A Will County lawsuit claims a priest who died in 2014 had sexually abused a minor who attended a Catholic elementary school in Villa Park in the early 1990s.

County elections, leadership changes at the Diocese of Joliet and for some large school districts are just some of the stories we will be following this year.

Hicks will remain bishop of the Diocese of Joliet until his installation in New York on Feb. 6.

New York and national Catholic media, along with local Catholics, say they hear Bishop Ron Hicks will be named archbishop in New York.

A classical string quartet will perform holiday favorites – and thousands of candles will illuminate the concert in Joliet.

USF is making connections at Catholic schools in far southwestern Illinois to attract students from that region to the university.

The Joliet Police Department is partnering with the The Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center for its annual holiday food drive: Patrol for Hunger! Food pantries are reporting higher demand.

In a statement, the Diocese of Joliet said ministry of the priest has been suspended because the lawsuit “affects the public nature” of his ministry and “out of an abundance of caution.”

The Will County lawsuit alleged the Diocese of Joliet violated their own whistleblower and anti-retaliation policy against a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by a priest.

The combined St. Anne and St. Ambrose parish in Crest Hill has announced that it will be getting a new name in October in honor of the first millenial saint.

The Diocese of Joliet has issued a response to the deadly shooting at a Catholic School mass in Minnesota, and says it plans to review school safety policies with principals.

The “memorandum of understanding” creates access and opportunity for high school students across the Diocese of Joliet to enroll at USF in Joliet, according to a release announcing the agreement.

A former teacher for the Diocese of Joliet has completed his two-and-half year probation in a case where he pleaded guilty to grooming someone he thought was a minor to engage in unlawful sexual conduct.

A case where a Catholic priest was charged with placing the hair of a 13-year-old girl in his mouth in Joliet has been dismissed by Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s Office.

On July 10, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Trump administration will restrict immigrants from enrolling in in the federally funded Head Start preschool program if they are in the United States illegally.

People attending a Mass of remembrance at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus talk about Pope Francis and the next pope.

The Diocese of Joliet will hold a special remembrance Mass for Pope Francis on Thursday at Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus.

Catholic church leaders in Joliet and Rockford dioceses react to the passing of Pope Francis, who died early Monday morning.

Joliet native Brother Ed Arambasich championed firefighters and likened their service to that of the Franciscans. He also served as a critical incident debriefing chaplain at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks.

A longtime advocate for people experiencing homelessness and a mother of seven who broke the cycle of homelessness recently shared tips and resources to moms at Daybreak Center in Joliet.

The Diocese of Joliet released the third and final phase of its “targeted restructuring” plan on Thursday, detailing the plans for parishes in DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee and southern Will counties.

Victory City Church has purchased the former St. Jude Catholic church and school property in Joliet and announced it plans to use it as a second worship site.

The Rev. Carlos Martins allegedly grabbed a girl’s hair, made a “flossing motion” with her hair in his mouth, sat behind her and made a “growling noise,” according to a statement from Joliet police officials.

A Will County judge quashed the warrant for the arrest of the Rev. Carlos Martins in a Joliet battery case. The priest will next appear in court on Feb. 24.

The Diocese of Joliet has confirmed that sales are pending on the property of the former St. Jude and St. Anne parishes as the Sacred Heart church property is now listed for sale.

A charge has been filed against a priest who was on a relic tour in Joliet last year and he is accused of placing the hair of a 13-year-old girl in his mouth, court records show.

Will County schools, agencies respond to President Donald Trump's executive order declaring the Department of Justice will investigate or prosecute agencies which do not comply with immigration enforcement officers.

A Dec. 31, 1948, Herald-News story that showed flames roaring through the roof of St. Stephen’s Hungarian Chapel at the corner of Collins Street at Irving Street and estimated the damage at $100,000.

The Diocese of Joliet has confirmed the sale of the former St. Anne church in Crest Hill and stated that the proceeds from the sale will go "directly" to the newly merged St. Ambrose & St. Anne Parish.

Tickets to the concert won’t be sold. They will be exchanged for a generous donation of non-perishable food and/or paper products, which will be donated to Daybreak Shelter in Joliet.

Attorneys for a priest on a relic tour in Joliet claimed he was “building rapport” when he joked about a female student's hair and touched her hair. The Diocese of Joliet says the attorneys' "narrative is incomplete."

The Diocese of Joliet has listed the property of the former St. Anne's church in Crest Hill for sale, following its summer closing.

A Joliet police investigation has led to the suspension of a ministry of a priest from a Canadian Catholic society but officials have not revealed the exact circumstances that prompted the investigation.

On Thursday, while Queen of Apostles Catholic Parish in Joliet hosted a relic of St. Jude for public veneration, “an incident with the priest and some students was reported to have happened” at Queen of Apostles, according to a news release from the Diocese of Joliet.

Knights of Columbus in Joliet invites public to Mass in November in memory of two chaplains who died in war and also to honor local veterans.

This revocation of the Diocese of Joliet's decree means four churches – St. Mary Magdalene, St. Bernard, St. Anthony and St. Joseph – were also returned to standalone parishes.

The first of the Diocese of Joliet's shuttered churches has been placed on the market for sale, despite claims that there were no plans to sell the real estate.

The Rev. Dennis Spies' is new auxiliary bishop for Diocese of Joliet. The announcement came for Pope Francis on Friday.

Parishioner calls Vatican decision a miracle, but diocese says it may challenge ruling.

The Joliet City Council approved what officials say is the first pay increase for school crossing guards since 2015.

For all this reminiscing, I didn’t return to St. Bernard for the memories.

The pending dissolution of St. Joseph Joliet parish itself has been appealed by parishioners, and the Vatican has taken the matter under consideration.

The Rev. Tim Andres with connections to Joliet that go back to 1982 leaves town after last Mass on Sunday.

St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Church of St. Anthony, Sacred Heart Catholic Church and St. Bernard Catholic Church are hosting celebrations in Joliet.

Bishop Ronald A. Hicks will celebrate the final mass at St. Anne Church in Crest Hill this Sunday at 10 a.m. before the church is closed and the parish is "extinguished" to blend with neighboring St. Ambrose.

The Lockport Police were called to Saints Dennis and Joseph Catholic Academy Tuesday to remove multiple teachers and their family members from the building at the request of the school's principal. The teachers want want answers from Diocese of Joliet.

Legislation recently approved by the Illinois House of Representatives prohibiting the use of corporal punishment in private schools would have little effect in the suburbs since the majority of private schools here already prohibit it, officials from multiple schools confirmed.

Robert Tyrell, current principal at St. Jude, will head new parish school.

Earlier this year, the Diocese of Joliet announced a major restructuring that involves closing some churches and schools and merging some parishes. This week marked the final time 5 churches will be holding Holy Week Masses as they close their doors this summer.

Pastor with deep Joliet roots says he 'wanted to stay' but understands decision. Parishioners contest parish reorganization.