Fr. Godfrey Mullen, OSB, at the March 13 news conference at Cathedral of St. Peter in Belleville announcing that he is the bishop designate of the Diocese of Belleville. “I have always been fascinated by the way Christ is present in His wonderful people in southern Illinois,” Bishop-elect Godfrey said […]
Pallbearers (clockwise from left) Eddie Essenpreis, Zach Bair, Jaydon Wyms, Jeff Bair and John Schomaker carry the body of Fr. Gene Neff to a hearse following the Feb. 27 Funeral Mass at St. Augustine of Canterbury in Belleville. Fr. Neff, a 53-year priest in the diocese and the director of […]
Father Eugene “Gene” Neff, who had been the director of Ministry to Sick and Aged since 1974, died on Friday, Feb. 20, in his residence at Keystone Place at Richland Creek in O’Fallon. Fr. Neff was 81. He was a priest in the Diocese of Belleville for 53 years before […]
Fr. Levi James (right) with former Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis Mark Rivituso during the promise of obedience June 7 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Belleville. By David Wilhelm Messenger Editor There was no shortage of important stories for Catholics in 2025, both locally and […]
Every day I marvel at how Pope Francis guides the church with simple and yet profound words and gestures. Let us look at these words to know and imitate our Shepherd. Todos los días quedo maravillado de como el Papa Francisco conmueve a la iglesia con sus palabras y gestos simples y profundos. Aquí algunas palabras que nos sirven para conocer e imitar a nuestro Pastor.
This Sunday’s Gospel has two parts. The first part is a preface or prologue. In the prologue Luke notes that “many have undertaken to put together a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us,” that is, among the disciples of Jesus and the Christian Community, which sprang from the work of Jesus and his disciples.
An important aspect of the theology of the Gospel of John is a theme of replacement/perfection. Some feature of Old Testament law, or custom, or ritual is replaced or perfected by Jesus or by the laws, customs, and ritual of first century Christianity.
