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. 2022:

There are 411,932 Catholics in the diocese’s 11-county area.

The diocese includes 107 parishes (including 2 missions) and one oratory.

It is served by a total of 107 active priests in our diocese, with another 5 serving in other dioceses in the United States.

There are 9 religious priests, 142 permanent deacons, 84 religious women and 9 religious brothers serving in the diocese.

One man was ordained to the priesthood in 2022.

There were 10 men studying for the Rockford diocesan priesthood at various seminaries.

As regards to administration of the sacraments, there were

• • • 3,972 infant Baptisms,
    • 106 adult Baptisms,
    • 4,332 First Communions,
    • 4,104 Confirmations
    • 174 persons received into full communion
    • 587 marriages

There were 6,199 children enrolled in the diocese’s 29 grade schools, 2,572 enrolled in its eight high schools (6 diocesan, 2 private), and 36,675 enrolled in parish religious education programs.

For more information about the diocese, contact the Office of Communications & Publications at [email protected], call 815-399-4300 or write to the office at 555 Colman Center Dr., P.O. Box 7044, Rockford, IL 61125.