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 […]
A U.S. Army detachment from Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri carries the remains of World War II veteran Edgar William “Billy” Nevois to his final resting place at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Prairie du Rocher. At left, Illinois Patriot Guard Riders hold flags and salute Nevois, who died in […]
By MSGR. JOHN MYLER Culture Columnist World War One ended in 1918 on the “eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour.” Now streaming on Netflix—ahead of Veterans’ Day—is a new film version of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, loosely based on Erich Maria Remarque’s classic 1928 […]
By MSGR. JOHN MYLER Culture Columnist The time is the summer of 1955 in the recently released film TILL. And it’s the 1980’s in the new movie ARMAGEDDON TIME. Each film portrays the sad racial divide in the United States, almost seven decades ago and nearly thirty-five years ago. TILL […]
As we continually grow in our Catholic beliefs in the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, I thought I would use today’s column to share some prayers that might be helpful for people who would like to develop a vocabulary for praying before or after receiving Christ in […]
