Diocese of Peoria

History

North central Illinois in the United States is served by the Diocese of Peoria (Latin: Diœcesis Peoriensis), a suffragan of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Chicago. Louis Tylka is the bishop, and the diocese's mother church is the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria.

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• Bishop Louis Tylka to merge St. Mary Church in El Paso, Illinois, and St. John Parish in Benson, Illinois, into the first parish in the world named for Blessed Fulton J. Sheen on December 9.

  Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria announced that St. Mary Church in El Paso, Illinois, and St. John Parish in Benson, Illinois, will merge to form the first parish in the world named for Blessed Fulton J. Sheen. The new parish, Blessed Fulton J. Sheen Parish, is scheduled to take effect on Dec. 9, the feast day of the new blessed. While the parish will carry the new name, the individual church buildings will retain their original names. Bishop Tylka made the announcement on Sept. 26 following a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Mary Church, the site where Sheen was baptized in 1895. Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre celebrated the Mass. The merger follows the beatification of Sheen on Sept. 24 in St. Louis. Bishop Barres, who was baptized by Sheen, noted during his homily that the location is significant because it is where Sheen's life in Christ began.

  Sep 28, 2026 · Dioceses · 9 sources

• Bishop Louis Tylka to merge St. Mary’s Church in El Paso, Illinois, with St. John Parish in Benson on Dec. 9

  Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria announced Sept. 26 that St. Mary Catholic Church in El Paso, Illinois, will merge with St. John Parish in nearby Benson. The newly formed parish will be named Blessed Fulton J. Sheen and is scheduled to begin on Dec. 9, the first feast day observance for the newly beatified archbishop. The announcement followed a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Mary’s, the site where Blessed Sheen was baptized on May 12, 1895. Bishop John O. Barres of Rockville Centre, New York, celebrated the Mass. Bishop Barres, who was baptized by Blessed Sheen, noted during his homily that the location holds significance because it is where Sheen received the sacrament of baptism.

  Sep 28, 2026 · Dioceses · 3 sources

• Cardinal Luis Tagle receives relic of Blessed Fulton Sheen

  Cardinal Luis Tagle received a first-class relic of Blessed Fulton Sheen during the beatification Mass in St. Louis. James Fulton Engstrom, the teenager whose 2010 miraculous healing led to Sheen's beatification, presented the relic to Tagle, who served as the main celebrant. The relic is the mandible, or jawbone, of Fulton J. Sheen. Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Sheen's home diocese, said the choice of the jawbone is significant because of Sheen's ability to preach, teach, and communicate the faith. Engstrom was declared dead for 61 minutes following his birth before breathing spontaneously, an event the Church attributed to Sheen's intercession. Msgr. Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, noted that those healed in such miracles often participate in the beatification process.

  Sep 28, 2026 · Vatican · 4 sources

• Live the Gospel as Blessed Fulton Sheen Did, Archbishop Ronald Hicks Tells Peoria Pilgrims

  Archbishop Ronald Hicks urged pilgrims to follow the example of Blessed Fulton Sheen by embracing a commitment to evangelization during a Mass of Thanksgiving in Peoria. The Mass took place on Friday morning near the tomb of the newly beatified Sheen at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception. Hicks, the Archbishop of New York, told the congregation that Sheen was beatified because he lived and understood the Gospel and fulfilled the command to preach to the world. The archbishop described Sheen as a son of the world who lived out the mission of Jesus Christ. The celebration in Peoria follows a beatification Mass held Thursday in St. Louis. The festivities moved to the Diocese of Peoria because Sheen was ordained and served there for more than 30 years, and his tomb remains at the diocesan cathedral.

  Sep 27, 2026 · Bishops

• Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presides over beatification Mass for Fulton Sheen

  Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presided over the beatification Mass for Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on Sept. 24, 2026, at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Acting as the papal envoy for Pope Leo XIV, Tagle led the liturgy for the American archbishop, who was recognized for his missionary work through radio and television. During his homily, Tagle stated that Sheen’s blessedness stemmed from a Christ-centered mission defined by humility and care for the poor rather than his widespread fame. Tagle recalled Sheen describing himself as a porter who merely helped lead people to the door of God’s house. The cardinal noted that Sheen’s effectiveness as an evangelizer came from his closeness to Christ and the vulnerable. The Mass was attended by approximately 50,000 worshippers from 49 states and 10 countries. The procession included 89 bishops, about 1,000 priests, 250 deacons, and 850 seminarians. Archbishop Sheen, who was born in 1895, gained international recognition through his television program "Life Is Worth Living" between 1952 and 1957, for which he received an Emmy Award in 1953. He served as the bishop of the Diocese of Rochester starting in 1966 before resigning from leadership, though he continued his ministry until his death in December 1979.

  Sep 27, 2026 · Vatican · 21 sources

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