The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois ( la, Diœcesis Campifontis in Illinois) is a

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

ecclesiastical territory or

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in the south central

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

region of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

is a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

serving as

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is a

suffragan diocese A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria ...

in the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

of the metropolitan

Archdiocese of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago ( la, Archidiœcesis Chicagiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. It was established as a diocese in 1843 and ...

. The

metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the b ...

of Springfield in Illinois is the

Archbishop of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago ( la, Archidiœcesis Chicagiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. It was established as a diocese in 1843 and ...

. On 20 April 2010, Pope Benedict named

Thomas J. Paprocki Thomas John Joseph Paprocki (born August 5, 1952) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois since 2010. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Arc ...

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 A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

of Adams,

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Clark Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...

, Coles,

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, Effingham, Fayette,

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Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref> ...

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, Macon, Macoupin,

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, Moultrie, Montgomery, Morgan,

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, Sangamon, Scott, and Shelby. The counties are organized into five

deaneries A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...

: Alton, Jerseyville, Mattoon, Quincy and Springfield.

History

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

': * 142,847 Catholics * 130

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

es * 106 Diocesan Priests (active and retired) * 49 Religious Priests * 27 Religious Brothers * 667 Women Religious * 37 Permanent Deacons * 2,344 Baptisms * 1,980 First Communions * 2,041 Confirmations * 667 Weddings * 1,610 Funerals * 294 Scheduled Weekend Masses ':The Official Catholic Directory 2007 (published in

New Providence, New Jersey New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County bordering Chatham Township. As of the 2020 United S ...

: P. J. Kennedy and Sons, 2007) * 151,601 Catholics * 132

es * 87 active

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

s; 62

religious institute A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...

priests * 122 diocesan priests (including retired and serving outside the diocese) * 6 Catholic hospitals

Bishops

Bishop Elect of Quincy

* Joseph Melcher (Appointed 1853; did not take effect); appointed Bishop of Green Bay

Bishops of Alton

Henry Damian Juncker Henry Damian Juncker (August 22, 1809 – October 2, 1868) was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first bishop of the Diocese of Alton in Illinois, serving from 1857 until his death in 1868. Biography Early life Hen ...

(1857-1868) #

Peter Joseph Baltes Peter Joseph Baltes (April 7, 1827 – February 15, 1886) was a German-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Alton in Illinois from 1870 until his death in 1886. Biography Early life P ...

(1870-1886) # James Ryan (1888-1923)

Bishops of Springfield in Illinois

James Aloysius Griffin James Aloysius Griffin (February 27, 1883 – August 5, 1948) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois from 1924 until his death in 1948. Biography Early life James ...

(1924-1948) # William Aloysius O'Connor (1949-1975) #

Joseph Alphonse McNicholas Joseph Alphonse McNicholas (January 13, 1923 – April 17, 1983) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois from 1975 to until his death in 1983. He previously se ...

(1975-1983) # Daniel L. Ryan (1984-1999) # George J. Lucas (1999-2009), appointed Archbishop of Omaha #

(2010–present)

Other priests of the diocese who became bishops

John Janssen John Janssen (March 3, 1835 – July 2, 1913) was a German-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Belleville in Illinois from 1888 until his death in 1913. Biography Early life Ja ...

, appointed Bishop of Belleville in 1888 *

John Baptist Franz John Baptist Franz (October 29, 1896 – July 3, 1992) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Dodge City in Kansas (1951–1959) and bishop of the Diocese of Peoria in Illinois (1959–1971) ...

, appointed Bishop of Dodge City in 1951 and later Bishop of Peoria in 1959 *

Victor Hermann Balke Victor Herman Balke (September 29, 1931) is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Crookston in Minnesota from 1976 to 2007. Biography Early life Born on September 29, 1931, in Meppen, Illinois (in ...

, appointed Bishop of Crookston in 1976 *

Kevin Vann Kevin William Vann (born May 10, 1951) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was named bishop of the Diocese of Orange in Southern California by Pope Benedict XVI, succeeding the retiring bishop, Tod Brown, on September 21, ...

, appointed Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Fort Worth in 2005 and later

Bishop of Orange The ancient residential diocese of Orange in the Comtat Venaissin in Provence, a fief belonging to the Papacy, was suppressed by the French government during the French Revolution. It was revived in 2009 as a titular see of the Roman Catholic Ch ...

in 2012 * Carl A. Kemme, appointed Bishop of Wichita in 2014

Parishes

There are currently 128 parishes in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The Diocese also operates campus ministry centers at 6 colleges and universities within its boundaries. Notable parishes: *

St. 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 Highland is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,991 at the 2020 cens ...

Campus ministry

In addition to these parishes, the Diocese operates campus ministry centers at the following institutions: *

Blackburn College Blackburn College may refer to: * Blackburn College (Blackburn with Darwen), United Kingdom * Blackburn College (Illinois) Blackburn College is a private college in Carlinville, Illinois. It was established in 1837 and named for the Gideon Blac ...

Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a co ...

Illinois College Illinois College is a private liberal arts college in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was the second college founded in Illinois, but the first to grant a degree ( ...

Millikin University Millikin University is a private university in Decatur, Illinois. It was founded in 1901 by prominent Decatur businessman James Millikin and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Media Decaturian The ''Decaturian'', also known as ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is a public university in Edwardsville, Illinois. SIUE was established in 1957 as an extension of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.Butler 1976, p. 18 It is the younger of the two major inst ...

University of Illinois Springfield The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The university was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois ...

Catholic schools

High schools

There are seven high schools in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. * Marquette Catholic High School, Alton, Illinois * St. Teresa High School, Decatur, Illinois * St. Anthony High School, Effingham, Illinois *

Routt Catholic High School Routt 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 Routt High School was founded in 1902 through the inspiration of R ...

, Jacksonville, Illinois *

Father McGivney Catholic High School The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois ( la, Diœcesis Campifontis in Illinois) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the south central Illinois region of the United States. The prelate is a bishop serving ...

, Glen Carbon, Illinois *

Quincy Notre Dame High School Quincy Notre Dame High School is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational high school in Quincy, Illinois, United States, founded in 1867, serving upper school students in grades 9- 12. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield ...

, Quincy, Illinois *

Sacred Heart-Griffin High School Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, often abbreviated SHG, is a Catholic high school located in Springfield, Illinois, United States. It is the city's largest private school and is located in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The school ope ...

, Springfield, Illinois This does not count Ursuline Academy, closed in 2007.

Universities

There is one Catholic university in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. *

Quincy University Quincy University (formerly known as St. Francis Solanus College, and today abbreviated as QU) is a private Franciscan university in Quincy, Illinois. It was founded in 1860 and enrolls about 1,100 students. History A small group of Franciscan ...

Religious houses

The Diocese is home to 14 religious houses.

Arms

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois Official Site
{{authority control Springfield in Illinois Springfield, Illinois Springfield in Illinois Springfield in Illinois 1853 establishments in Illinois