Catholic Conference of Illinois

06/01/2026

The Illinois General Assembly has included $1.5 million in the FY 27 budget to extend the Pretrial Success Pilot Program. This program provides important supportive services to persons who are awaiting their court dates. Services like mental health and substance abuse treatment, transportation, and child care can help persons better meet their court requirements and can contribute to better outcomes for people when their cases conclude.

05/31/2026

🚨Save the Pretrial Success Act🚨

The Pretrial Success Grants Program has been providing essential support for people awaiting trial but new funding is not currently in the state budget. If the General Assembly doesn’t add it to the budget today, this vital program will no longer exist.

Please call your State Senator and State Representative as soon as possible to ask that they continue to fund pretrial success! Find your legislators by visiting bit.ly/LookUpLegislators

Last year, the Illinois legislature funded the creation of the Pretrial Success Grant Program as a pilot program in five counties. The Pretrial Success Grant Program is bolstering the success of people who are released pretrial, thanks to the Pretrial Fairness Act, by expanding access to vital services like transportation and child care so they can attend court and providing resources for mental health, substance use disorder and other needs.

This program needs funding in order to survive. Right now, there is no new funding for the Pretrial Success Act in the budget. The deadline to pass a budget is midnight tonight, so this is our very last chance to convince our legislators to give this program the funding it needs to keep succeeding.

Look up your State Senator and State Representative’s Springfield phone numbers (the number with the 217 area code), and give them a quick call RIGHT NOW to ask that they provide $2.5 million in new funding to keep the Pretrial Success Grants Program going.

Find your legislators by visiting bit.ly/LookUpLegislators

05/07/2026

04/30/2026

Illinois families deserve more opportunities and the Education Freedom Tax Credit delivers more to students without costing taxpayers.

The Education Freedom Tax Credit supports BOTH public and private school students by expanding access to scholarships and educational resources. Here are the facts:

✅ No Illinois state or local tax dollars are used
✅ No reduction in public school funding
✅ Funded entirely by voluntary private donations
✅ Keeps education dollars working for Illinois students

If Illinois doesn’t opt in, those private donor dollars don’t disappear they go to other states instead.

Right now, it’s up to Governor JB Pritzker to bring these benefits to Illinois students.

Watch this video to see how the program works and why it matters for families, students, and schools across Illinois.

1 like. "Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Explainer"

04/30/2026

03/25/2026

STATEMENT REGARDING BEATIFICATION DETAILS OF
ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN

With great joy and deep gratitude to God, Bishop Lou Tylka announced that the Mass for the Beatification of the Venerable Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, will take place on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 2 pm Central time at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. With anticipation of a great number of people wanting to participate, we chose this location because of availability, being indoors, and the close proximity to the Diocese of Peoria.

The Beatification will be celebrated by Cardinal Luis Tagle, who has been nominated as the Papal Representative. In addition, there will be a number of events in Peoria to celebrate this wonderful occasion.

This is a moment of immense grace for the Church—especially for us in the Diocese of Peoria, where Archbishop Sheen was born, ordained, and first served as a priest. His life and ministry continue to inspire countless people to know and love Jesus Christ more deeply. Through his preaching, teaching, and personal witness, he brought the light of faith to millions, calling each of us to a deeper devotion to the Eucharist and to Our Blessed Mother.

The Beatification Mass will be a profound moment of prayer and celebration for the faithful near and far. I invite all who have been touched by Archbishop Sheen’s life and legacy to join us in spirit or in person for this historic event.

More information—including details about attending the celebration, ordering tickets when they become available, and preparing spiritually for the Beatification—will be found at celebratesheen.com.

As we prepare our hearts for this joyful day, let us continue to pray that the example of Archbishop Fulton Sheen will strengthen our own witness to the Gospel and renew our desire to bring Christ to the world.
https://www.celebratesheen.com/

03/13/2026

Congratulations to Bishop designate, Very Reverend Godfrey Mullen, O.S.B!

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Reverend Godfrey Mullen, O.S.B., as Bishop of Belleville. Bishop-elect Mullen is a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, and current administrator of the Diocese of Belleville. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on March 13, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. | Read the full release at: https://ow.ly/SPWl50YtbMR

02/24/2026

https://woodstockinst.org/press-release/apr-for-all-legislation-constitutional-officers/

llinois small businesses lose an estimated $450 million as a result of nontransparent loans that often conceal predatory triple-digit interest rates of more than 100%.

02/18/2026

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/opinion-illinois-opt-in-federal-scholarship-program/

Opting into the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship program would help bring some of the federal money Illinois sends to Washington back home.