In the Diocese of Belleville and across the country, Catholic schools are seeking to reach an underrepresented group of potential students by taking steps to recruit Hispanic families.Catholic schools seek ways to draw more Hispanic students

When Tom Goller began to lose his hearing, he says it took a toll on his spiritual life. Attending Mass at St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church in O’Fallon, he often couldn’t hear what was going on, or catch the nuances of the readings or the homily.

Carmona spent seven years behind bars at the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Sterling. After his release he prayed he wouldn’t have to return to the streets of south Chicago. “I knew if I went back to Chicago I’d be right back in the same chaos,” he says.