Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese
of the Roman Catholic Church
in the south central Illinois
region of the United States
. The prelate
is a bishop
serving as pastor
of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
.
A diocese of the Metropolitan Province of Chicago
, the metropolitan bishop
of Springfield in Illinois is the Archbishop of Chicago. The see, until recently, had been vacant; on July 24, 2009, the Reverend Monsignor
Carl A. Kemme was elected Diocesan Administrator. The Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield was formerly Bishop
George Lucas
; he was named Archbishop
-elect of Omaha, Nebraska by Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Bishop Emeritus
is Daniel L. Ryan. On 20 April 2010, Pope Benedict named Thomas J. Paprocki
as the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, replacing Archbishop Lucas. Bishop Paprocki had previously been an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago under Cardinal George since 2003.
The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois comprises the Counties of Adams
, Bond
, Brown, Calhoun
, Cass, Christian
, Clark, Coles
, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar
, Effingham, Fayette
, Greene, Jasper
, Jersey
, Macon, Macoupin
, Madison
, Menard, Moultrie, Montgomery, Morgan, Pike
, Sangamon
, Scott, and Shelby.
The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois was established on July 29, 1853 as the Diocese of Quincy. Its name was changed to the Diocese of Alton on January 9, 1857, and its current name came into being on October 26, 1923.
- Highland, IL
Sts. Peter and Paul-Alton, IL
This does not count Ursuline Academy
, closed in 2007.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in the south central Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
is a bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
serving as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Springfield, Illinois)
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Springfield, Illinois. The cathedral, for which the cornerstone was laid on August 14, 1927, was dedicated on October 14, 1928...
.
A diocese of the Metropolitan Province of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
, the metropolitan bishop
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Springfield in Illinois is the Archbishop of Chicago. The see, until recently, had been vacant; on July 24, 2009, the Reverend Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Carl A. Kemme was elected Diocesan Administrator. The Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield was formerly Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
George Lucas
George Joseph Lucas
George Joseph Lucas is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fifth and current Archbishop of Omaha, having previously served as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois from 1999 to 2009.-Biography:...
; he was named Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
-elect of Omaha, Nebraska by Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Bishop Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
is Daniel L. Ryan. On 20 April 2010, Pope Benedict named Thomas J. Paprocki
Thomas J. Paprocki
Thomas John Paprocki is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 20 April 2010. From 2003 until his appointment he served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago...
as the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, replacing Archbishop Lucas. Bishop Paprocki had previously been an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago under Cardinal George since 2003.
The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois comprises the Counties of Adams
Adams County, Illinois
Adams County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 67,103, which is a decrease of 1.7% from 68,277 in 2000...
, Bond
Bond County, Illinois
Bond County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is part of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 17,768, which is an increase of 0.8% from 17,633 in 2000. Its county seat is Greenville, Illinois....
, Brown, Calhoun
Calhoun County, Illinois
Calhoun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,089, which is an increase of 0.1% from 5,084 in 2000. Its county seat is Hardin. It is part of the Metro-East portion of the St...
, Cass, Christian
Christian County, Illinois
Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 34,800, which is a decrease of 1.6% from 35,372 in 2000...
, Clark, Coles
Coles County, Illinois
Coles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,873, which is an increase of 1.3% from 53,196 in 2000. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University....
, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar
Edgar County, Illinois
Edgar County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 18,576, which is a decrease of 5.7% from 19,704 in 2000...
, Effingham, Fayette
Fayette County, Illinois
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,140, which is an increase of 1.6% from 21,802 in 2000. Its county seat is Vandalia...
, Greene, Jasper
Jasper County, Illinois
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, Jersey
Jersey County, Illinois
Jersey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Jersey County is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,985, which is an increase of 6.1% from 21,668 in 2000...
, Macon, Macoupin
Macoupin County, Illinois
Macoupin County is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 47,765, which is a decrease of 2.6% from 49,019 in 2000. The county seat is Carlinville. Macoupin County is an outlying county of the Metro-East region...
, Madison
Madison County, Illinois
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to...
, Menard, Moultrie, Montgomery, Morgan, Pike
Pike County, Illinois
Pike County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 16,430, which is a decrease of 5.5% from 17,384 in 2000...
, Sangamon
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
, Scott, and Shelby.
The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois was established on July 29, 1853 as the Diocese of Quincy. Its name was changed to the Diocese of Alton on January 9, 1857, and its current name came into being on October 26, 1923.
Statistics
:- 151,601 Catholics
- 132 parishParishA parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es - 87 active priestPriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s; 62 religious orderReligious orderA religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
priests - 122 diocesan priests (including retired and serving outside the diocese)
- 6 Catholic hospitals
Parishes
St. PaulSt. Paul Catholic Church (Highland, Illinois)
St. Paul Church is a Roman Catholic parish with an elementary school in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois located in Highland, Illinois. The Kirchenfest, a church picinic held each year, is one of the largest church festivals in Southern Illinois....
- Highland, IL
Sts. Peter and Paul-Alton, IL
6 high schools
- Marquette Catholic High SchoolMarquette Catholic High School (Alton, Illinois)Marquette Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Alton, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.-History:...
, Alton, Illinois - Quincy Notre Dame High SchoolQuincy Notre Dame High SchoolQuincy Notre Dame High School is a Roman Catholic co-educational high school in Quincy, Illinois in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, serving students in grades 9-12.- History :...
, Quincy, Illinois - Routt Catholic High SchoolRoutt Catholic High SchoolRoutt Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.-Background:...
, Jacksonville, Illinois - Sacred Heart-Griffin High SchoolSacred Heart-Griffin High SchoolSacred Heart-Griffin High School, often abbreviated SHG, is Springfield, Illinois' largest private high school. The school is Roman Catholic and is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. On the school's campus is a motherhouse for a Dominican order of religious...
, Springfield, Illinois - St. Anthony High SchoolSt. Anthony High School (Illinois)St. Anthony High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Effingham, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. St. Anthony was established in 1874 by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. It is the only Catholic high school in a 50 mile...
, Effingham, Illinois - St. Teresa High SchoolSt. Teresa High School (Decatur, Illinois)St. Teresa High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Decatur, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois....
, Decatur, Illinois
This does not count Ursuline Academy
Ursuline Academy (Illinois)
Ursuline Academy in Springfield, Illinois, was a Catholic high school that operated from 1857 until 2007. In its final years it was affiliated with Springfield College in Illinois . Ursuline Academy billed itself as a college preparatory school...
, closed in 2007.
Ordinaries
- Bishop Henry Damian JunckerHenry Damian JunckerHenry Damian Juncker was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Alton, Illinois, serving between 1857 and his death in 1868....
, former Bishop of the Diocese of Alton (now Springfield in Illinois): named as first bishop of the diocese by Pope Pius IXPope Pius IXBlessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
in 1857; installed 1857-04-28. Born in FénétrangeFénétrangeFénétrange is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-External links:* IGN website* INSEE website* Quid website* *...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 1809-08-22. Ordained a priest 1834-03-16. Died 1868-10-02.
- Bishop Peter Joseph BaltesPeter Joseph BaltesPeter Joseph Baltes was a German American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Alton from 1870 until his death in 1886.-Biography:...
, former Bishop of the Diocese of Alton (now Springfield in Illinois): named as second bishop of the diocese by Pope Pius IXPope Pius IXBlessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
in 1869; installed 1870-01-23. Born in EnsheimEnsheimEnsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 1827-04-07. Ordained a priest 1853-05-21. Died 1886-02-15.
- Bishop James RyanJames Ryan (bishop)James Ryan was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Alton from 1888 until his death in 1923.-Biography:...
, former Bishop of the Diocese of Alton (now Springfield in Illinois): named as third bishop of the diocese by Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
in 1888; installed 1888-05-01. Born in Farnaybridge, ThurlesThurlesThurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, 1848-06-17. Ordained a priest 1871-12-24. Died 1923-07-02.
- Bishop James Aloysius GriffinJames Aloysius GriffinJames Aloysius Griffin was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois from 1924 until his death in 1948.-Biography:...
, former Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois: named as fourth bishop of the diocese by Pope Pius XIPope Pius XIPope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
in 1923; installed 1924-02-25. Born in Chicago, Illinois, 1883-02-27. Ordained a priest 1909-07-04. Died 1948-08-05.
- Bishop William Aloysius O'ConnorWilliam Aloysius O'ConnorWilliam Aloysius O'Connor was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois from 1949 to 1975.-Biography:...
, former Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois: named as fifth bishop of the diocese by Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XIIThe Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
in 1948; installed 1949-03-07. Born in Chicago, Illinois, 1903-12-27. Ordained a priest 1927-09-24. Resigned 1975-07-22. Died 1983-11-14.
- Bishop Joseph Alphonse McNicholasJoseph Alphonse McNicholasJoseph Alphonse McNicholas was the sixth Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield in Illinois .McNicholas was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and there studied at Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1949. On January 31, 1969, he was appointed...
, former Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois: named as sixth bishop of the diocese by Pope Paul VIPope Paul VIPaul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
in 1975; installed 1975-07-22. Born in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, 1923-01-13. Ordained a priest 1949-06-07. Consecrated Bishop of Scala (Titular seeTitular seeA titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
) 1969-03-25. Died 1983-04-17.
- Bishop Daniel L. RyanDaniel L. RyanDaniel Leo Ryan is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois from 1984 to 1999.-Biography:...
, J.C.L.Doctor of Canon LawDoctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois: named as seventh bishop of the diocese by Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 1983; installed 1984-01-18. Born in Mankato, MinnesotaMankato, MinnesotaMankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
, 1930-09-28. Elementary education in Mankato, Minneapolis and Springfield; one year of high school at Cathedral Boys High School (now Sacred Heart-Griffin High SchoolSacred Heart-Griffin High SchoolSacred Heart-Griffin High School, often abbreviated SHG, is Springfield, Illinois' largest private high school. The school is Roman Catholic and is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. On the school's campus is a motherhouse for a Dominican order of religious...
) in Springfield before going to Passionist Preparatory Seminary. Ordained a priest 1956-05-03. Named titular bishopTitular bishopA titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Surista and auxiliary bishopAuxiliary bishopAn auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Joliet in IllinoisRoman Catholic Diocese of JolietThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the City of Joliet in Illinois and its surrounding counties: DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Kendall and Will. It is governed by a...
by Pope John Paul II in 1981; installed as auxiliary bishop 1981-09-30.
- BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
George J. LucasGeorge Joseph LucasGeorge Joseph Lucas is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fifth and current Archbishop of Omaha, having previously served as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois from 1999 to 2009.-Biography:...
, Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois: named as eighth bishop of the diocese by Pope John Paul II on 1999-10-19; installed 1999-12-14. At the time of his appointment, Lucas was president-rector of Kenrick-Glennon SeminaryKenrick-Glennon SeminaryKenrick–Glennon Seminary is a private not-for-profit Roman Catholic Seminary located in Shrewsbury, Missouri in St. Louis County. The Seminary is named after Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick and Cardinal John J. Glennon, former Archbishops of Saint Louis. The Seminary traces its origins to the...
in St. Louis.
- Bishop Thomas J. PaprockiThomas J. PaprockiThomas John Paprocki is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 20 April 2010. From 2003 until his appointment he served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago...
(22 June 2010 - ) named as ninth bishop of the diocese by Pope Benedict XVI. Installed 22-06-2010.
External links
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois — official site