BY AMANDA HUDSON News Rditor
ROCKFORD-We are here for your ordination in the midst of the COVID outbreak, said Bishop David Mal- loy the morning of Sept. 26 at the Cathedral of St. Peter as 13 men, accompanied by a few family members, gath- ered to be ordained as permanent deacons for the Diocese of Rockford. Aside from the small numbers allowed in the cathedral, sanitizer was heavily used in parts of the rite, including by the bishop before and after laying hands on each mans head before praying the prayer of ordination over them as a group. The deacons still received the Book of the Gospels in their hands as usual, but the traditional kiss of peace was a respectful bow by the bishop to them and by each new deacon to him. But for all those changes even in how we gather here, our hearts and our faith are focused this morning, Bish- op Malloy said in his homily. We are still able to lift up our minds and hearts so that we recognize that what is happening here today is greater than and even beyond anything that we can see or in any way sense. There is a mystery to this ceremony and to your dia- conate. ... You are inserted into a reality that goes back to the time of the early Church. ... You somehow are joined to the story and the first group of deacons described in Acts 6, our second reading. Bishop Malloy told the men to live up to the example of those first seven deacons. The Twelve (Apostles) do not say just take any group
Continued on page 4 BY AMANDA HUDSON News editor
DIOCESE-Missionaries are still on the move, still serving, but perhaps in new ways, says Bishop David Mal- loy in his letter announcing the annual diocesan Mission Appeal. The final appeal for 2020, the Mission Appeal supports several important ap- peals in one combined collection. n World Mission Sunday, which is a global effort for the entire Church to provide for the building up of over one thousand local churches in Asia and Africa, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Latin America and Europe. Last year the Diocese distributed $48,479 for World Mission Sunday.
Info: https://www.missio.org/
n The Catholic Home Missions Ap- peal funds important pastoral projects in poorer dioceses. More than 40% of dioceses in the United States are con- sidered home missions. Last year the Diocese distributed $34,575 for Catho- lic home missions.
Info: www.usccb.org
n The Black and Indian Mission Col- lection (BIMC) gives grants to dioceses across the country to operate schools,
Continued on page 6
(Observer photo/Amanda Hudson)
Bishop David Malloy gives to newly ordained Deacon Robert Collins an envelope with his official assignment on a blustery Sept. 26 afternoon in Rockford outside the Cathedral of St. Peter where the rite of ordination took place. Father Kenneth Wasilewski, director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate for the diocese, stands to the right of the bishop.
(Observer screen shot/USCCB)
A detail of the 2020 USCCB Home Mission Appeal poster.
New Deacons Ordained for Diocese
Annual Mission Appeal Final Request for the Year
Volume 85 No. 41 http://observer.rockforddiocese.org FRIDAY OCTOBER 2, 2020
Oct. 17-18 Mission Appeal Weekend
Inside
Rome Seminarians Move Beyond Quarantine
Diocese of Rockford seminarians Jeffrey Filipski and James Linkenheld find Rome a little different as they return to their studies.
page 3
This Issue
Bishop Malloy ....................... 2 Headliners ............................... 3 Diocesan .............................. 4-6 Nation/World ........................ 7 Seasoned Observer ............. 8 Our Catholic View ................ 9 For the Record .................... 10 Media/Arts ............................ 11 Around the Diocese .......... 12
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