Catholic Charities Springfield celebrates centennial
March 26, 2025
The following story was provided by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
As Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, we are proud to celebrate one hundred years of services to individuals of all faiths throughout the 28-county Springfield Diocese in Central Illinois. Our story began on March 1, 1925, when Bishop James A. Griffin hired Elizabeth Kuhlman as the first and only employee of Catholic Charities. Miss Kuhlman’s mission was to bring help and relief to those suffering in the Springfield community. She also served as president of the Ladies of Charity, another organization started by Bishop Griffin to provide material support to our newly-established office. The Ladies of Charity were essential in our early years, donating blankets, clothing, and funds to support the poor.
Bishop Griffin’s vision was to establish Catholic Charities in Springfield and expand our presence throughout the diocese. We expanded under the direction of Monsignor William Cassin, opening area offices in Alton, Quincy, Decatur and Granite City in the 1940s. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, we expanded further, opening our Effingham, Carlinville, and Mattoon locations.
Throughout the decades, we have developed programs to support the poor, abused children, senior citizens, veterans, refugees, disaster victims, broken families, the sick, and the forgotten. This was all made possible because of the generosity of thousands of volunteers, board members, and benefactors. True to the vision of Bishop Griffin, we now have offices and facilities in nine communities and outreach programs that serve thousands of individuals in rural towns and villages across our diocese. Additionally, we manage three facilities: the Catholic Children’s Home in Alton, St. Anne Residence in Beardstown, and St. John’s Breadline in Springfield.
On Saturday, March 1, 2025, we marked our centennial with a special Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, led by Bishop Thomas John Paprocki. This Mass recognized the century of compassionate service we have provided to God’s children in need. Following the Mass, Bishop Paprocki presided over a Centennial Celebration banquet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where he expressed his gratitude to those whose dedicated efforts have sustained our mission of mercy for 100 years. Bishop Paprocki stated:
Catholic Charities does not do these things because it is a ‘nice thing to do’ but because we are commanded by our Savior to love one another. As Catholics, we are taught that charitable works are so integral to our faith that without them, our faith is dead.
During our Centennial Celebration, we presented the Magnificat Award to individuals, businesses, and organizations across the diocese, recognizing their outstanding contributions to our success. The Magnificat Award is given for “Outstanding Service to God and Neighbor,” and we are proud to honor those whose dedication has made such a difference.
We are deeply grateful to our staff, volunteers, board members, and donors of all faiths who have joined us in our sacred calling to show Christ’s love and mercy to the world. “We are so grateful to our staff, volunteers, board members, and donors of all faiths who have joined us in our sacred calling to show Christ’s love and mercy to the world,” said Executive Director Steve Roach.
Looking ahead, Catholic Charities is excited to launch a centennial fundraising campaign aimed at ensuring that future generations will continue to have access to our services when needed. The St. Michael the Archangel Endowment and the Elizabeth Kuhlman Giving Society will fund crisis assistance services. As Steven Roach shared, “The most disheartening situation we encounter is when people in desperate situations reach out to us for help and we cannot help them because of a lack of resources. This happens on a daily basis and we must work to do something about it.”
With the support of our community, we will continue to carry out our mission of mercy and service for another 100 years and beyond.
Learn more about the Centennial Magnificat award honorees.
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