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Compassion + Care: Resources Regarding Illinois' New Assisted Suicide Law
As Illinois' new physician-assisted suicide law takes effect on September 12, 2026, many individuals and families may have questions about…
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Stewards of God’s Gifts: Building the Kingdom of God in the Diocese of Belleville
As the Diocese of Belleville continues its mission of faith, stewardship, and evangelization, Bishop Godfrey Mullen, OSB, offers this reflection…
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Flocknote: Stay Connected, Grow in Faith
Did you know the Diocese of Belleville uses Flocknote?Stay connected with the life of the Diocese of Belleville by signing…
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Holy Days of Obligation 2026
In the Catholic Church, Holy Days of Obligation are the days on which the faithful are obliged to participate in…
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Employment Opportunities
Working for the church is a rewarding experience.It provides an opportunity to share your talents in a meaningful way while…
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Join I-Can, the Illinois Catholic Advocacy Network
Join I-CAN, the Illinois Catholic Advocacy Network The Catholic Conference of Illinois is here to serve you and our Church.…
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Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal
Building the Kingdom Together
Dear Friends,
What a blessed time to meet with parish representatives from all around the diocese over the past few weeks! As we enter into the active phase of the Pastoral Plan, “Stewards of God’s Gifts,” it’s been a wonderful opportunity to share the foundational aspects of stewardship with parishioners.
We all know the three Ts: Time (with God in prayer), Talent and Treasure. Then there are the three Gs which describe the dynamism of stewardship; we acknowledge that we are supremely Gifted, we rightly become Grateful (always and everywhere, our duty and our salvation), and for the Christian believer, gratitude always appropriately leads to Generosity. Three Ts, Three Gs and four Pillars of Stewardship: Hospitality, Prayer, Formation, Service. These four pillars undergird the four priorities of the Pastoral Plan: Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Family Life, Faith Formation and Vital Parishes.
So what’s next? During the season of Advent, our goal is to gather parishes in regions (as opposed to our five vicariates) to discuss a few central questions:
- GIFTS. What does our parish do well? What are our gifts? Where do we show good hospitality? How do we foster lives of prayer individually and communally? What does faith formation look like for children and adults? And what are the works of service that help others?
- CHALLENGES. Where does our parish encounter difficulty? What are the speed bumps or roadblocks for our community in becoming a living, convincing, welcoming parish?
- OPPORTUNITIES. How does Sacred Scripture inform our vision of the Kingdom we are building? Considering the strengths of each parish in the group and the challenges being faced, how do we best work together with our neighbors to build the Kingdom?
My own experience in two dioceses and nearly 10 parishes is that we, too, easily decide we’re just fine on our own. While that may be true to some extent, it is absolutely false when it comes to a truly Catholic view of the Church.
No parish can exist without the structure and service of the diocese. And every parish stands to gain something from working devotedly with other Catholic Christians in building the Kingdom, especially as it’s envisioned in Revelation 21. God dwells with us, in every parish. But how do we help build this new heaven and new earth? That’s our task. So in my vision, no parish stands alone, no matter how attractive that may seem to be. At the same time, no parish is superior to another. Each has its blessed strengths, each has its challenges.
I hope in these next four weeks that all our parishioners will be considering their own parish’s gifts, challenges and opportunities. One parish may have plenty of money and few who regularly assist with community-building activities. Another parish may have little money and few people, but a deep devotion to prayer and a strong work ethic. It all hinges on hospitality: Will we welcome the wisdom, the gifts of others? Discipleship begins with hospitality. Here we go!
In Christ,
Bishop Godfrey Mullen, OSB
