The Rockford Diocese covers 6,457 square miles of northwestern Illinois. It was established on Sept. 23, 1908.
Its northern boundary is the state line of Illinois and Wisconsin. Its eastern boundary abuts the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet. Its southern boundary abuts the Diocese of Peoria, and its western boundary is the Mississippi River.
The diocese includes 11 counties: Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, JoDaviess, Kane, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago. The diocese includes urban, suburban and rural areas, and in many respects serves as a microcosm of the Catholic Church in the United States.
According to the diocese’s annual general report to the Vatican for the year ending Nov. 2007:
- There are 441,450 Catholics in the diocese’s 11-county area.
- The diocese includes 105 parishes.
- It is served by a total of 149 active priests in our diocese, including 11 priests from other dioceses who serve here.
- There are 44 religious priests, 130 permanent deacons, 178 religious women and 13 religious brothers serving in the diocese.
- Seven men were ordained to the priesthood in 2007.
- There are 27 men studying for the Rockford diocesan priesthood at various seminaries.
- As regards to administration of the sacraments, there were 7,647 baptisms, 6,887 First Communions, 4,753 confirmations, persons received into full communion numbered 397, and there were 1,154 marriages.
- There were 24,706 children enrolled in the diocese’s 41 grade schools, 4,309 enrolled in its eight high schools, and 28,858 enrolled in parish religious education programs.
For more information about the diocese, contact the Office of Communications & Publications at observer@rockforddiocese.org, call 815-399-4300 or write to the office at 555 Colman Center Dr., P.O. Box 7044, Rockford, IL 61125.