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 […]
The Messenger invited young people in every parish to write a Prayer for Christmas. The first three entries were selected as exemplary among their classmates. Then other notable prayers were added. More will be on the Messenger web site: bellevillemessenger.org Following are some of the prayers we received.
At Christmas, as in every Sunday, we profess with a clear and transparent faith: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man” (Nicene Creed). En la Navidad como cada Domingo confesamos con fe clara y transparente según el Credo de la Iglesia: “Por nosotros, los hombres, y por nuestra salvación bajó del cielo, y por obra del Espíritu Santo … .
The first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel are known as The Infancy Narrative. The narrative consists of a carefully constructed series of parallel stories about John the Baptizer and Jesus of Nazareth.
