News in The Observer this week:
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Don't miss these stories in this week's print edition of
The Observer:
• Knights of the Round Table presented honors at their annual banquet.
• 2000 attend the 3rd annual Polish-American festival at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Algonquin.
• St. Thomas the Apostles School, Crystal Lake, held its first ever preschool class in the 81 year history of the school.
• Newman Central Catholic High School, Sterling, collected 16,000 items during its "Stock Our Local Food Pantry Day.
• Cardinal Levada to lead Synod on Bible.
• Catholic Charities look to improve affordable housing.
• U.S. Archbishops at Vatican says pro-life Democrats are 'rare'.
• Illinois Bishops release statement on voting.
• 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.
• WHAT'S UP: More events in and around the Diocese of Rockford
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St. Anthony’s Turn to Celebrate ...
Italian Parish Begins Its 100th Year
By Amanda Hudson, News editor
ROCKFORD—The diocesan centennial may have ended but the celebrating continues. This time it’s at the parish level.
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Father John Grigus, OFM Conv., associate pastor at St. Anthony of Padua Parish, shows off some of the items created in celebration of the parish's 100th anniversary.
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St. Anthony of Padua Parish will kick-off its 100th anniversary year with an Opening Celebration on Oct. 18.
Parishioners, alumni and friends of the Italian community are all invited to the 4:30 p.m. Mass at the church, followed by dinner at Giovanni’s and dancing to the band of Patti Armato Lund and Cocktail Party. Reservations are still being taken; call the parish office at: 815/965-2761. Read more ...
Men’s Conference promises a
‘spiritual tune-up’
DEKALB—The 14th annual Great Lakes Catholic Men’s Conference promises a “spiritual tune-up” for men through dynamic presentations and more on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Convocation Center at Northern Illinois University, here.
Speakers at this day-long event include two men who hail from the national sports fields and two well-known priests. Read more ...
Bishop Doran Among KC Honorees
Bishop Thomas G. Doran was among those honored by the Knights of Columbus Rockford Chapter at their annual Knights of the Round Table Dinner held Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the Hoffman House in
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Father Matthew Bergschneider (at left) presented the KC award to Bishop Doran. Round Table committee chair Ed Froning is pictured at right.
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Rockford. After being recognized for his service in Bishop Muldoon Council 470, Bishop Doran addressed the Knights and their families about the importance of preserving and practicing the values of the church and of the Knights of Columbus as they cast their vote in the upcoming presidential election.
Also honored were Howard Kinch of Council 7247 and the late Lenny Schachtner of Council 735. For the past 24 years, Knights of Columbus in the Rockford Diocese have gathered to recognize fellow Knights who have given exemplary service to their church, council and community.
New Theological Institute underway in diocese
By Amanda Hudson, News editor
ROCKFORD—The first semester of the Diocesan Theological Institute has begun.
Peg Sullivan of St. Mary Parish in Woodstock is one of 63 people who are taking the class on Spiritual Direction taught by Father Michael Fuller. She retired last year from work in adult faith formation for her parish.
“I (still) find myself in the position of being asked a lot of questions about personal situations and connecting it with (someone’s) faith life,” she says when asked why she chose to take the class on Spiritual Direction. She laughs and adds, “I think you do adult faith formation because your kids grow up” and then they ask hard-to-answer questions. Read more ...
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The Rockford Area Pregnancy Care Center will hold an open house at the Maternity House, on East State St.
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Maternity Home open house
set this weekendBy Amanda Hudson, News editor
ROCKFORD—The Rockford Area Pregnancy Care Centers will hold an Open House at its new Maternity Home on Saturday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the home on East State St. just west of Temple Baptist Church.
Parking will be in the church lot, and people may be dropped off in front of the house also. Renovation of the Maternity Home has been a community effort, with churches, businesses and other groups and individuals adopting the various rooms or special projects since work began in December of last year. Holy Family Church, for example, embraced the renovation of a bathroom in this home from the 1800s that once was a stop on the pony express route.
Temple Baptist Church has given RAPCC rent-free use of the home for five years. Plans are to house four young women throughout their pregnancies, getting them working on a GED if they have not finished high school, or learning job skills with Careers Etc. if they have a diploma. Read more ...
Magnificat breakfast on All Saints
CRYSTAL LAKE—Annette Baber has spoken at events all around the country. On this year’s All Saints Day, she will share her testimony at the fall breakfast sponsored by the Magnificat Ministry chapter that she began in McHenry.
The prayer breakfast will be held Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Holiday Inn, here. Seating begins at 9 a.m., and the program at 9:30 a.m. Read more ...
Parishes, organizations collect school supplies
DIOCESAN—Parishes and organizations around the Rockford Diocese collected school supplies to distribute to needy children this year.
The Rockford Deanery Council of Catholic Women collected cash donations of $1,618 and supplies. They distributed them through the Rockford office of Catholic Charities to more than 300 foster children, needy children in parochial schools and newly-arrived immigrant children. Mary Bartel was chairman of the drive this year. Read more ...
Festive fashions part of November luncheon
ROCKFORD—Catholic Woman’s League will host its 24th annual fundraiser, “La Promesse,” on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Rd., here.
The accompanying style show, “Holiday! Festive Fashions,” will feature clothing by Carlotta’s of Galena, and from That Boutique and Chico’s. Fashions will be available for purchase after the show. Entertainment will be provided by 15-year-old harpist, Lydia Wanda. Read more ...
Top stories from previous issues:
An ending … and a new beginning for the diocese (Sept. 26, 2008)
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
And so, the next 100 years begin.
The kick-off Mass for the 100th anniversary year of the Diocese of Rockford in 2007 was a grand celebration at the NIU Convocation Center. The centennial Mass on Sept. 23, 2008, was celebrated in the more intimate setting of the Cathedral of St. Peter.
It too was grand, with uplifting music, with bishops from throughout the region and guests from the Roman Rota. Cardinal Francis George, OMI, presented the homily. Read more ... New Gym is Open and Blessed at St. Bridget
‘They’ve Been Counting the Days’ (Sept. 26, 2008)
By Amanda Hudson, News editor
LOVES PARK—“They’ve been counting the days when they can get their feet on the gym floor,” laughs Karen Brunner, mother of two St. Bridget School students, outside the school gymnasium doors on Sept. 16.
Deb Corrigan, who has three sons at St. Bridget’s, describes how for months, every Sunday after Mass, her boys would run over to peek through the windows. Her estimate is 10 years of dreams and hopes and work for the new gym to become a reality. Read more …
New ‘Why Catholic?’ DVDs available (Sept. 26, 2008)
ALGONQUIN—St. Margaret Mary Parish has released a new DVD companion to the “Why Catholic?” discussion series.
The new release, DVD-6, covers the upcoming session of “Why Catholic?” (book three, part two), and is available for parishes or individuals for $5, plus $2 shipping and handling. Read more …
Diocesan Pastoral Council reviews funeral guidelines (Sept. 26, 2008)
DIOCESAN—Preparation and planning aren’t usually the first things people think about when the subjects of death and burial come up. But that is precisely what the Diocesan Pastoral Council suggested for Catholics who want to ensure their final wishes are carried out.
The DPC met Sept. 7 for its regular meeting where they were asked by Bishop Thomas G. Doran to review the diocesan Catholic Funeral Guidelines as issued in 2002. Read more … Catholic radio comes to DeKalb (Sept. 26, 2008)
DEKALB — The Rockford Diocese’s second Catholic radio station is coming in loud and clear here. All people need to do is tune their radios to 98.9 FM.
“I hope people in the area who listen to the radio in their cars will set one of the buttons to that frequency,” says Dr. Owen Phelps, a communications consultant for the diocese who has been overseeing efforts to bring Catholic radio to the diocese. Read more … A clarification from Bishop Doran regarding statements made by politicians pertaining to abortion and the Catholic Church (Sept. 19, 2008) Read more ...
Geneva's St. Peter School celebrates its fabulous fiftieth in style (Sept. 12, 2008)
By Amanda Hudson, News editor
GENEVA—Poodle skirts, black leather jackets, ponytails tied with ribbons and plaid shirts with rolled up sleeves brought back memories of the 1950s as the 2008 St. Peter School students enjoyed being out-of-uniform on Sept. 2. Read more …
Cathedral ambo gets moved one piece at a time (Sept. 12, 2008)
By Amanda Hudson, News editor
ROCKFORD—It wasn’t exactly a matter of just-pick-it-up-and-move-it when the ambo at the Cathedral of St. Peter was shifted over about three feet on Sept. 3 and 4.
The work was expected to take just under two weeks, just in time for the solemn closing of the diocese’s centennial year. The Cathedral of St. Peter will host more than 700 lay people and dignitaries in addition to Cardinal Francis George for the event on Sept. 23. Read more …