Dear Governor Quinn:

I am writing today on behalf of our diocese’s 11,323 school children to urge that you propose funding for the Illinois Textbook Loan Program in your 2011 budget.

The Textbook Loan Program has provided secular textbooks, learning materials and instructional computer software to public and nonpublic school students since 1975. Although most of the program’s funding goes to public schools, Catholic schools have long depended on this program and have used the benefit to continually update math, science, and reading textbooks, as well as to purchase new instructional software for technology labs. Students cannot learn or succeed without effective and up-to-date learning materials. The Textbook Loan Program has helped ensure those materials are present in all schools.

According to the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) published analysis, the Textbook Loan program impacts 2.1 million students and 164,000 educators. In Fiscal Year 2009, the program provided 849,214 instructional items to pupils in grades 7 through 12. There are not many grant programs in ISBE’s budget that have had as far-reaching an impact for as long a time. ISBE’s strategic goals cite service to “all students” and “all schools.” Unfortunately, last year’s budget cut the Textbook Loan completely and failed to reflect similar concern.

I understand that the state’s fiscal condition is dire. I understand funding cuts must be endured in these difficult times. However, when a long-standing program with a proven track record faces elimination, Illinois’ entire education system suffers.

Governor Quinn, I urge you to recommend that ISBE’s budget restore funding at the 2007 level of $29.1 million. Such a recommendation recognizes the current fiscal condition of the state but also makes some attempt to meet the state’s obligation to provide sound, up-to-date instructional materials to all children.

Catholic schools provide great savings to the state of Illinois: $1.5 billion annually. We do not deserve to lose the limited state support given back.

Thank you for your attention and support.

Sincerely,

Jonathan F. Sullivan
Director of Catechetical Ministries
Diocese of Springfield in Illinois

God our Father, you lovingly knit us in our mothers’ womb. Grant that each human embryo will be respected as a human being, and not dismissed as a product to be manipulated or destroyed. Grant us the courage and conviction to be your voice for our sisters and brothers at the very earliest stages of their development, and for all defenseless unborn children.

Jesus, Divine Healer, foster in those conducting medical research a commitment to finding cures in ways that respect these little ones and all your vulnerable children.

Holy Spirit, grant us the wisdom to develop morally sound treatments for conditions now thought to be incurable. Help us persevere in defending human life while alleviating suffering.

Show mercy to all who have cooperated in killing our tiniest brothers and sisters. Bring them and all who support destructive embryo research to true conversion. Grant them the ability to see the immeasurable dignity of all human beings even in the first days of life.

Father, we ask this in Jesus’ name, through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Msgr. Carl Kemme, Diocesan Administrator, will celebrate a Special Mass for the many victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. The mass will be held on Sunday, January 24th at Ss Peter and Paul Church in Alton at 5:00 p.m. Fr. Delix Michel, a native priest from Haiti, will be homilist. Fr. Michel is the pastor of Ss Peter and Paul. People from the Diocese of Springfield are invited to attend. Please remember those who have died from this natural disaster and those left to rebuild their lives.

For information about Ss. Peter and Paul Church, please click here.

Catholic Relief Services has launched a major aid operation to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. CRS has been working in Haiti since 1954. The CRS team in Haiti is in place to distribute emergency relief.  Donations can be made online at www.crs.org or sent directly to them at:

228 W. Lexington
Baltimore, MD 21201-3413.

Donations are also being accepted at the Diocesan Office for the Missions which will forward them in their entirety to CRS.

Prayers, of course, are absolutely needed.  Many people from the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois have traveled to Haiti over the years with the diocese, Eastern Illinois University Newman Center, Quincy University, and through their sister parish relationships or with the Haitian priests who serve in our diocese.

The people of Haiti are ill-equipped to handle any sort of emergency situation, certainly one of this magnitude. The resilience and faith of the Haitian people are their only and greatest resource.

Would you like to be among the first to know when Pope Benedict XVI names a new bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois? Simply signup below to receive a text message notification just moments after the announcement is made public.

Traditionally, the Vatican Press Office makes announcements of episcopal appointments at noon Rome time (5 a.m. Illinois time). The information is simultaneously released from the office of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, based in Washington, D.C.

Once the announcement is made public, we will send out a massive text message with the name of the individual who will serve as our new shepherd. Additonally, individuals can receive the notification by

• Signing up for the Digital Edition of Catholic Times if you are a subscriber at ct.dio.org/gogreen
• Joining the Diocesan Facebook Fan page
• Signing up to receive email updates from the Diocese

Sign-up to Receive the Text Message Notification

Click here to sign-up today!

There has been much written in the past few years about the “death of the book.” Certainly with the advent of the Kindle and new ways of conveying writing online we are changing the way we read. But I think it’s premature to write the book’s obituary yet. Instead I think we’ll see a shift in the way books are published – away from large publishing houses to smaller niches publishers. In addition, print-on-demand solutions will allow anyone to publish a book quickly and cheaply.

To ensure that the book has a few more years of life, I’d like to recommend the following books that I read in the past year:

• A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter J. Miller, Jr. (1960) – This Hugo award-winning novel traces 1200 years in the life of a monastic order following a devastating nuclear war. The monks seek to preserve scientific and cultural knowledge against a world that has descended into barbarism.

• Five Loaves and Two Fish, by Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan (1997) – Cardinal Van Thuan spent 13 years incarcerated by the Communist government of Vietnam before being exiled in 1991. This book is a series of reflections he prepared for the 1997 World Youth Day. It is a simple, profound and moving reflection on suffering and hope.

• The Clown of God, by Tomie dePaola (1978) – dePaola retells and lavishly illustrates the story of a poor beggar boy who finds joy and fame in his juggling – and surprising blessings as well. Sure to delight old and young alike.

• Eifelheim, by Michael Flynn (2006) – This science fiction story follows a 14^th century German priest as he seeks to communicate with – and minister to – a group of aliens who have crashed in the woods outside his tiny village. The priest must ask: “Can an extraterrestrial be a Christian?” and, “Where is God when tragedy strikes?”

• From Slave to Priest: A Biography of the Reverend Augustine Tolton, by Sister Caroline Hemesath (reprinted 2006) – Sr. Hemesath presents the life of Fr. Tolton, the first African-American priest in the United States, in a series of fictionalized vignettes (a sort of “speculative biography”) from his youth in Quincy to his ministry and untimely death in Chicago.

Do you have a favorite book that touches on issues of the faith? Leave a comment and let us know about it!

Photo by Martin Gommel / flickrCC

This week is National Migration Week, a week in which we recognize the great diversity in the Catholic Church and advocate for justice for all people. The US Bishops have offered the following prayer for this year's observance:

Lord Jesus, when you multiplied the loaves and fishes, you provided more than food for the body, you offered us the gift of yourself, the gift which satisfies every hunger and quenches every thirst! Your disciples were filled with fear and doubt, but you poured out your love and compassion on the migrant crowd, welcoming them as brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus, today you call us to welcome the members of God's family who come to our land to escape oppression, poverty, persecution, violence, and war. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.

Lord Jesus, help us by your grace,

• To banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister;

• To welcome migrants and refugees with joy and generosity, while responding to their many needs;

• To realize that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice;

• To share of our abundance as you spread a banquet before us;

• To give witness to your love for all people, as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.

We praise you and give you thanks for the family you have called together from so many people. We see in this human family a reflection of the divine unity of the one Most Holy Trinity in whom we make our prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

More resources for National Migration Week are available on the USCCB web site: www.usccb.org.

The Office for Catechesis is pleased to announce its Winter/Spring 2010 calendar of adult enrichment programs!

These courses, offered at various locations across the diocese, give Catholics an opportunity to deepen their understanding of our faith. Anyone taking advantage of these faith formation programs may receive credit through the diocese’s catechist formation process. For more information about any of these courses or other faith formation activities, contact Christine Malmevik, associate director for catechesis, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (217) 698-8500.

Schedule of Programs

United States Catholic Catechism for Adults: A Study of Faith
January 6, 13, 20, 27, February 10, 24, March 3; 9:30-11:00 am
Rev. David Zimmerman; St. Mary Parish (Paris)
Contact: Secretary
(217) 466-3355

United States Catholic Catechism for Adults: A Study of Faith
January 6, 13, 20, 27, February 10, 24, March 3; 5:30-7:00 pm
Rev. David Zimmerman; St. Mary Parish (Paris)
Contact: Secretary
(217) 466-3355

Liturgy and Sacraments
Jan. 7, 14, 28, Feb. 4; 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Marsha Chomko; St. Jerome (Troy)
Contact: Marsha Chomko
(618) 667-6571

The Gospel of Luke, Part 4
January – May, Starting January 12; 7:00-8:30 pm
Kim Diaz; St. Thomas the Apostle (Decatur)
Contact: Kim Diaz
(217) 877-4146

The Gospel of Luke, Part 4
January – May, Starting January 15; 9:15-10:45 am
Kim Diaz; St. Thomas the Apostle (Decatur)
Contact: Kim Diaz
(217) 877-4146

Introduction to the Sacraments of the Catholic Church
Mondays, January 25 through March 29; 4:00-5:00 pm
Rev. Nnamdi Moneme, O.M.V.; St. Mary (Alton)
Contact: Parish Office
(618) 465-4284

The Nicene Creed: A Theological and Historical Perspective
February 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23; 7:00-9:00 pm
Rev. Ted Bracco, O.F.M., PhD; St. Anthony Parish Center (Effingham)
Contact: Secretary
(217) 347-7129

Themes in Scripture
February 25, March 4, 11, 18, 25; 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Rev. Peter Harman; Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Springfield)
Contact: Chris Malmevik (217) 698-8500

The Conclusion of the Gospel and Letters of John
April 12, 26, May 10, 17, 24; 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Carolyn Stewart; Holy Trinity (Stonington)
Contact: Carolyn Stewart
(217) 428-1707

Great Adventure Bible Timeline (Session 1-8)
Sundays, June 6 through August 8; 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Ann Gage; Blessed Sacrament (Quincy)
Contact: Parish Office
(217) 222-2759

Vatican II Documents
June 7 and 8; 9:00am – 2:00 pm
Jonathan Sullivan; Ss. Peter and Paul, Collinsville
Contact: Parish Office
(618) 345-4343

On November 19, 2009, Fr. Andrew-Carl Wisdom, OP, Promoter of Vocations for the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great, spoke with DREs from around the diocese. Fr. Wisdom said that many of the toughest questions he gets about vocations are not from those discerning, but from their parents! Fr. Wisdom identified six common concerns parents have when their children are discerning a religious vocation: parents are often afraid of "losing" their children; mourn the loss of grandchildren in their future; worried about their child's financial security; afraid that their child will be lonely or unhappy; worried about a perceived loss of status for their child; and concerned about celibacy.

You can listen to Fr. Wisdom speak about each of these concerns and how he addresses them with parents:

Download MP3 (18.4MB; 20:11)

Fr. Wisdom also shared a new vocations video produced by his province. While focused on the Dominican Friars, the questions shared by the novices in the video speak to anyone diserning God's call.

Father in Heaven,
Creator of all
and source of all goodness and love,
please look kindly upon us
and receive our heartfelt gratitude
in this time of giving thanks.

Thank you for all the graces and blessings
You have bestowed upon us,
spiritual and temporal:
our faith and religious heritage,
our food and shelter,
our health,
the loves we have for one another,
our family and friends.

Dear Father, in Your infinite generosity,
please grant us continued graces
and blessing throughout the coming year.

This we ask in the Name of Jesus,
Your Son and our Brother.

Amen.