Forty Martyrs

About Forty Martyrs Catholic Church

Forty Martyrs Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, located at 201 E. Van Allen Street in Tuscola, Illinois. The parish is named for the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste — Roman soldiers martyred in 320 AD in Lesser Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey) for refusing to worship idols. According to the legend retold on the parish's website and in local history publications, the forty men were stripped and herded onto a frozen lake to die of exposure; one broke faith, and a Roman guard who had visions of angels ministering to the remaining thirty-nine stripped off his clothes and joined them, keeping the number at forty. The parish community serves about 573 parishioners in 282 families and shares its pastor and staff with two sister parishes in Douglas County: St. John the Baptist in Arcola and Sacred Heart in Villa Grove. Its mission statement reads: "We, the parish community of Forty Martyrs, Tuscola, Illinois, in union with the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, are called to be witnesses to God's living Word. Loved and chosen by God, strengthened by Christ's body and blood and guided by the Holy Spirit, we embrace all as family and humbly seek to make Christ visible to the world."

History of the Parish

Catholic missionary work in the Tuscola area dates to 1865, when Fr. Thomas Mangan came from Paris, Illinois to minister to five families. Over the next 140 years the parish grew from a handful of households to a multi-parish cluster serving Douglas County. Key milestones include the building of the first church in 1880, the construction of the present church in 1926 at a cost of $40,000, the addition of a parish school in 1962, and the 1906 establishment of the Villa Grove mission church under Fr. William Quattman.

• 1865 — Fr. Thomas Mangan arrives from Paris, IL to serve five families; succeeded by Fr. Michael Quinlian.
• 1875 — Fr. J. B. Diepenbrock comes from Arcola and offers Mass in homes.
• 1880 — First church built in Tuscola.
• 1901 — Fr. Thomas Moore travels from Hume for Mass every other Sunday.
• 1906 — Fr. William Quattman builds a rectory in Tuscola and constructs a mission church in Villa Grove.
• 1908 — New rectory built in Tuscola.
• 1917 — Fr. August Hohl arrives; parish has about 30 families.
• 1926 — Present church built at a cost of $40,000; parish grown to about 200.
• 1927 — Fr. J. P. Jordan becomes pastor.
• 1936 — Fr. James Casey becomes pastor.
• 1949 — Rectory destroyed by fire and rebuilt.
• 1962 — Parish school built.
• 1966 — Fr. Vincent Heraty becomes pastor.
• 1978 — Fr. John Moore becomes pastor.
• 1986 — Fr. Martin Mangan becomes pastor.
• 1991 — Fr. Joe Ring becomes pastor.
• 1995 — Fr. Michael Mullink and Sr. Phyllis Schenk serve the parish.
• 1998 — Fr. Samuel Weber becomes pastor.
• 1999 — Fr. Allen Kemme becomes pastor.
• 2000 — Rectory purchased north of the school.
• 2005 — Capital Fund Drive finances a new roof on the Parish Hall.

Parish Staff and Clergy

Forty Martyrs is served by a pastor, deacon, and a lay staff of secretaries, bookkeepers, directors of music, a director of religious education, and a youth minister. Many roles are shared across the three-parish Douglas County cluster.

• Pastor: Fr. Michael Trummer
• Deacon: William Jeffrey Beals
• Secretary: Andrea Spillman
• Bookkeeper: Kyli Pierce
• Director of Music: Celeste Rogers (Elizabeth Poston in some bulletins)
• Director of Religious Education (DRE): Amy Penne
• Youth Minister: Darold Spillman (Lydia Spillman referenced in diocesan directory)

Faith Formation and Religious Education

The Forty Martyrs Parish School of Religion (PSR) is the parish's religious education program, serving students from kindergarten through high school. The program prepares children for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation, and welcomes back any family who has been away from religious education for any length of time. The program operates under the theme "Open the Door to Faith," echoing Pope John Paul II's call to open wide the doors for Christ, and Pope Francis's call for the Church to get closer to the people and out into the streets.

• Classes for kindergarten, elementary, middle school, and high school students
• Sacramental preparation for Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation
• Catechists include confirmed Catholic youth, seniors, and PSR parents
• All catechists must complete the Diocesan Protecting God's Children course and a background check
• Director of Religious Education: Amy Penne

OCIA — Becoming Catholic

Forty Martyrs offers the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), the sacramental process for the pastoral formation and guidance of new members in the Christian life. The parish follows the norms that have been in place across U.S. dioceses since 1988. Anyone interested in becoming Catholic is invited to call the parish office at 253-4412 to inquire about the program.

• For the unbaptized who are 6 or 7 years of age and older
• For baptized uncatechized Catholics (baptized in infancy but no Confirmation or First Communion)
• For baptized Christians 6–7 years of age and older seeking full communion with the Catholic Church
• Contact: Parish office, 217-253-4412

Youth Ministry and Confirmation

Youth Ministry at Forty Martyrs includes a parish Youth Group and sacramental preparation for Confirmation through the PSR program. The parish supports youth involvement as catechists as well, with confirmed Catholic teens in good standing welcome to teach or co-teach in the PSR. Confirmation preparation is one of the explicit tracks of the PSR curriculum.

• Youth Group
• Confirmation sacramental preparation through PSR
• Teen catechist opportunities (grades 7 and up)
• Totus Tuus (referenced on the parish website)

Liturgical Ministries

Parishioners serve the Forty Martyrs community as liturgical ministers. The parish maintains regular schedules for altar servers, lectors, and Eucharistic ministers and actively recruits new volunteers. The parish also coordinates a homebound ministry.

• Altar Servers — monthly schedules posted on the parish website
• Lectors (readers) — monthly schedules posted
• Eucharistic Ministers (EM) — monthly schedules posted
• Homebound ministry — coordinated by Darold Spillman
• Server / Lector / EM schedules published March–April and beyond

Outreach and Charitable Works

Forty Martyrs carries out a number of local and international outreach efforts. Collections for the local SAM Pantry are taken on the second Sunday of each month. Parishioners also deliver Peace Meals in the community. Internationally, the parish collects for Haiti missions. The parish also supports Little Blessings, a diaper-registration ministry for families in need.

• SAM Pantry collection — second Sunday of the month
• Peace Meals delivery ministry
• Haiti mission collection
• Little Blessings Diaper ministry (registration form on parish website)

Three-Parish Cluster: Forty Martyrs, St. John the Baptist, and Sacred Heart

Forty Martyrs is one of three Catholic parishes in Douglas County sharing a single pastor and many staff members. The cluster structure allows the wider Catholic community to attend Mass in Tuscola, Arcola, or Villa Grove on any given day, and supports sacramental preparation and outreach across the rural county. The Spanish-language Mass at St. John the Baptist in Arcola extends the cluster's reach to the area's Hispanic Catholic community.

• Forty Martyrs — Tuscola, IL (parish church: 201 E. Van Allen)
• St. John the Baptist — Arcola, IL (sister parish; English Sunday 10:00 AM, Spanish Sunday 12:00 PM)
• Sacred Heart — Villa Grove, IL (sister parish; Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM)
• Shared pastor: Fr. Michael Trummer
• Hispanic Ministry: Ministerio Hispano Arcola (Sandra Jaramillo, Esmeralda Gonzalez, Deya Garza, Gaby Garza)

Contact, Office, and Visiting

The parish office is located at 111 E. Van Allen Street in Tuscola (Mailing: PO Box 440, Tuscola, IL 61953), separate from the church building at 201 E. Van Allen. Office hours run Monday through Friday with reduced hours mid-week. The parish maintains an active bulletin published through Parishes Online, a Facebook page called "Faithful Warriors, Tuscola," and a parish website at 40martyrs.com.

• Phone: (217) 253-4412
• Fax / Bookkeeper line: (217) 253-5010
• Email: [email protected]
• Office hours: Monday 9 AM–3 PM; Tuesday 9 AM–Noon; Wednesday 9 AM–Noon; Thursday 9 AM–Noon; Friday 9 AM–3 PM
• Website: http://www.40martyrs.com/
• Bulletin: parishesonline.com/find/forty-martyrs-and-st-john-the-baptist-churches
• Facebook: Faithful Warriors, Tuscola

Getting Involved

Beyond liturgical service, Forty Martyrs welcomes parishioners into catechetical, outreach, and family-support roles. The parish bulletin and website list volunteer opportunities including catechists, PSR parents, Peace Meals drivers, and SAM Pantry collectors on the second Sunday of each month.

• Become a PSR catechist
• Sign up as an altar server, lector, or Eucharistic minister
• Deliver Peace Meals
• Contribute to SAM Pantry (second Sunday of the month)
• Join the Little Blessings diaper ministry
• Volunteer with the homebound ministry