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The preparation for my ad limina visit to the Holy See is well under way. In July, I submitted to Rome a 137-page report, which covers the activity of the Diocese of Jefferson City since the last report by Bishop John Gaydos in 2010. The Latin phrase “ad limina” refers to one of the primary…

Bishop McKnight held aloft the chalice containing the Most Precious Blood of Christ. Reflected on its side were four of the five men the bishop had just raised to the order of deacon for the Jefferson City diocese. The fifth was assisting him at the altar and would elevate the Precious Blood with him at…

The people of this diocese are being called to stop, take stock of the abundant array of God’s gifts, and respond in gratitude by committing to serve Him while caring for one another. That is the emphasis of this year’s Catholic Stewardship Appeal (CSA). The CSA is an annual campaign encouraging Catholics to commit to…

Public Square Rosary services, sponsored by members of a national Catholic organization known as America Needs Fatima (www.americaneedsfatima.org), will include about 25,000 rallies that will take place all across the United States. They will coincide with the 102nd anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun that was witnessed by many during Our Lady’s 1917 apparitions…

“Jesus, we’re not worthy ever, to receive You here today. Say the word, denying never. Make us pure again, we pray.” Plaintive stanzas of contrition and thanksgiving envelop the altar of a hilltop church in Hermann. Then it hits you: this is “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain!” The lovesick ballad, recast with pious lyrics…

One parish with three places of worship. That is what the former Sacred Heart and St. Patrick parishes in Sedalia and the former St. John the Evangelist mission in Bahner have become. At the request of the people, Bishop W. Shawn McKnight united all three into a new parish, known as St. Vincent de Paul.…

It was as close to the sidewalk as the babies could get. The Memorial to the Unborn, which usually adorns a grassy area near St. Andrew Church in Holt Summit, had been moved temporarily to a concrete walkway near the door while repairs were being made to the building. The stone memorial reminds people to…

Ss. Peter & Paul parish in Boonville is in the middle of a substantial reconstruction project. It has nothing to do with bricks and mortar, only the spiritual foundations. “We’re looking at radically transforming the parish,” said Father William Peckman, pastor of the Boonville parish and of St. Joseph parish in Fayette. “We’re looking far…

The tight family of Secular Franciscans in the Jefferson City diocese has grown by three. Deacon Joseph and Mary Ann Puglis of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Columbia and Rebecca Bouck of Our Lady of the Lake parish in Lake Ozark made their profession this summer in the Secular Order of Franciscans (O.S.F.). They…

Catholics traditionally observe October as the Month of the Rosary. For the first time, the Diocese of Jefferson City will join with many dioceses across the country for the National Rosary Congress (www.rosarycongressusa.org) the week of Oct. 5-11. Parishes and Catholic organizations throughout the diocese are being encouraged to host Adoration of the Most Blessed…