News Releases

Recently, there have been several reports about the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and its status as a Holy Day of Obligation in the media.

In the coming weeks, our parishes will take up the annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. This campaign is crucial, benefiting more than 24,000 elderly sisters, brothers, and religious order priests who have been faithful servants within the Church, devoting their lives to service.

Our diocese will soon take up the national collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). Your support for this collection brings change to communities across the country and empowers those living in poverty to transform their communities into reflections of the Kingdom of God.

Today the Vatican announced that Pope Francis has appointed Reverend Dennis E. Spies as the new Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois. Most recently, Father Dennis has been serving as the Vicar for Clergy in the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois

As part of an on-going, three-year restructuring process within the Diocese of Joliet, on January 25, 2024, Bishop Hicks decreed the extinction of four parishes in Joliet: St. Joseph, St. Anthony, St. Bernard, and St. Mary Magdalene.

On July 18, 2024, Bishop Hicks celebrated a mass in Indianapolis, IN during the eucharistic Congress. View the full mass and the homily here!

Bishop Hicks sends this picture of him and Diocese of Joliet parishioners in Indianapolis!

On Wednesday, May 23, Bishop Hicks formally blessed the St. Gianna Shrine at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Yorkville as a diocesan shrine, commissioning it as a place of healing and evangelization. St. Gianna Molla's daughter, Dr. Gianna Emanuela, was present for the ceremony.

This past Saturday, June 1, over 1200 teens and chaperones gathered for the Joliet Youth Day as part of our 75th anniversary celebration! The day was filled with music, engaging speakers, and the sacraments.

Today the Diocese of Joliet celebrated Bishop Hicks’ 30th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Bishop Hicks was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1994, by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. Click below to read the tribute to Bishop Hicks by the employees of the Diocesan Blanchette Center in honor of this significant milestone.