Diocese of Joliet

What Diocese of Joliet does

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois is a territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church founded on December 11, 1948 by Pope Pius XII and governed locally by a bishop (currently Bishop Dennis E. Spies, serving as Apostolic Administrator since February 6, 2026 following Bishop Ronald A. Hicks's appointment as Archbishop of New York). It serves approximately 545,000 Catholics across 125 parishes and missions in seven northeastern Illinois counties (DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Kendall, and Will), spanning 4,218 square miles. The Diocese provides sacramental ministry through its parish network, Catholic K-12 education through 47 schools (40 elementary, 3 high schools plus related units) under the Catholic Schools Office, child protection and safe-environment compliance through the Office of Child and Youth Protection using the third-party VIRTUS platform, social services through Catholic Charities, vocational discernment through the Vocations office, cemetery services, and catechetical and evangelization programming through a dedicated department.

Name

Diocese of Joliet

Legal name

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois

Website

https://diojoliet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet is a territorial Catholic diocese founded in 1948 serving approximately 545,000 Catholics across 125 parishes and 47 schools in seven northeastern Illinois counties, delivering sacramental ministry, K-12 education, child-protection programs, and social services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG), Missionary Training Colleges & Schools (EDAHAKAF)

Keywords

• Catholic parish services
• Catholic school education
• Faith formation programs
• Religious charitable giving
• Child protection compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Crest Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Parish Tithes and Collections: Weekly Sunday collections and parish tithes form the primary revenue stream supporting diocesan operations, parish ministries, and Catholic education.
2. Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA): Annual fundraising campaign supporting diocesan-wide ministries, agencies, programs and schools that serve spiritual, physical and educational needs. Donations feed homeless outreach, seminarian education, Catholic schools and religious education.
3. Catholic School Tuition: Tuition revenue from 40+ elementary schools and 3 high schools. Financial assistance available through Catholic Education Foundation scholarships, Kazma Family Scholarship, and parish tuition assistance programs.
4. Planned Giving and Endowments: Planned giving options including seminarian endowment and memorial giving. Managing endowment funds for long-term financial sustainability.
5. Cemetery Services: Catholic cemeteries operating under diocesan oversight, providing burial services to parish families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Diocese of Joliet is a Roman Catholic territorial diocese that provides spiritual, sacramental, educational, and charitable services to approximately 545,000 Catholics across 125 parishes in northeastern Illinois. Its core offerings include administration of the seven sacraments through parish communities, K-12 Catholic education across 47 schools, child and youth protection programs, priestly and diaconal vocations support, cemetery services, and social outreach through Catholic Charities and the Catholic Education Foundation.

Product overview

The Diocese of Joliet is a religious institution providing spiritual, educational, and pastoral services to approximately 545,000 Catholics across 125 parishes in northeastern Illinois. The diocese operates a unified portfolio of service offerings centered on Catholic education (47 schools), child protection (VIRTUS programs), vocational support (priesthood/diaconate), annual fundraising (CMAA), catechesis and evangelization, parish services, and cemetery services. These are pastoral and administrative service products, not commercial technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic Schools (K-12 Education) K-12 Catholic education grounded in Catholic faith and academic excellence, operated across 47 diocesan schools serving school-age children of Catholic families, with WCEA accreditation and tuition-based enrollment.
• Office of Child and Youth Protection Diocesan office providing safe environment compliance, VIRTUS training programs, background screening, reporting mechanisms, and victim assistance services for clergy, employees, volunteers, and children in contact with diocesan programs.
• Vocations Ministry Ministry supporting priestly and diaconal vocations through seminary formation, vocational discernment resources, and priest assignment coordination for men discerning Catholic clerical vocations.
• Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA) Annual diocesan fundraising campaign supporting ministries, agencies, programs, and schools that serve spiritual, physical, and educational needs, including homeless outreach, seminarian education, Catholic schools, and religious education.
• Catechesis and Evangelization Diocesan office providing catechetical formation, pastoral outreach including disabilities ministry, deaf ministry, ethnic ministry, divine worship, lifelong lay formation, marriage and family support, and sacramental preparation.
• Catholic Cemeteries Diocesan cemetery services providing Catholic burial sites and related services to parish families throughout the diocese.
• Catholic Education Foundation Nonprofit foundation providing financial assistance, scholarships, and fundraising support for Catholic education in the Diocese of Joliet, including the Kazma Family Scholarships and need-based tuition awards.
• Parish Network (Sacramental and Pastoral Services) Network of 125 parishes and missions providing sacramental ministry (Mass, baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, marriage, anointing of the sick), religious education, and parish-based community engagement to Catholics across the diocese.
• Catholic Charities Social Services Diocesan Catholic Charities agencies providing social services including adoption, counseling, housing, and immigration services to community members in need.

Quantifiable outcome

• 275 new Catholics welcomed at Easter Vigil 2026, 48% increase year-over-year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• VIRTUS (National Catholic Educational Association)coreTechnology or Integration · 20 May 2024VIRTUS is the trademarked training program administered by NCEA for safe environment compliance. The Diocese uses VIRTUS Protecting God's Children for Adults and Empowering God's Children programs. Church personnel must register for VIRTUS accounts and complete training through the VIRTUS online platform.
• Illinois General Assembly / Catholic Conference of IllinoismajorOthers · 18 October 2023Diocese participates in advocacy through Catholic Conference of Illinois on issues including Invest in Kids scholarship program, assisted suicide legislation, and parental rights. Failed renewal of Invest in Kids in 2023 affected scholarship availability.
• Benedictine UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2023Benedictine University became an independent Catholic university within the Diocese of Joliet. Founded in 1887 by St. Procopius Abbey, the university maintains Catholic and Benedictine identity under diocesan umbrella.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Diocese participates in USCCB initiatives including National Eucharistic Revival, Charter for Protection of Children and Young People, and Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Access to USCCB resources on child protection, liturgy, and social teaching.
• Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)coreOthers · 1 January 2023Diocesan clergy and church personnel serve as mandated reporters under Illinois law. Compliance includes Cants 22 and Cants 22a forms for acknowledgement of mandated reporter status.
• Chesterton Schools NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Chesterton Academy of the Holy Family in Lisle is part of network of 70+ classical Catholic high schools. Students participated in pilgrimage to Rome including Pope Leo XIV's general audience.
• The Reid GroupmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Consulting firm engaged to streamline diocesan operations. Recommended restructuring of Blanchette Catholic Center staffing from 99 to 70 employees and advised on parish/school restructuring process.
• Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 September 2021Third-party consultant engaged to assist parishes throughout the targeted restructuring process. CLI works directly with pastors and parish leadership teams to create timelines, facilitate listening sessions, and guide restructuring decisions across Joliet Deanery and Phase 3 parishes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Diocese of Rockford: Neighboring Illinois Catholic diocese covering 10 counties with ~100 parishes and ~30 schools. Highly comparable in structure, governance model, and rural-suburban footprint to Joliet, though smaller in scale.
• Diocese of Peoria: Central Illinois Catholic diocese with ~165 parishes and a comparable K-12 Catholic school footprint. Operates under the same USCCB framework and faces similar aging-clergy and enrollment pressures as Joliet.
• Diocese of Springfield in Illinois: Southern Illinois Catholic diocese with ~130 parishes and multiple Catholic schools. Same statewide Catholic operating environment and USCCB alignment as Joliet, with comparable scale.
• Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend: Indiana Catholic diocese of similar parish and school count operating in a comparable Midwest industrial-suburban context. Faces the same secular enrollment and clergy aging headwinds as Joliet.
• Diocese of Green Bay: Wisconsin Catholic diocese with a comparable parish network and Catholic school system. Strong Catholic identity tradition similar to Joliet, with similar governance structure under the bishop.
• Diocese of Columbus: Ohio Catholic diocese with comparable parish count and a similar suburban-anchored Catholic school portfolio. Comparable operational scale and demographics to Joliet.
• Diocese of Indianapolis: Indiana archdiocese of similar geographic and demographic scope. Operates a comparable network of parishes and schools under the same USCCB-aligned governance model as Joliet.

Broad incumbents

• Archdiocese of Chicago: Same-state Catholic jurisdiction, vastly larger in scale with ~300+ parishes and ~200+ schools. Operates the same canonical governance model and shares overlapping territory with Joliet's southern parishes.
• Archdiocese of Milwaukee: Neighboring Wisconsin archdiocese with substantially more parishes and a larger Catholic school system. Provides an instructive benchmark for what a more urban-anchored, scaled Catholic jurisdiction looks like.

Others

• Catholic Charities USA: National umbrella organization for diocesan Catholic Charities agencies, including Joliet's. Provides policy, advocacy, and operational support that materially shapes the social services arm of the diocese.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DioceseOfJoliet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrnNysq1arBI-ylNjrJ1pAA
• Facebookfacebook.com/DioceseOfJoliet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diocese-of-joliet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Diocese of Joliet