Sr. Anitawa Fearday, ASC, works on one of the 120 woven pieces she has created through the years (Submitted). By Carlos Restrepo For The Messenger Every night before Sr. Anitawa Fearday turns out the light, she looks at a homemade vision board fastened to the wall of her room at […]
Belleville astronaut Sandy Magnus with residents at the Benedictine Living Community before her April 17 visit (Submitted). By David Wilhelm Messenger Editor Sr. Barb Biver remembers the time several years ago when an Elvis Presley impersonator came to entertain residents at the Benedictine Living Community at the Shrine of Our […]
Dominic Grzegorek, of Ashley, regularly prays at the grotto (right) for the Blessed Mother Mary that was built on his property by Nashville mason Dave Schuette. “It’s a way of honoring her and showing respect for her, and it turned out really good,” Grzegorek said (Submitted). By Linda Norris Messenger […]
Raphael H. “Rafe” Middeke, 92, of Trenton, formerly of Damiansville, died at 6:25 a.m. Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Aviston Countryside Manor. He was born June 21, 1933, in rural Clinton County, a son of the late Bernard and Mary (nee Hellmann) Middeke. After attending St. Rose Elementary School, Rafe […]
Sunday, Sept. 17, Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sirach 27:30—28:7; Romans 14:7-9; and Matthew 18:21-35 As a sequel to last Sunday’s Gospel reading, rules for fraternal correction within a Christian Community, Matthew adds a question proposed by Peter, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? […]
Sunday, Sept. 10, Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10; and Matthew 18:15-20 The context of today’s Gospel is the fourth of five great sermons Matthew constructed from traditions about Jesus, with his own command of the Old Testament and the needs of his Christian Community. That community […]
Octavio Ramirez, 18, is a dreamer in more ways than one. Octavio is a student at Southwestern Illinois College, where he is studying to be a civil engineer.
