Rockford Illinois!
Strong, faithful, loving bishops throughout the years, including the new bishop who will be installed in a week.
A surplus of vocations, thanks to an ongoing work to help young men and women discern callings to vocations.
A Latin Mass parish that has been around since the 1990s, and offers daily Mass as well as several Masses on weekends.
A cloistered convent of Poor Clares that offers daily Mass, and serves the world through on-going prayer.
Many conservative and orthodox OF parishes that are virtually abuse-free (because of the diligence of the excellent bishops).
Several ethnic parishes, including a Hispanic parish, an Italian parish, and a Polish parish.
Some of the best Catholic schools (arts, academics, and athletics) in the U.S., especially the high school. Also, there is a small but growing “traditional” Catholic school (K-high school) that teaches Latin from the youngest grades, attends Latin Mass, etc.
Thousands of home-schooled students, and several large and thriving home-school co-ops that allow children and teenagers to receive excellent education in advanced subjects. At least one of the private schools in the cities welcomes homeschooled students into their AP classes (they pay the tuition for the one class only).
Close to Chicago, so if you want to visit some of the beautiful old parishes and church buildings, easy drive.
NO MORE ABORTION CLINIC! Praise God, after years of work by faithful Catholics and Protestants, who prayed in front of the clinic every week in all weather for many years, the clinic was closed down by the state after failing (in the worse way) the inspection that had been long-overdue.
Great Protestant megachurches, and close in location to Willowcreek. What does that have to do with good Catholicism? Think about it–the Catholics have tough competition,
so they have to do Catholicism well in order to retain parishioners and attract converts. No slacking in Rockford. You snooze, you lose your sheep.
The oldest community music club in the U.S. Yes, this has nothing to do with Catholicism, or does it? Even if the parish music isn’t as magnificent as you would like, you still have plenty of ways to hear or make glorious music.
Amenities that are good for families:
Some of the cheapest houses in the U.S., which is important if you have a large and/or growing family. You can still buy an awfully nice home in a good neighborhood for 80,000-100,000 dollars–that’s not true in a lot of big cities, especially St. Louis. A hovel there with no garage and no yard costs a quarter million dollars.
Super hospitals! Three of them, and they all work together. There is a Catholic hospital.
Two excellent ice skating rinks! Yes, I know, to most of you, that means nothing, but if you are a skating family, it is everything.
A top-rated Park District with all kinds of parks, activities, etc. Not only the ice rinks, but a horse farm with riding lessons, a huge waterpark with activities for everyone in the family, nationally-ranked golf courses with the CHEAPEST GREEN FEES in the area (people come from Chicago to play on them), a playground designed for teenagers, a playground designed for those with disabilities and those who use wheelchairs, several walking/riding/running paths, including a nice one along the river–that’s just a few of the opportunities in the Park District. It’s awesome!.
Pretty city–lots of trees, gardens–Anderson Japanese Gardens is ranked as one of the best in the world. Lots of old and new neighborhoods. Beautiful river runs through city–lots of boating and other water sports in the summer. Several crew teams in the area use the river to train–pretty to watch.
Several famers markets, community gardens, and surrounded by the best farms in the U.S.! If you like natural foods, you can get them!
Disadvantages: 5th highest property tax rate in the U.S. Public schools are a disaster–dropout rate among minorities is 50%. High crime rate (gang related). Racism is somewhat entrenched, although there are massive efforts to combat this, but it doesn’t work. Lots of division along racial lines. Gangs are entrenched. High unemployment, but lots of jobs open in skilled trades (welding, mechanics, machinists, etc.–there are efforts right now to train people to take those jobs so that the factories don’t have to move out of the city). Not a good city for public transportation, weather is not condusive to year-around bike or scooter transportation, and in certain areas, it’s too dangerous to walk outside after dark or even during the daylight.
Biggest disadvantage–State of Illinois is broker than California, and there are threats of massive state tax hikes. Sigh.
But all in all, I would recommend the city for Catholics who have a trade or degree that will ensure them of secure employment, and who are looking for private Catholic schools or homeschools.
{Also, we would would love to hear the names of good suburbs within big cities too…sometimes it’s hard to know exactly where to look outside of the general “Chicago” or “Arlington”!}
They will be forced to both know and defend their faith. As I see it, and my view is often at odds with right-handers, the danger is not that they would become Mormon in SLC, it is that they would become secular anywhere else.
But it really is nice, and the train station is right in the downtown area so commuting to downtown Chicago is a piece of cake. Lots to do around here too - Brookfield Zoo is about a 10 minute ride away.
), but we have been blessed to have Archbishop Carlson.