Bishop Cahill says the ‘good old days’ for the Diocese of Joliet are here now

Bishop Brendan Cahill sees the Diocese of Joliet differently than some here who have been through recent parish consolidations and school closings may see it.“People talk about the good old days,” Cahill said. “These are the good old days.”Cahill’s optimistic outlook was evident to those attending the Mass on Wednesday at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus installing him as bishop of the diocese.He sat down for an interview with Shaw Local at the cathedral on Thursday.Cahill comes to Joliet from the Diocese of Victoria, which serves a region in southeastern Texas, where the Catholic Church is growing in large part due to the arrival of Mexican immigrants with roots in the church.Still, Cahill said the presence of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Joliet is an impressive one.“Forty-five Catholic schools, that’s a lot,” Cahill said, remarking on the number of parochial grade schools in the diocese.“Eight Catholic high schools, three universities,” he added.By comparison, Houston,