God has blessed us with five new priests!

On June 6th, Bishop J. Peter Sartain ordained five men
at the Cathedral of St. Raymond for the Diocese of Joliet. 
Please pray for our new priests as they joyfully begin their ministry.

From left to right: Father Stephen Eickhoff; Father Raed Bader; Father Josh Miller; Bishop Sartain; Father John Lindsey; and Father Jason Stone.

Fr. Stephen Eickhoff, age 34, was born in Memphis and graduated from Western Illinois University before becoming a seminarian. He and his family are parishioners at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Aurora.

Fr. Raed Bader, age 39, comes from Jordan, where he worked as an aircraft technician before emigrating to the United States in 2002.  Fr. Raed’s home parish is St. James in Glen Ellyn.

Fr. Joshua Miller, age 30, is a former Eagle Scout who was born in Nebraska.  He has been a member of St. Mary Immaculate Parish in Plainfield.   He has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois.  

Fr. John Lindsey, age 50, grew up on the city’s southwest side and had a career in banking before entering the seminary in 2003.  Fr. John’s home parish is Visitation in Elmhurst.

Fr. Jason Stone, a native of Florida, was formerly an Emergency Medical Technician with a degree in Biology from Augustana College. He calls St. Walter Parish in Roselle home. 

Next Up:  Steven Borello will be ordained to the transitional diaconate on Saturday, August 28th at 11:00 am at St. James the Apostle Church in Glen Ellyn.  All are invited to attend as Steve takes this important step in preparation for his priestly ordination next June.

Meet the Newly Ordained Priests for the Diocese. It all starts with a call, a beckoning from God that can be a whisper or can be a loud shout. Five men from the Diocese of Joliet heard that call to serve others, and their answers of “yes” resulted in their being ordained to the priesthood by Bishop J. Peter Sartain during a Mass on June 5 at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet. Their backgrounds are different, but their goals are the same: to serve the people of God as priests. Here are their stories.

Thank you for your Continuing Generosity!

We would like to express our sincere thanks for your gifts
to the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal. 
The diocese is presently at 60% of its goal of 6.4 million dollars.  Because of the generosity of many the diocese of Joliet will be able to provide pastoral ministry and spiritual nourishment to our brothers and sisters in need.

Unity is a great hallmark of the Catholic Church, and one of the ways we manifest that unity is by joining together in answering the call of the gospel.  Our common faith expresses itself in love, as St. Paul wrote, and together we live and proclaim the presence of the Lord.

Please consider joining the thousands of others
in supporting the work of the Church by donating to the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal.

Check out how the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal has changed the lives of some of our brothers and sisters within our Community. click here

As I travel across the Diocese of Joliet,

I meet many fine individuals and families who inspire me by their faith in the Lord Jesus, their love for the Church, and their devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Fed with the Lord’s body and blood, we are given strength to be good disciples and to know his presence in daily life.

I am also reminded of the love and generosity expressed through support of the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal. When you share God’s blessing with others, you reveal your deep gratitude for all he has done for you.

This year as we celebrate the diocesan “Year of the Eucharist,” we have chosen “One in the Body and Blood of the Lord” as the theme for the 2010 Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal. It is a very appropriate choice, for Psalm 34 invites us to “Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord.”

Please consider a gift to the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal this year. Your gift will make it possible for the Diocese of Joliet to continue to create a stronger, more vital community that embodies all that Jesus calls us to be. Your gift will allow us to continue to serve and support the many ministries of our diocese, such as....

Continue to read Bishop's letter in English, Korean, Polish, Spanish, Tagalog, or Vietnamese
Click for Bishop Sartain's audio and more information on the Catholic Ministries Appeal

Diocese Welcomes
Superintendent of Catholic Schools

Bishop J. Peter Sartain is pleased to announce the appointment of Father John M. Belmonte, S.J., a Jesuit Priest, to the position of Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Joliet, effective July 1, 2010.

Father Belmonte has been Principal of Marquette High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since 2004.  Prior to that, he served for four years as the Director of Pastoral Ministry at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, Illinois.  He completed his Doctorate in Education from Loyola University in Chicago in 2006. He prepared for ordination to the priesthood at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. He grew up in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. His family still resides there.

Bishop Sartain stated, “I am delighted to have a person of deep faith and spiritual formation, a professional of great caliber, and a proven leader in education to lead the diocesan schools. I know that Father Belmonte will bring many gifts that will make our Catholic schools strong and vibrant.”

Father Belmonte will oversee all aspects of school operations for the Diocese. He will be responsible to implement the Strategic Plan for Catholic Schools which was announced by Bishop Sartain earlier this year.

The Diocese of Joliet has 54 Elementary Schools, 7 Early Childhood Education Centers, and 7 High Schools (2 Diocesan, 1 Parish, and 4 sponsored by Religious Orders). There are 1,620 Administrators and Teachers who staff these schools. Student attendance is 23,037.  The Joliet Diocese encompasses 7 counties of northern Illinois and has a Catholic population of more than 658,000 and 132 parishes and missions. Several counties in the diocese are among the fastest growing in the country.

Father Belmonte stated, “I am excited – and humbled – by the opportunity to advance Catholic education at the diocesan level.” He said he is truly honored and looks forward to working with Bishop Sartain and the entire diocesan family in Joliet.

Bishop Sartain also expressed his gratitude to Sr. Helen Jean Kormelink, OSB, the current Superintendent, for her tireless efforts in leading the Catholic Schools Office for the past 11 years.

Bishop Sartain asks that everyone keep Father Belmonte in their prayers as he prepares to begin his new role.

Any questions or comments should be directed to: Doug Delaney, Executive Assistant to Bishop J. Peter Sartain, Diocese of Joliet 425 Summit Street Joliet, Illinois 60435; Office: 815-722-6606, Ext. 228 Fax: 815-722-6632 Email: ddelaney@dioceseofjoliet.org

 

 

ORDER OF MALTA

The Order of Malta is a 900-year old organization of Catholic lay men and women who steeped in the tradition of “administering to the sick and the poor and spreading and defending the Catholic faith.” Currently, there are 3000 Knights and Dames of Malta in the United States. (www.maltausa.org). We are committed to the mission of bringing a greater awareness of the Catholic faith not only to church people, but to all others who are hungry for learning about God’s love.

LIGHTING THE PATH TO OUR FUTURE:
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

On Thursday, January 28th, 2010, Bishop J. Peter Sartain released the following status report on the Strategic Plan for the Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Joliet.    Read more...

DIOCESE WELCOMES NEW AUXILIARY BISHOP

On January 19, 2010 at 2:00 p.m., in the Cathedral of Raymond Nonnatus, Joseph M. Siegel was ordained as our new Auxiliary Bishop. Read more about Bishop Siegel in our January issue of Christ Is Our Hope Magazine

Do you have a petition for Bishop Sartain’s prayer list?

(¿Deseas que el Obispo rece por alguna intención en especial que tú tengas?)

You may send it to him at (Escríbele a): Bishop Sartain’s Prayer List (Lista de Oraciones del Obispo Sartain) Diocese of Joliet; 425 Summit St. Joliet, IL 60435-7193.

LATIN MASS

In his Apostolic Letter "Summorum Pontificium,” Pope Benedict XVI expressed his wish that Masses celebrated according to the "Extraordinary Form" of the Roman Rite (sometimes referred to as the "Tridentine" Latin Mass) be made available wherever there is a stable group of the faithful who wish to participate in Mass in this form. It is in this spirit that Bishop Sartain has established The Diocese of Joliet Latin Mass Community and has invited the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (www.fssp.com) to provide priests for this new ministry. Fr. Joseph R. Valentine, FSSP, has been appointed Chaplain of the community and is based at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Naperville. The Latin Mass is celebrated each Sunday at 12:00 Noon at St. Bernard Church, 1301 Sterling Ave., Joliet; and at 5:30pm at Sts. Peter & Paul Church, 36 N Ellsworth St., Naperville. Daily Masses are celebrated at Sts. Peter & Paul Church (the time varies, so please contact the parish office for information: 630-355-1081). Fr Valentine will also be available for baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc., in the traditional rite as the need arises. Latin Mass Community weekly bulletins can be downloaded at www.jolietlatin.org All are welcome; please join us!