News in The Observer this week:
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And don't miss these stories in this week's print edition of
The Observer:
• Priest class of 2003 holds five-year reunion.
• Rockford's Holy Family Church Knights of Columbus and the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary installed new playground equipment for handicap children at the Goldie Floberg Center in Rockton.
• Fulton Scout earns Eagle rank.
• Carol Jacklin, veteran business manager retires.
• Students and families from Holy Angels, Aurora, raised more than $10,000 during the school's first walk-a-thon.
• Confirmation students from St. Mary, Elizabeth, raised $250 making and selling Christmas ornaments.
• Sisters advocate bill to allow ministers to visit detainees.
• Pope authorizes granting indulgences for Pauline year events.
• Latin documents now online.
• WHAT'S UP: More events in and around the Diocese of Rockford
• Around the Diocese and Good for YOU: Activities and events people and organizations have taken part in.
• FROM OUR FILES - A look back at past news articles that appeared in previous issues of The Observer.
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Priests celebrate jubilees
at annual special Mass
BY AMANDA HUDSON, News editor
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Several priest jubilarians joined in the diocesan celebration April 30 at St. Rita Church, Rockford
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ROCKFORD—On April 30, the annual Jubilee Celebration featured Mass at St. Rita Parish and lunch, bringing priests of the diocese together for prayer and fellowship — and many well wishes for the 19 men in the Diocese of Rockford who are celebrating significant anniversaries of priesthood.
Msgr. Thomas Brady, vicar general, served as the main celebrant at the Mass.
“On behalf of Bishop Doran, Bishop O’Neill and your fellow priests, we wish to tell you congratulations for your many years of faithfully serving (God and His people) through your holy priesthood,” Msgr. Brady said. Read more …
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Veteran Volunteers line up for lunch following Mass marking 25 years of making rosaries for mission work near and far.
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Rosary Makers celebrate
25 years
BY AMANDA HUDSON, News editor
ROCKFORD—Close to 50 rosary makers gathered from around the diocese and nearby Wisconsin on May 1 at St. Edward Parish to celebrate 25 years of rosaries made for mission work near and far.
They were joined by fifth -grade students from St. Edward School in the morning, and the rosary makers taught them the basics of making rosaries.
Later, seventh-graders joined up with the adults in the church to pray the rosary and attend Mass as part of the anniversary celebration.
A lunch followed for rosary makers and guests.
Read more …
First Evangelization Class graduates
BY AMANDA HUDSON, News editor
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First Evangelization class graduates.
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ROCKFORD—Seventeen people took their Ministry Formation training one step further.
They decided to specialize. And on April 26 those 17 people were certified evangelizers — making them the first to graduate from the Evangelization Certification Program in the Diocese of Rockford.
The students were all graduates of the diocese’s two-year Ministry Formation Program and included recent graduates and others from some years back.
The new evangelization program is one of two specialties now offered every other year as an optional third year of ministry training. Read more …
Looking back at the men
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Franciscan Friars Minor Conventual (OFM, Conv.) have served the Rockford Diocese since 1931.
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who served us
BY AMANDA HUDSON, News editor
Back in January, as part of our ongoing articles for the Diocesan Centennial, we featured the various religious orders of women who have served in the Diocese of Rockford.
This month, we have an opportunity to look at the many contributions to the diocese from the work and presence of religious communities of men.
Read more …
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Dr. Michael Cieslak receives the Lumen Gentium Award from Father James Lang of the Diocese of Syracuse.
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Diocesan Planner earns
national award for research
BY PENNY WIEGERT, Editor
ORLANDO–Not only does the Rockford Diocese benefit from the expertise of its employees, sometimes the entire universal church benefits as well.
Such is the case with the work of Dr. Michael Cieslak, Director of Reasearch and Planning for the Rockford Diocese, a position he has held since 1984.
Cieslak was part of a four-person team of Catholic researchers awarded the Lumen Gentium Award from the national Conference for Pastoral Planning and Council Development (CPPCD). Read more …
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Click on photo to read Msgr. Eric Barr's review.
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Film tells story of faith forgotten, hope renewed
Parishes in the diocese are gearing up to have members experience the Gospel in a new and exciting way.
Parishes push 'Prince Caspian' as another way to meet Christ
“The release of Prince Caspian provides an opportunity for people to find Christ in literature and cinema,” says Father Matthew Camaioni, parochial vicar of St. Rita Parish in Rockford. He is organizing a parish-wide event to see the movie on May 18.
St. Rita’s has rented an entire theater at Showplace 16 for its parishioners.
Others around the diocese have done the same. St.Mary/St. Patrick Parish of Durand/Irish Grove and Holy Cross Parish of Batavia are either renting theaters or purchasing large blocks of tickets for parishioners to attend the movie. St. Joseph Parish in Aurora plans on giving altar servers a “thank-you” for their service by taking them to the film.
IS YOUR PARISH planning any Caspian events? Send your information to The Observer at observer@rockforddiocese.org.