About Holy Family Catholic Church · Granite City, Illinois
Holy Family Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Granite City, Illinois, part of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. Though the parish itself was only formally created on July 1, 1988, it carries forward more than 120 years of Catholic heritage in Granite City through the merger of three predecessor parishes: St. Joseph (1901), Sacred Heart (1924), and St. Margaret Mary (1964). The parish is served by Father Stephen A. Thompson and Deacon Neil Suermann, and is closely paired with Holy Family School (pre-K through grade 8), which sits on a separate 11-acre campus. The community's prayer, 'Holy Family, Make Holy Our Families,' reflects its devotion to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
- Established
- 1988
- Patron
- Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen A. Thompson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
Holy Family is a parish that genuinely combines three things people look for in a Catholic home: a daily and weekly Mass schedule, a parish school that educates children pre-K through 8th grade in the Catholic tradition, and a long local heritage reaching back more than a century through its three founding parishes. With daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday weekend Masses, a robust Eucharistic Adoration program on Wednesdays, and a full Parish School of Religion (PSR) and youth ministry, there are natural ways for every age and stage of family life to plug in. As the parish itself says, 'we invite you to join us on Sunday' — and the variety of ministries makes it a community where newcomers can find a place to belong.
Mass times at Holy Family Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
- By appointment (call 618-877-7158)
Adoration times
- Wednesday — Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament following the 8:00 a.m. Mass, continuing until 7:00 p.m.
About Holy Family Catholic Church
Holy Family Catholic Church describes itself as a Catholic faith community just outside of St. Louis in Granite City, Illinois, with an active faith community, a variety of ministries for all ages, and a parish school offering a challenging academic curriculum grounded in Catholic faith. The parish is formally known as Holy Family Catholic Church and is a parish (not a personal oratory) of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The parish's signature prayer, recited within the walls of the parish church, is 'Holy Family, Make Holy Our Families.'
- Parish motto/prayer: 'Holy Family, Make Holy Our Families.'
- Diocese: Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
- Pastor: Rev. Stephen A. Thompson (since July 2020)
- Deacon: Neil Wayne Suermann
History of the Parish
The parish was created in 1988 from the merger of three earlier Granite City parishes, but those predecessor communities had been serving Catholics in the area for nearly nine decades before that. The parish itself frames its identity as still 'young' while honoring more than 120 years of combined Catholic heritage through the three founding communities.
- 1901 — St. Joseph's Parish founded as the first Catholic parish in Granite City.
- September 1, 1924 — St. Joseph Parish is divided and Sacred Heart Parish is erected.
- 1961 — Sacred Heart reaches about 1,250 families, becoming the third largest parish in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
- 1964 — St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish opens on 11.41 acres purchased by the Diocese.
- July 1, 1988 — St. Joseph, Sacred Heart, and St. Margaret Mary are officially unified as Holy Family Parish.
Sacraments
The parish website lists the seven Catholic sacraments plus planning resources for Catholic funerals, indicating the parish is a full-service sacramental home. The Director of RCIA is Deacon Neil Suermann, so adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church have a clear point of contact.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Holy Communion (Eucharist)
- Confession (Penance / Reconciliation)
- Marriage (Matrimony)
- Holy Orders
- Anointing of the Sick
- Catholic Funerals (planning resources)
- RCIA — directed by Deacon Neil Suermann
Holy Family School & Pre-K
Holy Family School is the parish's Pre-K through grade 8 Catholic elementary school, located on a separate 11-acre campus at 1900 St. Clair Avenue in Granite City. It is staffed by 12 state-certified teachers and is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The school describes itself as 'a catalyst of Catholic education committed to developing faith-filled children just as Mary and Joseph nurtured the Son of God.'
- Address: 1900 St. Clair Avenue, Granite City, IL 62040
- Phone: 618-877-5500
- Principal & Executive Director: Brooke Bjorkman
- Administrative Assistant & Registrar: Angie Pekarik
- Learning Center Program Director: Beth Prifti
- Enrollment: Pre-K (ages 3 & 4) through Grade 8
- Accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
- Hawk's Nest Before & After-School Care: Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
In addition to the parish school, Holy Family runs a Parish School of Religion (PSR) program for school-aged children who do not attend the parish school, and a youth ministry for older teens. The Director of Religious Education oversees the formation program parish-wide.
- Director of Religious Education — Keith Unfried
- PSR Coordinator — Nancy Diak
- Youth Ministers — Woody and Rita Halbrook
- RCIA for adults — Deacon Neil Suermann
Parish Staff & Office
The parish is served by a pastor, a deacon, and a substantial lay-staff team that handles administration, religious education, music, youth ministry, stewardship, and the parish office. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with an after-hours emergency line for health or death situations.
- Rev. Stephen Thompson — Pastor ([email protected])
- Deacon Neil Suermann — Deacon & Director of RCIA ([email protected])
- Kristi AuBuchon — Office Manager / Admin. Assistant / Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Ashley Burdge — Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
- Keith Unfried — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Nancy Diak — PSR Coordinator
- Bertha Koerper — Director of Stewardship & Administration & Safe Environment Coordinator ([email protected])
- Teresa Alexander — Pastoral Minister
- Thomas Halbrook — Director of Music
- Woody and Rita Halbrook — Youth Ministers
- Gary Kasprovich — Sacristan
- Brooke Bjorkman — School Principal & Executive Director ([email protected])
Contact, Location & Visiting
The parish office handles phone calls, bulletin submissions, and sacramental inquiries during regular weekday hours. Visitors can reach the church easily from I-270 via Route 203 South and Madison Avenue. The school campus and the parish church are at different street addresses in Granite City.
- Parish address: 2606 Washington Avenue, Granite City, IL 62040
- Parish phone: 618-877-7158; fax: 618-877-7105
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Parish office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed on some Holy Days and holidays)
- After-hours emergency line (health/death): 618-709-7116
- School address: 1900 St. Clair Avenue, Granite City, IL 62040; school phone: 618-877-5500
- Directions: I-270 to Route 203 South, right onto Madison Avenue, left onto 26th Street — the church is on the corner two blocks down.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Stephen A. Thompson2020–present
Current pastor; began July 2020. Listed as pastor on both the parish website and the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois pastoral directory.