About Peoria, Illinois:
Peoria is a major regional hub for medical services, anchored by major systems like OSF HealthCare and Carle Health, as well as heavy machinery and agricultural equipment production. Set on the Illinois River, the Peoria Riverfront Museum has a striking, contemporary design. It offers a planetarium, a sculpture garden and a collection of fine art. Northeast, near Peoria Lake, Glen Oak Park includes the Luthy Botanical Garden and the Peoria Zoo. West of the city, Wildlife Prairie Park has forest trails and native animals, including bison, cougars and bears.
Peoria would be considered a mid-sized city. As of the recent census, the population of Peoria, Illinois, is approximately 111,500. The broader Peoria metropolitan area has a population of roughly 363,500.
History of Catholicism in Peoria, Illinois:
In 1673 Jesuit missionary Father Jacques Marquette passed through the Peoria Native American village, followed by explorers Robert de La Salle and Henri de Tonti who built Fort Crèvecoeur in 1680. In 1693 Father Gravier officially established the Mission of the Immaculate Conception. As European immigrants (Irish and Germans) began to settle in Central Illinois in the mid-1800’s, the faithful built Peoria’s first church dedicated to St. John the Apostle.
Due to rapid church growth, Pope Pius IX formally established the Diocese of Peoria in 1875, creating a see that spanned from the Mississippi River to the Indiana border. It is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Chicago
Catholic places of interest in Peoria, Illinois:
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception and tomb of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen:
Traveling to Peoria, Illinois:
By air: Peoria is served by several airlines at Peoria International Airport (code PIA).
By train: Currently there is no passenger train service to Peoria. Bloomington-Normal Station (BNL) is about 38 miles southeast of Peoria and is served by Amtrak Thruway Buses departing directly from Peoria.