Since coming to the “Heart of Illinois,” Bishop Louis Tylka has experienced firsthand the faith and good works of our priests, religious and laypeople, and he has listened to the people of the Diocese of Peoria. In response to what he has learned, Bishop Tylka has commissioned a pastoral planning process called Growing Disciples, with the goal of moving further into the mission which Christ has given us: to go and make disciples.

In order to renew discipleship and enhance relationships with Jesus in every corner of our region, Growing Disciples will examine the current structure of parishes and schools in the diocese to evaluate how they can best meet the needs of the faithful and address challenges facing the Church today.  

Learn more about Growing Disciples in the videos and links below.

• Overview and key points of the pastoral plan

• Frequently asked questions

• Program timeline

As we celebrate the great Solemnity of Pentecost, we recall the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the birth of the Church. The same Holy Spirit continues to be poured out upon the Church and upon us. Trusting in this Divine gift, I intentionally chose Pentecost as the day to announce the final decisions of our two-year Growing Disciples planning process.

I want to thank you for your participation, your feedback, and your advice which have helped me make these decisions. I ask for your continued prayers and cooperation as we work together to strengthen and renew our Diocese in this new apostolic age. Know that I pray for you daily. May the Holy Spirit bless all our efforts to Grow Disciples.

Venerable Archbishop Sheen - pray for us!

Why are we doing Growing Disciples as a Diocese? I chose Growing Disciples intentionally as a title because that’s what we are called to do. The world we live in today is different from the world known to previous generations and we therefore need to find new ways of doing things. We have fewer priests. Fewer Catholics. Fewer children. People are moving. Our task is to reimagine the way we reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ!

The Growing Disciples process is designed to provoke conversation, share ideas and receive feedback. Decisions have yet to be made – and I will consider all of the data and your feedback as I discern the future network of parishes for the Diocese of Peoria.

I encourage you to dig into the data, listen to our videos, carefully consider the second draft models and share your insights to our proposals.

Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Pray for this process. And pray that all our efforts today will bear fruit for a brighter tomorrow.

View the Round 2 Parish Models HERE.