After much discernment, Bishop David Malloy accepted the recommendation of a task force to close Aquin Catholic Academy.
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The Vicar for Clergy and the Diocese of Rockford announced a list of clergy appointments on May 13, 2026.
Click here to read the full list of new assignments.
1940-2026
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Father Richard Kramer who died Friday, May 1 and who just celebrated his 60th jubilee as a priest. May God grant him eternal reward.
A visitation will be held at St. Patrick Church, Amboy on Thursday, May 7, from 3-7p.m. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick Church in Amboy on Friday, May 8 at 11:00 a.m. with visitation from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to Mass.
Read the full obituary here
1932-2026
The Chancery received word that Monsignor Robert Willhite died on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Prime Healthcare Fox Knoll Village in Aurora, IL where he was a resident. A visitation will take place Monday, April 13, 2026, from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m., at St. Rita of Cascia Parish in Aurora. Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Rita of Cascia Parish, Aurora; with visitation from 9:30 - 10:45 a.m., prior to the Funeral Mass. A full obituary will be forthcoming.
Be Reconciled Day, March 25, 2026, is an initiative of the Diocese of Rockford held each year on the Wednesday before Holy Week to make the Sacrament of Reconciliation more readily available and accessible to Catholics as they prepare their souls for Easter.
Recognizing the need for God’s grace and forgiveness in the lives of Catholics, Bishop Malloy asked all 105 parishes in the diocese to set aside March 25 and, where possible, offer confessions on that day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“The Lenten Season is always an important time for us to take stock of our spiritual lives. In the Church’s tradition of prayer, fasting and charity, we draw closer to Christ and to the Church. Our souls are laid open to be strengthened by Christ’s love, grace and forgiveness so it is a real privilege, as priests, for us to focus on the opportunity to offer that forgiveness especially to those who have been away from confession for a long time for whatever reason,” Bishop Malloy said. The bishop added that “ the act of reflecting on our lives and confessing our transgressions is the perfect way to receive the hope and grace promised through Jesus’ death and resurrection.”
Pope Leo XIV has bestowed the designation of “Chaplain to His Holiness” upon Rev. Michael J.K. Fuller, a priest of the Rockford Diocese and General Secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The pontifical honor comes with the title of Monsignor.
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Please join in praying for the repose of the soul of Msgr. Bill McDonnell who died today, March 2. An obituary is being prepared and final arrangements are being made but the Chancery has announced that the Mass of Christian burial will be Friday, March 13 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary Parish in Sterling. May God grant him eternal peace.
Full obituary here
Please join us in praying for the repose of the soul of Deacon John McPhee of St. Mary, Huntley who died Feb. 19.
May God grant unto him eternal rest.
Full obituary here
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To find special Lenten activities, prayer services and missions, find a parish near you at this site under parishes.
All day confessions will be held again throughout the Diocese of Rockford on Be Reconciled Day, March 25.
Please join us in praying for the repose of the soul of Deacon Philip Abel who died Feb. 15.
May God grant unto him eternal rest.
Full obituary here
Senate Bill 1950, which legalizes medically assisted suicide was passed this morning and now moves to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk. Bishop Malloy issued a statement in response along with the Catholic Conference of Illinois.
Read Bishop Malloy’s statement (English) | (Spanish)
Read the statement issued by the Catholic Conference of Illinois
Catholics in the Rockford Diocese and in the entire state of Illinois are being urged to contact the Governor and tell him to veto the assisted suicide bill passed by a narrow margin on Oct. 31.
Please act today to preserve the sanctity and dignity of life in sickness and at life’s end.
Click here for more information
Senate Bill 1950, which legalizes medically assisted suicide was passed this morning and now moves to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk. Bishop Malloy issued a statement in response along with the Catholic Conference of Illinois.
Read Bishop Malloy’s statement (English) | (Spanish)
Read the Catholic Conference of Illinois Response
Rev. Kenneth Stachyra
Join in praying for the repose of the soul of Father Kenneth Stachyra who died Sept. 27, 2025. He was 75.
https://www.fitzgeraldfh.com/obituaries/rev-kenneth-stachyra
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
Rev. Joseph F. Kulak
Please join in praying for the repose of the soul of Father Joseph F. Kulak who died Sept. 19, 2025 while under hospice care in LaGrange, IL. May the Lord grant eternal rest upon His good and faithful servant.
https://www.lairdfamilyfuneralservices.com/obituaries/Reverend-Joseph-F-Kulak?obId=45514164
The Diocese of Rockford launched the first wave of the You Will Be My Witnesses capital campaign on August 4. This multi-year initiative will engage every parish in the diocese through a series of four waves, each lasting approximately six months. The You Will Be My Witnesses Campaign is more than a fundraising effort. It is a bold, diocesan-wide commitment to evangelization, the very mission of the Church. Learn more by clicking the logo for the campaign and watch The Observer for more information.
The Diocese of Rockford and its parishes will continue to follow the USCCB stance of neither endorsing or opposing political candidates. The Diocese of Rockford and its parishes will continue to educate Catholics on the particular issues of any election to help all Catholics in the diocese form their consciences.
To read the full USCCB statement click here
ROCKFORD--On Saturday, June 7, at 11 a.m., Bishop David Malloy will ordain Rev. Mr. Ryan Glenn Nooraee and Rev. Mr. Ian Andre Ordoñez Herrera to the holy order of priesthood for the Diocese of Rockford.
Nooraee, 26, was born in Massachusetts but grew up in Crystal Lake. His home parish is St. Thomas the Apostle.
Ordoñez, 29, was born in Puebla, Mexico, and grew up in Woodstock where his home parish is St. Mary.
Click here to read the full press release
The Reverend Howard Barch, Pastor of St. Michael Parish, Galena, St. Mary Parish, Galena and Holy Trinity Parish, Scales Mound, to retire with the permission of the Most Reverend Bishop, effective June 18, 2025.
The Reverend Monsignor Joseph Jarmoluk, Pastor of St. Peter Parish, Spring Grove, to retire with the permission of the Most Reverend Bishop, effective August 7, 2025.
Click here for all of the appointments
ROCKFORD—Bishop David J. Malloy, Bishop of the Rockford Diocese, today issued a statement on the election of the new leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV.
Click here to read the full statement
English
Spanish
DIOCESE—In a letter sent in late November to participants of the recent capital campaign assessment process, Bishop David Malloy announced that a capital campaign to help diocesan parishes and ministries would move forward.
Bishop Malloy told those involved in the assessment process that “As the Church, we must always seek to do more and be more for the people of Northern Illinois. Even now, the Holy Spirit presents us a path forward to accomplish something hopeful for our future, a legacy that is powerful, inspiring and bold. We do not want to look back from the months and years ahead and conclude that we could have done more with our God-given opportunities. Rather, we should sow the seeds of faith for future generations and live our mission in inspired, prophetic ways today.
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DIOCESE—In preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025, Bishop David Malloy announced in a letter to priests and parishes of the diocese that he has designated seven parishes as pilgrimages sites.
The year 2025 has been designated by the Holy Father Pope Francis as a Jubilee Year carrying the theme, “Pilgrims of Hope.” Characteristics of a jubilee year include pilgrimage, reconciliation and prayer. To accomplish this, the Holy Father has asked that dioceses identify parishes that will be a “gathering point for pilgrims.” In these churches various activities will take place, including sessions of catechesis in a variety of languages to help people rediscover the true meaning of the Holy Year. These churches will also offer pilgrims the chance to receive the sacrament of reconciliation and nurture their faith through prayer.
Click here to read more...
PHILADELPHIA (OSV News)—Following the Vatican's clarification in September on the Immaculate Conception solemnity, several U.S. bishops have dispensed the faithful from the obligation to attend Mass this year on that day, while fellow bishops in other dioceses have upheld the requirement.
The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, which commemorates Mary's preservation from original sin from the moment she was conceived, is observed annually Dec. 8 as a holy day of obligation.
However, this year the feast coincides with the Second Sunday of Advent, which in the ranking of liturgical celebrations takes precedence. As a result, the observance of the solemnity has been transferred to Dec. 9.
The obligation to attend Mass on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception still stands, affirmed the Vatican in a Sept. 4 letter to Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ canonical affairs and church governance committee.
The Vatican confirmation caught a number of U.S. dioceses off-guard, since many had already printed their annual liturgical instructions indicating Dec. 9 was not a holy day of obligation due to the transfer. Several bishops, not including Bishop David Malloy, invoked a canon law provision to "suppress" the holy day of obligation for this year, including Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago and Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia.
Other bishops retained the obligation, among them Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia; Bishop Edward C. Malesic of Cleveland; Bishop James R. Golka of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Even without the requirement to attend Mass in his diocese, Archbishop Pérez encouraged the faithful to do so if possible, or to honor the feast through Marian devotions such as the rosary.
Date: September 20, 2024
The Diocese of Rockford was recently informed that Father Matthew DeBlock is under investigation for an allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor, which allegedly occurred while Father DeBlock served at Boylan Central Catholic High School from 2012 to 2014. According to Diocese of Rockford policies, Father DeBlock was immediately removed from all ministry while the investigation by civil and church authorities takes place.
Bishop David Malloy issued a statement Sept. 19 to St. John Neumann Parish, where Father DeBlock was assigned as parochial vicar (associate pastor) as well as to Boylan Central Catholic High School. Statements regarding Father DeBlock’s status were also issued to all other parishes and schools where Father DeBlock had been assigned since his ordination as a priest for the diocese in 2008.
Click Here to read the full statement
New Catholic ‘Micro Academy’
FREEPORT--Administrators from the Catholic Diocese of Rockford and Aquin Catholic Schools announced today a new path forward for Catholic education in the Freeport area.
Diocesan and Aquin administrators have been working since September 2023 to analyze the ongoing challenges to providing quality Catholic education in the Freeport area. The primary issues today are the shrinking financial resources of the school amid the decline of population demographics in the Freeport area and dwindling student enrollment.
Click to read the full press release.
Read it here
