About Holy Family · Athens, Illinois
Holy Family Catholic Church is a Catholic parish serving the village of Athens in Menard County, Illinois, in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. It shares pastoral leadership and a parish office with St. Peter Catholic Church in neighboring Petersburg, under the care of the Pallottine Fathers (Society of the Catholic Apostolate, SAC). The parish offers Sunday and weekday Mass, regular Reconciliation, the Rosary before Mass, an annual joint Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession with St. Peter, and an active Divine Mercy outreach that has placed signed roadside displays throughout Menard County.
- Patron
- Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
- Rector
- Father Varghese Puthussery, SAC (Pallottine)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
Holy Family Athens is a welcoming, family-sized Catholic parish in rural Menard County served by the Pallottine Fathers and tightly partnered with its sister parish, St. Peter in Petersburg. Parishioners gather for a single Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m. and weekday Masses Tuesday–Thursday, with Reconciliation offered before Tuesday and Wednesday evening Masses and before Thursday morning Mass, plus the Rosary prayed before every Mass. The parish also has a visibly missionary spirit — most visibly through the Divine Mercy Sign Project, which has placed nine roadside signs across Menard County to share the message of Divine Mercy — and an annual joint Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession with St. Peter.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:15 pm – 5:50 pm
- Wednesday 5:15 pm – 5:50 pm
- Thursday 7:15 am – 7:50 am
Welcome to Holy Family Catholic Church
Holy Family Catholic Church serves the village of Athens and the surrounding Menard County, Illinois community. The parish website at holyfamilyathens.com is the hub for the parish bulletin, current Mass and Reconciliation schedule, news, and online giving. The church is located at 309 N. Springfield Ave., Athens, IL 62613; the parish office (shared with St. Peter, Petersburg) is at 711 South 6th Street, Petersburg, IL 62675 and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Devotions
The parish keeps a strong devotional rhythm around each Mass. The Rosary is prayed before every Mass — 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. During Lent, the Divine Mercy Chaplet is also recited before Mass as part of the parish's ongoing Divine Mercy devotion.
- Rosary: Sun 9:30 am; Tue 5:30 pm; Wed 5:30 pm; Thu 7:30 am
- Divine Mercy Chaplet before Masses during Lent
Clergy and Staff
Holy Family Athens is currently pastored by Fr. Varghese Puthussery, SAC, of the Pallottine order. He also serves as pastor of St. Peter, Petersburg, and the two parishes share one pastor, one parish office, and a jointly coordinated team of lay staff. Pastors of Holy Family have historically been Pallottine, including the most recent predecessor, Fr. Maurice Yonta, SAC, who supported the launch of the Divine Mercy Sign Project.
- Pastor: Fr. Varghese Puthussery, SAC
- Predecessor pastor: Fr. Maurice Yonta, SAC
- Earlier pastor: Fr. Anthony Pilli (per a Menard County church directory)
- Deacon Ben Hoefler (Divine Mercy Committee)
Office Hours and Contact
The parish office handles inquiries for both Holy Family and St. Peter. Office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., at 711 South 6th Street, Petersburg, IL 62675. Phone and fax are both 217-632-7118. Visitors may also drop by the church at 309 N. Springfield Ave., Athens, Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or by appointment.
- Parish Office: 711 South 6th Street, Petersburg, IL 62675
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Phone/Fax: 217-632-7118
- Church address: 309 N. Springfield Ave., Athens, IL 62613
- In-person hours at the church: Tue–Fri 9:00 am – 12:00 pm or by appointment
Parish Life and Ministries
Although a smaller parish, Holy Family is part of a closely-linked pastoral cluster with St. Peter, Petersburg. The parish maintains a Pastoral Council, a Finance Council, and an online bulletin with up-to-date news.
- Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
- Online Bulletin
- Shared parish office with St. Peter
- Prayer Line
Divine Mercy Sign Project
Begun under Fr. Maurice Yonta, SAC, and continued under Fr. Varghese Puthussery, SAC, the Divine Mercy Sign Project is a joint ministry of Holy Family and St. Peter. Inspired by St. Faustina's diary, the Divine Mercy Committee first distributed small yard signs, then built nine large, solar-lit roadside signs throughout Menard County — on Holy Family's grounds, along Clemens Road, South Athens Blacktop, Route 29, Athens Blacktop near the Sangamon River, Route 123, Tice Road, Curtis Blacktop, and Calvary Cemetery in Petersburg. The committee envisions expansion to busier roads such as I-55 and I-72, and sister churches and communities.
- Founded under Fr. Maurice Yonta, SAC
- Continued under Fr. Varghese Puthussery, SAC
- 9 roadside signs placed in Menard County by August 2024
- Yard signs (18 in x 24 in) made by SVS Graphics, Petersburg
- Large signs (4 ft x 8 ft) with solar lighting
- Committee members: Deacon Ben Hoefler & Leona Hoefler; Carol & Chuck Muller; Ken & Kay Tasset; Tom & Debbie Walsh
Annual Corpus Christi Procession
Each year Holy Family and St. Peter Petersburg jointly celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi at Holy Family Church in Athens, with Mass followed by a Eucharistic Procession and a parish potluck. The parish has announced the 4th Annual Corpus Christi Procession for Sunday, June 7, 2026, with Mass at 9:00 a.m. The celebration is described by Fr. Varghese as 'a celebration of the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist' and 'a public witness of our faith in the Lord, truly present among us in the Blessed Sacrament.'
- Joint annual celebration with St. Peter, Petersburg
- 4th Annual: Sunday, June 7, 2026 — 9:00 a.m.
- Mass followed by Eucharistic Procession and parish potluck
News and Pastoral Reflections
The parish website's news section gathers pastoral reflections from Fr. Varghese, including a letter about his return from a month-long trip to India for vacation and the Pallottines' platinum jubilee (75 years of missionary service in India), during which Fr. Sergio covered pastoral duties. He also travelled to his home parish for feasts honoring Mother Mary, St. Sebastian, and St. Joseph (his home parish's patron), and to celebrate family sacraments — baptizing his niece's daughter and blessing the marriages of two cousins.
- Pastoral letter on India visit (return home)
- Thanks to Fr. Sergio for covering during absence
- Pallottine platinum jubilee (75 years) in India
- Father completed R1 visa extension process
Sacraments
Holy Family celebrates the Sacraments of Reconciliation (Tue/Wed 5:15–5:50 pm and Thu 7:15–7:50 am), the Holy Eucharist at the scheduled Masses, and the Anointing of the Sick on request. Baptisms, weddings, First Communion, Confirmation, and other sacraments are coordinated through the parish office.
- Reconciliation — see schedule
- Holy Mass — Sun 10 am; Tue/Wed 6 pm; Thu 8 am
- Baptisms, weddings, anointing of the sick — by arrangement through the parish office
Giving and Online Resources
The parish offers online giving through the website, along with an online bulletin posted regularly. Visitors can read the most recent parish news, liturgical announcements, and announcements for the joint Corpus Christi celebration directly from the parish homepage.
- Online giving (link on the parish homepage)
- Online bulletin
- Most-recent news section (with Fr. Varghese's pastoral letters)
- Upcoming events calendar
- Links section (neighboring parishes)
Helpful Links
The parish links page points to neighboring parishes and the broader Diocese of Springfield in Illinois network.
- Sister parish: St. Peter Catholic Church, Petersburg, IL (petersburgcatholics.com)
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois (dio.org)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Anthony Pilli
Listed as pastor of Holy Family in a Menard County church directory (petersburgil.com).
- Fr. Maurice Yonta, SAC
Pallottine pastor who supported the launch of the Divine Mercy Sign Project and Divine Mercy Committee.
- Fr. Varghese Puthussery, SAC
Current pastor of Holy Family Athens and St. Peter Petersburg; returned from India in 2025 after a month-long visit and the Pallottines' platinum jubilee in India; serves the parish jointly with St. Peter.