About Holy Family · Cahokia, Illinois
Holy Family Parish in Cahokia Heights, Illinois, is one of the most historically significant Catholic congregations in the United States. Founded in 1699 by Canadian Jesuit missionaries, it is widely described as the oldest continuously active Catholic parish in the country and the oldest church building west of the Allegheny Mountains. The parish is part of the Diocese of Belleville, partnered with Sacred Heart in Dupo, and serves its community from a historic log church (1799) and an adjoining 1893 Gothic-style stone church at 116 Church Street. A traditional Latin Mass is celebrated every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. in the Log Church, drawing the faithful from across the region to a building whose timbers were standing when Columbus landed in the New World.
- Established
- 1699
- Patron
- Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. Evaristus Akabueze, C.M. (Administrator, Congregation of the Mission / Vincentians)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville, Illinois
Why belong here
Holy Family is a living piece of American Catholic history: a 1699 mission congregation still worshipping in (and beside) the oldest church west of the Alleghenies. Parishioners can attend a reverent Ordinary Form Mass in the adjoining church, a Traditional Latin Mass in the National Historic Landmark Log Church every Sunday, and weekday Masses through the week, all in a tight-knit community that is partnered with Sacred Heart in nearby Dupo. For Catholics who value continuity, beauty, and the witness of three centuries of prayer, this is a rare and grounding parish home.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15–4:45 p.m.
- Anytime by appointment
Parish Overview & Identity
Holy Family Catholic Church sits at 116 Church Street in Cahokia Heights, Illinois, and is part of the Diocese of Belleville. Its website introduces the parish simply: 'Thank you for visiting the website of the oldest Catholic Church west of the Alleghenies. Established in 1699, Holy Family Church has a proud history of serving our parish and our community.' The parish is partnered with Sacred Heart in Dupo for some weekday Masses.
- Established: 1699
- Diocese: Belleville, Illinois
- Partnered parish: Sacred Heart, Dupo
- Patron: The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
History of the Parish
Holy Family was founded by Canadian Jesuit missionaries who arrived in Cahokia on December 8, 1698, and dedicated the first log church on May 14, 1699. After that first church burned around 1740, the present log church was built from salvaged timbers and dedicated September 24, 1799. The mission closed around 1768; by 1783 Cahokia was transferred from Quebec to the United States. The adjacent Gothic-style stone church was built in 1891 and dedicated in 1893, and the log church was restored in 1949–1951 for the parish's 250th anniversary.
- First Mass offered on the Mississippi River banks: December 8, 1698
- First log church dedicated: May 14, 1699
- Original log church burned c. 1740
- Present log church dedicated: September 24, 1799
- Gothic stone church dedicated: 1893
- Log Church restored: 1949–1951
- Designated National Historic Landmark: April 15, 1970
The Log Church
The 1799 Log Church is the heart of Holy Family and the reason pilgrims come. It is a French Colonial 'post-on-sill' structure of heavy black walnut timbers — about 14 feet long, one foot wide, six inches thick, and set about a foot apart, with the gaps filled with pierrotage (a rubblestone-and-clay mixture). The walls slope inward about 8 inches and the floor slants roughly 12 inches toward the altar. No nails were used in the original structure, only wooden pegs. Every Sunday morning this building hosts the Traditional Latin Mass at 9:00 a.m., and it is also used for weddings, funerals, and special celebrations.
- Construction style: French Colonial poteaux-sur-sol (post-on-sill)
- Timber: black walnut, 90% original; estimated to predate Columbus
- Walls lean in ~8 inches; floor slants ~12 inches toward the altar
- Main Altar dates to 1850 (pre-Vatican II style); Lady Chapel altar believed to be the church's original altar
- Two small side rooms added in the 1840s (one now a sacristy, one a Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rose Window above the front doors retains almost all of its original glass
- Restoration: 1949–1951 in preparation for the 250th anniversary
- Tours available in summer by contacting the Rectory
Treasures, Relics & Notable Visitors
Inside the Log Church and its adjoining museum sit remarkable artifacts from three centuries of Catholic life in the Mississippi Valley. The parish museum preserves the original chalice used at the first 1698 Mass on the Mississippi banks, which was later used by Pope John Paul II during his 1999 Pastoral Visit to St. Louis. A large Mission Cross on the right wall bears dates of parish missions; its French inscription reads, 'The one who will persevere until the end shall be saved.'
- Candlesticks on the Main Altar: gift of King Louis XIV of France
- Original bell in the tower: gift of King Louis XV (now cracked and unused)
- Original 1698 chalice, later used by Pope John Paul II in St. Louis in 1999
- Four flags in choir loft: Spain, French Bourbon Kings, Great Britain, United States
- Mission Cross with parish retreat dates
- Revolutionary War participants honored outside the back door
- Notable visitors: Abraham Lincoln and Charles Lindbergh
- Jarrott family graves and Mansion (former parish school and convent) on grounds
Clergy, Staff & Religious Order
The parish is currently administered by the Vincentians (Congregation of the Mission, C.M.), a religious order founded by St. Vincent de Paul. Rev. Evaristus Akabueze, C.M., serves as Administrator, with Rev. Andrew J. Knopik listed as Associate. Pat Poston is the Administrative Assistant. The diocese directory lists Holy Family as partnered with Sacred Heart in Dupo, and later diocesan assignments have moved Father Knopik on while flagging a new appointment for Holy Family and Sacred Heart.
- Administrator: Rev. Evaristus Akabueze, C.M. (Vincentian)
- Associate: Rev. Andrew J. Knopik
- Administrative Assistant: Pat Poston
- Religious order: Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians, C.M.)
- Partnered parish: Sacred Heart, Dupo
Sacraments
The parish's published materials detail Reconciliation times and the use of the Log Church for weddings and funerals. Other sacraments (Baptism, Marriage preparation, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, Confirmation) are arranged by contacting the Rectory at 618-337-4548.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 4:15–4:45 p.m. or by appointment
- Weddings (Log Church available)
- Funerals (Log Church available)
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — by Rectory appointment
Architecture, Landmarks & National Recognition
The Holy Family church campus covers about 3.6 acres and includes three buildings: the 1799 log church, a 20th-century sanctuary (the Gothic-style stone church dedicated in 1893), and a parish house. The Log Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark on April 15, 1970. For the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, the American Institute of Architects Illinois chapter named it one of the Illinois 200 Great Places.
- NRHP reference number: 70000851
- NHL designation: April 15, 1970
- Illinois 200 Great Places (AIA Illinois, 2018)
- Coordinates: 38.57012250°N, 90.18851200°W
- Campus: log church (1799), Gothic stone church (1893), parish house
Catholic Connect: Why This Parish Matters
For Catholics in the Metro East St. Louis area — and for anyone drawn to the roots of the Church in America — Holy Family offers an experience almost impossible to find elsewhere: a 326-year-old parish where you can still pray in the very log walls that Lewis and Clark walked past, hear the Traditional Latin Mass on Sunday morning, and join a small community that keeps the oldest continuous Catholic congregation in the country alive. Whether as a regular parish home or a pilgrimage stop, Holy Family anchors a Catholic heritage that is genuinely national in scope.
- Oldest continuously active Catholic parish in the United States (est. 1699)
- National Historic Landmark
- Weekly Traditional Latin Mass in the original Log Church
- Partnered with Sacred Heart, Dupo
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father François Pinet, S.J.1699 (mission founder)
Canadian Jesuit who arrived with the missionaries from Quebec and established the Holy Family mission among the Tamaroa Indians.
- Father Paul St. Pierrearrived c. 1786
His arrival prompted the building of the present log church, dedicated September 24, 1799.