In the wake of the rising controversy over the decision of Father Brian Grady, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Crystal Lake to end his church’s sponsorship of a Boy Scout Troop and bar them from its facilities, the Social Justice Committee of Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation in McHenry, has issued a plea for tolerance, compassion, and inclusion.
Fr. Grady has a large article in St. James Church, Belvidere’s bulletin for June 9, 2013.
Bishop’s response to Rt. Rev. Grady’s actions
The Catholic Diocese of Rockford is calling for its churches to continue working with the Boy Scouts of America despite the group's new acceptance of gay members — a change that led one Crystal Lake church to announce plans to sever ties with a troop it sponsors.
In a statement on the diocese's website, Bishop David Malloy said the Scouts' new policy "does not seem to provide an obstacle to our continued sponsorship of those troops or of Scouting, as long as Catholic principles of morality are followed."
Click on the following to read the entire story: Church drops Scouts: Diocese where church dropped Scout troop over gay policy issues statement - chicagotribune.com
Here is the Bishop’s statement:
Current Statement on New Policy Adopted by the Boy Scouts of America
From: Most Reverend David J. Malloy, Bishop of the Diocese of Rockford
Date: June 3, 2013
It has come to my attention that media, both regional and national, are continuing to report that the Boy Scouts of America has changed its policy and will admit "openly gay" and/or "openly homosexual" young men. The new policy language adopted by the Boy Scouts of America, which becomes effective on January 1, 2014, does not use those words. It states: "... No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone."
A statement released and updated on May 23rd by The National Catholic Committee on Scouting posted on both its website and the website for the Diocese of Rockford states in part:
1.
"The Catholic Church teaches that those who experience same-sex attraction are always to be treated with dignity and respect."
2.
"The Church also teaches that sexual acts belong within marriage, and that everyone is called to chastity."
The teaching of the Catholic Church regarding moral behavior for all persons outside the marital state remains the same. In addition, the policy of the Boy Scouts of America states "Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether homosexual, or heterosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting." This tenet of the Boy Scouts of America is not incompatible with the Church's teaching.
Currently there is no prudential reason to believe the Boy Scouts of America and its locally sponsored troops will act otherwise. However, more study is being carried out on this issue, including by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, so that our parishes locally and the Church nationally can attempt to forge a common understanding and a common policy to address this decision.
As Catholics we are called to love all people as fellow children of God, our creator. In doing so we must guide each other to live moral and chaste lives and never encourage or condone behavior contrary to God's plan for us.
In the Diocese of Rockford, 42 scouting units are sponsored by Catholic parishes or organizations. At this time the new standard adopted by the Boy Scouts of America does not seem to provide an obstacle to our continued sponsorship of those troops or of scouting, as long as Catholic principles of morality are followed. I will remain vigilant to this end and have asked the priests and pastors of this diocese to remain involved and steadfast in the application of Catholic guidance for the troops sponsored by their respective Catholic parishes and organizations.
At this time, it is my hope that we, in the Diocese of Rockford, will not need to discontinue partnering with the Boys Scouts of America in the healthy formation of young men.
The Boy Scouts Statements on the issue are available on the diocesan website:
Go to: http://www.rockforddiocese.org/pdfs/BSA/Open-Letter-to-Scouting-Volunteers.pdf For the following:
Go to: http://www.rockforddiocese.org/pdfs/BSA/2013-Membership-Standards-Resolution.pdf For the following
National Committee on Catholic Scouting’s statement: http://www.rockforddiocese.org/pdfs/BSA/Catholic-Committee-on-Scouting.pdf
Could this happen with St. James in Belvidere?
December 2, 2012 Bulletin—Total pledges promised increase $1,054 during the one month period. Pledges paid during the month $2,290. At that monthly rate it would take 611 months (51 years) to pay the remaining $1,399,701 of unpaid pledges. Obviously the majority of the $1.4 million unpaid will probably not be collected based upon current actions.
November 4, 2012 Bulletin
Here are the most recent figures from the November 4,2012 bulletin. It is currently available at: http://content.seekandfind.com/bulletins/01/0274/20121104B.pdf
The has been no additional pledges from the July 3, 2011 statement shown below and only $175,502 has been paid since July 3, 2011.
To see more of the story of this stalled building campaign click on the following: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/09/st-charles-borromeo-hampshire-illinois.html
Here is the parish’s current website entry regarding their campaign.(http://www.scbparish.org/index.php?page=capital-campaign)
Our church serves as a symbol of fidelity to Christ's call to carry on His mission of evangelizing the hearts and minds of people. We have a faith community that is full of goodness, rich in spirituality and welcoming to all. At this time in history, we have a unique opportunity to partake in the building of a new church. With Christ as the center of everything we do, we rely on our faith in God and our devotion to the Eucharist as we continue in our mission to serve Him through His church.
Our Pathway to Our Future -
On Sunday, September 27, 2009, we held a very special ceremony on the propery of our new church - our first official groundbreaking ceremony. This groundbreaking ceremony is making the pathway and driveway to our new church property possible. Click on the link above to view the progess.
Exterior Driveup - Exterior Courtyard -
Exterior Rotation - Interior Walkthrough
Click Here to be directed to our page on the website of our architect, Ethan Anthony and his company, Cram & Ferguson Architects. See the virtual tours. You can also take the opportunity to learn more about this architectural firm and their extensive work with places of worship.
Contest Drawing Reference Materials
The Capital Campaign Committee members are:
Dominick Cocciemiglio, Jr. - Chairperson
Steve Bielejeski
Patricia Dumoulin
Donna Gnuechtel
Pat Jachec
Steve Jerger
Ginny Kissamis
Jeanie Mayer
Beth Shepley
Alma Stark
By JEFF ENGELHARDT
650 families that call St. Catherine home and will celebrate its centennial this weekend. The 100-year anniversary celebration starts Friday and will include live music, children’s games, pencil portraits, bingo, ice cream socials and cake walks.
It will conclude Sunday with a special Mass at 10:30 a.m. and a lunch banquet and silent auction to follow.
The parishioners who contributed were given two choices—receive the money back or allow the parish to use the funds for other parish needs. Note there are IRS income implication only if the parishioner itemized and use the donation as a deduction.
Read the entire story from WREX by clicking on the following: http://www.wrex.com/story/15144908/south-beloit-church-offer-parshioners-donations-back
J. Peter Sartain, as Bishop of Joliet, Ill., ordained Alejandro Flores to the priesthood in June of 2009, despite years of repeated warnings that Flores had an inappropriate relationship with a child and kept pornography on a church computer. In September of 2010, Flores pleaded guilty to one count of criminal sexual assault and was sentenced to four years in prison.
the Holy See, through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, appointed this same Sartain—now Archbishop of Seattle—to review, guide and approve, where necessary, the work of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). According to its website, the LCWR has about 1500 members—leaders of
Click on the following for this blog and its references: Bishop Assigned To Oversee Nuns Ordained A Child Molester | damagedjoy
The Observer reports that Apostolic Administration, Thomas Doran is scheduled this month to break ground on St. Mary’s new parish center and adoration chapel.
The following previous postings are the only available records regarding this multi-million dollar project. It appears that original $5,000,000 project is now costing $7,000,000 and the project is breaking ground based upon a CAMPAIGN GOAL OF $5,0000,000.
This was previously posted at: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/09/huntley-church-plans-big-expansion.html Appears to be some changes have occurred –cost was $5 million now $7 million. Now appears that fund raising will not fund all of the project.
After only 10 years, St. Mary Catholic Church in Huntley already has outgrown its building and is seeking new space in which to grow its ministry.
The church hopes to build a 32,567-square-foot, single-story addition that would include a 600-person parish hall, a small chapel, office space, a full kitchen and 10 rooms that could be split into 17 meeting rooms, said Monsignor Steve Knox, the church’s pastor since 2004.
Church leaders brought the project to the Huntley village board’s committee of the whole last week and the body sent it to the planning and zoning commission for future review.
The project, designed by Barrington-based Ruck Pate Architecture, is expected to cost $7 million. The church plans to raise a large chunk of the money among its parishioners before applying for a loan, Knox said.
After only 10 years, St. Mary Catholic Church in Huntley already has outgrown its building and is seeking new space in which to grow its ministry.
The church hopes to build a 32,567-square-foot, single-story addition that would include a 600-person parish hall, a small chapel, office space, a full kitchen and 10 rooms that could be split into 17 meeting rooms, said Monsignor Steve Knox, the church’s pastor since 2004.
20110920/news/709209949/#ixzz1Ye8UgCOK
Posted by Boone County Catholics at 10:03 PM 0 comments 
Saturday, September 17, 2011
It appears that the Zoning Department at the City of Huntley does not allow the same parking spaces to be counted both for a parish center and a church.
Huntley church plans big expansion
By Jeanie Mayer For The Courier-News September 16, 2011 12:18PM
HUNTLEY — The village board heard details of a proposed major addition to St. Mary Catholic Church, 10307 Dundee Road.
Staff outlined the parish’s plan to build a 32,567-square-foot addition alongside the church to house classrooms for religious education, offices and meeting space. The proposal includes a covered carport, up to 17 meeting rooms and a professional kitchen.
The board indicated it was pleased overall with the proposed addition, but balked at the parish’s request to reduce the number of additional parking spaces the new building would require under village ordinance. The ordinance calls for an additional 260 parking spaces under the proposed plans. St. Mary’s is asking that it only be required to put in 97 more parking spaces.
“We do not at all envision a dual use where the parish hall is being used when the sanctuary is full,” a parish representative said.
Trustee Harry Leopold said he liked the plan, but was concerned with the possible shortage of parking spaces if the board allowed the parish relief of that many spaces.
“It is a real nice addition to build, and needed. I am concerned about the relief (of parking spaces). I would like to see examples of additional parking,” he said.
The above is taken from: http://couriernews.suntimes.com/7693022-417/huntley-church-plans-big-expansion.html
**********************************************************************************
The pictures and graphs shown below are from St. Mary’s Parish website: http://www.stmaryhuntley.org/
Below is a statement from the Pastor in this week’s bulletin (9-18-2011). Over $1.5 million of the $5 million drive has been pledged. 
The following are taken from St. Mary’s weekly bulletins which are available at:
http://seekandfind.com/directory/st.-mary-church_672.html
What is Eucharistic Adoration Chapel?
Pledging and confidentiality.
The stage and religious education building.
The degree of parish participation.
Proposed addition/adoration chapel.
St. Mary Church
Huntley, Illinois
Statement of Need
St. Mary Parish has a wonderful history spanning over 140 years of dedicated service to the Lord
and to the people we serve. Our parish has a reputation for being welcoming, generous, and
faith-filled.
Over the decades, we have grown from a small worshipping community to our current vibrant
parish of approximately 5,200 households. Over 50 ministries and/or organizations enrich our
parish life and provide numerous ways for parishioners to share their talents and serve one
another and the larger community. The small group of individuals who met in John Kelley’s
blacksmith shop in 1870 to discuss the organization of our first church would surely be
astonished and proud of today’s church and parish.
Facilities are important to any vibrant faith community. They provide the means for us to live
our mission and to build a faith community in the name of Jesus. Over 15 years ago, our parish
of only 350 households provided the enthusiasm and energy to lay the foundation for the
building of our current beautiful church. They had the vision to anticipate the potential growth
in our area and the urgency to design and build a new church that would draw people. They
looked upon this responsibility as an opportunity, not a challenge.
Today we have another opportunity to realize. Currently we do not have ample space for the
large number of activities in our parish. We rent classrooms from Marlowe Middle School in
Huntley for our Religious Education Program with its 1,300 students. The annual cost of rentals
is approximately $50,000. We have a small number of meeting rooms that are inadequate to
accommodate our ministries and programs. Without a parish hall and kitchen we are unable to
have pancake breakfasts, dinners, funeral luncheons or other large ministry gatherings to build
up our community.
This Parish Ministry Center is as important to parish life today as was the church a decade ago.
It will give us a place to gather, not just for liturgies on the weekends, but throughout the week –
because “church” is not just a weekend experience. We need space to gather daily as a faith
community – space for activities such as religious education, youth ministry, social events for all
age groups, retreats, community outreach, service programs, meetings and parish offices for
administration.
Parishioners have been involved throughout the planning of the Parish Ministry Center. Town
Hall Meetings were held last spring and again in February. The Building Committee sought
input through a parish survey. Our Parish and Finance Councils have been involved in the
discernment of our direction, as has the parish staff. A feasibility study was conducted May
2011. Fr. Steve continues to provide updates in the bulletin to keep the parish informed,
including presenting the building design to parishioners in June.
The proposed one-story Parish Ministry Center will be approximately 32,000 square feet. The
facility will be designed to complement the exterior of our church, with interior space configured
to meet the practical demands of our Religious Education Program, our meeting and gathering
requirements and parish ministries. We’ll have ample storage space and large restrooms that are
handicapped accessible. We’re also examining ways to improve our parking lot design and the
flow of traffic.
The Parish Ministry Center will house 17 classrooms which will be designed for multipurpose
usage. The staff offices that are currently in the lower level underneath the Gathering Area will
become meeting rooms and additional religious education classrooms. The Parish Hall will be
able to seat up to 600 people at tables and will have partitions to allow for smaller gatherings.
We’ll also add a number of staff offices.
A small Eucharistic Adoration Chapel will be located in the Parish Ministry Center. We’ll
continue to have the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle in the church; and, in addition, in the
new Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. With all the liturgies, funerals, weddings, rehearsals, and
activity in our large church, having a small prayer chapel devoted to Eucharistic Adoration will
be a real blessing for our parish because people will always have a place to go for quiet prayer.
The youth ministry room will be built to be “youth friendly” and provide a space that our parish
youth can call their own. In order to make this area multi-purpose, partitions will allow it to be
used as a place for religious education classes during our more crowded sessions.
What is the ultimate goal of this project? The goal is to create more ministry space so that
parishioners can come together to grow in their relationship with God, to experience a Christcentered
community, and to be strengthened in faith and love to go forth as disciples of the Lord
in the world.
This project is vital to our parish. It will greatly enhance our beautiful church and fulfill
worship, educational, fellowship, ministry, and meeting requirements for an active, vibrant
parish. With God’s help and your prayers, volunteerism and financial support, we can make this
happen and fulfill our campaign theme of Building Community Together!
…. 12 documents that could reveal how its lawyers advised church leaders to handle claims that priests were molesting children.
The records include correspondence between the lawyers and Msgr. William J. Lynn, the church official criminally charged over his alleged role in responding to abuse allegations in the 1990s. Most concern the "development of policy" by the archdiocese, its attorney, Robert Welsh, said during a Common Pleas Court hearing.
An inadvertent violation is one in which the priest reveals a penitent's sin, but not necessarily his or her identity, said archdiocese spokeswoman Julie Wolf. Such situations are extremely rare.
Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki, who determined Verhasselt's guilt as part of an administrative penal process, spoke with parishioners after Mass.
Click on he following for the complete story: Priest guilty of indirectly violating seal of confession - JSOnline
The $900,000 embezzlement in Philadelphia.
Archbishop Chaput said that while most employees are honest, a few are not.
“Precisely because religious organizations run on the good will of the people they serve and the dedication of their staffs, they can easily become too trusting in their internal safeguards,” he said. “But that only makes the need for tight financial controls and accounting procedures more urgent.”
The archbishop wrote that new procedures are in place, along with more rigorous internal controls and tighter budget discipline, as well as a demand for improved skills in everyone tasked with the management of archdiocesan resources.
In 2007, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Accounting Practices Committee recommended several ways to enhance the financial governance in the thousands of parishes across the country, including diocesan-wide training of parish councils, completion of an annual internal-control questionnaire, as well as internal audits.
Click the following for more details on his story from the National Catholic Register: ; Is the Church Too Trusting? | Daily News | NCRegister.com
bishop’s lawyers have argued that because the diocese had a designated reporter, Finn’s responsibility to make the calls had been “extinguished.”
In her response filed Friday, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said that pre-trial dismissal was improper because a jury needed to decide the facts of whether Murphy was the designated reporter.
Baker revealed that Murphy said in grand jury testimony that he knew very little about such issues.
Click on the following for more details: Prosecutors seek trial for Finn and diocese - KansasCity.com
This week Sacred Heart Parish of Aurora is celebrating its rebuilt church. There is a four page spread in The Observer regarding its dedication by Bishop Doran. I hope you have an opportunity to read the story and share that parish’s joy.
It is also only right to review some of the happenings that were required to reach this goal. To review the “truth” of this project that the Observer neglected to share. And obtain the “rest of the story”. You should note that the insurance proceeds and fund raising numbers at time conflict.
The original story from the Chicago Tribune:
May 24, 1999|By Hal Dardick. Special to the Tribune.
If the mostly poor parishioners of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Aurora can get their finances in order, a new house of worship might rise to replace the 100-year-old church destroyed in December by an arson fire.
That was the conclusion of a group of priests, deacons and lay leaders from 11 Aurora-area churches recently forwarded to Bishop Thomas Doran of the Rockford diocese.
The bishop said he was impressed with the report, and parishioners who have been briefed on it are expected to craft a written response by July 1, said diocese communications director Owen Phelps.
"The parish is rallying together to prove its financial viability," said Craig Hall, a Sacred Heart parishioner and member of the group that wrote the report. "The best thing is the diocese is going to move forward and give us the opportunity to proceed."
Hall said he expects his fellow parishioners to accept the report's recommendations in their reply. If it does, the diocese will issue a "letter of intent, stating that if the parish does meet its financial obligations, there will be no diocesan impediments to the construction of a new church," the report states.
The parish, which has at least a 12-year history of financial troubles, might launch a capital campaign for a new church upon accepting the obligation to fix its finances, the report concludes. A preliminary meeting to start that campaign will be held in less than two weeks, Hall said.
Aurorans of French heritage laid the cornerstone for Sacred Heart in 1898.
On Dec. 1, the church was destroyed by fire. Only the outer walls and a damaged steeple remain on the site at 125 N. State St., on the city's near east side.
A new church "may be constructed on the site of the old church, perhaps incorporating some elements of the old church," the report states.
But construction cannot start until the parish "demonstrates to diocesan financial authorities" it can service the debt for a new church and operate without a deficit.
Charges against a 15-year-old boy accused of setting the blaze were dropped in April after his alleged confession was suppressed. The youth, who was on supervision for setting an earlier blaze, has been placed in a treatment center out of state.
Parishioners have been attending mass in a nearby church school.
The report recommends that $450,000 from an insurance payment be used to retire an existing debt. The remaining $600,000 would be placed in an interest bearing account but would not be used for operational expenses.
That $600,000 would probably be "for the eventual building of a new church," Phelps said.
The parish then would be given 18 months to show financial viability.
"If, after 18 months, the parish cannot show that it is financially viable, we recommend the parish be closed," the report states.
This letter and demonstrations at the Cathedral (2009) in Rockford all occurred and appear very necessary for this poor Hispanic community to rebuilt its church.
Rockford Diocese vs. Sacred Heart Parish ($1.7 million battle)
posted:April 23rd, 2009
This letter is to make you aware of the ongoing situation with the Rockford Diocese in Rockford, Illinois and the Sacred Heart Parish located on the East Side of Aurora, Illinois. And to extend an invitation to cover this story further when a group of parishioners make a trip to Rockford to continue their efforts in trying to meet with Bishop Doran regarding his the continued promises of support for rebuilding a church that burned over 10 years ago. It is now being said that they will be shut down and the $1.7 million raised by the parishioners will pay for other diocese debt. One of such debts is legal fees accumulated for representation of Father Campabello (a story that was covered by the Beacon News, Aurora) which accumulated to over $2 million.
Following is a synopsis of what the Parish has been through and how they have been led to believe they would get a new church if they raised funds. Now those funds are going to be stripped away and they will be left without a church:
The parish church burned down in December on 1998. It was an unfortunate situation which devastated the whole community. They immediately came together and found a solution to try to keep the community whole; they began holding masses in the basement of the school. Assured by the diocese that this would only be temporary until the new church was built they maintained their spirits high.
In late 1999 Father Camacho arrived at Sacred Heart Parish. He immediately became a fierce advocate for his new community and tried to work with the Diocese of Rockford to move on the promise they had made to rebuild the church. After tried conversations and letters with the Diocese, Bishop Doran published a response in the Observer (a Catholic Newsletter that goes out to parishioners of the Rockford Diocese) In that publication he stated that the Sacred Heart Parish would be given 18 months to liquidate all debt and prove that they would be able to sustain a new church. If they met that goal the Diocese would provide a percentage of the funds needed to have the church built. With new added hope the parish began to work diligently to meet the expectation.
Fast forward to present day issues–
With the insurance payoff of $800,000 and through many fundraisers which include family fairs, dances, and raffles the parish has been able to liquidate all debts and have a savings account of $1.7 million. Everything for these events has been donated.
When the Diocese began to notice that the debt had been liquidated and the bank account was quickly accumulating funds they were fast to approach Father Camacho via messages (never did they ask him to come in and meet with Bishop Doran or any other higher official at the diocese) and specifically advise him that only 2 fundraisers would be allowed per calendar year. The messages also relayed that it was not felt that there was not enough proof that the parish could sustain a new church and they should continue to raise funds.
A group of friends came together to brainstorm ideas on what needed to be done, so that the dream of having a new church would become a reality. They determined that the first step would be to have blueprints drawn up and available to show Bishop Doran or his representative. They paid an architect $18,000 (not part of the $1.7 million) to draw the blueprints. Once this was complete they were ready to present the blueprints and the continued desire of the community to have a church. They followed procedure in trying to obtain an appointment with Bishop Doran, they wrote a letter and mailed it to the diocese, after a period of waiting, there was not a response. Again they followed the same procedure and followed up with a phone call. In that phone conversation they were told that Bishop Doran reads all his correspondence and that he would get back to them. Again there was no response. They began a letter marathon and for one month straight they sent letter daily requesting the opportunity to meet with him, and again no answer. This has been an ongoing request for the past few years.
The most recent involvement that Bishop Doran has had with the parish is to advise that Father Camacho will be removed from the Parish and sent to Freeport. Father Camacho has been told that the $1.7 million will be used to pay off the debt St. Mary’s Church (also in Aurora) has, and that there may not be another priest available to cover the masses at Sacred Heart Church so the Parishioners will be asked to go to St. Nicholas or St. Mary’s.
With constant failed attempts to try to meet with the Bishop Doran a group of 10 people made the trip to Rockford, on Thursday April 16, 2009 to personally ask for an appointment to meet with Bishop Doran regarding two issues: the removal of Father Camacho and the plans for a new church. When they arrived they were able to go into the Diocese building but got no further than being met by the secretary of Monsignor Arquimides to be told that a letter needs to be set to ask for an appointment. They left without any accomplishment.
On Sunday April 19, 2009 hundreds of signatures were collected at the Parish masses asking Bishop Doran to please not remove Father Camacho from the Parish and to please consider building the church he promised.
Everyone has worked really hard and they feel that the diocese is stealing the money that has been raised and collected for the purpose of building a new church. It was never said that this money raised by Sacred Heart Parishioners (for a church that was promised) would be used to pay off debt of another parish.
This group of parishioners including many more will be heading back to Rockford to try to meet with Bishop Doran and we would like to invite the media to cover the story and make the public aware of the corruption this Bishop is causing.
The planned date of the trip is Tuesday, April 28, 2009. The buses will leave Aurora, IL at 7:30 am and arrive at 555 Coleman Center Dr., Rockford, IL 61125 at approximately 9:00 a.m.
Attached you will find the two latest letters that were sent to request a meeting.
Please let me know if you will be able to join us and make the public aware of what is happening. My contact information is Jesus Sanchez and I can be reached at 630-649-3136.
Sincerely,
Jesus Sanchez
Chick on the following to review the article: Rockford Diocese vs. Sacred Heart Parish ($1.7 million battle) - Aurora, IL - 40 - AmericanTowns.com
April 29, 2009|By Vikki Ortiz, Tribune reporter
Fed up with what they say have been years of ignored pleas to build a new church in Aurora, four busloads of people arrived at the doors of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford offices Tuesday, accusing leaders of being dishonest and unhelpful.
"You don't follow your own rules," said Jesus Sanchez, a member of Aurora's Sacred Heart parish who helped to organize the nearly 200 parishioners carrying signs, chanting the rosary and singing hymns in Spanish.
Click on the following to see this 2009 story: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-04-29/news/0904280621_1_parish-diocesan-leaders-new-church
8,500-square-foot building … with beautiful stained glass windows, refurbished wooden pews, and seating for up to 450 people.
The new church is a not a replica of the original. But it is built in a more traditional style to keep a connection with the old church. The design is clean and simple. The pews and lights have been donated from other churches and refurbished.
When the diocese discouraged rebuilding on the site near Fulton and State streets, by refusing to pay for reconstruction, the community stood strong, raising funds on their own.
On March 4, at 11:30 a.m., Sacred Heart will hold the Consecration Mass for the new church. The Rev. Thomas G. Doran, bishop of Rockford, will preside over the bilingual Mass.
Click on the following for more details on thie story from the Beacon News: From the ashes, a new church rises - Aurora Beacon News
And now the dedication of the new Sacred Heart Church. Please look at Friday, March 9, 2012. If the print addition is not available here is the much shorter on-line version.
Click on the following: http://observer.rockforddiocese.org/article?id=31
The above is taken from page 11, of February 10, 2012, The Observer.
This was originally posted on September 7, 2011. Based upon recent traffic to this item, I am reposting and updating on what appears a dormant building campaign.
Latest update February 5, 2012. It appears that reporting is only being done once a month. The has been only $111,227 of additional pledges since July 3, 2011. Actual building has been put on “hold”; see yellow highlighted statement.
Here is a brief history and description of the project and the reason for the hold on building.
Below is taken from: http://www.scbparish.org/
The new red brick, Gothic style church was designed by the architect Herman Gaul of Chicago and was constructed for a cost of $25,000. The old church was then remodeled into a social center and renamed the "Forester Hall." In July of 1915, Fr. Charles Mertens became the pastor and it was at this time the beautiful 'Munich' stained glass windows were installed in the church.
SEE what $8 million buys in Hampshire. Note the proposed building site is on 24 acre which will have water and sewer. The original price appeared to be $6 million but was increased to $8 million during the campaign. (The campaign is now stopped by “the economy”.)
There was a ceremonial groundbreaking:
Our Pathway to Our Future -
On Sunday, September 27, 2009, we held a very special ceremony on the property of our new church - our first official groundbreaking ceremony. This groundbreaking ceremony is making the pathway and driveway to our new church property possible.
The following art contest postings from May 2011 indicates that the church will cost $10 million. This is taken from: http://team-art.org/2011/05/25/st-charles-borromeo-parish-sanctuary-art-design-competition/
Pastor Joseph P. Nicolosi, Jr. goes on sabbatical. This is taken from the June 26, 2011 bulletin, currently available at: http://content.seekandfind.com/bulletins/01/0274/20110626B.pdf see page 3.
By Denise Moran For The Courier-News September 7, 2011 3:30PM Taken from: http://couriernews.suntimes.com/lifestyles/7408632-423/father-nnaso-new-pastor-in-hampshire.html
In discussing his goals for the St. Charles Borromeo parish, Nnaso said: “Every parish has spiritual and temporal needs. The spiritual needs are under control for the most part. I would like to establish an engaged parish where everyone sees our parish as a home for his or her family. Right now, I am working on establishing a parish office and a storage facility for the parish and the school. More than 65 percent of the parish rectory has been turned into the parish office and storage. With the support of parishioners and school staff, I would like to increase our student enrollment. This year, we have already gained 43 new students. I will keep working on this until there is a waiting list of students wanting to get into our school.”
Plans to build a larger Catholic church in Hampshire have been put on hold due to the poor economy.
Posted by Boone County Catholics at 5:18 PM 0 comments
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Labels: Bishop Doran, Catholic Church
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Rev. Nicholas Federspiel: Spiritual Warfare
Father will speak on Angels, Demons and the powerful protection of Sacramentals. He will address what the Catholic Church really teaches about demonic possession and explain issues such as the hierarchy of angels and demons, the real power of curses, the ways we become vulnerable to spiritual attack, the signs, and the many hidden ways Satan can infiltrate.You will learn how to employ strategies that will best protect you against the evil one.
Father will offer a blessing of water, salt and other Sacramentals.
Rev. Nicholas Federspiel
Fr. Nicholas Federspiel is a regular on the Drew Mariani Show, sharing his profound knowledge of history, current events and theology. Father has been called to a special ministry of deliverance and is highly respected for his incredible gift of preaching and teaching the faith.
He currently serves as Associate Pastor at St. John Neumann in St. Charles, IL.
Previously he was the Pastor at St. Peter’s Church in South Beloit, IL.
He was ordained in 2004 by Bishop Doran. He studied philosophy and theology at both Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg and Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis.
By Will O'Brien
In late July, the Diocese pulled the plug on a multi-million dollar new school and parish project for which about $2.2 million in donations had been raised over the course of several years. Donors were given the opportunity to reclaim their financial gifts, but for many of those involved, the campaign was never about money, but rather, the dream of building up a faith community. …
Just days after the Diocese announced its decision to cancel the project, a town hall-style meeting was held in the church basement of St. Peter. More than 100 were in attendance, and many of those who took time to publicly address the crowd expressed frustration over the project's cancellation, casting blame on Federspiel and Diocesan administrators for a lack of communication and lack of leadership
See Comments:
JOHN832 posted at 4:46 pm on Fri, Dec 16, 2011.
Posts: 2
Fr. Federspiel's move was "nothing unusual?" Just a "little shuffling?" Honestly - how stupid do you think the Stateline Area is? The facts speak for themselves. Even in his last hours in town the Parochial Administrator refuses to communicate with the public and relies on a Diocese Spokesman. We will continue to pray for you Father.
Click on the following to read all of this article: St. Peter parish priest reassigned by Diocese - Beloit Daily News: News: st. peter, st. peter catholic school, catholic, father federspiel, federspiel
