May 18, 2020
The Catholic Conference of Illinois today sent a letter to the state's top education official on behalf of the six Catholic school superintendents, asking that she comply with federal guidelines in distributing pandemic monetary aid to Catholic and other private schools.
May 14, 2020
The bishops of Illinois' six Catholic dioceses late yesterday released a uniform plan developed in conjunction with state and local civic and public health officials for reopening churches across the state. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker last week released a detailed "Restore Illinois" plan for reopening regions of the state as the COVID-19 pandemic runs it course. Each bishop also released a personal letter to the faithful in his diocese, with some noting regional modifications to the overall plan.
May 11, 2020
Pope Francis announced early today that he has named Reverend Louis Tylka, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, as the Coadjutor Bishop of Peoria, Ill.
A coadjutor is an assistant bishop with the right of succession. Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, who has shepherded the Diocese of Peoria since 2002, will continue as diocesan bishop. When he retires, Coadjutor Bishop-elect Tylka will automatically succeed him. Bishop Jenky turns 75, the age when bishops are required to turn in their resignation to the pope, on March 3, 2022.
May 4, 2020
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop R. Daniel Conlon from the Office of Bishop of Joliet in Illinois and has appointed Most Reverend Richard E. Pates as the Apostolic Administrator sede vacant. Bishop Conlon has been on medical leave since December 2019 and Bishop Pates, who retired as Bishop of Des Moines in 2019, has been serving as Apostolic Administrator for the diocese.
