About Holy Family · Danville, Illinois
Holy Family is a Roman Catholic parish in Danville, Illinois, located at 444 East Main Street in Vermilion County. Established in 1978, it belongs to the Diocese of Peoria and is currently pastored by Monsignor James Kruse, JCL, who was assigned in 2025. The parish offers Mass in both English and Spanish, runs faith formation for children, maintains Resurrection Cemetery, and is linked with the regional Catholic school, Schlarman Academy. In 2024 the Diocese of Peoria announced that Holy Family would serve as the primary worship site for a merged parish uniting the five Catholic churches of Vermilion County.
- Established
- 1978
- Patron
- Holy Family (of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Monsignor James Kruse, JCL
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Holy Family is a bilingual Catholic home — Sunday Mass is offered in English at 9:00 AM and in Spanish at 11:00 AM — making it a natural fit for the diverse Danville-area Catholic community. The parish feeds faith through daily and Sunday Mass, weekly Confession, a Wednesday Eucharistic Adoration hour with Benediction, RCIA for adults, and the co-parish 'Light of Faith' religious education program for children in grades 1–8. It also supports a food pantry, an active music ministry, and Resurrection Cemetery, and it is closely tied to Schlarman Academy, the regional Catholic school serving Vermilion County families.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (parish site); 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM (per Discover Mass)
- Sunday: 8:20 AM – 8:50 AM (per Discover Mass)
- Tuesday: 4:45 PM – 5:05 PM (per Discover Mass); 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (parish site)
- Other times by appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday: following the 9:00 AM Mass until 12:00 noon, concluding with Benediction
- Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM (per Discover Mass)
About Holy Family Parish
Holy Family is a Roman Catholic parish serving Danville and Vermilion County in east-central Illinois, located in the southeast corner of the Diocese of Peoria. The parish describes itself as a 'family community' rooted in the Sunday Eucharist and the teaching of Jesus Christ as 'the Way, the Truth and the Life.' It belongs to a network of five Catholic parishes in Vermilion County — Saint Anthony in Hoopeston, Saint Paul and Holy Family in Danville, Saint Mary in Westville, and Saint Isaac Jogues in Georgetown — and in 2024 was named the primary worship site of a newly merged parish combining those five communities. Bishop Louis Tylka, appointed by Pope Francis in 2022, leads the Diocese of Peoria.
- Established 1978
- Diocese of Peoria (26 counties, Indiana border to Iowa border)
- Bishop: Most Reverend Louis Tylka (since 2022)
- Five-parish Vermilion County Catholic network
Parish History & the 2024 Diocesan Merger
Founded in 1978, Holy Family grew into one of the most active parishes in the Diocese of Peoria by the early 2020s. On May 18, 2024, Bishop Louis Tylka announced that Holy Family, St. Paul's in Danville, St. Anthony in Hoopeston, St. Mary in Westville, and St. Isaac Jogues in Georgetown would be merged into a single parish with Holy Family as the primary worship site; St. Isaac Jogues would be taken out of use. Implementation began July 1, 2024, with a 36-month transition during which Masses continued at all locations. Father Peter Pilon was assigned pastor of Holy Family as of that date, succeeding Father Steven Loftus, who was reassigned to Holy Trinity and Historic St. Patrick in Bloomington. Local parishioners, citing Holy Family's strong 48% post-pandemic Mass return rate, its music program, and its food pantry, helped persuade the diocese to designate Holy Family as the surviving site rather than close it.
- 1978 — Parish established
- May 18, 2024 — Diocese of Peoria merger announcement
- July 1, 2024 — Father Peter Pilon assigned pastor
- 2025 — Monsignor James Kruse, JCL, assigned as pastor
- Holy Family chosen as primary worship site of the merged parish
Parish Staff
Holy Family's parish staff includes clergy and lay ministers who coordinate liturgy, religious education, music, administration, and cemetery operations.
- Monsignor James Kruse, JCL — Pastor (assigned 2025)
- Joanne Bibb — Director of Children's Religious Education ([email protected], ext. 4)
- Mary Rothery — Parish Secretary ([email protected], ext. 1)
- Elizabeth Bates — Music Director ([email protected])
- Mike O'Kane — Resurrection Cemetery Superintendent ([email protected], 217-431-5114 / 217-304-8904)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Holy Family partners with neighboring St. Paul's parish to provide 'Light of Faith,' a co-parish religious education program for grades 1–8. Family Formation meets once a month on the first Wednesday from 5:15 to 6:30 PM at Holy Family Church, with parents and children attending together before continuing at-home lessons during the month. Confirmation preparation is offered for grades 7 and 8.
- Light of Faith — co-parish religious education (Holy Family + St. Paul's)
- Family Formation for grades 1–6
- Confirmation Prep for grades 7 & 8
- Classes meet first Wednesday, 5:15–6:30 PM at Holy Family
- Contact: Joanne Bibb, 217-431-5100 ext. 104, [email protected]
Adult Education & RCIA
The parish offers ongoing Catholic adult education and the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) for non-Catholics exploring the Catholic faith. The parish recommends the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults as a study resource and emphasizes that both Sacred Scripture and Tradition form the basis of Catholic teaching, requiring an authoritative interpreter.
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
- United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
- Catechesis on Scripture, Tradition, and Catholic moral teaching
Schlarman Academy (Catholic School Partnership)
Holy Family parishioners and Vermilion County Catholic families send children to Schlarman Academy, the regional Catholic school. The academy operates on two campuses: Schlarman South (at St. Paul's parish) teaches Pre-K through 6th grade, and Schlarman North (on Winter Avenue) teaches 7th through 12th grade. Catholic students at Schlarman are prepared for First Holy Communion at school.
- Schlarman South — Pre-K through 6th grade (at St. Paul's)
- Schlarman North — 7th through 12th grade (Winter Avenue campus)
- First Communion preparation at the school for Catholic students
Funerals & Bereavement
The parish accompanies families through Catholic funeral rites. A funeral Mass — preceded the evening before by a Rosary or short prayer service — is the Church's greatest prayer for the deceased, followed by committal prayers at the cemetery. Holy Family does not host wake services or visitations inside the church; the funeral director coordinates with the parish and cemetery. Cremation is permitted for Catholics provided the cremains are buried as soon as possible and treated with the same respect as the body.
- Funeral Mass preceded by Rosary or prayer service
- Family selects Scripture readings and hymns
- Wake/visitation not held in the church
- Cremation permitted; cremains must be buried
Resurrection Cemetery
Holy Family operates Resurrection Cemetery, with Mike O'Kane serving as superintendent. The cemetery is used for the committal prayers that follow a parish funeral Mass.
- Resurrection Cemetery
- Superintendent: Mike O'Kane — 217-431-5114 / 217-304-8904
- [email protected]
Music & Liturgy
The parish maintains an active music ministry that parishioners have specifically pointed to as one of the parish's distinctive strengths — a factor credited with helping draw worshipers back after the pandemic.
- Music Director: Elizabeth Bates ([email protected])
- Family-selected hymns available for funerals
- Music program cited as a hallmark of parish life
Joining the Parish
The parish encourages Catholics moving to the area, or those returning to the practice, to register as members. The parish teaches that Catholics should be 'anchored' to a parish home — worshiping, being formed, and being known as a community — while remaining free to attend Mass at other Catholic parishes.
- Parish registration available online at holyfamilydanville.net/join
- Office: [email protected], 217-431-5100
- All Catholics welcome — newcomers, visitors, and returning parishioners
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach Holy Family by phone, email, or in person at the parish office on East Main Street in Danville.
- Address: 444 East Main Street, Danville, IL 61832
- Phone: (217) 431-5100
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: (217) 431-5103
- Website: http://www.holyfamilydanville.net/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Steven Loftusthrough June 30, 2024
Reassigned to Holy Trinity and Historic St. Patrick in Bloomington as of July 1, 2024.
- Father Peter PilonJuly 1, 2024 – 2025
Assigned pastor of Holy Family as part of the Vermilion County parish merger effective July 1, 2024.
- Monsignor James Kruse, JCL2025–present
Assigned pastor of Holy Family in 2025, per the parish's official website.