News Releases

Joliet, Illinois, December 18, 2025 — The Vatican announced today that Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Ronald A. Hicks as the 11th Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York. Archbishop-designate Hicks will be installed on Friday, February 6, 2026, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Below is a statement from the Catholic Conference of Illinois, of which the Diocese of Joliet is a member, on Assisted Suicide Bill which would legalize physician assisted suicide in Illinois.

Today the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a powerful and unified “Special Message” on immigration. Deeply rooted in our Gospel tradition of loving our neighbor, this letter affirms our solidarity with all our brothers and sisters as it expresses our concerns, opposition, and hopes with clarity and conviction. It is grounded in the Church’s enduring commitment to the Catholic social teaching of human dignity and a call for meaningful immigration reform.

I write to you with deep sadness and disappointment that the Illinois General Assembly has passed legislation to legalize physician assisted suicide in our state. This bill now sits on Governor Pritzker’s desk, and he has not yet decided whether to sign it into law. As you know, the Catholic Church firmly upholds the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death. Assisted suicide contradicts our moral teaching and threatens the well-being of the poor, the elderly, and those with disabilities. It sends the tragic message that some lives are no longer worth living.

The Diocese of Joliet has been made aware of a lawsuit involving allegations of sexual misconduct by a member of our clergy with an adult woman. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on the specifics of active litigation. However, we wish to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our parishioners and employees.

The University of St. Francis (USF) and the Diocese of Joliet have created a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signifying their partnership to ease the pathway to a university education. The MOU creates access and opportunity for high school students in the Diocese of Joliet to enroll at the University of St. Francis.

The Diocese of Joliet is deeply saddened to learn of this morning’s shooting during school Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis. Our condolences go out to the families of the students who were killed or injured and their school and parish community.

The Diocese of Joliet is grateful that the investigation of criminal charges against Father Carlos Martins, a Canadian priest from the order Companions of the Cross, was taken seriously by the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office and has now been closed.

The Diocese of Joliet learned today that Carmelite Br. Pedro Cruz Diaz has been charged with criminal sexual assault of a minor in Middlesex County, New Jersey. This is an ongoing criminal investigation, and we do not have any further details regarding the allegations at this time.

Throughout centuries of history, Catholics have supported the Church’s mission of evangelization and charity by giving to the annual Peter’s Pence Collection. This collection, which began as a way for Catholics around the world to express their unity with the Pope, continues to the present day.