About Immaculate Conception Chapel · East Saint Louis, Illinois
Immaculate Conception Chapel, located at 1509 Baugh Avenue in East St. Louis, Illinois, is a historically significant Lithuanian-American Catholic chapel in the Diocese of Belleville. Originally organized in 1895 as a parish for Lithuanian immigrants who worked in the area's factories, foundries, and stockyards, the parish was suppressed on May 26, 2014, and the church was designated a chapel under the mother parish of St. Augustine of Hippo in East St. Louis. The current building, completed in 1956, is celebrated as one of the finest examples of Lithuanian-American national romantic architecture in the United States, featuring 55 stained-glass windows and ethnic wood carvings. Weekly Sunday Mass is celebrated at 11:00 a.m., typically drawing between 35 and 40 faithful, with larger crowds for special occasions such as the annual Fall Festival.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Carroll Mizicko, OFM
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception Chapel offers something rare in southern Illinois: a living link to over 125 years of Lithuanian Catholic heritage, celebrated inside one of the most authentic pieces of Lithuanian national-romantic church architecture in the entire United States. Worshippers gather for an intimate Sunday Mass (typically 35-40 people, swelling to 150 for the annual Fall Festival), tend to the historic shrine of Our Lady of Siluva, and remain connected to the chapel's mother parish of St. Augustine of Hippo, where weekday Masses, confession, and full sacramental life are available. It is an ideal spiritual home for Lithuanian-American Catholics, devotees of Our Lady of Siluva, and anyone drawn to sacred art, stained glass, and quiet, faithful neighborhood worship.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
History of Immaculate Conception Chapel
Efforts to organize a Lithuanian Catholic parish in East St. Louis began in 1895 in the Diocese of Belleville. A private residence served as the first worship space until a small frame church was built at the corner of Fifteenth Street and Baugh Avenue. By 1917 the parish had about 165 families, mostly laborers in local factories, foundries, and stockyards. The original church was enlarged in 1911 and 1927, then destroyed by fire in 1943; the cornerstone of the present church was laid in 1945, and the striking current building was dedicated in 1956.
- Parish organized: 1895
- Original frame church built at 15th Street and Baugh Avenue
- First church destroyed by fire: 1943
- Current church cornerstone laid: 1945
- Current church dedicated: 1956
- Parish suppressed and designated a Chapel: May 26, 2014
- Oversight assigned to St. Augustine of Hippo Parish; current pastor Fr. Carroll Mizicko, OFM, took charge in 2020
Lithuanian-American Heritage & Architecture
The chapel is celebrated as one of the finest examples of Lithuanian-American national romantic architecture in the United States. Architects Jonas Mulokas and Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas — along with wood-carver Petras Vebra — were Lithuanian-born, and like many of their parishioners, post-WWII refugees from Soviet-occupied Lithuania. They deliberately sought to recreate a piece of their lost homeland in East St. Louis, ethnicizing Baroque church forms with traditional Lithuanian motifs.
- Architect: Jonas Mulokas (Lithuanian-born)
- Stained-glass windows: Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas (1956, his first major such commission)
- Ethnic wood-carved altar and furnishings: Petras Vebra
- 55 stained-glass windows, most depicting Lithuania-related subjects
- Steeple in the form of a Lithuanian wayside shrine
- Lithuanian sun-crosses on the roof (two removed after attempted theft)
- Main entrance incorporates the Vytis (Lithuanian coat of arms)
Shrine of Our Lady of Siluva (Šiluva)
In 1951 parishioners erected a unique outdoor shrine to Our Lady of Siluva (Lithuanian: Šiluva) to celebrate the 700th anniversary of Christianity in Lithuania. The shrine stands between the former school site and the church, where schoolchildren once performed ancient Lithuanian rituals including the crowning of the statue. The base is made of stone from the original 1895 Lithuanian church, the white marble statue was made in Italy, and the wrought-iron canopy was crafted by East St. Louis ironworkers. The shrine is covered by a traditional Lithuanian metal cross of the type found at historic Lithuanian cemeteries.
- Built and dedicated: 1951
- Commemorates 700th anniversary of Christianity in Lithuania
- Base: stone from original 1895 Lithuanian church
- Statue: white marble, made in Italy
- Canopy: wrought iron, made in East St. Louis
- Covered by a traditional Lithuanian metal cross
- Subject of a 2019 restoration fundraising effort by parish trustees
Partnership with St. Augustine of Hippo Parish
Since its suppression in 2014, Immaculate Conception Chapel has been formally partnered with St. Augustine of Hippo Parish, also in East St. Louis. The two share a pastor (Rev. Carroll Mizicko, OFM), a phone line (618-274-0655), and sacramental life. St. Augustine of Hippo provides the full sacramental and parish-life infrastructure — including Religious Education, Youth Ministry, and a Parish Center (Fr. Augustus Tolton Parish Hall, 401 Columbia Place, East St. Louis) — that supports the chapel's continued liturgical and community life.
- Mother parish: St. Augustine of Hippo, 408 Rev. Joseph A. Brown, SJ Blvd., East St. Louis, IL 62205
- Shared pastor: Rev. Carroll Mizicko, OFM
- St. Augustine parish center: Fr. Augustus Tolton Parish Hall, 401 Columbia Place, East St. Louis, IL 62205
- St. Augustine weekend Masses: Saturday 4:00 p.m.; Sunday 9:30 a.m.
- St. Augustine weekday Mass: Franciscan Friary, 7:30 a.m. (except Tuesday)
- St. Augustine Reconciliation: Saturday 3:00-3:45 p.m.
Parish School & Faith Formation
A parish school served Immaculate Conception from 1934 until its closure in 1968, when it was consolidated with the African-American Catholic school of St. Augustine of Hippo. The school building was destroyed by fire in 1976, with arson suspected. Today, faith formation for children and youth from the chapel community is provided through the Religious Education and Youth Ministry programs of St. Augustine of Hippo Parish.
- Parish school opened: 1934
- School closed: 1968
- School building destroyed by fire (arson suspected): 1976
- Current faith formation coordinated through St. Augustine of Hippo (Youth Ministers: Christine Bush & Chandra Gines)
Visiting the Chapel
Immaculate Conception Chapel stands at 1509 Baugh Avenue (at the corner of Fifteenth Street and Baugh Avenue), East St. Louis, IL 62205. The distinctive steeple is highly visible from Interstate 64 (Highway 64), making it a familiar landmark to motorists passing through the area. The mailing address is c/o St. Augustine of Hippo, 408 Rev. Joseph A. Brown, SJ Blvd., East St. Louis, IL 62205, and the parish phone line is 618-274-0655.
- Street address: 1509 Baugh Avenue, East St. Louis, IL 62205
- Mailing address: c/o St. Augustine of Hippo, 408 Rev. Joseph A. Brown, SJ Blvd., East St. Louis, IL 62205
- Phone: 618-274-0655
- Landmark visibility: visible from Interstate 64
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Servetka1895-
First pastor
- Rev. Joseph Masiotas
Early pastor
- Rev. Boleslaus Szlamas1904-
- Rev. John Gadeikis1907-
- Rev. Joseph Petrovitch1911-
- Rev. Francis Gugus1915-
- Rev. S.E. Kolesinskis1916-
- Rev. Vincent Tikuisis1936-1940
- Rev. Anthony Deksnys1940-1969
Long-serving pastor through era of new church construction and dedication
- Rev. Carroll Mizicko, OFM2020-
Current pastor; Pastor of mother parish St. Augustine of Hippo, under which the chapel now operates