The Rockford Diocese covers 6,457 square miles of northwestern Illinois. It was established on Sept. 23, 1908.
Its northern boundary is the state line of Illinois and Wisconsin. Its eastern boundary abuts the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet. Its southern boundary abuts the Diocese of Peoria, and its western boundary is the Mississippi River.
The diocese includes 11 counties: Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, JoDaviess, Kane, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago. The diocese includes urban, suburban and rural areas, and in many respects serves as a microcosm of the Catholic Church in the United States.
According to the diocese’s annual general report to the Vatican for the year ending Nov. 2002:
- There are 418,891 Catholics in the diocese’s 11-county area.
- The diocese includes 105 parishes.
- It is served by a total of 166 priests incardinated in our diocese and another 13 priests from other dioceses who serve here.
- There are 48 religious priests, 112 permanent deacons, 250 religious women and 17 religious brothers serving in the diocese.
- Six men were ordained to the priesthood in 2002, and four diocesan priests died.
- There are 47 men studying for the Rockford diocesan priesthood at various seminaries.
- As regards administration of the sacraments, there were 6,700 baptisms, 6,195 First Communions, 4,178 confirmations and 1,312 marriages.
- There were 11,847 children enrolled in the diocese’s 41 grade schools, 4,106 enrolled in its eight high schools, and 28,039 enrolled in parish religious education programs.
For more information about the diocese, contact the Office of Communications & Publications at observer@rockforddiocese.org, call 815-399-4300 or write to the office at 555 Colman Center Dr., P.O. Box 7044, Rockford, IL 61125.