(MT. VERNON, IL) — The United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois will host a Naturalization ceremony at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 7, 2015, at Mitchell Museum located at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, 2500 E Richview Road, in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kenneth J. Meyers will preside over the ceremony. The Southern District of Illinois is one of three federal judicial districts in Illinois and is comprised of the 38 southernmost counties. Although the ceremony is an official court proceeding, the Court elects to host Naturalization ceremonies at various locations in the communities which the Southern District of Illinois serves. This provides opportunities for citizens to witness the Naturalization process first-hand and learn more about how immigrants to the United States become citizens. There will be 15 candidates presented to the court on behalf of the Department of Justice by Assistant United States Attorney Gerald M. Burke. For more information, please visit the court’s website, www.ilsd.uscourts.gov, or contact Justine Flanagan at 618/482-9373.