The new St. Gall Church in Elburn was dedicated the afternoon of June 11 by Bishop David Malloy at a Mass celebrated also by several priests from the Diocese of Rockford. The bishop spoke of the parish history, which spans several generations and church locations, noting that Masses held in people’s homes began the parish’s “footprint” of faith in the area. The new church includes elements such as the stained glass windows from the former church on Shannon Street. The Stations of the Cross come from the church prior to the Shannon Street church. Pictured here is the anointing of the altar.
Date: June 3, 2017
The Chancery received word Saturday morning, June 3, 2017, that Reverend Edward R. Hughes, died at Heritage House, Mendota, Illinois. Father was born on January 19, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois, to Edward J. and Irene (Rowland) Hughes.
Mass of Christian Burial will be on Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sublette, IL at 11:00AM. Visitation will be from 4PM-7:00PM Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at the church with rosary at 7:00PM and visitation from 10:00AM-10:45AM at the church prior to the Mass. Interment will be at the parish cemetery. Arrangements are being made by Mihm-Jones Funeral Home, 303 E. Main Street, Amboy, IL.
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Bishop David Malloy celebrated Mass at Calvary Cemetery the morning of Memorial Day, May 29. He spoke of the sacrifices made by so many and reminded all that we “can pray for every battle (from) every war” and “pray for our soldiers, our Marines, our sailors and our airmen.”
More in the June 2 issue of The Observer.
On May 24, Bishop David Malloy dedicated and blessed a simple, elegant memorial at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery in Somonauk. The stone at Mary’s Garden of Holy Innocence and a rock bench before it now provide a place for families to mourn the death of their children under 21 weeks’ gestation who died due to miscarriage or ectopic pregnancies. Tiny caskets (padded ‘burial cradles’) are available for those children’s remains. Families have the option to have their baby’s name and birth year engraved on the granite tablet pictured here, whether or not those children were buried at the site. This service is available to parishioners and any family in the community regardless of faith. Except for engraving, the costs will be covered by St. John the Baptist Parish.
See more in the June 2 issue of The Observer.
On a rainy May 20, seminarian Jhonatan Sarmiento was ordained by Bishop David Malloy as a transitional deacon at the Cathedral of St. Peter. At the beginning of his homily, Bishop Malloy noted the extended applause when the soon-to-be-deacon was called forth for ordination, and said to Jhonatan, “I hope you are as delighted to be here as we are to see you standing before us.” Priests, deacons, religious and laity from the diocese and beyond gathered for the joyful event. Deacon Sarmiento is on track to be ordained a priest of the Rockford Diocese in 2018.
See more in the May 26 edition of The Observer.
ROCKFORD--On Saturday, May 13, at 11 a.m., Bishop David Malloy will ordain two men to the priesthood for the 11-county Diocese of Rockford. The Sacred Rite of Ordination will take place in the Cathedral of St. Peter, 1243 N. Church Street, Rockford. Bishop Malloy will be joined by all priests and permanent deacons as he confers the sacrament of Holy Orders.
The men to be ordained to the sacred priesthood are:
Rev. Mr. Colin Easton, age 33 —Colin is the son of Michael and Amy Easton of Caledonia. He was raised in Rockford and attended St. Bridget Parish in Loves Park. He attended Rock Valley College and Franciscan University, Steubenville, Ohio and worked at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Country Club during the summers. He has one brother. He completed seminary studies at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein.
Rev. Mr. Robert Gonnella, age 28—Robert is the son of Robert Gonnella of South Elgin and Patricia Carroll of LaQuinta, Calif. His home parish is St. Patrick in St. Charles. He attended Aurora University. He has a twin sister and three brothers. He completed seminary studies at Saint Paul Seminary at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.
The ordination ceremony will be open to the public. Key portions of the ceremony will be streamed live on the Diocese of Rockford Facebook page.
The Poor Clare Colettine nuns of Rockford celebrated the Silver Jubilee of Sister Mary Brigid of the Precious Blood on May 1 with a Mass celebrated by Bishop David Malloy. In his homily, Bishop Malloy called this extern sister a “bridge” between the cloister and the outside world as well as a remind of the prayers and sacrifices offered “inside these walls,” he said.
See complete coverage of priest and sister jubilarians in the June 9 issue of The Observer.
