Rockford Diocese Statistical Profile

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. 2021:

There are 413,526  Catholics in the diocese’s 11-county area.

The diocese includes 104 parishes and one oratory.

It is served by a total of 115 active priests in our diocese, with another 3 serving in other dioceses in the United States.

There are 13 religious priests, 147 permanent deacons, 64 religious women and 19 religious brothers serving in the diocese.

One man was ordained to the priesthood in 2021.

There were 16 men studying for the Rockford diocesan priesthood at various seminaries.

As regards to administration of the sacraments, there were

• 3,606 infant Baptisms,
• 105 adult Baptisms,
• 1,187 First Communions,
• 1,864 Confirmations
• 39 persons received into full communion
• 527 marriages

There were 5,868 children enrolled in the diocese’s 29 grade schools, 2,935 enrolled in its eight high schools (6 diocesan, 2 private), and 19,771 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.