— Feb 5, 2008
Before the solemn season begins, plenty of people plan to celebrate carnival—the season before Lent—one final day, Feb. 5. More than 50 parades in New Orleans are expected to generate more than a billion dollars in revenue for the Big Easy; meanwhile one event in Peotone is slated to attract hundreds of people from Will and Kankakee counties.
— Feb 4, 2008
Caring for an aging parent is never easy. When the tables turn and an adult child is suddenly a caregiver for an ailing parent or relative, there are many emotions, questions and problems that arise.
— Feb 3, 2008
Stepping away from the solemn environment and relaxing was the point of the staff leadership day, said Tom Quinlan, director of Religious Education for the Diocese of Joliet. During a discussion with the Catholic Explorer, he expressed satisfaction with that impression. He said the day’s purpose was to “give them a day to laugh and feel pampered.”
— Feb 2, 2008
With the Feb 5 primary election in Illinois rapidly approaching, Henry Histic of St. Scholastica Parish in Woodridge said he will vote for the candidates who most correspond with his convictions and values. Party affiliation is “the least of my concerns,” he told the Catholic Explorer.
— Feb 1, 2008
After learning about the Catholic Church’s position on immigration Jan. 26 at an event in Kankakee, representatives from parishes across the Diocese of Joliet publicly shared preliminary plans for welcoming immigrants into parish life and ideas for advocating on their behalf.
— Feb 1, 2008
Concerns about the shortcomings of the immigration system in the United States continue to be expressed by political candidates and legislators, along with people across the country. “It’s an issue everybody is talking about,” said Elena Segura, director of the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
— Jan 31, 2008
A fresh coat of snow on the ground Jan. 25 created slippery road conditions and low visibility in Bolingbrook. But Augustinian Father Denis Wilde’s message was crystal clear. The 30 people listening to his presentation—“How Far We Have Fallen Since Roe vs. Wade and Our Political Responsibility to Make a Change”—at St. Francis of Assisi Parish didn’t need to brush off any distractions to see that his agenda was to put a stop to abortion.
— Jan 30, 2008
Everyone would like to see better education in America’s schools, but it takes someone to make a move. The Illinois Advocates of Educational Choice made the move in 1991 and the organization is still working with politicians to improve education in Illinois schools.
— Jan 29, 2008
The Illinois High School Association has reported plans to implement a random drug testing program to detect the use of performance-enhancing substances by high school athletes. IHSA board members came to the decision Jan. 14 after studying results of a survey indicating support for such a program among the majority of high school administrators across the state.
— Jan 28, 2008
Dozens of administrators from Catholic schools in the Joliet Diocese met for lunch Jan. 17 at Cantigny Park and Golf Club in Wheaton. Their gathering was hardly par for the course. Instead of a typical school conference with formal discussions, propositions and presentations, the event had no obvious agenda.