States Association of Consecrated Virgins, says she really had no idea God would lead her to this vocation, but she is sure she is living life exactly the way God had planned for her.  “As I look back at my childhood, I can see God at work through my mother who taught me about Jesus and Mary,” she said. “By her words and actions, she taught me how to pray and how to live my life for God.”

As she grew to adolescence, Howard, like many young women, went out on dates. “I dated in high school and a little bit afterwards, but I had no idea when I was younger, that God had a beautiful vocation set aside for me,” she said. 

In these photos, taken May 4, 2003, Theresa Howard makes her vows as a consecrated virgin living in the world to then-Bishop George Lucas at St. Mary (Immaculate Conception) Parish in Alton. 

However, by the time Howard was in her early 20s she began to hear God’s call. So, for many years she lived a private promise of perpetual virginity — long before she sought consecration. “For many years I searched and discerned where God was calling me to serve Him,” she said. “For many years I heard nothing but silence and yet I knew He wanted me to give my life to Him. During this time, I also worked, helped out with my parents before they died, attended college, volunteered in a couple of organizations in the community, was active in parish ministries, and went to the adoration chapel for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.” 

During the 1980s, Howard visited religious communities and by late in that decade, after spending time for about a year in one community, she talked to the vocation director. “The vocation director told me that they would like for me to enter that Aug. 1, upon completion of the psychological testing and a physical,” she said. However, that was when the unexpected happened.

“On my way home, I was in a near-fatal accident and ended up on life support. When I woke up, I asked God what He was trying to tell me. Was He telling me no to this community? Was He telling me no to religious life? Was He telling me no for now? I was so confused and later told the vocation director that I needed more time for discernment and would not be entering the community. Also, due to internal injuries and learning how to walk, it took me a year to recuperate.” 

As Howard recovered, she began to search for her calling once again. “I served as a lay Dominican associate for one year,” she said. “I then started preparation to the Secular Franciscan Order — my profession ceremony was Jan. 12, 1997. The evening before my profession, I felt that God was asking more of me.”

The next year, Howard went on to join St. Mary (Immaculate Conception) Parish in Alton. “In October of that year my new spiritual director mentioned the vocation of consecrated virginity,” she said. “I pushed that aside until some time later when another priest asked me if I had ever looked into that vocation. As I was driving home that day I thought ‘Why would God call me to that life?’ Upon arriving home, I heard God say, ‘Check it out.’”

That’s when Howard’s journey to her present vocation began in earnest. With the assistance of her spiritual director, she studied and prepared for her consecration. She was under the guidance of Bishop Lucas and had meetings with a Franciscan religious with the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton.  Her mentor was a consecrated virgin in Mexico, Mo.

Howard, who is now 70 years old, retired and a church volunteer, says she has had many challenges and opportunities to grow closer to God over the past 18-plus years. “All of those years that I spent searching for God’s will in my life were not wasted. The joy, peace, and freedom I experienced on my wedding day have grown these past years.” 

Although some people don’t understand Howard’s vocation, she is comfortable explaining it this way: “Since my consecration, people have asked me what I didn’t enter the convent or why I chose this vocation. I simply smile and tell them that God wanted me in the world. Also, God chose me to be His bride.” 

More about the vocation of consecrated virgins

The rite of the vocation of consecrated virgins traces its origins to Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew that some people renounce marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of God. The ancient Church had a liturgy for women who made this commitment. However, over time most women who were committed to chastity joined the many religious orders. 

On May 30, 1970, Pope Paul VI re-instituted the rite. 

Today, there are just over 250 consecrated virgins living in the United States and about 4,000 of these women worldwide. In the United States, consecrated virgins today include teachers, social workers, businesswomen, librarians, accountants, nurses, physicians, a fire fighter, a dance teacher, women employed in a variety of Church positions, retired women, women with disabilities, women dedicated to prayer, or devoted to the care of a family member, those dedicated to volunteer work, as well as other professions. 

Consecrated virgins hold much in common with one another. Their common spirituality is that of living as a bride of Christ, the spirituality of the Church herself, and of the Blessed Mother. Some members also follow preferred Franciscan, Benedictine, Carmelite or Ignatian spirituality. 

Catholic Times file photo 

'I realized I was thinking about God all wrong'
Nathan Grider of Springfield shares his conversion story

By ANDREW HANSEN
Editor 

A self-described atheist at one point in his life, Nathan Grider’s passion is science. His love for the field led him to a career as a biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. But it was during his pursuit of his degree when Grider started looking at different religions of the world and their history. He said that he “liked that the Catholic Church had a strong connection to science and seemed to embrace science more consistently rather than dispute it.”

His story to embrace the Catholic faith, however, wasn’t easy. As a scientist, Grider had to dive deep by asking questions, watching videos, and studying what the Church taught. What he eventually learned opened his eyes to another world — a world of faith. Grider became Catholic on Easter last year, receiving the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first holy Communion. 

Catholic Times Editor Andrew Hansen interviewed Grider, a 37-year-old parishioner at St. Agnes in Springfield who is married with two daughters. 

What led you to even start looking at different religions? 
In more recent years, I started to recognize that I had many friends and colleagues who were scientists and Christians. I thought that was interesting and asked a few of them about their perspectives on science and religion with complete sincerity. They were usually brief conversations and we tended to land at a usual place, “There is a lot we don’t know or understand … .” These are great people, and I could see how their faith made them better at their lives and even their jobs. Keep in mind, I had been attending Catholic church with my wife and her family for about 12 years by this time. I was taking it all in, but reluctant to just let go of my stubbornness that had me thinking that I had it all figured out through studying science. All the while, I knew church was a good thing and good for society, so I figured it didn’t hurt for me to go. As my belief in God continued to develop, a lot of things I heard while attending church with my family started to make more sense. I still wrestle with some of the details, but I knew I was ready to explore it further, so I joined the Church.    

At one point in your life, you considered yourself an atheist. Was there a moment during your search when you thought, “I am wrong. God does exist, and I want a relationship with Him!” 
A few years ago, I started to realize that I was thinking about God all wrong. A few things helped open my mind. One was a book called Proof of Heaven, given to me by a family member and fellow scientist. I recommend it for anyone struggling with these questions. This book is about “near death experiences” (NDEs), which lead me to learn more about them. There is a common theme reported from people who experience NDEs and for me, actual evidence of God started to take shape there. Further, I came to understand, at least in my mind, that God really is the energy all around us that makes up everything and has influence on everything — the source of the universe and what lies beyond it, before it, and after it. I don’t picture an old, bearded man in the clouds as it had been presented to me before or even a “He or She” necessarily. The power that is God that I have come to know is beyond needing to fit biology and the natural world that we understand. I’ll refer readers to Episode 3 of The Search (The Search is a video series that tackles the key questions of every human heart from a Catholic perspective). The Search completely changed my view of God and helps explain the perceived clash between science and religion. I overheard it while my wife was watching it, and I was drawn in. It changed me, and I joined the Church not long after.  

Also, the story of Jesus became more compelling to me the more I dove into it. There are too many details from multiple witnesses to just be made up. There is something to it! Eternity is a long time, and I don’t want miss out on something great because I was too stubborn, especially if my family goes, and I don’t. How terrible would that be! Nothing bad can come from Christianity. It only brings out the good in us. Imagine a world without it! 

So many falsely think the Church and science are at odds with each other. In your search, how did you conclude that in fact, the two are in unison? 
To me, science and religion were two separate things and at odds with each other. I remember saying that “the clash will always continue because neither could ever prove the other wrong.” Religion tends to rest on faith without hard evidence, and science has no way to test and prove God does or does not exist. However, I started to understand that science is there to explain the “how” but not the “why.” Again, Episode 3 of The Search helped me better understand how the two can coexist. Of course, there is also the fact that many of the greatest scientists who ever lived were also priests and the Church funded most of the science in the past. I still accept the theory of evolution to be true based on the overwhelming evidence and all the other things that science teaches us about our world. Thus, there are things about the Bible, especially the Old Testament, that I don’t take literally. 

Last Easter, you became Catholic, receiving three sacraments. What was that day like?
That was an exciting day. I never thought I would officially join the Church if someone was to ask me a few years ago. That day felt like starting a new journey of trying to reach a deeper understanding of life. I was surrounded by my family and new friends of the Church. Everyone was very welcoming. I also spent time that day thinking about my daughters and feeling better knowing that I was doing what I could to have a chance at seeing them again after I die. That gave me peace.   

When you look back at your journey to Catholicism, what stands out?
What stands out the most to me is the moment I realized I was thinking about God all wrong for most of my adult life. The way I was thinking about it purely as told to me from the Bible stories did not allow my science-based way of thinking to accept it. It was only when my perception of what God is changed that I was able to start to understand and begin a spiritual relationship. I think many people are stuck on this part too, and maybe my story will help them out.   

What do you love most about our faith?
I love that the Catholic Church embraces science and does so many good things in communities. I have always been a philanthropist type and care deeply about other people’s wellbeing, including our planet and all the life that it supports because it is truly amazing, rare, and precious.  I know my purpose in life is to care for our planet and the life that it supports, and the Bible tells us to do the same. There are many similarities between my line of work in conservation and the faith and that gives me further motivation to carry out the difficult work. It helps give me strength and patience in my daily life. I love that about it!            

Make your Lent holier
Join Catholics across our diocese for a Lenten mission to restore our souls with grace in preparation for the Resurrection. Sign up to receive weekly Lenten inspiration, tips, and resources from priests in our diocese in your inbox as we focus on REconciliation to the REsurrection. Go do dio.org/lent to sign up!

By SISTER BETH MURPHY, OP
Special to Catholic Times 

When Sister Maristella Dunlavy retired from her educational ministry in 2006, she concluded 14 years as principal of Cathedral Grade School. As she prepared to move on, the prioress general of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield asked whether she would consent to serving as sacristan at Sacred Heart Convent. “Yes, I’d be honored to do that,” she replied. “But there is something else I’d like to do, too.”

That something else was a dream Sister Maristella had harbored for years. She wanted to begin a prayer card ministry, designing, and distributing cards that came with a promise of prayer from the Dominican Sisters.

“I wanted to extend to as many people as possible the powerhouse of prayer we have at the motherhouse,” she said, referring to Sacred Heart Convent on West Monroe Street in Springfield, where she continues to serve as sacristan. “The cards are a tangible reminder to people that we are always praying for them.”

Fifteen years later, Sister Maristella says she can’t possibly count the number of cards she has distributed or measure the impact of the daily prayer our sisters offer for those who send and receive the cards. “It is considerable,” she said matter-of-factly.

Her original five designs — sympathy, get well, birthday, anniversary, and thank you cards — continue to be popular. She has also added new designs — 16 blank notecards — now available to order at springfieldop.org/prayer-cards. They include some of her favorite Scripture quotes and inspirational words.

She pairs a line from the book of Daniel — “Ice and snow bless the Lord!” — with an image of the convent bell tower hovering over icy tree branches. Another, with a stunning fire blazing in the dark, includes the words of the Dominican mystic St. Catherine of Siena: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

In addition to meeting the need of that rare breed of people — those who choose to communicate their care and concern through handwritten notes — Sister Maristella sees this ministry as an important way to expand the ministry of prayer of the 90 or so sisters who live at the motherhouse. “As we age, we aren’t as busy as our sisters who are still ministering around the U.S. and in Peru,” she explained. “We have much more time to dedicate to prayer ‘for the life of the world’ as we say. It is meaningful to us to be able to share the life and energy of our relationship with God with so many around the world who count on prayer to sustain them in difficult times.”

In addition to acting as a sacristan at Sacred Heart Convent in Springfield, Sister Maristella Dunlavy, OP, has been running a prayer card ministry for 15 years.

Those who request cards are invited to make a donation to help cover costs and sustain the outreach that has given Sister Maristella such life and energy for such a long time. All donations are put right back into the ministry to cover the cost of printing and shipping the cards. 

“Many of those requesting cards are our sisters, associates, family, and friends,” Sister Maristella explained. “I also hear from people I’ve never met. Recently a gentleman from New York made a request for cards.” She speculates that he either found his way on his own to the website or received a card from a friend and decided to order some of his own.

Quincy resident Jo Buckley, who for years worked in the Diocesan Office of Education, is a dear friend of Sister Maristella’s and a frequent card customer. “Sister Maristela is a joy and I love her cards. She is good about getting them in the mail right away. They come in handy,” she said, especially the birthday and sympathy cards. “I send them to my friends, and they love them.” When Buckley’s husband died last fall, she got a taste of what it means to be the recipient of a handwritten expression of care. “It was nice to get so many sympathy cards,” she said. “They meant so much. I am going to read them all again.”

And isn’t that the point? After 15 years, Sister Maristella’s card ministry has surely provided that same kind of care and comfort for countless people. 

If you’d like to join the circle of prayer Sister Maristella began with her prayer ministry 15 years ago, visit springfieldop.org/prayer-cards. 

Sister Beth Murphy, OP, is communication director for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield Illinois.

Submitted photo 

Your donation also gives you 75 percent tax credit 

A matching gift program for 21 schools in our diocese is happening right now thanks to a generous couple who is offering a 1:1 donation match toward the 2022-2023 tax credit scholarships that help students in need. Gifts made through Empower Illinois for the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program at eligible schools will be doubled up to $10,000.

Illinois’ bipartisan Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program provides need-based scholarships to kids from low-income and working-class families to attend their best-fit school. Program donors earn a 75 percent state tax credit on their gift. For example, if an individual donor contributes $1,000, they will receive a state tax credit of $750. Donors can also direct their donations to a school of their choice. Since 2018, the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program has awarded more than 28,000 scholarships totaling more than $250 million. 

Donations must be made before April 15 or when the cap is met at your select school to be eligible for the match. For more information on how to donate visit empowerillinois.org/donate or call (800) 616-7606.

Eligible schools:

• Blessed Sacrament — Springfield
• Blessed Sacrament Catholic School — Quincy
• Christ the King — Springfield
• Little Flower School — Springfield
• Our Lady of Lourdes —Decatur
• Our Saviour School — Jacksonville
• Quincy Notre Dame High School — Quincy
• Routt Catholic High School — Jacksonville
• Sacred Heart-Griffin High School — Springfield
• St. Agnes School — Springfield
• St. Aloysius School — Springfield
• St. Dominic School — Quincy
• St. Francis/Holy Ghost School — Jerseyville
• St. Francis Solanus School — Quincy
• St. John the Evangelist School — Carrollton
• St. Mary School — Mount Sterling
• St. Patrick Elementary School — Decatur
• St. Patrick Grade School —Springfield
• St. Peter School — Quincy
• St. Teresa High School — Decatur
• St. Mary School — Taylorville

The Evermode Institute to offer spiritual and intellectual formation for clergy, religious, and lay Catholics

By Andrew Hansen

The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois announced March 3, plans to establish The Evermode Institute, a new center for Catholic spiritual and intellectual formation in Springfield, and that the institute will include priests from the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey, who will establish a new community there. 

In what will be located at the site of the former Chiara Center on the grounds of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis in Springfield, The Evermode Institute will focus on formation for Catholics, offering programming for both ordained and lay teachers of the faith such as catechists, Parish School of Religion teachers (PSR), Catholic school teachers, and other groups who teach the faith. Several priests from the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey, based in Orange, Calif., will move to the property with the necessary preliminary steps being taken this summer. Serving at The Evermode Institute will be their primary apostolate. A date for when The Evermode Institute will open has not been finalized.

“We have developed a strong relationship with the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey over the past several years, and we are thrilled to welcome them to our diocese,” said Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. “The Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey are a vibrant and growing community of holy men, and their presence and apostolic work will be a great blessing to the people of our diocese and to this region.” 

The Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey recently completed construction of a new abbey in Orange County, Calif., and the monastery is already at full capacity, with nearly 50 priests and 40 seminarians. 

“In light of the growth in our community, we had already been discerning the possibility of establishing a new community when Bishop Paprocki approached us,” said Abbot Eugene Hayes, O. Praem. “After prayerful discernment as a community, we have joyfully accepted Bishop Paprocki’s invitation, and we are grateful for the opportunity to establish a presence in the Springfield diocese.”

The Evermode Institute is being established under the patronage of St. Evermode, a Norbertine prelate who died in 1178 and was a close collaborator of St. Norbert. St. Evermode is credited with great and effective works of evangelization and formation in the Catholic faith.

These announcements follow news earlier last year when the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and the Hospital Sisters reached an agreement for the diocese to establish a trust that has now assumed ownership of the sisters’ buildings and grounds effective Jan. 1, 2022. The Hospital Sisters will continue to live in the convent indefinitely as part of that agreement. 

“We welcome the Norbertine Fathers to Springfield and to the holy ground that has been our home since 1917,” said Sister Maureen O’Connor, OSF, Provincial Superior of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. “This new chapter in the history of the Hospital Sisters and the diocese marks the beginning of what we pray will be a mutually beneficial relationship. Throughout our nearly 150 years in America, the Hospital Sisters have collaborated with others in the work of the Church, and so we view this agreement between the diocese and the Norbertine Fathers as a continuation of that tradition.”

About the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey

Immersed in the 900-year tradition of our order, the Norbertine Fathers live a common life of liturgical prayer and care for souls. Their life at St. Michael’s Abbey is organized according to prayer of the Church: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. “Seven times a day I praise You,” says the Psalmist, and by chanting together the prayers of the Divine Office, Norbertine canons “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God.”  

For more than 60 years, the Norbertine Fathers have served the Christian faithful in Southern California, “lifting high the Holy Eucharist over the miseries and errors of this world” (St. Pope John Paul II). The community’s apostolic ministries are many and various, but they all find their source in a common life of prayer and fraternal charity. To learn more, visit stmichaelsabbey.com.

By ANDREW HANSEN
Editor  

How many people can say they locked eyes with a saint? The year was 1984, just two years after being ordained to the permanent diaconate. That’s when something happened to Deacon Benedict Hoefler that has stuck with him since. He was serving as a deacon during Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome with now Pope St. John Paul II. As the pope was about to elevate the Body and Blood of Christ, Deacon Hoefler says the pope’s eyes locked with his.

“When Pope John Paul II looked at you, he looked right into your soul,” Deacon Hoefler describes it. “To me, that moment in my mind translated to the pope ‘saying’ that ‘you’re here at the altar with me, but when he elevated the Body and Blood of Christ, you’re here at the altar with Jesus.’ I have never forgotten that.”

Another powerful moment then happened just minutes later. After distributing holy Communion, while purifying the vessels, Deacon Hoefler remembers looking up and seeing now St. Mother Teresa. 

“I thought, ‘I am standing between two saints! Holy cow! What a privilege this is,’” Deacon Hoefler said.

Another powerful story that is engrained in Deacon Hoefler’s memory involves a man who had not been to confession in 50 years. Deacon Hoefler was visiting a nursing home when he met the man. 

“I asked him if he would like to go to confession,” Deacon Hoefler said. “The man replied that he would ‘burn the priest’s ears off.’ I told him I know a priest who has served for more than 55 years who could hear his confession.”

After arranging the confession, the man went, seeking forgiveness from God. Deacon Hoefler later found out that just two days after the man confessed his sins for the first time in 50 years, he died.

“Those are the kinds of things you don’t forget that make a big impression on me,” Deacon Hoefler said. 

While the permanent diaconate has made a “big impression” on Deacon Hoefler, on Feb. 13, Deacon Hoefler realized just how much of a big impression his ministerial work has had on people. At Holy Family Church in Athens, dozens of parishioners, friends, and family — some from hours away — came to Mass to celebrate the anniversary of his 40^th year as a permanent deacon. His son, Msgr. David Hoefler, Vicar General for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, was the celebrant. The day was filled with emotion, laughter, and smiles as the first permanent deacon of our diocese looked back over 40 years. 

“I thought about becoming a priest when I was younger as I had three uncles who were priests,” Deacon Hoefler said. “They made a big impression on me.”

But, after marriage and four children (three daughters and one son), priesthood was not going to happen. After moving from Iowa to Rockford in 1972, Deacon Hoefler met a man in their permanent diaconate program. Thinking you needed an advanced degree, but finding out that was not the case, he says he immediately became interested. Then, after talking about it with his family over the next couple of years, Deacon Hoefler remembers his family simply saying, “Go for it.” 

Deacon Hoefler was ordained in 1982 in Rockford. The Hoeflers later moved to Springfield in 1993. Deacon Hoefler has served at St. Aloysius in Springfield, St. John Vianney in Sherman, on the Deacon Formation Team, and presently at Holy Family in Athens. 

“I’d have to say being with the people is my favorite thing about being a deacon,” Deacon Hoefler said. “It’s the people that are in the parish that allow me to be who I am. They give me the privilege of serving them.”

By ANDREW HANSEN 
Editor 

CASEY — When Debra Ross of Casey came to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield in February of 2021, during the Rite of Election, she said she was so nervous, that if you simply tapped her shoulder when she was standing, she would have fallen over. These nerves became most apparent when Bishop Thomas John Paprocki ratified, with his signature, the enrollment of names of the catechumens in the Book of the Elect. Ross was a catechumen at the time, someone who is unbaptized.

A few weeks later at the Easter Vigil at Immaculate Conception Parish in Mattoon, Ross was fully initiated into the Catholic faith, receiving the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first holy Communion from Father John Titus. 

“To feel finally a true feeling of worth, God’s presence, cleansing, a marriage — whole!” Ross said, describing what she felt that day.

The journey to Catholicism was a long road — 66 years. Raised Pentecostal, Ross had some connection to Catholicism with family on her mother’s side being Catholic. She remembers her family taking her to Mass, but “No one truly explained what the Mass was.” 

Despite feeling drawn to the faith, she says what held her back was that she didn’t want to disappoint her family and not understanding what everything was about. 

Decade after decade went by, but after each year, the nudge to become Catholic became stronger. So, Ross stopped by Immaculate Conception Parish in Mattoon and met their RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) team who answered questions, provided her materials to learn more about the faith, but most importantly, Ross said that the team was always there for her. While going through the RCIA process, Ross thinks back and now laughs because of what surprised her the most.

“How much I felt at home, Ross said. “I guess I also really had a Catholic core and really did not know it!”

As she learned more about the richness and treasures of the faith, Ross says she developed a devotion to Mary and St. Michael the Archangel. “It’s such an honor to talk to her,” Ross said. “I feel safer with St. Michael.”

Today, the retired mother of three girls is enjoying time with her nieces, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, going to Mass, and spending time at her parish. When she looks back over her journey to the Catholic faith, what stands out the most to her is a simple five-word answer.

“Why it took so long.” 

Debra Ross has a conversation with Father John Titus, her pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish in Mattoon. At the Easter Vigil last year, Ross received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first holy Communion from Father Titus.

Submitted photo 

Why does it seem we place more emphasis on Jesus’ Crucifixion than on His Resurrection? We could all be put to a torturous death on a cross, but we can’t be raised like Jesus was. If there was no Resurrection, there is no point in the Crucifixion other than it was done to an innocent man.
Nancy in Barry

When St. Paul went to preach at the Areopagus in Athens, he went to proclaim the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. As he proclaimed the bodily Resurrection of the Lord to the philosophically minded Athenians, they scoffed at him and rejected his message out of hand. The Greeks, who looked upon the body as nothing more than a prison from which the soul sought to escape, thought the notion of the reunification of the body and the soul preposterous. From that day on, St. Paul resolved to “preach Christ crucified” (I Corinthians 1:23). He went so far as to say, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2). We place more emphasis on the Crucifixion because St. Paul does. 

The Church has always held the cross of Christ to be the great sign of his victory — a trophy, of sorts — over sin and death. Just as the Church depicts the martyrs with the signs of their victory (St. Paul, for example, was beheaded by the sword and often is shown carrying a sword because it was the instrument of his death), the Church depicts the Lord on the instrument of his death, an instrument which brought us our salvation and victory over sin.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that “the Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross” (638). This is why St. Paul frequently spoke of Jesus as the one who “died and was raised” (II Corinthians 5:15). The death of Jesus on the cross cannot be separated from His Resurrection from the dead, and vice versa; to preach one is to preach the other.

We emphasize the Crucifixion of Jesus in the certain hope that “if, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him… Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:8-11). The effective means of preaching this central truth of the Christian faith and life is to follow the example of Saint Paul, to preach Christ Crucified.

 Father Daren Zehnle is pastor at St. Augustine Parish in Ashland and is the director for the Office of Divine Worship and the Catechumenate for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. 

The Springfield Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (SDCCW) is sponsoring a Lenten Retreat March 29-30 at the Villa Maria Retreat and Conference Center in Springfield. The subject of the retreat is, “Life’s journey — Why is God so important?” Father Larry Brunette, retired from the Dioceses of Springfield in Illinois and Joliet will facilitate the retreat. 

The SDCCW Lenten retreat will feature spiritual presentations, prayer, the rosary, confession, fellowship, and the celebration of Mass. The retreat begins with registration and a light breakfast at 9 a.m. on March 29 and concludes after lunch on March 30. 

Retreat costs include meals, refreshments, retreat master, retreat materials, and the use of the facility. The cost for an overnight stay, double occupancy is $90. An overnight stay, single occupancy is $110 or for commuters it is $70. Registration is due by March 22 and payment can be made to S.D.C.C.W. Contact your parish office, your women’s group, or your deanery president for additional information and registration form or email Myrna McKee at sdccwinil@gmailcom.

The Villa Maria is located at 1903 East Lake Shore Drive in Springfield.

By Andrew Hansen  EDITOR

Tucked away, on the outskirts of Springfield sits a peaceful and sacred ground. Beautiful, dense trees and treasures of nature surround a property that for more than 100 years has been serving as the Motherhouse for the compassionate and faith-filled Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. The beating heart of this property? One of the most majestic and beautiful churches in the Midwest, St. Francis of Assisi Church, designed by Helmle & Helmle, a Springfield architectural firm, and built by local contractor Frank Fitzsimmons in the 1920’s. The church was dedicated in 1924.

“When I go into that church, the expression is ‘this is a hidden gem,’” said Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. “It is not a parish church, so there are not people coming there every Sunday. A lot of people in our diocese do not even know it exists. It is just a magnificent structure.”

The Romanesque style church is 133 feet long, 115 feet wide, and 84 feet tall and is shaped like a cross. It has spectacular artwork, mosaics, and statues, a vaulted ceiling, elaborate designs, striking stained glass, detailed bronze stations of the cross, and an astonishing scarlet dome.

On display, there is a bone relic of St. Francis of Assisi and a relic of the true cross that belonged to Pope Pius IX. The St. Joseph altar is made from rare Italian and Greek marble and the statue. Made in 1932, is among the first colored marble statues imported to the United States. The Altar of Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament is also made of rare marble from Greece and Italy. The gold covered tabernacle was designed in Belgium after images of the Ark of the Covenant and the door features the four evangelists. A crucifix above the altar was made in Belgium by a master artisan and is the only one of its kind in existence. The baldacchino is modeled after the tent under which the Ark of the Covenant was carried. If the sanctuary does not catch your attention, the large mural of “Christ the Almighty” will. Then, there is the dome, which rises 120 feet from the floor. It contains 24 windows of angels and 750 stars that symbolize the members in the American Province of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis in 1964.

This sacred space has been described as “overwhelming splendor,” all of which is about one thing, reminding us that we are called for holiness and to not live for this world, but for the everlasting reward in heaven.

“When you talk about a favorite thing (about the church), in my first ministry as a Franciscan, I was a pediatric nurse,” said Sister Maureen O’Connor, OSF, the Provincial Superior of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. “There is a statue of Mary where she is holding Jesus as about a toddler. It is such a wonderful picture of the humanity of Jesus because his little sandal is hanging off his foot. I think most parents would pick up their kids up and they would say that there shoes are here or their hat is there, and I see the loving embrace of Mary for Jesus and two minutes later she put him down and put his shoe back on him. It touches me for the relationship between Mary and Jesus and takes me back to my happy pediatric time.” 

The property also features several shrines, including shrines to St. Therese of Lisieux, Our Sorrowful Mother, and St. Felicitas, otherwise known as St. Felicity. The Shrine to St. Felicitas shrine includes a wax body representing her with a small relic encased within. The Relic Chapel, which is situated as you enter the main entrance of the church, contains bone fragments, clothing fiber, and hair, among other relics of saints from all ages of the Church.

Outside on the 300-acre property, there are shrines to Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Lourdes. Several saints are also honored through devotionals along a walking path.

“Our first Motherhouse was at St. John’s Hospital,” said Sister O’Connor. “After the sisters had been there for some time, they acquired the property out here (in 1917), and the first structure was St. John’s Tuberculosis Sanatorium. They cared for TB patients here for many years. That brought our healing presence to this property. We also had the St. John’s Crippled Children’s Home, which took care of a lot of polio children and youngsters with cerebral palsy. We had treatment, and they went to school here. So, this property was initially for the healing ministry, and then the next structure was the church, a place for the sisters to live, and the chapel, and it just continued to grow, but it was always in service of our ministry.” 

In May of 2021, the Hospital Sisters and the Diocese of Springfield announced that the diocese would form a new entity that will assume ownership and responsibility in a trust, effective in January, for the operations, care, and maintenance of the St. Francis Convent property. The Hospital Sisters community will continue to live on the property. The diocese also announced that they will form a new institute for religious life and intellectual and spiritual formation for teachers of the Catholic faith, parish teams, priests, and lay faithful living locally and across the country. So, all the treasurers on this property will be available to the faithful.

How do I defend our teaching of asking the saints to intercede for us? How do I respond when I am asked, “Why don’t you just pray to God directly?"
Anonymous in the diocese

To answer that question properly, we must first clarify what we are exactly doing when we ask for the intercession of Mary or a particular saint. When we say a saint prayer, whether it is the Hail Mary, the St. Patrick Prayer, or the St. Michael the Archangel Prayer etc., we are not actually “praying to” saints, even though that is the language we as Catholics even use. 

We recognize that these saints, who are creations of God, have played an important part in God’s plan in this world. We, therefore, through prayer, are actually asking them to “pray for us” and intercede for us because they are saints, friends of God, and are literally in his company in Heaven. God doesn’t need them to do this. He knows all things and can do all things and is perfectly able to hear and answer all prayers Himself. He does, however, invite His creation to be a part of His ongoing plan of salvation. 

We recognize that no saint, not even Mary, has any power in and of themselves, but that everything they do is through the power of God. The saints and the Blessed Mother want us to remember this too. That is why they are always pointing us toward Jesus. The saints and Mary help us recognize Jesus and His call to us in our lives. The saints teach us by their example and by the way they followed Christ while they were on this earth. They intercede for us, offering their prayers for us as close friends of God, just in the same way if you ask a friend or family member to pray for you or loved one in need. When you ask someone to pray for you or a loved one, you are not worshiping them or thinking that they have the power themselves to change things themselves. 

Every person in Heaven is a saint, and we are still connected to them through what is called the Communion of Saints (we must also strive to be a saint one day). To ask for prayers from the saints is to ask friends to help us stay focused on Jesus, His plan, and what He asks us to do. 

We can of course always lift our prayers directly to God, but we should also remember that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit used angels, prophets, apostles, and disciples as messengers and intercessors all throughout the Scriptures to do His work and spread the Good News. God didn’t need to do this. He could have done it Himself, and yet He used others to help with His mission. 

In the same way, we continue to recognize that the saints play an important role in God’s plan, so why not ask them to help us and encourage us on the way! So, continue to pray to God, but ask too for the saints to pray for you or a loved one. After all, the saints are our friends, and they desire us to be next to them in Heaven worshipping God forever.

Father Marty Smith is pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Jerseyville and St. Patrick Parish in Grafton and is an associate vocations director for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.

By ANDREW HANSEN
Editor  

It started with Father Jeffrey Goeckner, pastor at St. Boniface Parish in Edwardsville, approaching parishioner and artist Nancy Jatcko in 2018. To celebrate the parish’s jubilee, Father Goeckner’s celebration plan included having paintings of St. Boniface, several other saints, and Venerable Father Augustine Tolton, the nation’s first black priest who grew up and ministered in Quincy, hang inside the church. 

“The opportunity to paint holy men and women for those who walk through St. Boniface's doors was an incredible opportunity,” Jatcko said. “It was a blessing to be able to tell stories about the saints, especially Father Tolton.” 

Using oil on canvas, Jatcko created this masterpiece (right), which was hung and blessed for veneration by Bishop Thomas John Paprocki at St. Boniface during the jubilee Mass and celebration of the parish on Sept. 15, 2019. It hangs inside the church today. 

“I felt invited to a private encounter with this holy and courageous priest,” Jatcko said. “As I painted, I reflected on his life and the sacrifices he made as the first black priest in our country to bring the Gospel to the people of Quincy and, eventually, Chicago. The task of doing him justice seemed daunting at first, but there was a special connection to Father Tolton through another great saint to whom I have long had a devotion, St. Katherine Drexel. Father Goeckner had seen a portrait I had painted of her and asked if I would take on the St. Boniface project. St. Katherine Drexel had been responsible for sending support to Father Tolton as he ministered to his parishioners in Chicago. I would say that divine providence definitely had a hand in the portrait of Father Tolton.”

Father Tolton was born into slavery in 1854 in Missouri. In 1862, his mother and siblings made a daring escape across the Mississippi River to Illinois. After settling in Quincy, he went to school at St. Peter’s Catholic School. Tolton later went to seminary school in Rome because no American seminary would accept a black man. Thinking he would minister in Africa, once he was ordained, he was instead sent back to Quincy, where he arrived to thousands of supporters. Known for his incredible singing and homilies, Father Tolton spent several years in Quincy before transferring to Chicago. He died of heatstroke at the age of 43 on July 9, 1897, and is buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Quincy. Pope Francis declared him “Venerable” on June 12, 2019, the second step of four to becoming a saint in the Catholic Church.

As we celebrate Black History Month in February, see page (WHAT) to learn five things you probably didn’t know about this holy man who lived a life of heroic virtue.

What you didn’t know about Venerable Father Augustine Tolton of Quincy
by Anna Fitzroy

As we celebrate Black History Month in February, we look at one of the diocese’s own, Father Augustine Tolton. Born a slave and affectionately known as “Gus,” Father Tolton is known as the first black priest in the United States. Pope Francis declared him “Venerable” in 2019, and he is currently buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Quincy. Here are five other facts about Father Tolton, who is on his way to becoming a saint!  

1. He attended an all-white school
   In 1865, Gus was enrolled at St. Boniface School in Quincy, 95 years before Ruby Bridges attended the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana. He withdrew from St. Boniface after just one month because many of the white parents threatened to leave the parish or remove their children from the school. Later, Gus attended St. Peter School at the insistence of the pastor, Father Peter McGirr.

2. His favorite hymn was Holy God, We Praise Thy Name 
   After Father Gus was ordained in Rome, he returned to Quincy as pastor of St. Joseph Parish, the parish for black Catholics. A brass band played his favorite hymn, Holy God, We Praise Thy Name as the train pulled into the station. He was greeted by a cheering crowd of thousands, a carriage for him to ride in, and an escort to St. Peter Church. 

3. He was mistakenly reported dead
   Father Gus sent out the customary cards commemorating his first Mass, which carried the phrase “in memoriam.” This was mistaken as a death notice, and the report that he had died was circulated a few months before he returned to Quincy from Rome. Father Gus later explained the obvious error to the Quincy Journal.

4. He played the accordion
   Father Gus was a talented accordionist and enjoyed playing music with his friend Fred, who accompanied him when he was reassigned to Chicago. Father Gus was also known for his beautiful singing voice and for speaking with an easy and graceful eloquence.

5. He came in second in the ‘Favorite Priest’ vote of 1889
   Even after he moved to Chicago, the people of Quincy still loved Father Gus. A few days after he left, the St. Rose Society of St. Peter Parish called a vote for their favorite priest. Father Gus came in second at 201½ votes, behind Father Brennan’s 213, but ahead of his old pastor FatherMcGirr at 98 votes. 

For more information on the life of Father Tolton and his cause for sainthood, go to dio.org. 

Anna Fitzroy lives and works in Springfield.

A holy time of preparation 
Lent begins March 2

By DIANE SCHLINDWEIN
Managing Editor 

Lent is the 40-day, penitential season of preparation for the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday (March 2) and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday with the beginning of the paschal triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday — April 14-16). 

Pope Francis has said this of Lent: “Let us not allow this season of grace to pass in vain! Let us ask God to help us set out on a path of true conversion.” 

So, consider taking advantage of the Lenten season by reading Scripture, attending daily Mass, practicing self-control by fasting, giving alms, or by doing an act of charity. Remember, Lent is not just about abstaining from luxuries but is about seeking true inner conversion of heart. 

Lenten regulations

All the Christian faithful are urged to develop and maintain a voluntary program of self-denial (in addition to the Lenten regulations that follow), serious prayer, and performing deeds of charity and mercy, including the giving of alms. 

Abstinence — Everyone 14 years of age and over is bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday (March 2) and all the Fridays of Lent. 

Fasting — Everyone 18 years of age and under 59 is required to fast on Ash Wednesday (March 2) and Good Friday (April 15). On these two days of fast and abstinence, only one full meatless meal is permitted. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each person’s needs, but together these should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids (including milk and fruit juices) are allowed.

Remember, to disregard completely the law of fast and abstinence is seriously sinful. 

According to section 1447 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Church did not establish the private practice of penance until the seventh century. Given that this practice was adapted from Irish missionaries inspired by Eastern monastic tradition, couldn’t and shouldn’t the Church consider adopting a private confession (between God and man) and incorporate that into a group service as is commonly done around Easter and Christmas instead of confessing to God through a priest? In my opinion, more Catholics would receive this sacrament more often.
- Pat in Granite City

What you propose has never been part of the Church’s tradition or her understanding of the power of the sacrament of penance, which is also sometimes called confession or reconciliation. Jesus established this sacrament of forgiveness when he said to the Apostles, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:23). Nowhere in the Gospels does Christ Jesus tell us it is enough to confess our sins directly to God; neither is such a notion found in the other writings of the New Testament. It simply is not a Biblical idea.

Rather, Jesus entrusted his authority to forgive sins to his Church, to his Apostles, who in turn entrusted this authority to their successors, the bishops, and also to the priests of the Church who act in the person of Christ. If these ministers of the Church are to determine which sins to forgive, they must know what the sins are. This is why the sacrament of penance requires the confession of sins to a priest. This Biblical foundation of the sacrament cannot be forgotten, nor can it be diminished.

It is true that the Church only began to implement an individual confession of sins to a priest around the seventh century, what the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the “private” confession of sins. This happened late in the history of the Church because it took some time for the Church to come to a deeper understanding of the power of the sacrament entrusted to her. Prior to this time, the Church understood that the only sins that could be forgiven through this sacrament after baptism were those of adultery, apostasy, and murder, and that these could only be forgiven once. When these sins were confessed, they confessed publicly before the gathered assembly of the faithful after which the bishop or priest absolved the penitent and imposed a heavy penance that could take years to fulfill. The Irish monks helped the Church arrive at a deeper understanding of the mercy of God active through this sacrament.

It would be impossible for the Church to do away with the ministry of priests and bishops in the sacrament of penance because they are part of the will of the Lord for his Church, and the Church cannot contradict the intentions of her Founder. That the Holy Spirit was given by the Lord Jesus to the Apostles for the forgiveness of sins is recalled in the first half of the formula of absolution: “God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins.” 

It is my hope and prayer that more people avail themselves of the grace of confession. If you or someone you know is afraid to go to confession, it is important to remember that when one enters the confessional, the priest will walk and help you through it. So as Scripture reminds us, do not be afraid, because what lies on the other side after confession is forgiveness of our sins, a clean slate, and your relationship with God restored.

Father Daren Zehnle is pastor at St. Augustine Parish in Ashland and is the director for the Office of Divine Worship and the Catechumenate for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. 

Growing up in a strong Catholic family, Lauren Jatcko’s faith has always been important to her (the Jatckos are parishioners at St. Boniface Parish in Edwardsville). But little did she know that her strong faith would be the shared enthusiastic connection between her and her now fiancé Joey Pruski. 

Jatcko and Pruski first stumbled upon each other via social media. Pruski was a touring musician from Texas, and Jatcko was a nanny at the time in Illinois. They became friends and kept in touch, but it was nothing more than just casual exchanges. One day, Pruski reached out to Jatcko and invited her to one of his shows so they could meet. 

“Though I had no intentions of sparking anything beyond the friendship we had built, I happily agreed,” Jatcko said. “We met a month later, and to our surprise, we had a lot in common. One of the very first things we discovered was that we were both Catholic! In that moment we both couldn't stop smiling and exchanged stories about how it was growing up in the Church.”

Fast forward to today, and now the happy couple is engaged, with the wedding to take place at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Kosciusko, Texas.

Jatcko and Pruski’s courtship and soon-to-be marriage is a refreshing reminder that despite growing numbers of couples choosing not to get married in the faith of the Church, there are still many young people who understand the importance of it and desire to enter into this holy sacrament. 

“We both firmly believe that to have a strong and lasting marriage, God must be the center of it,” Jatcko said. “Marriage is a sacrament, and we look to treat it as such. We have both been raised as Catholics and want to continue growing stronger in our faith together as one, and for the future of our family.” 

As the couple prepares for their wedding day, Jatcko says what they are looking forward to most is starting and raising a family and instilling the values and faith their parents instilled in them into their new family. 

“We believe that our Catholic faith will guide us in giving the other compassion and forgiveness as Christ gives us,” Jatcko says. “We believe that prayer is the binding ingredient to keep a marriage strong and solid. Faith strengthens all.”

Cutline

Edwardsville native Lauren Jatcko and Joey Pruski are engaged and will exchange vows at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Kosciusko, Texas. 

By ANDREW HANSEN
Editor 

They came from every corner of our diocese to pray together, worship together, receive the Eucharist together, and march together — all for one purpose: for the protection of human life. 

About 700 clergy, religious, teachers, students, and other lay Catholics from across the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois packed the streets of downtown Springfield to participate in the Springfield March for Life Jan. 21, raising their voices in prayer for the unborn and most vulnerable and protesting unjust laws that attack the dignity of human life. Marching past the Statehouse, Illinois Supreme Court building, and Governor’s Mansion, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki led the group in peacefully praying the rosary for an end to abortion and a greater respect for human life. This year marked the 49^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Jan. 22, 1973, U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. 

“Life begins at conception, so we should protect it and fight for that,” said Audrey Lasarge, a student at Sacred Heart School in Effingham.

“Babies can’t defend themselves,” said Ella Farris, a student at Mattoon High School. “They’re completely defenseless. They need someone to fight for them. That’s us. We’re here to fight for the lives that can’t fight for themselves.”

“Especially with our culture today, they want to really silence us, and they want to make us think that we don’t have a group, and that we don’t have enough numbers,” said Jacob Mizera, a student at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield. “I think we do. That’s proved in the march as we have 700 people, and it’s really exciting to make our voices heard and show people that this is a popular idea (fighting for life), and this is the truth.”

The day began with Catholics first joining together for a Life Mass at 10 a.m., celebrated by Bishop Paprocki at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Concelebrating with the bishop were 14 priests from across the diocese. The Mass was also livestreamed on the diocese’s YouTube and Facebook channels so schools who could not make the trip could participate virtually. 

In his homily, Bishop Paprocki reminded the faithful to stay hopeful and continue to act and speak up for life. “Most mothers and fathers who consider aborting their children do so because they are afraid,” Bishop Paprocki said. “They are afraid they will not be able to care for their children. We in the pro-life movement must expand our already extensive efforts through our women’s centers, our pregnancy centers, and our Catholic Charities programs to offer life affirming and healing services to women in crisis, either by helping them to have access to the resources they need to care for their babies or if they are not able to do so, to assist them in giving up their children for adoption to the many adoptive parents that are ready, willing, and able to care for them. These are just some of the ways that we are called to end the scourge of abortion with the help of God’s grace.”

After the Mass, most everyone bundled up but did their best to embrace the below freezing temperatures to participate in the prayer march in downtown Springfield. While praying the rosary, the marchers prayed for vulnerable mothers contemplating having an abortion, those who work in the abortion industry, mothers who are struggling financially or emotionally, for lawmakers to enact laws that defend the sanctity of human life, and for a greater respect for life, including an end to abortion. The march in Springfield passed buildings of each branch of government before returning to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for Benediction. 

“I believe in being pro-life, and I want to protect everyone who can’t be protected,” said Gracie Harman, a student at Sacred Heart School in Effingham. “It makes me proud that there is a group where we all believe in the same thing.”  

“We are the prolife generation, and I think having a really large turnout for events like these really helps impress upon everyone that we’re going to make sure that we’re going to have a positive impact in getting rid of abortion,” said Rick Wright, a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Those attending the Mass and Springfield March for Life came from schools across the diocese including St. Anthony High School in Effingham, Sacred Heart School in Effingham, Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield (the student choir sang at Mass), Christ the King School in Springfield, and Father McGivney Catholic High School in Glen Carbon. 

Parishes sending students and/or adult lay Catholics included St. Isidore in Dieterich, Immaculate Conception in Mattoon, Our Lady of Lourdes in Decatur, Blessed Trinity in Brussels, St. Mary in Alton, St. Charles Borromeo in Charleston, Mother of Perpetual Help in Maryville, St. Francis Xavier in Jerseyville, St. Brigid in Liberty, St. Francis Solanus in Quincy, St. Raymond in Raymond, St. Alexius in Beardstown, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Mt. Zion, St. Luke in Virginia, St. Paul in Highland, Annunciation in Shumway, St. Joseph the Worker in Chatham, Mother of Dolors in Vandalia, St. Thomas the Apostle in Newton, St. Francis of Assisi in Teutopolis, Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Alexander, St. Mary in Pittsfield, Sacred Heart in Virden, St. Ambrose in Godfrey, St. Agnes in Hillsboro, St. Anthony in Effingham, Sacred Heart in Effingham, Christ the King in Springfield, Holy Ghost in Jerseyville, St. Joseph in Springfield, Holy Family in Decatur, Blessed Sacrament in Quincy, St. Agnes in Springfield, Annunciation in Shumway, St. Thomas in Camp Point, Cathedral in Springfield, Holy Family in Granite City, St. Jude in Rochester, St. Louis in Nokomis, St. Columcille in Sullivan, St. Rose of Lima in Montrose, and Ss. Mary and Joseph in Carlinville.

The Eastern Illinois University Newman Center also had students participate as well as sisters from the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton, the Knights of Columbus State Council, and Calhoun for Life. 

By DIANE SCHLINDWEIN
Managing Editor 

In 2021, Shelly Sands, president of Missions International and a teacher at Marquette Catholic High School in Alton, traveled to Guatemala to meet with the bishops and priests of Jalapa, Jutiapa, Izabal, and Petén. She says those holy and devoted men expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the assistance they receive from sister parishes in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and other places. 

The purpose of Missions International, which is based in Highland, is to evangelize unreached people with the Gospel of Christ, bringing glory to God, through the transformation of lives and lifestyles of remote groups of people. They aim to establish churches, medical clinics, and homes among the unreached people groups of Central America, South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. They also cultivate ministry partners and create opportunities for teams of people to go on mission trips.

Missions International also has a “sister parish” program that involves connecting Catholic parishes in the Caribbean and Central and Latin Americas with “sister parishes” in the United States, who then provide spiritual and financial assistance to their sister parish. Sands’ home parish, St. Paul Parish in Highland, has a sister parish in Haiti. 

According to Sands, there are 19 parishes in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois with sister parishes in Guatemala, nine parishes with sister parishes in Haiti, and one parish with a sister parish in Venezuela. 

“I can’t even begin to express the overwhelming joy of being able to sit and talk with the pastors of our sister parishes (in other countries),” Sands said. “They are so grateful.”

Padre Teodoro, pastor of one of the sister parishes, explained to Sands just how much support from sister parishes in our diocese has meant during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“What everyone needs to understand is not only were their churches closed much longer than ours, but the priests did not get paid,” Sands said. “They rely on the donations, money or food, from their parishioners to survive. Without contact with parishioners, the pastors of our sister parishes were left with little resources.” Sands added that she wishes the parishes in our diocese could have heard Padre Teodoro express his gratitude as his words of thanks were so authentic. 

“After he finished his expression of thanks, one by one all the other pastors stood and stated that they, too, gave thanks to God for their brothers and sisters in their sister parishes,” Sands said. “The pastors of Guatemala were amazed that during our struggle we continue to support them. This was a true act of love, just as Jesus would do. I could feel in my heart their loving gratitude and continued support of all of us.” 

For example, after a devastating earthquake in Haiti in August 2021, Missions International organized an unique effort where several hundred faith-filled volunteers from schools and parishes in our diocese spent hours packing food into boxes for those impacted by the earthquake. A total of 22,680 servings were packed and delivered to the hungry in Haiti by Hospital Sisters Outreach in Springfield. An extra $900 from the donation for Haiti earthquake relief was sent to the religious order of St. Joseph the Apparition, who “do wonderful work in Haiti,” Sands said.  Those donations have all been distributed and used and did much to help the sisters assist “the poorest of the poor that have suffered from the earthquake,” she said. 

Learning about the ten martyrs of Quiché 

While Sands was in Guatemala, she also heard devastating stories of some martyrs who gave their lives for their faith during the 1980s. “You may have heard of Father Stanley Rother who was martyred in 1981 and beatified in 2017. During the civil war in Guatemala many Catholics were killed,” she said. Those included including 12-year-old Juan Berrera Méndez, known as Juanito, three priests who were missionaries of the Sacred Heart, and six lay men in Quiché, all who were beatified in April and are known as the Ten Martyrs of Quiché. 

“They are just a few of many, and their story is one most don’t know,” she said. “In this area of Guatemala, if you were Catholic, you either buried your Bible, became Protestant, or were martyred. Most catechists were on the death list … . In Quiché, for seven years during the late 70s and early 80s the military occupied the Catholic churches, and the diocese had to be closed. When the bishop of Quiché returned to Guatemala City, he was to write a report, but he wrote the truth, and he too was martyred.”

Sands was especially moved by the story of the young catechist Juanito, who was tortured, crucified, and shot because he never denied his faith. She said that a torture chamber was created by the military. There was a small well on the parish grounds where they threw the bodies of 37 people, including mothers and babies, Sands said, noting that a Franciscan nun shared details of the torture which were very disturbing. “Inside the church the floor had to be torn up to find the remains of others,” she said. “Upon entering this parish, you truly are standing on ground that was watered with the blood of martyrs.”  Now the church only houses the remains of Juanito.

According to Sands, traveling to Guatemala is always life changing. “We have no idea how fortunate we are,” she said. “Our faith is one of beauty and strength. The light that is shining in those who survived during these troubling times of Guatemala is so bright. Words cannot begin to describe it.” 

Announcing the 2022 trip to sister parishes of Guatemala

Missions International will be organizing a trip to sister parishes of Jalapa, Jutiapa, Izabal, and Petén July 10-16, 2022. There will be limited room based on restrictions due to COVID.  These restrictions can change and will be explained at the first meeting for those interested in traveling. 

Each sister parish will be restricted to two-to-three people on the trip. It is always good if you have someone traveling who is fluent in Spanish, but if not, a translator will be provided in Guatemala. 

You will spend three-to-four nights and four-to-five days in your sister parish depending on your previous travels to Guatemala.  Accommodation can vary depending on your sister parish.

You will spend two-to-three nights and one-to-two days in Guatemala City at the retreat center for the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.  At the retreat center there will be speakers focusing on Guatemalan history, culture, and martyrs.  You may also choose to visit Antigua during this time. You will enjoy a dinner with the pastor of your sister parish the night before traveling to your sister parish.

Both flights will be early morning flights getting travelers into Guatemala and the United States by midafternoon.

If you are interested in this trip, please email   before Feb. 28, 2022, to receive future information about the meeting for this trip.

The Springfield Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (SDCCW) is offering four $1,000 scholarships to recognize outstanding Catholic female high school seniors.  Applicants will be judged on how they exemplify the SDCCW’s mission values of leadership, faith, and service.

Young women who are interested in applying for the scholarship should contact their high school principal, high school guidance office or parish office for applications.  The application, essay and two letters of recommendations are required.  The application deadline is April 1, 2022.

Scholarship winners will be notified in May and honored at the Women of Distinction Banquet in July.

SDCCW is an affiliate of the National Council of Catholic Women and actively promotes the Catholic faith through service and leadership.  The council is comprised of representatives from the deaneries of our Springfield diocese.  More scholarship information is available by contacting Mary Ann Sullivan at .

Catholics are invited to a Gospel Mass and soul food lunch in Springfield, hosted by the Black Catholic Commission. Taking place on Sunday, Feb. 26, the Mass starts at 11 a.m. at St. Aloysius Church on Springfield’s north end. Father Fredrick Chima Mbiere, pastor of Resurrection Parish in Illiopolis and St. John Vianney Parish in Sherman, will be the celebrant. The soul food lunch follows Mass and is $5 per person. 

“The Gospel Mass and soul food lunch is an event acknowledging Black History Month,” said Donna Moore, director of the Office for the Office for Pro-Life Activities, Missions, and Special Ministries for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. “It’s a time to celebrate and honor the Lord, remember the past, acknowledge the present diversity among Catholics, and to embrace opportunities for inclusiveness in the future.”  

If you want to attend the lunch, please RSVP so enough food is prepared. You can call Donna Moore at (217) 321-1161 or email her at  .

By ANDREW HANSEN
Editor

Pope St. John Paul II said that “The very evangelization of modern culture depends to a great extent on the influence of the media." That is what Covenant Network and Relevant Radio, two Catholic radio networks that have affiliate stations in our diocese, are doing on a daily basis.

Adam Wright wakes every morning at 5:15 a.m. to host Roadmap to Heaven on Covenant Network, which is based in St. Louis. The 7-8 a.m. live show is broadcasted throughout 43 stations in 10 archdioceses/dioceses in the Midwest and south, including several cities in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. 

Wright’s show continuously features several priests from our diocese who discuss diocesan events, Catholic family life, Catholic news in our region, and Catholic theology. Wright also interviews Bishop Thomas John Paprocki every other month about diocesan, national, and international Catholic news. Wright’s show combines humor and authentic Catholicism in a fast paced, yet easy to consume way, all in effort to help you become a saint.

“Roadmap to Heaven is your ‘local’ dose of daily inspiration to strive for holiness,” Wright said. “It takes faith, perseverance, commitment, and a lot of grace to have that daily conversion and choose Christ. We feature stories about everyday Catholics who are in the same walks of life as our listeners.”

Covenant Network has several affiliates across the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. This includes 88.9 FM in Springfield, 106.3 FM in Beardstown; 95.9 FM in Carlinville; AM 1080 in Edwardsville; 91.3 FM in Effingham; 102.5 FM in Mattoon; 92.1 FM in Pittsfield; 93.7 FM in Quincy; AM 1410 in Taylorville; and 96.9 FM in Williamsville. The mission of Covenant Network is simple: evangelize the Catholic faith. 

Covenant Network itself is an affiliate of EWTN’s global Catholic radio and features other popular programming such as The Doctor is In with Dr. Ray Guarendi, Open Line (taking your faith-based questions live), Catholic Answers (apologetics and evangelization), and the praying of the rosary, among other informative and inspirational programming. 

“It never fails that we meet listeners who found answers to their questions listening to Covenant Network,” Wright said. “Whether it was something keeping them away from the faith or an impediment to growing in their faith, listeners have found the answers they needed because of the programming on Covenant Network.”

If you would like to donate to Covenant Network, you can visit OurCatholicRadio.org or call (314) 752-7000 or (877) 305-1234.  

Relevant Radio, another Catholic radio network, which has 182 affiliates nationwide, has stations in Decatur and St. Louis (which can be heard in the Metro East area of our diocese). Like Covenant Network, Bishop Paprocki is a frequent guest on Relevant Radio’s national programing, including the Patrick Madrid Show in the morning and the Drew Mariani Show in the afternoon. The rosary is also prayed nightly at 7 p.m.

WDCR, 88.9 FM and 96.5 FM in Decatur, is an affiliate of Relevant Radio. They recently celebrated 10 years of serving listeners in Macon County. 

“WDCR with the help of Relevant Radio broadcast the true word of God,” said Jim Comerford, president of the WDCR board said. “Catholic news is provided in a timely manner by members of the clergy and hosts who are up to date on Catholic teachings. If you have questions about what is said the host are available by phone or email.” 

WDCR offers a local program called Catholic and Company. Airing three times on Thursdays at 8 a.m., 5 p.m., and 10 p.m., hosts Father Chris Comerford (pastor of Ss. James and Patrick Parish in Decatur), Dave Slade, Katherine Smith, and Sharon Shilawski, highlight what is going on in the Catholic community locally and in the diocese. 

You don’t have to be in Macon County to listen. You can listen live and find archived podcasts of the shows at wdcrradio.com. You can donate to WDCR by going to wdcrradio.com or calling (217) 464-1099. 

“WDCR is a listener supported radio station,” Jim Comerford said. “The great support of our listeners has allowed us to continue to grow and to add options such as streaming to make listening convenient. Our listeners are the greatest! They go all out for us.”

Relevant Radio also has affiliates in the St. Louis area: 95.1 FM and 1380 AM (Spanish). Relevant Radio’s guiding principles include being faithful to the Magisterium and Catechism of the Catholic Church, being united to the bishops, and being under the protective intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The stories of impact Catholic radio is having on people is tremendous. Wright says that every year, they hear from multiple listeners who have fallen away from the faith, sometimes for years, because of a question or doubt that became an impediment. 

“Through God’s grace and one of our Catholic Radio bumper stickers and yard signs, they end up tuning into Covenant Network and find a solid, thorough answer to the question that kept them away,” Wright said. “These stories are usually very moving as the impediments were very difficult for these listeners.”

Jim Comerford says that when he hears someone has returned to the Catholic church after listening to WDCR, they are doing their job.  

“We have one couple who joined the church after listening and are very active members of their parish,” Comerford said. “We understand we are God’s helpers and will continue to work to let everyone know God loves them.”

Then, there is the funny story involving Father Michael Berndt, parochial vicar at St. Anthony Parish in Effingham. He said that while he was a priest in Springfield and went out for lunch, a man ran into the store and paid for his lunch after seeing Father Berndt walk inside the establishment. The man said he wanted to pay for Father Berndt’s lunch because he heard Father Berndt’s vocation story interview on Covenant Network and was grateful for his priestly vocation.  

Cutlines

Adam Wright, host of Roadmap to Heaven on Covenant Network, prepares to go LIVE in the studio based in St. Louis. Covenant Network has 10 radio station affiliates in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. 

Father Chris Comerford, pastor of Ss. James and Patrick Parish in Decatur, is one of the hosts of Catholic and Company on WDCR in Decatur.

By Andrew Hansen

They came from every corner of our diocese to pray together, worship together, receive the Eucharist together, and march together — all for one purpose: for the protection of human life. 

About 700 clergy, religious, teachers, students, and other lay Catholics from across the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois packed the streets of downtown Springfield to participate in the Springfield March for Life Jan. 21, raising their voices in prayer for the unborn and most vulnerable and protesting unjust laws that attack the dignity of human life. Marching past the Statehouse, Illinois Supreme Court building, and Governor’s Mansion, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki led the group in peacefully praying the rosary for an end to abortion and a greater respect for human life. This year marked the 49^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Jan. 22, 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. 

“Life begins at conception, so we should protect it and fight for that,” said Audrey Lasarge, a student at Sacred Heart School in Effingham.

“Babies can’t defend themselves,” said Ella Farris, a student at Mattoon High School. “They’re completely defenseless. They need someone to fight for them. That’s us. We’re here to fight for the lives that can’t fight for themselves.”

“Especially with our culture today, they want to really silence us, and they want to make us think that we don’t have a group, and that we don’t have enough numbers,” said Jacob Mizera, a student at Sacred Heart Griffin High School in Springfield. “I think we do. That’s proved in the march as we have 700 people, and it’s really exciting to make our voices heard and show people that this is a popular idea (fighting for life), and this is the truth.”

The day began with Catholics first joining together for a Life Mass at 10 a.m., celebrated by Bishop Paprocki at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Concelebrating with the bishop were 14 priests from across the diocese. The Mass was also livestreamed on the diocese’s YouTube and Facebook channels so schools who could not make the trip could participate virtually.  
In his homily, Bishop Paprocki reminded the faithful to stay hopeful and continue to act and speak up for life. 

“Most mothers and fathers who consider aborting their children do so because they are afraid,” Bishop Paprocki said. “They are afraid they will not be able to care for their children. We in the pro-life movement must expand our already extensive efforts through our women’s centers, our pregnancy centers, and our Catholic Charities programs to offer life affirming and healing services to women in crisis, either by helping them to have access to the resources they need to care for their babies or if they are not able to do so, to assist them in giving up their children for adoption to the many adoptive parents that are ready, willing, and able to care for them. These are just some of the ways that we are called to end the scourge of abortion with the help of God’s grace.”

After the Mass, most everyone bundled up but did their best to embrace the below freezing temperatures to participate in the prayer march in downtown Springfield. While praying the rosary, the marchers prayed for vulnerable mothers contemplating having an abortion, those who work in the abortion industry, mothers who are struggling financially or emotionally, for lawmakers to enact laws that defend the sanctity of human life, and for a greater respect for life, including an end to abortion. The march in Springfield passed buildings of each branch of government before returning to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for Benediction. 

“I believe in being pro-life, and I want to protect everyone who can’t be protected,” said Gracie Harman, a student at Sacred Heart School in Effingham said. “It makes me proud that there is a group where we all believe in the same thing.” 

“We are the prolife generation, and I think having a really large turnout for events like these really helps impress upon everyone that we’re going to make sure that we’re going to have a positive impact in getting rid of abortion,” said Rick Wright, a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Those attending the Mass and Springfield March for Life came from schools across the diocese including St. Anthony High School in Effingham, Sacred Heart School in Effingham, Sacred Heart Griffin High School in Springfield (student choir sang at Mass), Christ the King School in Springfield, and Father McGivney Catholic High School in Glen Carbon. 

Parishes sending students and/or adult lay Catholics included St. Isidore in Dieterich, Immaculate Conception in Mattoon, Our Lady of Lourdes in Decatur, Blessed Trinity in Brussels, St. Mary in Alton, St. Charles Borromeo in Charleston, Mother of Perpetual Help in Maryville, St. Francis Xavier in Jerseyville, St. Brigid in Liberty, St. Francis Solanus in Quincy, St. Raymond in Raymond, St. Alexius in Beardstown, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Mt. Zion, St. Luke in Virginia, St. Paul in Highland, Annunciation in Shumway, St. Joseph the Worker in Chatham, and Mother of Dolors in Vandalia.

The Eastern Illinois University Newman Center also had students participate as well as sisters from the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton. 

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois are coloring the world with their gifts, talents, prayers, generosity, sacrifice, and love. See how each school in our diocese is building up the Kingdom of God as we celebrate Catholic Schools Week Jan. 30 - Feb. 5.

Click here to see how each school is building up the Kingdom of God

‘Bringing Jesus to the people is a wonderful feeling and something that is at the very heart of the diaconate’
By DEACON ADAM COX
Special to Catholic Times 

MARYVILLE — When I was lying face down on the marble floor of the Cathedral seven months ago, I had no idea what the life of a deacon was going to look like. My very first time serving as an ordained deacon was with Bishop Thomas John Paprocki on ordination day. I have never been more nervous in my life, but he is very understanding, and I got through it. In a short period of time, I have become more confident in my role at Mother of Perpetual Help, my home parish in Maryville, and so far, becoming a deacon has been spiritually rewarding. 

It would be misleading to say that everything is always easy, but God continues to provide me strength and bless me abundantly. Some things that I do as a deacon were the same things I did prior to ordination, like helping distribute holy Communion, and while I don’t lector anymore, I do proclaim the Gospel to the people. I also get to do new things such as give homilies, offer blessings, assist with baptisms, and was recently interviewed by a family for a school project. I’m grateful for all the opportunities that have been offered since ordination, but nothing compares to distributing holy Communion to the people of the parish inside and outside the church. 

Bringing Jesus to the people is a wonderful feeling and something that is at the very heart of the diaconate. The reverence that I see from the people has been very humbling. It always brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart. Shortly after ordination I was given the opportunity to take Communion to someone at their home and God showed me what true love of the Eucharist is. This person was unable to speak and was very weak, but as I said the words “the Body of Christ,” I could see the love in this person’s eyes. My heart was so moved by this expression, and I could feel the love of Christ in the room with us, a truly indescribable moment, one that I will never forget! I realized at that moment, in a new way, the joy of being used by God to help minister to the people. 

I’m still new in my life as a deacon, but I have many years ahead of me, and I hope God continues to use me in my life of service to others. I could have never imagined the peace that my heart feels in my new role and the journey of getting to this point was a learning experience. I’m often reminded that the learning experience and journey are ongoing, but hopefully I can use this in helping me not grow stale in my ministry to others. 

It was easy to think during formation that eventually I would be ordained, and the formation would stop or at least slow down, but that is not the case. I’m finding that the formation has grown more intense, and I appreciate it more than ever. I also realize this is true for other aspects of my life: my marriage, my relationship with my kids, and the relationships with the people at my parish. I must continue to let God form me. When formation stops, I stop growing spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. To be effective in my ministry to others, I need to be open, honest, and be willing to adapt to where people are at in their lives, not mine. Seven months ago, I had no idea what the life of a deacon would look like, and I don’t think I’m any closer now, but my formation is only beginning and always changing.

Deacon Adam Cox serves at Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Maryville.

Thinking about becoming a deacon?

Applications for the permanent diaconate in our diocese are being accepted at this time. Permanent diaconate formation begins in the fall of 2022. 

“My advice to men is pray and discern,” said Deacon Dave Sorrell, director of the Office for the Diaconate. “I know there are many men discerning a call to vocation. I simply ask them to continue their prayer of discernment if God is calling them to a vocation as a permanent deacon.”  

Deacon Sorrell also says that in addition to prayer and perhaps most importantly, men should include their wife and family in their prayer and have an open and candid discussion. They should also consult their pastor and if a deacon is ministering in the parish, seek him out as well. The pastor and deacon will be most helpful in the discernment process. The deacon and wife will be very helpful in identifying the blessings and challenges of formation and ordained life.  

The permanent diaconate is open to men between the ages of 32 and 57, who are active in the practice of our faith, and who desire to grow in their relationship with God and in their service to the Church. If interested, email Deacon Sorrell: . You can also visit dio.org/diaconate.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines sin as “the failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by an attachment to certain goods. Sin wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity.”

Translation: Sin is when you miss the mark — when you choose something of lesser importance over God, another person, or your true self.

It doesn’t take much reflection to understand that not all sin is the same. Intentionally taking someone else’s life and being short tempered with someone are not morally equivalent. The First Letter of St. John says that all wrongdoing is sin, but not all sin is deadly. That is a distinction that the Church still holds today in distinguishing between mortal and venial sin. 

Venial sin is present when you act against the moral law, even in small ways such as when you slack off at work, when you binge watch Netflix and still claim you are too busy to call and check in on loved ones. We all know this list could go on. 

Mortal sin is more serious. For a sin to be mortal, three conditions have to be met. First, it has to entail “grave matter,” which means that the act itself is serious (serious according to God’s criteria, not ours!). Secondly, you have to have full knowledge that what you are doing is grave matter. Third, you have to give complete consent to the act. 

Mortal sin is a deliberate decision, by which you are saying, “I know this is a bad thing to do, and I am going to freely choose in this moment to do it anyway.” Mortal sin requires a sacramental confession to be forgiven (and so you can receive the Eucharist). 

A quick case study: John knows Catholics cannot eat meat on Fridays during Lent. He thinks about this while at lunch and says, “I know what the Church says, but who cares?” Then, he proceeds to eat a hamburger. All criteria seem to be met for mortal sin. On the other hand, Jane also knows the Church’s Lenten observances but honestly doesn’t think about it being Friday until after her hamburger. She did not give her complete consent to the act, so it is not a mortal sin. It was just a mistake.

Always remember, whether sin is mortal or venial, it is bad for us and is not good enough for our hearts and the plans of love God has for us. If you have mortal sin on your conscience, come to confession, the sacrament of mercy. Nothing is bigger or stronger than God’s mercy.  If you have no mortal sin, it is still important to ask forgiveness for our venial sins, even small ones. Make a regular practice of confession. 

Think of it like a car wash. If you have gone mudding (mortal sin), get to the wash right away. If your vehicle gets dirty ever so often (venial sin), it is still good to get it washed every three or four months!

Father Rob Johnson is pastor of Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Maryville and chaplain of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. 

One of Jesus’ key ministries was the forgiveness of sins, something He often associated with simultaneous miracles of physical healing. See Lk 5:17-26, where Jesus forgives the paralytic his sins, and then heals his paralysis. Every time He forgave, Jesus personally, intimately, and life-changingly encountered the person suffering from their sins, and this is something He wants to do for us as well! By His death and resurrection, Christ has redeemed us, conquering sin and death, and He wanted this healing and forgiving ministry to continue, so he entrusted it to the Apostles and consequently, to the Church. 

One Scripture basis for the sacrament of penance is John 20:19-23, when on Easter night, Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on the Disciples and told them, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” The words of absolution said by the priest in the sacrament are rooted in this Scripture. “God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church, may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Rite of Penance, 46.) 

The priest in the confessional, in the sacrament of penance, is in persona Christi, in the person of Christ, as in all sacraments. It is Christ who absolves. It is Christ who baptizes. It is Christ who offers himself on the altar at Mass. So, when penitents come to the sacrament, they are in fact confessing to God, Christ Jesus, in and through the person of the priest. This is going directly to God, as you say in your question. 

Why is this manner of confessing helpful? Here we return to the bedrock truth of the Christian faith. God became one with us in the flesh, in His incarnation. God did not just will our redemption and accomplish it by thinking it. He sent his Son, in the flesh, to personally encounter us, to save us by his death and resurrection.  

So, think of it in terms of your marriage. You did not become married just by thinking it. You said your intentions publicly, out loud to your spouse. Your words, your consent, your two-become-one, make the sacrament. It is incarnational; you are husband and wife in the flesh. When there is a rift in your marriage, when you wronged your spouse, you need to say, “I am sorry.” Sure, you can think of how sorrowful or remorseful you are, and you can presume your spouse’s forgiveness, but the rift is not really healed until words of sorrow are expressed and you hear the words, “I accept your apology and forgive you.” It is a personal, direct encounter. It is sorrow incarnated.  

The way that God created our humanity — body, soul, mind, and strength — means that we need to outwardly, verbally express both our love and our sorrow. I encourage you to go to confession so you can name your sins and express sorrow to Jesus in the person of the priest and hear his healing words of mercy.

Father Joe Ring is pastor at Our Saviour Parish in Jacksonville. This originally appeared in Catholic Times in 2019.

 From my experience as a confessor and one who also goes to confession regularly, a good preparation before confession is the key to making a good confession. Think about any time you have had to have a serious conversation with somebody, especially one that might be difficult. There is no way you would go into that conversation unprepared. The anxiety of the situation could seriously compromise your ability to get your points across. But, if you prepare ahead of time, even though the nerves are there, you will be in a much better position to communicate your message. 

We all know how nervous we can get when we go to confession, so preparing ahead of time will enable us to better confess our sins despite our anxiety. Furthermore, the Church asks us that we make an integral confession, which means making as complete of a confession as possible. Just trying to think of some sins a minute or two before confession is not sufficient. 

So how does one prepare, especially if it has been a while? The first thing to do is to say a prayer to the Holy Spirit, asking Him to shed light on those areas of your life where you need forgiveness. Then, it can be helpful to use an Examination of Conscience guide to help you identify and name your sins. You can look one up on the internet or check out the one on page 10. Make a good preparation and come receive God’s mercy in your nearest confessional!

Father Brian Alford is rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield and is the vocations director for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.