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Timeline 1788-present:
Beginnings 1778
Diocese of Quincy 1853-1857
Diocese of Alton 1857-1923
1887-Diocese of Alton and the Diocese of Belleville
Diocese of Springfield 1923-present
Beginnings 1788:
The area now included in the Diocese of Springfield has been part of several jurisdictions as the nation developed. It was first in the Diocese of Baltimore. Then parts of it came under the dioceses of Bardstown, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio; Vincennes, Indiana; and St. Louis, Missouri. In 1844 the whole state of Illinois was formed into a single diocese with the see city in Chicago.
The Diocese of Quincy 1853-1857:
Nine years later (July 29, 1853) Pope Pius IX, evaluating the area to be served and its growing Catholic population, created a new diocese including the fifty-six counties of the lower half of the state. Following practical considerations for communications the river city of Quincy was named as the See city. The Vicar General of the Diocese of St. Louis, Rt. Rev. Joseph Melcher was asked to be the first bishop but declined. In the period that followed the diocese was administered by the Archbishop of St. Louis until 1854 and after that by the Bishop of Chicago until 1857.
The Diocese of Alton 1857-1923:
 Because Quincy was located on the western edge of the diocese and in the upper part, on January 9, 1857, the Holy See chose Alton, also on a river but nearer the center of population as the See City. The fifty-six counties in the southern half of Illinois became the Diocese of Alton under the jurisdiction of its first bishop, the Rt. Reverend Henry Damien Juncker, D.D., a priest of Dayton, Ohio. The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul Alton, became the first Cathedral.
Juncker vigorously promoted the spiritual growth of the diocese, so that when he died October 2, 1868, after serving eleven years, the parishes had increased to seventy-seven. The Catholic population numbered eighty thousand. The diocese had two men's colleges, a boy's high school, and six girls' academies. There were two hospitals and one orphanage.
 It was not until September 24, 1869, that the second bishop of the diocese, Rt. Reverend Peter Baltes, D.D. was named. Like his predecessor, during the seventeen years of his episcopacy, he dynamically developed the Church. At his death, February 15, 1886, he left a flourishing diocese with a Catholic population of 109,000, living in 126 parishes and seventy-seven missions served by 138 priests. Two men's colleges, a boys' high school, nine girls academies, and 102 elementary schools provided Catholic education for 11,000 students. The hospitals numbered thirteen, the orphanages three, and homes for the aged two.
Again, because of the increasing burdens as the Church grew, it seemed advisable to Pope Leo XIII to divide the diocese. On January 9,1887, he created the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois, assigning it the twenty-eight southernmost counties as a unit, leaving the twenty-eight central counties in the Diocese of Alton.
 The Rt. Reverend James Ryan D.D., became third bishop of Alton. He was appointed on February 28 and was consecrated on May 1, 1888; his administration lasted thirty-five years.One of his outstanding actions occurred in 1889 when he convoked a synod, the only one held in the first century of the diocese. (1853-1953).
When he died on July 2, 1923, he was supervising a population of 87,000. Despite fewer institutions, as a result of the split of the diocese, (one men's college, a boys' high school, five girls' academies, and sixty-four elementary schools) education flourished; there were almost two thousand more students (12,975) than there had been in 1886 (11,000). Increased need and concern for corporal works of mercy had produced eleven hospitals, two orphanages, and three homes for the aged. The diocese had 120 parishes, fortytwo missions, and 172 priests.
Dioceses of Springfield in Illinois 1923-present:
In the first seventy years of the diocese, 1853 - 1923, the increase and shift in the population had been great. To adapt to changing conditions the Holy See had chosen two different cities to serve as the seat of the diocese. Three bishops had presided over it. Now another change was made.
To meet current needs, Pope Pius Xl on October 23, 1923, designated the capital of Illinois as the seat of the central Illinois Diocese, under the title of Springfield in Illinois. The State had grown, the new "hard roads" were begining to radiate from the capital city in 1923 and the comments of an 1834 missionary priest were in phase with the time. When Fr. John Mary Iraeneus St. Cyr had visited the few Catholics in the Springfield area in the 1830's, he wrote his superior, Bishop Rosati of St. Louis, suggesting the central location would make a logical place for the See city.
Eighteen days after the pope had created the new See, he named the new bishop of the diocese, Father James A. Griffin, a priest of the Diocese of Chicago.
Bishop Griffin was consecrated on February 24, 1924, and installed four days later in the sixty-five year old Church of the Immaculate Conception, which had been designated the Cathedral. Bishop Griffin was the fourth bishop of the diocese, the first at the See in Springfield; the Immaculate Conception was the second in the diocese, the first in Springfield.
At once Bishop Griffin plunged into the task of renewing the Church in Central Illinois. Interested in social welfare, he organized the Ladies of Charity on a professional basis and formed such groups as the Altar and Rosary Society, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Holy Name Society, and supported programs for youth.
On January 1, 1927, he proposed a new challenge for the diocese -- the construction of a new Cathedral. The drive for funds produced an oversubscription. On August 14,1927, the cornerstone was laid by Bishop Griffin. Three buildings made up the Cathedral Complex above: the Cathedral, the Bishop's residence, and an elementary school, with a convent for the teachers.
A little more than a year later, in a series of ceremonies from October 13 through October 16, 1928, the new Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was dedicated. On October 13, the altars were consecrated. On October 14, George Cardinal Mundelein presided at the dedication. On October 15 there was an anniversary mass for the Diamond Jubilee of the Diocese. Next day a public, civil ceremony at the state armory completed the exercises.
A strong advocate of Catholic education, Bishop Griffin in 1935 appointed the first diocesan superintendent of schools. He urged the Ursuline nuns to establish a unit of higher education in Springfield, Junior College, now Springfield College in Illinois. He founded the Cathedral Boys High School, staffed by the Viatorians; he fostered co-educational high schools to meet the need for a fully educated Catholic population. Aware of the demand to provide means for facilities to extend Catholic Charities and to develop the spiritual growth, he conducted a diocesan campaign to raise $500,000 for new buildings and more services throughout the diocese.
The results of his vigorous action are revealed in the condition of the diocese when he died August 5, 1948. During the twenty-four years of his bishopric, the enrollment in the two colleges, six schools of nursing, fifteen high schools, and sixtyone elementary schools totaled 15,820 students. There were fourteen hospitals, one orphanage, one maternity home and two homes for senior citizens. Equally impressive are the data in the spiritual progress; 133 parishes, forty-three mission churches, 217 diocesan clergy, serving a Catholic population of 105,173.
 A native of Chicago and a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, William A. O'Connor was chosen December 17, 1948, to be the fifth Bishop of the diocese, the second in the city of Springfield. He was consecrated March 7 and installed in Springfield March 17,1948. On August 5, 1949, he said the first pontifical mass for Bishop Griffin, and on August 29 pressided at the consecration of Msgr. John B. Franz, Rector of the Cathedral, as the first bishop of Dodge City.
During his administration, two diocesan synods were held, the first March 10, 1953, to revise the century old rules of the diocese, and the second April 16, 1963, after the first session of Vatican II, to implement the message of the Council. He instituted the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in 1950 and in 1954 began the Diocesan Latin School for training young men preparing to enter the priesthood. In 1952 he initiated the Diocesan Development Fund for missionary work within the diocese, a program still current. Later, he began raising a $15,000,000 fund for renovating the older buildings and the construction of new ones to serve areas in need of assistance. He constructed the new Griffin High School for boys and aided the Ursuline and Dominican academies for girls in developing new services for their students.
After twenty-six years of vibrant leadership, acting under a provision of Vatican II, he resigned in July 22,1975. By 1975 the parishes had grown to 145, the missions reduced to 30; the colleges remained at two; the high schools had increased to four and the academies to nine; there were ten hospitals, one orphanage, and homes for aged persons; the diocesan Catholic population numbered 182,617. There were 228 Diocesan priests.
 Bishop Jospeph A. McNicholas, auxiliary of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, pastor of their "old Cathedral," very active in social welfare and youth programs, was selected by Pope Paul Vl to be the sixth shepherd of the Diocese. He was installed on September 3, 1975, in a very impressive ceremony presided over by John Cardinal Cody with fifty-five other bishops. A Cathedral full of monsignori, priests, religious, and laity, plus an over flow cared for in the school hall, witnessed the event.
Immediately, he began a program of visiting every unit in the diocese--churches, missions, schools, hospitals, the orphanage, homes for senior citizens, to become personally acquainted with the people in his charge. He initiated a number of new projects and services. With fifteen priests he held a special anointing of the sick in the Cathedral. He hosted the first Midwest Regional Meeting of the St. Vincent De Paul Society to be held in downstate Illinois, as well as holding a testimonial dinner for Msgr. Cassin, who for forty years, had been director of Catholic Charities in the diocese.
In 1978, he appointed Sister Jeremiah Sullivan, Superintendent of Schools, the first nun to hold that position. To increase the popular appeal and to give a more local coverage of the news, he changed the title of the diocesan newspaper to "Time and Eternity," and had it produced in Springfield. In Advent of 1977 he began a crusade to welcome back to the Church those who no longer attended.
 Bishop Daniel Leo Ryan was born in Mankato, MN, September 28, 1930, the son of Leonard B Ryan and Irene Larson Ryan . He has one sister, the late Mary Louise Ryan.
His elementary education took place in Mankato , MN, Minneapolis, MN, and Springfield IL. After one year of secondary education at Cathedral Boys High School, (now Sacred-Heart Griffin High School) Springfield, he entered Passionist Preparatory Seminary, St. Louis, MO, where he completed high school and junior college. He then attended Benedictine University, Lisle.IL, graduating with a B.A. in classical languages (1952). His theological studies were taken at St. Procopius Seminary, Lisle, IL. His postgraduate studies in canon law were taken at the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome, where he was awarded the degree J.C.L. in 1960.
Bishop Ryan was ordained to the priesthood for service to the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois May 3, 1956.
His parochial assignments in the Diocese of Joliet were as associate pastor; St. Paul the Apostle Parish, Joliet; Saint Joseph's Parish, Rockdale ; Saint Mary's Nativity Parish, Joliet; and Saint Thaddeus Parish, Joliet; and , as pastor; Saint Thaddeus Parish, Joliet, and Saint Michael's Parish, Wheaton, IL.
Diocesan assignments in the Diocese of Joliet were in the diocesan curia: notary, assistant chancellor, chancellor, vicar general, and personal advisor for diocesan clergy.
In 1981 Bishop Ryan was named by Pope John Paul II titular bishop of Surista and auxiliary to the Most Reverend Joseph L. Imesch, Bishop of Joliet, and was ordained bishop by Bishop Imesch, September 30, 1981.
In 1983 Bishop Ryan was appointed by Pope John Paul II seventh Bishop of the See of Springfield in Illinois, succeeding Bishop Joseph A. McNicholas, deceased, and was installed as diocesan bishop in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Springfield, January 18, 1984.
 On Oct. 19, 1999, Pope John Paul II named Msgr. George J. Lucas the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. At the time of his appointment, Msgr. Lucas was president-rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. He was installed as bishop by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago on Dec. 14, 1999 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
The Springfield diocese is home to approximately 170,000 Catholics who belong to 164 parishes. The diocese is served by 99 active diocesan priests and 62 religious order priests. There are a total of 145 diocesan priests, including those who are retired and those who serve outside the diocese. The diocese also includes eight Catholic hospitals, one religious seminary, one Catholic university, one Catholic college, seven Catholic high schools and 54 Catholic elementary schools.
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