May 25, 2023
The Rev. Godwin N. Asuquo — to be Pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Aurora, effective June 15, 2023.
The Rev. Timothy J. Barr — to be Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Fulton and St. Patrick Parish, Albany, e... Read More
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
May 25, 2023
ROCKFORD—On May 15, Bishop Malloy was the celebrant at a special Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter where some 75 people from the area, the Fox Valley, Dixon, DeKalb and elsewhere gathered to pray for themselves and loved ones who struggle with mental health or substance use challenges... Read More
Patricia SzPekowski, Observer Correspondent
May 25, 2023
ELGIN—One of the missions of the Knights of Columbus is to advocate for a culture of life. The grace of that commitment was confirmed at TLC Pregnancy Services on May 18 when Bishop David Malloy blessed a new ultrasound machine generously donated to TLC.
Read More
May 25, 2023
ROCKFORD—At Holy Family Parish, Msgr. Gerald Kobbeman blessed the three returning officers of the Catholic Women’s League after its annual Mass for Peace on May 17.
Officers are: Jacki Giacone, president; Marilyn Wholey, secretary; and Ma... Read More
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
May 25, 2023
MCHENRY—St. Patrick Parish, here, celebrated two important anniversaries at Masses the weekend of May 20-21, each followed by a reception.
“It’s been a good ride,” Father Godwin Asuquo, pastor, says of his 20th anniversary as a pri... Read More
May 25, 2023
AURORA—On May 5, Marmion Academy held its groundbreaking ceremonies and reception for the renovation of multi-sport Fichtel Field and the varsity baseball field.
Construction of the new artificial turf surface and track and field event areas began M... Read More
May 24, 2023
CHICAGO—Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul held a press conference in downtown Chicago May 23 to release the final report on his investigation into clergy sexual abuse over the past four and one half years. Attorney General Raoul inherited the statewide investigation into child sex ... Read More
May 24, 2023
ROCKFORD—MAY 23, 2023—Today, May 23, the Attorney General of Illinois released a final report of its investigation into the handling of claims of childhood sexual abuse involving Catholic Clergy by the six Catholic dioceses of Illinois including Rockford.
&nb... Read More
By Penny Wiegert, Editor
May 18, 2023
SPRINGFIELD—There are nine states in the U.S. in which assisted suicide is legal. With less than two weeks left in the 2023 legislative session, the Illinois General Assembly is considering a request by out-of-state groups to make Illinois one of those states where legalized physician ... Read More
May 18, 2023
HUNTLEY—Msgr. James W. McLoughlin died on Saturday, May 13, 2023 in Huntley, where he was a resident. He was 84 years of age.
Msgr. McLoughlin was born on November 19, 1939, in Chicago, to James J. McLoughlin and Loretta J. McCarthy. He attended Qui... Read More
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
May 18, 2023
“There is rarely a specific moment when we realize that being a Vincentian has become part of who we are,” says Susan Wiland, president of the Rockford Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
“But there are some key differences betwe... Read More
May 18, 2023
LOVES PARK, GENEVA—The Diocese of Rockford’s Vocation Office will offer two summer Encounter retreats for young men discerning the priesthood.
The one-day retreats are led by diocesan seminarians and priests and include talks, games, Mass, con... Read More
May 18, 2023
GENEVA—The St. Peter Community Food Pantry (at St. Peter Parish) is celebrating 40 years of service to the community since its founding in May 1983.
Throughout the years, the pantry has grown from serving 35 families each month to over 300 families ... Read More
May 17, 2023
FREEPORT—Aquin Catholic Schools announced the death of a longtime educator and supporter of Freeport Catholic Schools in a Facebook post on May 2. The school also announced that it would close for the day on May 18 so faculty, students and their families could attend services for David... Read More
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
May 11, 2023
ROCKFORD—St. Rita Church was the setting for the annual Priest Jubilarians Mass on April 25 celebrated by Bishop David Malloy, himself a 40-year jubilarian this year.
The bishop spoke of priestly fraternity as something that goes deeper than many ot... Read More
Mass Honors Young Martyr
Pray for Mental Health
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
May 11, 2023
ROCKFORD—Bishop David Malloy will celebrate a Mass for the feast of St. Dymphna on May 15, 5:30 p.m., at the Cathedral of St. Peter.
The public is invited to share in this Mass.
But who is St. Dymphna and w... Read More
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
May 11, 2023
DIOCESE—It’s been a few years since the U.S. Bishops first rolled out the “Walking with Moms” program around the country.
It was, as happened to so much else, brought forth right before March 2020’s pandemic shutdowns and dis... Read More
By Lynne Conner, Observer Correspondent
May 4, 2023
ROCKFORD—After nearly a year of undergoing significant upgrades and refurbishments, the Cathedral of St. Peter has its pipe organ back. The parish held a rededication organ recital on Sat., April 29 to celebrate the occasion. Bishop David Malloy blessed the organ and members of the Ame... Read More
By Penny Wiegert, Editor
May 4, 2023
SPRINGFIELD—Illinois enacted the Invest In Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program through a bi-partisan compromise in 2017. This program offers a 75% state income tax credit to individuals and businesses that contribute to qualified Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs).
... Read More
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
May 4, 2023
AURORA—“I have a front row seat to watching God work,” says Jill Orr, co-coordinator of the Holy Angels Food Pantry in Aurora. “Every week He’s doing something new.”
Much is new these days at the 51-year-old pantry, whi... Read More
May 4, 2023
ROCKFORD—This year marks the 40th anniversary of the area Rosary Makers, and a gathering is planned 40 years to the day the ministry was founded in 1975.
All are welcome to join in celebration of the Blessed Mother and to make rosaries on Thursday, ... Read More
May 4, 2023
AURORA—Three Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Rockford — Aurora Central Catholic High School (ACC), Marmion Academy and Rosary High School — will hold summer camps for grade-school students. Registration deadlines and costs vary; visit the school websites for more in... Read More
May 4, 2023
Catholic homeschooling families are invited to a virtual conference focused on “Cultivating Holiness in Your Homeschool,” June 9-10. The conference is hosted by Homeschool Connections, a leading provider of online classes, and organized by co-directors Maureen Wittmann and Walter... Read More
Patricia SzPekowski, Observer Correspondent
April 27, 2023
ELGIN—The good news that St. Edward Central Catholic High School would fulfill a dream of building a new performing arts center has been reverberating with anticipation since 2021. It was announced at that time it would become a reality because of the generosity of its dedicated and lo... Read More
By Penny Wiegert, Editor
April 27, 2023
DIOCESE—Falling church attendance seems to be a cloud that hangs over all churches and all faiths in our country. But the old saying goes that every dark cloud has a silver lining. And that seems to be true for the Rockford Diocese.
According ... Read More
April 27, 2023
ROCKFORD—As the world observes National Volunteer Month and Global Volunteer Month, both in April, Hope for Haitians celebrates the active participation of its volunteers from the Illinois Stateline and from Haiti in its mission to improve the lives of Haitian families living in povert... Read More
New Street Name Memorializes Aurora Deacon
Deacon Bruce Waterman Way
By Margarita Mendoza, Editor El Observador
April 27, 2023
AURORA—When Deacon Bruce Watermann passed away on Jan. 31, 2023, he left behind a legacy of service to his home city through his appointment as deacon of the Diocese of Rockford at St. Joseph Parish, here.
On March 20, when he would have celeb... Read More
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
April 27, 2023
FREEPORT—Something of a perfect storm is impacting the near future of the Aquin Central Catholic High School football team.
Aquin is a small school, but for many years its football team has been legendary. That success makes it harder to fathom the ... Read More
By Megan Peterson, Features/Multimedia Editor
April 27, 2023
WOODSTOCK—“Champion athletes aren’t just born — they’re selected, trained, molded and tested,” reads the introduction on the Marian Central Catholic Girls Feeder Basketball website.
But if that athletic selection ... Read More
By Margarita Mendoza, Editor El Observador
April 27, 2023
The sacrament of marriage goes beyond a union between a man and a woman; it is “by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring,” according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In preparation for this lifetime commitment, th... Read More
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
April 20, 2023
OVES PARK—The College Care Ministry at St. Bridget Parish has been staying in contact with college students and military personnel from the parish for the past seven years or so, says
the current director of the ministry, Karen Brunner.
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
April 13, 2023
ROCKFORD—Many years ago, Kathy Walls’ grandmother would create paper flowers to decorate the altar of repose at her parish.
Her dedication to that task eventually led her daughter, Mary Jo Keffer, and granddaughter to visit various altars the ... Read More
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
April 13, 2023
ROCKFORD—Music director Adam Singleton was happy to be back playing the organ at the Cathedral of St. Peter two weeks before Easter.
When he arrived close to three years ago, he realized the instrument was not in the worst shape, but not in the best... Read More
Patricia Szpekowski, Observer Correspondent
April 13, 2023
AURORA—Initiating an effort to continue a path of keeping students immersed in a safe environment, Marmion Academy established a partnership with the Andrew Center for Restorative Justice at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. late last year.
Th... Read More
By Penny Wiegert, Editor
April 6, 2023
AURORA—Two campuses will become one at Pope St. John Paul II Catholic Academy for the 2023-24 school year according to an announcement made March 30.
A letter sent from the executive pastor Father Timothy Mulcahey, assistant executive pastor F... Read More
March 23, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—The 2023 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) will be held Nov. 16-18 at the Indiana Convention Center for teens ages 14-18. NCYC is produced and presented by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (nfcym.org).
T... Read More
January 26, 2023
DIOCESE—Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Rockford will offer the Sanctuary Course for Catholics, an eight-part course for small groups designed to raise awareness and start conversations regarding mental health.
The course will be offered ... Read More
By Penny Wiegert, Editor
January 20, 2023
AMMAN, JORDAN—Bishop David Malloy is among bishops from 11 countries who have gathered in Jordan for the annual Holy Land Coordination pilgrimage held from Jan. 14-19 to meet with the Christian community there. There are over 200,000 Christians in the country. Its Catholic parishes, sc... Read More
By Amanda Hudson, News Editor
January 20, 2023
SINSINAWA, Wis.—In a time of change, the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters count their blessings.
“All of us, regardless of age or need, live in communities with access to nourishing food and quality health care,” they say on their website ann... Read More
A history of growth, decline and continued service
Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation, 1847 to present
January 20, 2023
On Aug. 4, 1847, pioneer priest Dominican Father Samuel Mazzuchelli founded the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation with two women, Sisters Seraphina and Ermeline.
Two more women joined in December that year, and by the time of Father Samuel’s de... Read More
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