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His 700-page "The Writings of the New Testament" is widely used as a religious textbook, but well-known theologian and lecturer Luke Timothy Johnson is not fit to be heard by Belleville Diocese Catholics, according to Bishop Edward K. Braxton. Johnson, a professor of theology at Emory University in Atlanta, was scheduled to speak April 20 at the diocese-funded Newman Center on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. But in October, Braxton, who has authority over virtually all diocesan matters, blocked the presentation. In an editorial published two weeks ago, Commonweal, a national Catholic magazine, criticized Braxton's action, terming it "censorship." While Braxton...

A disagreement between Bishop Braxton and some of his priests goes very public: Belleville Bishop Edward K. Braxton set off a flurry of e-mail messages among priests and diocesan insiders when he told a 20-year-old Catholic woman she had not studied enough to allow him to confer the sacrament of confirmation. The ensuing controversy regarding the woman's unsuccessful attempt on April 10 to be confirmed at St. Michael's Church in Paderborn raised questions about Braxton's ministerial style among some Catholics, criticism that was offset by a statement from the diocesan chancellor's office citing community praise for the bishop's interaction with...

BELLEVILLE—A Freeburg High School teacher charged with trying to murder Ashley Reeves, 17, apparently had been seeing her for two months, ......The Freeburg teacher, Samson Shelton, 26, was charged Saturday in St. Clair County Circuit Court with two counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping. Authorities allege that Shelton tried to strangle Reeves with a belt and break her neck with his forearm. Shelton, of the 5400 block of Live Oak Drive in Smithton, taught drivers education and physical education and volunteered as an assistant baseball coach, authorities said. ...

Issue Date:  January 13, 2006 Bishop shuts us out, say priestsBelleville's Braxton, one of John Paul's last picks, said to be 'imperial'By ROBERT McCLORYBelleville, Ill.A third of the active priests in the mostly rural, southern Illinois diocese of Belleville have gone on record publicly objecting to the “monarchical” leadership style of Bishop Edward Braxton. It is destroying the morale of clergy and laity, they say, and disrupting the operations of the diocese.A statement signed by 24 of the 72 active priests claimed Braxton makes decisions without consultation, is unavailable for advice or discussion, and has an arrogant, off-putting manner. As...

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) - More details are emerging about a shooting in a St. Louis suburb that has left four dead, including a baby. A police officer says the man arrested early today is the former boyfriend of one of the victims. Investigators in Belleville, Ill., found the bodies of a two-month-old boy, two young women and a young man in an apartment, last night, after neighbors reported a burglary. Several people say they heard gunshots both before and after seeing someone enter the basement apartment. Commander Norman Venable of the St. Louis Major Case Squad says the two women...

EDWARD K. BRAXTON was installed as the Roman Catholic bishop of Belleville last week, and I think the good folks of Belleville are in for a treat. His appointment has not been without controversy. In fact, more than 75 percent of Belleville's active diocesan priests signed a letter to Cardinal Francis George of Chicago expressing their displeasure at the process by which Braxton was appointed. I know nothing about that. A lot of folks have also expressed dismay at Braxton's request for diocesan money to renovate the bishop's residence. That request was, I'll admit, a bit awkward. The rule of...

On Valentine's Day, a dozen or so Belleville priests gathered to discuss what kind of bishop would best be suited to lead their diocese. Belleville's former bishop, the Rev. Wilton Gregory, had been installed as the new archbishop of Atlanta just a month before. The members of the Presbyterial Council had been asked by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago to assess three things: the qualities they would like in their next bishop, the current state of the Belleville diocese and the future needs of the diocese.

Federal law enforcement officials call a Nutley man a ``dangerous predator.'' Kevin Hildreth has admitted sexually assaulting nine children and videotaping at least two having sex in the basement of a church where he was an assistant scoutmaster. The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to federal charges of crossing state lines to sexually assault a child and possession of child pornography. Hildreth was arrested in June as part of an international child porn Internet investigation. He told investigators that he had fondled or raped nine boys in the past 16 years. The victims ranged in age from four to 13. One was...

3 are slain in Belleville beauty salon By Doug Moore and Robert Goodrich Of the Post-Dispatch 03/02/2005 Authorities were working both sides of the Mississippi River late Wednesday night in their search for a killer who stabbed a popular Belleville hairdresser and two of his customers earlier in the day. A customer who showed up at the salon just after 11 a.m. Wednesday found the bodies of salon owner Michael J. Cooney, 62, and sisters Dorothy E. Bone, 82, and Doris J. Fischer, 79. Police believe Cooney knew the killer, who fled in Cooney's sport utility vehicle. Authorities were seeking...