About the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Mission Of The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
The mission of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is to build a fervent community of intentional and dedicated missionary disciples of the Risen Lord and steadfast stewards of God’s creation who seek to become saints. Accordingly, the community of Catholic faithful in this diocese is committed to the discipleship and stewardship way of life as commanded by Christ Our Savior and as revealed by Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
To further this mission, the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is committed to implementing the Four Pillars of Discipleship and Stewardship, namely:
-
Hospitality – to invite people proactively to join us in prayer, especially Sunday Mass;
-
Prayer – to provide well-prepared celebrations of the sacraments and other occasions for prayer as signs of hope and paths of grace to heaven;
-
Formation – to study the Bible and learn more about Jesus and our Catholic faith; and
-
Service – to serve each other, especially those in need, by practicing charity and justice.
The Diocese By The Numbers
Population
Total Population: 1,104,906
Total Number of Catholics: 123,706
Percent of Population that is Catholic: 11%
Religious
Bishops: 1
Diocesan Priests: 72
Religious Priests: 35
Religious Sisters: 395
Religious Brothers: 14
Permanent Deacons: 58
Catholic Education
Elementary Schools (K-8): 36
Elementary School Enrollment: 8,111
Elementary Students PSR Enrollment: 3,768
High Schools: 7
High School Enrollment: 2,170
High School Students PSR Enrollment: 751
Colleges and Universities: 1
Total Students: 1,124
Parishes
Number of Parishes: 129
Baptisms
Infant Baptisms: 891
Minor Baptisms: 69
Adult Bpatisms: 84
Received into Full Communion: 180
First Holy Communion
First Communions: 1326
Marriage
Catholic Marriages: 186
Interfaith Marriages: 199
Total: 385
End of Life
Funerals: 1,410
Confirmation
Confirmations: 3789
The Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Diocese of Springfield in Illinois Shield
The arms are composed of a gold (yellow) field on which is displayed a blue cross of The Faith. Within each quarter that is formed by the cross is a roundel of alternating blue and silver (white) wavy bars. Each of these roundels is known heraldically as a “fountain” and it is used to represent a small body of water, such as a pond, a spring, or also, the four major rivers that historically shaped the diocese: the Mississippi, the Illinois, the Ohio and the Illinois. So, canting (playing on) the name of the See City, the background of the diocesan arms is a “field of springs;” thus, Springfield. At the center of the cross is a silver (white) crescent, to represent the moon, a classic symbolism for our Blessed Mother, in her title of the Immaculate Conception, titular of the Cathedral-church in Springfield, for as it is described in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 12:1), our Holy Mother has the “moon at her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.”