By ANDREW HANSEN Editor GLEN CARBON — Alexandra Uram loves Hawaii. Vacationing to the island of Maui with her family several times, most recently in 2021, the Father McGivney Catholic High School (Glen Carbon) sophomore has especially fallen in love with Lahaina, a town on the island. “Great restaurants, fun activities including snorkeling and dolphin and whale watching, art galleries, and museums,” Uram said. “I thought it was a welcoming community with friendly, awesome people. My family and I love Maria Lanakila Catholic Church. It is architecturally beautiful and has vibrant parishioners. The singing at that gorgeous church, not just by… Read More

Where in the Bible does it say that a priest cannot be married, or is this something that was decided by the Church leaders? And, where in the Bible does it say that women cannot be priests, or is this something that was decided by the Church leaders? – Sue in Troy Hey, Sue! Both priestly celibacy and the male priesthood are well-attested to and rooted in Scripture, and moreover, in the life and ministry of Jesus Himself. Let’s take the male priesthood first. It is clear from the testimony of the Old Testament that the Aaronic and Levitical priesthood was… Read More

By Andrew HansenEDITOR Growing up in Laoang, a small city located in the northern part of Samar Province in the Philippines, Father Manny Cuizon had no idea what was in store for his life. Little did he know growing up that not only would he become a priest, but his journey would stretch to the other side of the world to Central Illinois of all places and lead him to becoming a citizen of the United States. “I came to America in March of 2012, the Feast of St. Joseph the husband of Mary,” Father Manny recalls. “To make the… Read More

Enrollment continues to grow at Quincy University. This fall, the university welcomed 327 freshmen. This marks the largest freshman class in 50 years and a 7% increase over last year. Combining freshman with new transfers, there are 411 full-time new students at QU, up slightly from last year and the highest since 1990. The total of full-time undergraduate students at QU for the Fall 2023 academic term is 1,011, a 2% increase over last year. "Once again, Quincy University is breaking modern enrollment records because of the hard work of our faculty and staff and the accomplishments of our students,"… Read More

I have just finished reading the book, Dressing with Dignity, by Colleen Hammond. In the book, it says how women’s clothing at Mass has become too revealing, not only for teens but for their mothers. St. Padre Pio was strict on who he’d allow in his confessional if necklines weren’t up high enough, and skirts weren’t low enough. The book also references what the Catholic Church teaches about appropriate modest dress, especially at church and if one isn’t dressed modestly, Communion can be refused. Why aren’t priests being more strict about this today? I feel like women would think twice about… Read More

HIGHLAND — While searching for high-quality, beautiful outdoor Stations of the Cross for St. Paul Parish, Father Pat Jakel, pastor, came across some remarkable handcrafted pieces of art. They are custom molds of the Stations of the Cross in St. Ludwig Church in Darmstadt, Germany, that were hand-carved in 1905 by brothers and master sculptors Wilhelm and Franz Albermann. Incredibly, the originals  survived the bombing during World War II, mostly intact, and are the only set in existence. More recently an artist, Mark Gabriele, obtained special permission to spend two years transposing the original sculptures into relief carvings. Because Father Jakel… Read More

By FATHER JOE MOLLOY      Special to Catholic Times   School is back in session and just as it is important for students to learn about history, math, science, literature, and all the rest, so, too, is it very important that students learn about Jesus and our Catholic faith every week in faith formation classes at parishes such as PSR, our Catholic schools, but most importantly, at home. I want to add something very important to the idea of Catholic formation of our young people. There is nothing more important to the formation of our youth, for their growth in… Read More

Diocesan seminarian to be ordained to transitional diaconate in Rome By DIANE SCHLINDWEIN      Managing Editor On Sept. 28, Troy Niemerg, a seminarian for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois who has been doing his theology studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome,  will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at St. Peter’s Basilica.  He’s looking forward to that day, when he will share his joy with several members of his family who are traveling to be with him.   “Fortunately, most of my immediate family will be able to make it to my ordination,” he said. “It’s… Read More

Suicidal fears and authentic accompaniment   When we realize that someone we love may be suicidal, it can be complicated to figure out how best to respond. The threat of suicide from a friend or family member obviously needs to be taken seriously, and we need to respond with loving support and accompaniment. Providing such help, however, will not necessarily be synonymous with granting every request or affirming every assertion they make. Suppose that a friend shares that he has just lost his entire personal fortune in the most recent stock market crash. He tells you know that he is… Read More

‘I will remember the people I met and the places I saw for the rest of my life’ Priests, young adults from our diocese have experience of a lifetime at World Youth Day By ANDREW HANSEN and CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY      Editor “Be not afraid,” Pope Francis told young Catholics Sunday at the closing Mass of World Youth Day (WYD) 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal, echoing the well-known call of his predecessor and the founder of the international youth gathering, St. John Paul II. “Dear young people, I would like to look into the eyes of each one of you and… Read More

The Man of the Shroud Exhibit coming to Vandalia By ANDREW HANSEN      Editor VANDALIA — You are invited to see a replica of the Shroud of Turin, which is believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus, and to learn about the history and science behind it by experiencing The Man of the Shroud Exhibit, coming to Mother of Dolors Parish in Vandalia for display Sept. 8-14. The Shroud is one of the most scientifically studied religious icons in history. As science has progressed, so has the speculation on how the image of the crucified man of the… Read More

100 years of faith WWII veteran Robert Edward Ryan of Alton shares century of advice By ANDREW HANSEN        Editor   ALTON —It’s a Sunday morning in Alton. Fresh off a work week as a lawyer at his own firm, Robert Edward Ryan puts on his suit and tie and gets in his car and drives to his home parish of Ss. Peter and Paul for Mass. He gets there early because he is an usher at this morning’s Mass. He greets familiar faces and friends with a smile, charm, and pep in his step. Everyone calls him “Bob.”… Read More

It’s harvest time! Pumpkin patch, fall fun help Joehl family share their faith By DIANE SCHLINDWEIN     Managing Editor GREENFIELD — When harvest time comes around every year, Regan and Christie Joehl always find many reasons to be especially thankful.  With five sons and another baby on the way, they know God has blessed them with a fine family, a working farm, and great friends. Now, thanks to an idea they came up with eight years ago, they are now heavily involved in the happy business of pumpkin farming and welcoming thousands of people to their Greene Fields Farm several weekends… Read More

The Holiest Adventure days for moms/daughters and fathers/sons coming this fall — sign up now Are you craving screenless quality time with your children? Join Catholics in our diocese for The Holiest Adventure — mother/daughter edition and father/son edition. These are two separate adventure days for moms and their daughters and dads and their sons. The days will be packed with fun activities, Mass, adoration, and delicious food. The mother/daughter edition is Saturday, Sept. 16 and is for moms and their daughters in grades 4-9. The father/son edition is Saturday, Oct. 14, and is for dads and their sons in grades 4-9.… Read More

John 6:53 says, “Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you.’” So, what about the faithful in other religions who do not believe in the true Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and therefore, do not receive Him? -             Nancy in Springfield Dear Nancy, When my wife, Pam, and I became Catholic in 2003, we had some challenging conversations with family and friends. One of the issues that we had to address was to reassure our non-Catholic… Read More

Seats for historic Eucharistic Congress in Springfield Oct. 28 filling up quicklyInquire with your parish now to reserve your spotBy ANDREW HANSEN Editor   The excitement for the first ever Eucharistic Congress in our diocese is growing as parishes are reporting many of their allocated seats for the historic event are taken, so if you want to go, you better act fast.  The Eucharistic Congress takes place Saturday, Oct. 28 at the BOS Center in Springfield. Seats are free. The day-long event features four popular Catholic speakers, Dr. Scott Hahn, Sister M. Karolyn Nunes, FSGM, Father Chase Hilgenbrinck, Father Denis Robinson, OSB;… Read More

Aren’t Catholics supposed to oppose the death penalty?Mike in Springfield As the Church, which is entrusted with handing on what Christ taught, Catholics find themselves discerning how to live the radical call of forgiveness which was a hallmark of Christ’s teaching and life.  His Sermon on the Mount is a clear call to live differently than the world around us, realizing the challenge that this is, “You have heard it said, love your kinsmen and hate your enemy, but I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5: 43-48). The Church also has… Read More

Totus Tuus brings nearly 700 children closer to our faithBy ANDREW HANSEN Editor  Totus Tuus, a popular weeklong faith-based program that was hosted by nine parishes this summer across our diocese, was about one thing: getting children to better understand our Catholic faith so they can grow more richly in their relationship with God. Whether it was going to daily Mass and receiving the Eucharist, going to confession, learning the mysteries of the rosary, eucharistic adoration, or reading the Bible, among other religious based activities, Totus Tuus combined faith and fun (games, funny skits, and outside activities) so children not only… Read More

The night Jerseyville’s Father Marty Smith saw a UFOWhat does the Church say about this phenomenon?By ANDREW HANSEN Editor  JERSEYVILLE — What was supposed to be a normal spring night for Father Marty Smith, pastor of several parishes in Jersey County, turned into something out of this world. In 2018, Father Smith invited a friend to come over to his home in Jerseyville to have some pizza and sit by a fire outside, as the weather had finally warmed up enough, and it was a pleasant evening. After they ate, the two of them were sitting around the fire and talking about… Read More

By DIANE SCHLINDWEINManaging Editor  As the 2023-2024 school year gets under way,  seven Catholic schools in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois are welcoming new principals to lead them into the future. One Aug. 2, those individuals gathered at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Springfield to meet with Brandi Borries, superintendent of Catholics schools; Dr. Mark Newcomb, who is the new director for the Department of Catholic Education; and Dawn Klinner, who is the new assistant superintendent of Catholic schools; to prepare for their new leadership roles. Other diocesan representatives also gave presentations to the principals, to introduce them to… Read More