Welcome to the Cathedral of the
Immaculate Conception!
Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Welcome to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, IL. We are glad you are here, for however long you are with us. If you are a visitor of the Cathedral, welcome and please contact the Parish Offices for tour or group information and hospitality. If you are looking to make the Cathedral your home, we welcome you and are excited to meet you! Please watch the video to learn more about the Cathedral. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Meditate on Christ's carrying the cross out of love for you, with the words of St. Alphonsus Liguori, and the mosaics here at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception! The Church has even extended the graces of an indulgence to all who practice this meditation, even if right now you cannot receive Holy Communion and Sacramental Confession!
Dear Parishioners and Friends of the Cathedral,
As of today, March 18th, out of concern for the common good of all in our community and beyond, Bishop Paprocki has suspended the public celebration of all Masses and the sacraments effective immediately. Mass is still being celebrated daily but only in private. For detailed information and on-going updates from the diocese, please visit www.dio.org/coronavirus.
Concerning the Cathedral, the church will be open every day for private prayer from 8:00AM to 5:00PM. Individual confessions will continue to be offered every day from 4:00PM to 5 :00PM, in the Reconciliation room, and observing the proper distance norms as recommended by the CDC. Mass will be livestreamed on the Cathedral's Facebook page at 7:00AM each morning which will then be available for replay. We are working on seeing if it can be made available to the Cathedral's webpage. There are also other places on the internet where Mass can be viewed such as EWTN and Bishop Barron's Word on Fire Ministries.
Please remain updated by visiting the Cathedral webpage, www.spicathedral.org, the Cathedral's Facebook page, and the diocesan website which I listed above. The parish office remains open and the Cathedral clergy and staff remains here to serve you. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the staff if you or someone else that you know is in need.
To say that we are all in unchartered waters is an understatement and that we are in an historical moment that we would have preferred pass us by. I am reminded of a dialogue between Frodo and Gandalf in Tolkien's book The Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo laments to Gandalf that he is in possession of the Ring of Power which he must seek to destroy out of fear that it will be used to wreak unspeakable evil. Frodo says to Gandalf: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened. Gandalf responds: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not.for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
In His great love, while God has bound Himself to the sacraments, He is not bound by the sacraments. Though the sacraments are the primary ways God makes His grace abundant in the Church, please do not doubt that He will continue to pour out His grace and love in other ways into your life and into the lives of all who seek Him: Place your trust in Him.
As always, but especially in this time, I commend all of us to the love and care of Mary, our Blessed Mother and the Immaculate Conception, that she may enfold us in the mantle of her protection. Finally, please know of my love and prayers for all of you.
Very Reverend Christopher A. House
Rector
News & Articles
Resources
Our parish has obtained a free 40-day subscription to Formed. Formed is like a Catholic version of Netflix and contains some of the best Catholic content there is for adults, teens and children - video series, movies, books, and study programs - all to help you grow in your faith, find deeper peace with God, and share what you believe with others. To access this FREE service, go to www.formed.org.. Click on "Sign Up" and then on "I Belong to a Parish or Organization". Type in "Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception" or our zip code, 62703. You'll be asked for your name and email address and then you'll have access to all Formed programming until April 26th.
Magnificat is a spiritual guide to help you develop your prayer life, grow in your spiritual life, find a way to a more profound love for Christ, and participate in the holy Mass with greater fervor. Magnificat is a monthly publication designed for daily use, to encourage both liturgical and personal prayer. It can be used to follow daily Mass and can also be read at home or wherever you find yourself for personal or family prayer. During this challenging time, many of the faithful are unable to attend Mass. Magnificat is honored to provide complimentary access to our online version to help people pray from home. Visit https://us.magnificat.net/free to sign up.
Magnificat is also making complimentary access to MagnifiKid available during this challenging time. Visit www.magnifikid.com/free to view and download each weekly booklet of our colorful Sunday missalette for children ages 6 through 12. While so many children are missing formal religious instruction and are unable to attend Mass, MagnifiKid! can be their special guide, accompanying them through each week as they prepare to attend Mass or watch it at home.
