The funeral reforms implemented by Bishop Paprocki; putting the focus where the focus needs to be

 

Illinois bishop bars family eulogies, same-day vigils under new funeral policies

by Brian Fraga

A mourner touches a casket in this file photo. (OSV News)

People in the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, are no longer able to eulogize or speak about their deceased loved ones during Catholic funeral rites after a series of new diocesan policies took effect earlier this month.

The new policies allow a reference during the rites to "how the deceased person put his or her Christian faith into practice," but any words of remembrance have to be submitted for approval three days prior to the funeral Mass and they can only be read by a priest or deacon.

Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki announced the changes in a six-minute YouTube video and in a statement posted on the diocesan website where he said that he and diocesan officials were looking to "address some irregular practices that have crept into local funeral services."

Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, is pictured in a July 11, 2018, photo. (OSV News/Courtesy of Diocese of Springfield in Illinois)

Those practices, Paprocki said, include having a visitation immediately preceding the funeral Mass, as well as friends and loved ones delivering eulogies during the rites, which Paprocki said the Order of Christian Funerals does not permit.

"Unfortunately, too often people speaking at the end of a Funeral Mass say things that are very inappropriate," Paprocki said. "Even if the remarks are suitable words of remembrance, family members are often overcome with grief and have a hard time getting through their remarks."

The policies took effect, July 1, and they are intended to "ensure that Catholic funerals in our diocese will conform to the norms of the Catholic Church," said Paprocki, who is one of several bishops in recent years who have tightened diocesan policies pertaining to funerals and burials to emphasize stricter adherence to church norms.

In May, Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester, Massachusetts, issued a decree that emphasizes the church's preference for bodies to be buried instead of cremated. In October 2025, Youngstown, Ohio, Bishop David Bonnar ended funeral visitations in church buildings. In January 2025, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles updated its funeral guidelines that emphasize the sequence of funeral rites and that state delaying burial for convenience is inappropriate.

In addition to regulating how the deceased is remembered during the liturgy, the new policies in the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, now prohibit a visitation in the church immediately preceding the funeral Mass.

According to Connecting Directors, a publication for the funeral home industry, practicalities such as convenience, cost-savings and scheduling constraints have condensed memorial observances into one-day events, with visitations often held immediately before the funeral services.

Paprocki refers to that trend as one of several "liturgical anomalies."

"The vigil, by definition, is the night before, so the vigil prayers will be prayed then by the priest or deacon even if there is no public visitation," Paprocki said. "In such cases, it would be fitting at least for the immediate family members to join the priest or deacon in the vigil prayers."

Mourners can gather at the funeral home prior to the funeral, where a priest or deacon may preside over a brief prayer service called Transfer of the Body to the Church or to the Place of Committal. If no priest or deacon is available, a funeral director, a member of the parish staff, or a relative or friend of the deceased can offer the prayers.

"Another problematic area that has crept into recent practice," according to Paprocki, had been the practice of eulogizing the deceased. The Order of Christian Funerals permits, in certain circumstances, "speaking in remembrance of the one who died," but does not permit a eulogy.

"To speak in remembrance of the deceased is to speak about the faith-life of the one who died and to give praise to God. A eulogy makes the person being praised the main focus of attention. The homily and the words of remembrance have God as the primary focus," Paprocki said.

"In this regard, reference may be made to how the deceased person put his or her Christian faith into practice, which provides a good example for others to follow and gives hope for an eternal reward in Heaven," Paprocki added.

Any words of remembrance that the family would like to be spoken by a priest or deacon have to be submitted three days before the funeral. Only the priest or deacon will then read those words during the vigil, funeral Mass or liturgy, or during the Rite of Committal at the cemetery.

"If deemed appropriate by the family, words of remembrance or even a eulogy may be given by someone other than the priest or deacon in other gatherings, such as at the meal following the committal service," Paprocki said. "This should not, however, immediately precede or follow any of the Christian funeral rites."

The new policies in the Springfield Diocese also stipulate that the Catholic Church "still earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burying the bodies of the deceased be observed," even if the church does not prohibit cremation unless chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine, such as denial of the resurrection of the body.

The diocesan policy requires that interment of cremated remains take place within 30 days following the funeral rites. 

When cremation takes place, Paprocki said, "all of the cremated remains of the deceased person's body must be interred following the Rite of Committal. At no time and in no way shall the cremated remains be divided, separated, or interred in more than one place."

Springfield Illinois diocese to build shrine to Venerable Augustine Tolton

Father Augustine Tolton (Courtesy of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois)

Church

• United States
• saints and blessed
• racism
• priests
• peace

US diocese to build shrine for Venerable Fr. Tolton, first US Black priest

The Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, in the United States, announces plans to build a shrine to Venerable Father Augustine Tolton, whose story of overcoming racial discrimination and divisions in his time continues to be a source of inspiration to promote peace and unity.

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

Venerable Father Augustine Tolton—the first publicly recognized Black priest in the United States—surmounted racial tensions and divisions that marked the country in the 19th century and lived a full life serving the Church and its faithful, while being loved by many. 

Now his life story and witness are set to reach many more people as the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, where he grew up and ministered, announced on April 29 that they plan to build a shrine in his honor at St. Boniface Church, in the city of Quincy.

Father Augustine Tolton “overcame all the divisions of his time and he did so with peace, hope and love,” said Father Steven Arisman, Chairman of the Committee for The Shrine for Father Augustine Tolton and pastor of St. Francis Solanus Parish in Quincy, in an interview with Vatican News.

 “His story teaches us how to do the same in our own time, with the divisions we see in our world today.”

Fr. Tolton’s cause for canonization was formally opened in 2010, and in 2019 he was recognized as a Venerable—the second of the four steps towards sainthood—by Pope Francis. If a miracle is attributed to his intercession, he can then be recognized as Blessed, and if then a second miracle is confirmed then he can be declared a Saint. 

An example of perseverance in the face of adversity

Fr. Tolton was born into slavery in 1854 in Missouri. When he was still a child he escaped with his mother and siblings to Illinois and settled in Quincy. Although slavery was officially abolished in 1865, African Americans continued facing a lot of discrimination and even in Quincy Fr. Tolton had to change schools twice to be able to pursue an education.

He was also confronted with religious divisions, as when he was 24 years old he opened the first school for Black children in Quincy but was met with opposition from African American Protestants who refused to send their children there as he was Catholic.

Bishop Jospeh Perry, diocesan postulator of Father Tolton's cause, near his portrait (©Courtesy of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois)

Fr. Arisman highlighted how Venerable Tolton didn’t let this be a source of tension or “something that brought him down,” but rather he used it “as an opportunity to continue to reach across and welcome all peoples to show them the gift of education in the life of the faith.”

As he grew older, Fr. Tolton discerned a call to the priesthood, but no American seminary would accept him as a Black man. He was thus admitted in 1880 to the Pontifical Urban University in Rome as a seminarian for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Propaganda Fidei), the entity of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and which today has become the Dicastery for Evangelization.

He was ordained on April 24, 1886, in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome and sent back to his home diocese to serve the faithful there. He became known for his zealous preaching, his humility and his attention to the poorest and marginalized.

For Fr. Arisman, what we can learn from Fr. Tolton’s story today is his “perseverance in the face of great trial, perseverance in great difficulty, and perseverance in that hope that Jesus is the one who saves us.”

His is a story of “unity with Christ, who is our Salvation, but also of how to live in harmony with one another, how to find a way to overcome divisions and tensions so that we can find a common ground.”

Bishop Paprocki speaks at the shrine announcement event (©Courtesy of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois)

Overcoming difficulties with peace

Additionally, Venerable Tolton “not only experienced a great difficulty with racial division, but also with priestly jealousy,” Fr. Arisman explained.

“He was so loved as a preacher and pastor in this area. There were many priests that did not particularly like the fact that he was loved above them.”

In this regard, Fr. Tolton faced harassment and discrimination from a German priest from a nearby parish. This situation led to Tolton being moved to Chicago, where he served the city’s Black Catholics until his death from a heat stroke in 1897. He was then buried in Quincy.

“He dealt with every kind of division and every kind of difficulty in his life with such peace, tranquility, and perseverance. That really teaches us how to look to Christ as the foundation of what we're doing and who we are,” Fr. Arisman said.

A Shrine that brings people together

Today, Fr. Tolton's story and witness continue to bring people together. At the launch event for the shrine in Quincy there were people from all walks of life, including local politicians and Protestant and Catholic representatives.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois blessed a commemorative plaque during the event. Bishop Joseph Perry, retired auxiliary bishop of Chicago, and diocesan postulator of Fr. Tolton's cause, was also present. 

Fr. Arisman underlined how Fr. Tolton “really teaches us to come together” and noted that even the committee to build the shrine is very diverse. “We have people of other faith backgrounds. We have some people who are not of any faith at all, but they love Tolton’s story.”

The outside of St. Boniface Church   (©Courtesy of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois)

“Throughout the world, but also in the United States, to have a story like Tolton’s that can unite us in speaking of Christ, really helps reach out to people who I think would otherwise not be involved,” he emphasized.

“The most important thing is to tell the story of Jesus Christ, because Tolton lived his entire life for Him.”

The Shrine will be located at the site where Fr. Tolton offered his first public Mass in Quincy and where later St. Boniface Church was built. The church was closed in 2020 and has since fallen into disrepair. The launch event was also to begin raising funds, as it is estimated that the cost to renovate the space will be over $5 million.

Fr. Arisman also pointed out the importance of having the Shrine in Quincy, which is where he says Venerable Tolton’s heart was, as it represented for him a “place of freedom” and “of welcome and hospitality.”

Get to know Father “Gus”

For Fr. Arisman the construction of the Shrine is an opportunity for Venerable Tolton’s story to go beyond Quincy and the United States and encourage more people to get to know him and turn to him in prayer.

“One thing I tell people all the time is, get to know good Father “Gus”, as he was called. You will have a good friend for the rest of your life,” he said.

“He's such a wonderful friend and confidant, somebody you can turn to for intercession, guidance and inspiration in his story.”

Another unpleasant story involving a deacon and the aftermath of the clergy abuse scandal; but did this deacon go to far?

Massachusetts Catholic deacon claims he was reprimanded for saying prayer for Buffalo deacon

 Dec 3, 5:49 PM

FILE -- Deacons David Baillargeon, Normand Grondin and Thomas Gaudrault, prepare the urns of oil to be blessed at the Chrism Mass at St. Michael's Cathedral. (MARK M.MURRAY / THE REPUBLICAN) Staff-Shot (Mark Murray)

16 shares

By Shannon Young

syoung@repub.com

David Baillargeon, a deacon at Holy Family Parish Roman Catholic church in Russell, claims he was reprimanded for saying a prayer during Mass on Sunday for a deacon in Buffalo, New York, who has called for the resignation of that diocese's bishop.

Baillargeon spoke out Monday against the church's handling of clergy sexual abuse, arguing that more needs to be done to investigate such cases, including in Western Massachusetts. 

Baillargeon, who has worked with activist Olan Horne to advocate for survivors of clergy abuse, said local church officials have largely barred him from preaching after he was critical of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in a homily two years ago.

The deacon said he faced further pushback Sunday after offering prayers for Buffalo, New York, Deacon Paul Snyder, who has called for Catholic Bishop Richard Malone's resignation.

"After the prayers of petition for the church, I said that I wanted to say a prayer for Deacon Paul Snyder -- told the parishioners where he was and that he was the deacon at St. Mary's Church there -- and that I heard, from my smartphone really, that he had been suppressed from preaching because he spoke out against Bishop Malone and the clergy abuse that's going on there in the Buffalo diocese," Baillargeon said in an interview. "I said, 'We need to pray for him,' and then I raised my hand up and said, 'He's been suppressed for two months.' And, I said, 'Here, your own deacon has been suppressed for two years.'"

Baillargeon said after he finished, Rev. Ron F. Sadlowski, the pastor at Holy Family Parish, "went off" on him.

"He said, 'You're not going to be preaching again,' but he wants me to preach during the week every other week for daily Mass," Baillargeon said, noting that the small parish sometimes sees just one person attend such services. 

Sadlowski, however, rejected the suggestion that he has retaliated against his deacon. 

"There's been no retaliation," he said in an interview. "The fact is, I'm the priest here and when he preaches, he preaches against the bishop. We're supposed to preach on the word of God. He mishandles the role of being a deacon at the pulpit."

Sadlowski said Baillargeon's failure to promise he would not use the pulpit to preach against the bishop is why he is no longer preaching on weekends. 

"My responsibility is to protect people from anyone who mishandles the proper use of preaching the word of God," Sadlowski said. "It's not based on focusing on any one person, except Jesus Christ. It's not used to preach against the bishop -- the deacon could talk to him one-on-one, there are other ways to get to him."

The pastor added that while Baillargeon was not out of bounds for extending prayers to a fellow deacon in Buffalo on Sunday, he acted inappropriately by using the pulpit to suggest he has faced retaliation.

Sadlowski said he told parishioners that the reason Baillargeon now only preaches during the week is because he misused the pulpit -- not due to retaliation.

"I would definitely say there's been no punishment, no retaliation -- it's something he's done to himself. ... I felt in my heart I had to respond to the people who were there," he said.

Springfield diocese spokesman Mark Dupont declined to comment on Baillargeon's performance. 

While investigations into clergy abuse have grabbed recent headlines in other states, Baillargeon said he would like Massachusetts to look more into the issue, as well as see more deacons come forward. 

"A lot of people know things. They're probably just afraid to speak out," he said. "I think that a lot of people, deacons especially, must know victims that are afraid to come forward and say anything. So I've been working with probably a dozen or more people who have been affected by all of this -- and some of them I talk to on a daily basis. The wounds are real deep and very hurtful."

Baillargeon, who started Mom's House -- a nonprofit letter campaign that allows victims to share their stories with Catholic leaders -- said while he tries to help victims, he believes the church has no accountability or credibility when it comes to addressing clergy abuse.

"I did have a lot of hope in Cardinal (Sean) O'Malley, but he's admitted to me that there's only so much he can do," he said, noting that O'Malley has said he delivered letters from that campaign to Pope Francis. 

Moving forward, Baillargeon said he'd like someone outside the church lead any new investigations into clergy abuse.

National activist calls for Springfield bishop to resign

Olan Horne, an Archdiocese of Boston priest abuse survivor and national advocate for church reform, has said he believes the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield mishandled a case involving a victim of the late Rev. Paul Archambault, who committed suicide in 2011.

"It's been many, many centuries, and the church has not been able to regulate themselves in this thing," Baillargeon said. "That's why I started the letter program to have a repository of these letters that are kind of like evidence. If the people want to come forward -- or speak anonymously, they can write the letter any way they want. But, it's a way for them to get validation and recognition and tell their story."

Baillargeon said he has no evidence that any abuse is taking place in the Springfield Diocese, but he has "very strong suspicions."

Horne, who called for Springfield Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski's resignation over the diocese's handling of a case involving the late Rev. Paul Archambault, also accused the church of retaliating against Baillargeon.

He argued that the Boston Diocese is aware of it, noting that he has raised the issue personally with Cardinal O'Malley, as well as in a March 28, 2018, email sent to the archdiocese, the Springfield diocese and Holy Family Parish.