Peoria Diocese unveils plans for 25 area churches (2024)

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Five Vermilion County parishes will merge into one and Catholic churches in six area towns will no longer hold services, part of a massive overhaul of the Peoria Diocese revealed Saturday.

Churchgoers will be told of the news during weekend services Saturday and Sunday. Bishop Louis Tylka asked that individual letters sent to each parish in the diocese be shared.

The changes — spurred by an ever-shrinking number of priests at a time when church attendance is also waning — will begin taking effect on July 1, with full implementations taking between one and three years, according to Tylka.

While a few area churches were left largely unchanged (including St. Patrick in Urbana and Holy Cross and St. Matthew in Champaign), Catholic churches in Bellflower, Bement, Bongard, Georgetown, Homer and Penfield will no longer hold services once the full implementation is complete.

Tylka closed each letter the same, writing: “I am asking every parish to engage in a process of renewal. Every parish is asked to evaluate its schedule of Masses, its programs of pastoral care and evangelization. I challenge every parish to be more intense in cultivating disciples. More information about this call to become a more vibrant parish will be released in the coming months.

“I ask for your continued prayers and continued cooperation as we work together to strengthen and renew our Diocese in this new apostolic age,” he added. “Know that I pray for you daily.”

Here’s the diocese’s plan for all 25 area churches, listed alphabetically:

— Holy Cross, Champaign: Instructed to work with new pastor Brian Brownsey to “arrange a schedule a schedule of three weekend masses.” There are no structural changes to the parish but it will no longer have a parochial vicar. Implementation begins: July 1.

— Holy Family, Danville: Will become the primary worship site for five parishes that will merge into one — Holy Family and St. Paul in Danville, St. Anthony in Hoopeston, St. Mary in Westville and St. Isaac Jogues in Georgetown. The Rev. Peter Pilon will take over as pastor at Holy Family, with current pastor Steven Loftus being assigned to Holy Trinity and St. Patrick in Bloomington, effective July 1. Timeline for completion: 36 months.

— Immaculate Conception, Bongard: The Champaign County church will no longer be in use, with nearby parishes St. Thomas of Philo, St. Mary of Pesotum, and St. Patrick of Tolono merging into one. Timeline for completion: 24 months.

— Our Lady of the Lake, Mahomet: The Rev. Joseph Hogan will remain pastor and the parish structure will remain unchanged.

— Sacred Heart, Farmer City: Will merge with St. John the Baptist of Clinton and St. Patrick of Wapella, with Clinton becoming the primary worship site. The Rev. Thomas Szydlik will serve as pastor of all three churches. Timeline for completion: 12 months.

— St. Anthony, Hoopeston: Will merge into one parish with Holy Family and St. Paul in Danville, St. Mary in Westville and St. Isaac Jogues in Georgetown, with Holy Family becoming the primary worship site. The Rev. Ignatius Mulenda will remain administrator at St. Anthony. Timeline for completion: 36 months.

— St. Boniface, Seymour: Will merge with St. Matthew in Champaign, which will be the primary worship site. The Rev. Johndamaseni Zilimu will remain pastor and the Rev. Andru O'Brien will stay on as parochial vicar and chaplain at St. Thomas More High School. To be determined: a new schedule of five weekend masses between the two churches of the parish. Implementation begins: July 1.

— St. Charles Borromeo, Homer: Will merge into one parish with St. Malachy in Rantoul, St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Thomasboro and St. Lawrence in Penfield, with St. Malachy becoming the primary worship site. In addition to serving as pastor in Rantoul and Thomasboro, the Rev. Joel Phelps will take on that role in Homer and Penfield for the short term, with the Rev. John Verrier joining as parochial vicar. Those churches will no longer be in use within a year. Timeline for completion: 12 months.

— St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Thomasboro: Will merge into one parish with St. Malachy in Rantoul, St. Lawrence in Penfield and St. Charles Borromeo in Homer, with Rantoul the primary worship site. The Rev. Joel Phelps will remain pastor, with the Rev. John Verrier joining as parochial vicar. Timeline for completion: 12 months.

— St. Isaac Jogues, Georgetown: Church will no longer be in use, with the parish merging into one with Holy Family and St. Paul in Danville, St. Anthony in Hoopeston and St. Mary in Westville, with Holy Family the primary worship site. The Rev. Timothy Sauppé will remain pastor of St. Isaac Jogues and St. Mary. Timeline for implementation: 36 months.

— St. John Catholic Newman Center, University of Illinois: Come July 1, Pastor Robert Lampitt will reassigned to St. Joseph Newman Center at Bradley University in Peoria. He’ll be succeeded on the UI campus by the Rev. Lee Brokaw.

— St. John the Evangelist, Bellflower: Church will no longer be in use. It will merge into one parish with St. John the Baptist in Clinton, St. Patrick in Wapella and Sacred Heart in Farmer City, with Clinton the primary worship site. Timeline for completion: 12 months.

— St. Joseph, Ivesdale: Will merge into one parish with St. Philomena in Monticello and St. Michael in Bement, with Monticello the primary worship site. The Rev. Patrick O’Neal will remain pastor at St. Joseph. Timeline for completion: 12 months.

— St. Lawrence, Penfield: Church will no longer be in use, with the parish merging into one with St. Malachy in Rantoul, St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Thomasboro and St. Charles Borromeo in Homer, with Rantoul the primary worship site. In addition to serving as pastor in Rantoul and Thomasboro, the Rev. Joel Phelps will take on that role in Penfield and Homer for the short term, with the Rev. John Verrier joining as parochial vicar. Those churches will no longer be in use within a year. Timeline for completion: 12 months.

— St. Malachy, Rantoul: Will merge into one parish with St. Elizabeth Hungary in Thomasboro, St. Lawrence in Penfield and St. Charles Borromeo in Homer, with Rantoul the primary worship site. The Rev. Joel Phelps will remain pastor, with the Rev. John Verrier joining as parochial vicar. Timeline for completion: 12 months.

— St. Mary, Champaign: No structural changes. The Rev. Kevin Creegan will remain pastor and the Rev. Edward Ohm will remain in residence.

— St. Mary, Pesotum: Will merge into one parish with St. Thomas in Philo and St. Patrick in Tolono, with Philo the primary worship site. The Rev. Keith Walder will remain pastor of St. Mary and St. Thomas. Timeline for completion: 24 months.

— St. Mary, Westville: Will merge into one parish with Holy Family and St. Paul in Danville, St. Anthony in Hoopeston and St. Isaac Jogues in Georgetown, with Holy Family the primary worship site. The Rev. Timothy Sauppé will remain pastor of St. Mary and St. Isaac Jogues. Timeline for completion: 36 months.

— St. Matthew, Champaign: Will merge into one parish with St. Boniface in Seymour, with St. Matthew the primary worship site. The Rev. Johndamaseni Zilimu will remain pastor and Fr. Andru O'Brien will stay on as parochial vicar and chaplain at St. Thomas More High School. The Rev. Nathan Hopper will be brought in as an additional parochial vicar. A new mass schedule of five weekend services between the two parishes must be determined. Timeline for completion: 12 months.

— St. Michael, Bement: Church will no longer be in use, with the parish merging into one with St. Philomena in Monticello and St. Joseph in Ivesdale. The Rev. Michael Bliss will remain pastor of St. Michael, until the closing is compete, and St. Philomena. Timeline for completion: 24 months.

— St. Patrick, Tolono: Will merge into one parish with St. Thomas in Philo and St. Mary in Pesotum, with Philo serving as the primary worship site. The Rev. Patrick O’Neal will remain pastor of St. Patrick. Timeline for completion: 24 months.

— St. Patrick, Urbana: No structural changes. The Rev. Anthony Co will remain pastor, with the Rev. Julien Esse joining as parochial vicar on July 1.

— St. Paul, Danville: Will merge into one parish with Holy Family in Danville, St. Anthony in Hoopeston, St. Mary in Westville and St. Isaac Jogues, with Holy Family the primary worship site. The Rev. John Cyr will remain pastor of St. Paul. Timeline for completion: 36 months.

— St. Philomena, Monticello: Will merge into one parish with St. Joseph in Ivesdale and St. Michael in Bement, with Monticello serving as the primary worship site. The Rev. Michael Bliss will remain pastor of St. Philomena. Timeline for completion: 24 months.

— St. Thomas, Philo: Will merge into one district with St. Mary in Pesotum and St. Patrick in Tolono, with Philo the primary worship site. The Rev. Keith Walder will remain pastor of St. Thomas and St. Mary. Timeline for completion: 24 months.