History of the Diocese of Peoria

The history of the Diocese of Peoria can be traced back to the beginnings of European exploration and the early missionaries. In August 1673, Father Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit priest, performed the first baptism near present day Peoria. A few years later Recollet priests, including Father Louis Hennepin, for whom the present day town of Hennepin was named, brought the Word of God to the native inhabitants of central Illinois. The French continued to dominate the religious scene in Illinois until the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, when the Illinois territory fell under the jurisdiction of the British Government. Though under British jurisdiction, French priests continued to minister to the few Catholics in the Illinois territory until the end of the American Revolution. In the 1790's the Illinois territory officially became the responsibility of Bishop John Carroll, then Bishop of the entire United States.

During the 1820's the counties that currently make up the Diocese of Peoria were included in several dioceses, including Bardstown, Kentucky, St. Louis, Missouri and Vincennes, Indiana. During this period central Illinois was largely a mission territory of these dioceses. In 1843, the Diocese of Chicago was formed, encompassing the entire state of Illinois. The coming of the railroads in the 1840's occasioned a growth spurt in the Catholic population in central Illinois. Many new churches were built, most of which served a specific ethnic group. The 1850's found Catholics, in particular Catholic immigrants, the targets of bigotry. In fact, in order to build a church, Catholics in Galesburg had to challenge a town charter that prohibited the sale of land for that purpose. In spite of these setbacks the Catholic population in central Illinois continued to grow and flourish.

In 1875 the Diocese of Peoria was established. On May 1, 1877, the Right Reverend John Lancaster Spalding was consecrated as its first Bishop. Under Bishop Spalding's leadership the Diocese of Peoria grew quickly from 40 parishes to 200. The bishop was well known for his writings on education and is also recognized as the founder of the Catholic University of America. Bishop Spalding remained the Bishop of Peoria until 1908 and died in 1916.

On September 1, 1909 the Most Reverend Edmund M. Dunne, the former Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago, was installed as the second Bishop of the Diocese of Peoria. Under Bishop Dunne the diocese continued to grow and prosper. New parishes were built and school enrollment was on the rise. Also, the Newman Apostolate began serving Catholic students in public universities.

In 1919, during Bishop Dunne's administration, a promising young man was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Peoria. Fr. Fulton J. Sheen, born in El Paso, IL, served as an Associate Pastor at St. Patrick's Church in Peoria before leaving the diocese to teach at the university level both in the United States and abroad. The future radio and television personality was made a Monsignor in 1934 and eventually was named an Auxiliary Bishop of New York. The Sheen Pastoral Center, home to diocesan offices, is located on the grounds where he attended grade school and high school. After Bishop Dunne passed from this life on October 17, 1929, the Peoria See remained vacant until June 17, 1930 when Peoria's third Bishop was installed.

The Most Reverend Joseph H. Schlarman came to Peoria from the Diocese of Belleville where he had served as Chancellor. He was a prolific writer and known for his diverse interests. The Great Depression had a devastating effect on the Church in central Illinois during his episcopacy. He shared deeply in the struggles of his flock during those difficult years. As the economy improved, Bishop Schlarman was able to focus his attention on other projects including the renovation of the Cathedral, the establishment of a diocesan newspaper and education reforms. The close of World War II found hundreds of refugees being relocated throughout the diocese in a program headed by a young Father Edward O'Rourke, who would later become bishop of his home diocese. Bishop Schlarman worked until the very end of his life. On the morning of November 10, 1951 he died of a heart attack while preparing for his 7:00 a.m. Mass.

Peoria's fourth bishop, the Most Reverend William E. Cousins, was installed on July 2, 1952. The years that Bishop Cousins served the Peoria Diocese were years of expansion for the Church in America. The "baby-boom" following World War II increased the demand for more churches and schools. There was also a great increase in the number of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. He was known as a personable man who liked to meet people on an informal basis. His talents did not go without notice. It was Bishop Cousin's destiny to preside over further changes in the Church as the Archbishop of Milwaukee, where he was installed on January 27, 1959.

November 4, 1959, was the Installation Day of Bishop John B. Franz, Peoria's fifth Ordinary. The growth of the Church in the 1950's continued into the 1960's and as a participant in the Second Vatican Council, Bishop Franz began the work of implementing the sweeping changes of that Council. Many people responded with enthusiasm, while others felt the changes had come too rapidly. The political turmoil of the 60's added to his challenges, but throughout, Bishop Franz encouraged healthy expression of this new found vitality in society and in the Church, counseled against abuses and was generally serene in his pastoral response. In 1971 Bishop Franz retired, having prayerfully and skillfully guided the Church in Peoria through the tensions of transition that followed the Council.

The Most Reverend Edward W. O'Rourke was installed on July 15, 1971 as the sixth Bishop of Peoria and its first native son. Bishop O'Rourke's administration reflected his overriding concern for the less fortunate members of society. The early years of his service were also marked by increased participation by lay people in the day-to-day operation of the Church. As a partial response to the decreasing number of priests available to minister to the people of the diocese, Bishop O'Rourke re-instituted the Permanent Diaconate program and ordained the first Permanent Deacon class in 1976. After nearly 19 years of service to the diocese, Bishop O'Rourke retired in 1990. Until his death on September 29, 1999, he continued to campaign and intervene for poor and less fortunate.

Another native of the diocese was destined to take over pastoral responsibilities for the Church in Peoria following O'Rourke's retirement. The Most Reverend John J. Myers was installed on January 23, 1990 as the seventh Bishop of Peoria. Prior to his installation, Bishop Myers served as Coadjutor Bishop along with Bishop O'Rourke, and thus brought a wealth of experience and knowledge of the diocese to his new position. A major focus of Bishop Myers' administration was vocations. The Diocese of Peoria has a strong reputation nationwide for its success in attracting men to the priesthood. In an effort to ensure continuity in the passing on of the Faith, Bishop Myers issued a series of pastoral letters from 1990 to 1997. The varied topics include: protecting life, “The Obligations of Catholics and the Rights of Unborn Children,” issued June, 1990; the liturgy, “The Eucharist: Sacrifice of Love,” issued December, 1990; religious education, “To Reach Full Knowledge of the Truth (I Timothy 2:24),” issued January, 1993; family life “Make Yours A Holy Family,” issued December, 1993; chastity formation “A Fresh, Spiritual Way of Thinking,” issued January, 1995; and, fatherhood, “Fathers Make Known to Children Your Faithfulness,” issued on March, 1997. On July 24, 2001, His Holiness Pope John Paul II called John J. Myers to serve as Archbishop of Newark, NJ. Archbishop Myers was installed as the fifth Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, on October 9, 2001.

The Diocese of Peoria's eighth bishop was appointed by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in January, 2002. The Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, was installed at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception on April 10, 2002. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Bishop Jenky came to the Peoria diocese via the University of Notre Dame, where he attended school, entered the order of Holy Cross Priests and Brothers at Notre Dame, and was ordained a priest in 1974. Serving as teacher, rector, and Religious Superior prepared Bishop Jenky for his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of the Fort Wayne - South Bend Diocese in October, 1997. Since his installation as Bishop of Peoria, Bishop Jenky has introduced the cause for the canonization of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and run a successful capital campaign in support of Catholic education.

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