About Blessed Sacrament · Springfield, Illinois
Blessed Sacrament Parish is a Roman Catholic parish located in Springfield, Illinois, belonging to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The parish church was first dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1930, and was rededicated on the same date seventy-five years later after a major restoration. Blessed Sacrament offers a full schedule of daily and Sunday Masses, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in a dedicated chapel, and a range of ministries including faith formation for children, a Sunday school for preschoolers, and parish stewardship. Communication is maintained through the parish office, Flocknote email/text alerts, and active Facebook and Instagram accounts.
- Established
- 1930
- Patron
- The Blessed Sacrament
- Rector
- Father Michael Friedel
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
Blessed Sacrament is a welcoming parish with a worship schedule suited to many walks of life — three Sunday morning Masses, a Saturday Vigil, weekday daily Mass on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and a Thursday school-year Mass. What truly sets it apart is perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in a dedicated chapel, open to visitors daily from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. The parish pairs traditional Catholic devotional life with modern outreach: a Sunday School for preschoolers during the 10:30 AM Mass, a Vacation Bible School, online registration, Flocknote email/text communication, and live-streamed and recorded Masses on Facebook so the homebound can stay connected.
Mass times at Blessed Sacrament
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Saturday: 7:30 AM to 7:45 AM (held in the Confessionals)
- Saturday: 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM (held in the Adoration Chapel)
- No confessions on Holy Saturday
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration — Visitors welcome daily from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM in the Adoration Chapel
About Blessed Sacrament Parish
Blessed Sacrament Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Springfield, Illinois, belonging to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The parish's church was originally dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1930, during the sweeping Catholic building program led by Bishop James A. Griffin, whose prolific tenure produced dozens of churches, schools and charitable institutions across central Illinois. The parish later spun off Christ the King Parish in 1963. Today Blessed Sacrament serves an active congregation with a full daily and Sunday Mass schedule, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, faith formation for children and modern parish communications.
Mass and Worship Schedule
The parish offers a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:30 PM and three Sunday morning Masses at 7:00, 8:30 and 10:30 AM. Weekday Masses are celebrated Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 AM, with a Thursday Mass at 8:15 AM during the school year beginning August 18. The Saturday Vigil Mass is live-streamed on the parish Facebook page, and recorded videos of each Sunday Mass are made available online so that parishioners who are homebound or traveling can still participate.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:30 PM (English, live-streamed)
- Sunday: 7:00, 8:30 and 10:30 AM (English, recorded)
- Weekday: M/W/F/Sa at 8:00 AM; Thu at 8:15 AM (school year)
Faith Formation and Sunday School
The parish operates a Sunday School for preschoolers during the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass, allowing parents of young children to attend Mass while their preschool-aged children receive formation tailored to them. The program runs through the school year, with the final Sunday of the 2025–2026 program scheduled for May 17, 2026, and will resume in August for the 2026–2027 school year.
- Sunday School during the 10:30 AM Mass
- Final session: May 17, 2026
- Resumes August 2026 for the next school year
Vacation Bible School
Blessed Sacrament's Vacation Bible School is a recurring summer program for the parish's children, currently scheduled in late June according to the parish calendar. VBS brings young parishioners together for a week of faith-based activities, scripture lessons, crafts, and fellowship, complementing the year-round Sunday School for preschoolers.
- Late-June sessions in summer
- Posted on the parish calendar
Parish Giving and Stewardship
To support the parish's mission and operations, Blessed Sacrament offers online giving as well as the option to mail envelopes or drop them off at the Parish Office, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Parishioners may also set up ongoing weekly or monthly contributions by calling the parish office at 217-528-7521. Detailed Parish Giving information is available on the parish website under the Stewardship section.
- Online giving via the website
- Mail or in-person envelope drop-off
- Recurring gifts set up by phone
Parish Communications and Staff
A large portion of parish communication takes place online through Flocknote, a texting and electronic communication system that allows the parish to reach parishioners by email and text message. Newcomers may register through an online form or a printable hard copy. Parish staff include Father Michael Friedel as pastor and Lisa Sarnowski as Parish Communications Manager, the main contact for inquiries at [email protected].
- Flocknote email and text updates
- Online and printable registration forms
- Father Michael Friedel, Pastor
- Lisa Sarnowski, Parish Communications Manager
Parish Building, History and Architecture
The parish church is a notable Springfield landmark whose history is intertwined with Bishop James A. Griffin's diocesan building boom of the 1920s–40s. After 75 years, the aging building was in need of significant renewal: the roof required repair, the interior had darkened and dirtied, and the scagliola columns were severely yellowed. The 2005 restoration led by Conrad Schmitt Studios addressed every inch of the church — from a new porcelain-tiled floor to the Gothic-vaulted ceiling — restoring the yellowed scagliola to its original luminosity, replicating original stencil patterns, and applying a new palette of soft, warm tones to walls, ceilings and moldings. The pews were removed, refinished and reinstalled; the original baptismal font was relocated to the entrance; a new immersion font and a new Italian-crafted altar were added; and a ramp was installed to make the sanctuary accessible.
- Dedicated Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1930
- Rededicated Thanksgiving Day, 2005, after full restoration
- Work led by Conrad Schmitt Studios
- Gothic-vaulted ceiling, scagliola columns, Botticino reredos and side altars preserved
- Accessibility ramp, immersion baptismal font, new Italian altar added
Connect Online
Parishioners and visitors can stay connected with Blessed Sacrament through the parish website, Facebook, Instagram and Flocknote. The Saturday Vigil Mass is live-streamed on Facebook (bspsspi), and pre-recorded Sunday Masses are posted for those unable to attend in person. Photos and updates also appear on Instagram (@bsps1725).
- Website: bsps.org
- Facebook: bspsspi
- Instagram: bsps1725
- Flocknote email/text alerts