About Nativity of Our Lord · Spring Valley, Illinois
Nativity of Our Lord is a Roman Catholic parish in the small Bureau County community of Spring Valley, Illinois, served by the Diocese of Peoria. It was canonically formed on July 1, 2013 through the merger of three historic Spring Valley parishes — Immaculate Conception (Irish-German, founded 1884), Sts. Peter and Paul (Polish-Lithuanian, organized 1891) and St. Anthony (Italian, founded c. 1904) — and was later joined by St. Mary in neighboring DePue under the Diocese's Growing Disciples Pastoral Plan. Worship is offered across multiple sites: the former St. Anthony Church on Richard A. Mautino Drive (the primary site), the historic Immaculate Conception Church, and St. Mary in DePue, the last of which hosts a weekly Spanish-language Mass. The parish is pastored by Rev. Scott Potthoff with a parochial vicar, a deacon, and a staff serving the sacramental, formation, and music ministries of this multi-ethnic, bilingual community.
- Established
- 2013
- Patron
- The Nativity of Our Lord
- Rector
- Rev. Scott Potthoff
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
Nativity of Our Lord welcomes Catholics from across the Illinois Valley into a parish family that literally grew out of the region's immigrant history — Polish, Lithuanian, Italian, Irish and German — and now also serves Spanish-speaking families in Spring Valley and DePue. Parishioners can worship at multiple historic church sites, including a weekly Spanish Mass, and stream St. Anthony Masses live on Facebook when they can't be present. Active groups like the Ladies of God's Grace, parish picnics, salad luncheons, and the beloved homemade-ravioli and tortalocci fundraisers give newcomers an easy way to plug into community life, while sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Communion in 2nd grade, Confirmation in 8th grade), RCIA for adults, and one-on-one formation with the pastor keep the faith formation accessible and personal.
Mass times at Nativity of Our Lord
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- St. Anthony — Saturdays, 2:45 to 3:45 PM
- St. Anthony — First Saturdays, 8:30 to 9:30 AM
- St. Anthony — by appointment
- St. Mary (DePue) — after Sunday 12:15 PM Mass (if no Baptism is scheduled)
- St. Mary (DePue) — by appointment
Parish History — Three Immigrant Parishes Become One
Nativity of Our Lord is the canonical successor of three Spring Valley parishes founded by successive waves of Catholic immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, plus a fourth in neighboring DePue. The parish's own history page tells each predecessor's story in detail. The first Catholic Mass in Bureau County was celebrated by Father Marquette on the shore of Lake DePue in 1673.
- Immaculate Conception — founded 1884 by Father John Power, then pastor of St. Mary's in Peru; first frame church built and dedicated by Bishop Spalding in 1885 at a cost of $6,000.
- Sts. Peter and Paul — organized September 30, 1891 for the Polish and Lithuanian Catholics of Spring Valley; cornerstone laid November 15, 1891; first pastor Father Likorski; church dedicated August 14, 1892. The Lithuanian community later built St. Anne's in 1897.
- St. Anthony — founded c. 1904 by Rev. Eugene Raschiotti of Torino, Italy to serve Northern Italian immigrants in Spring Valley and Dalzell; first recorded parish baptism December 13, 1904; worshipped in the Immaculate Conception School hall from 1904–1906.
- St. Mary (DePue) — organized in 1908 as St. Mary's of Czestochowa for the predominantly Polish families of DePue, served since the early 1900s by visiting priests from LaSalle, Peru and Spring Valley.
- Nativity of Our Lord formed July 1, 2013 by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, with Father Robert D. Spilman as founding pastor.
Worship Sites
The parish uses three church buildings. The former St. Anthony Church on Richard A. Mautino Drive is the primary worship site; a new St. Anthony church was completed in 2020. The historic Immaculate Conception Church in Spring Valley remains in use, and St. Mary Church at 312 Park Street in DePue hosts the weekly Spanish Mass and post-Mass confessions.
- St. Anthony Church (primary site) — 510 Richard A. Mautino Drive, Spring Valley, IL
- Immaculate Conception Church — Spring Valley
- St. Mary Church — 312 Park Street, DePue, IL 61322
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Scott Potthoff with the assistance of a parochial vicar, a permanent deacon, a director of religious education, an organist-director, a bookkeeper, two trustee-consultants, and a website coordinator.
- Pastor — Rev. Scott Potthoff ([email protected])
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Fortunatus Rwehikiza ([email protected])
- Deacon — John (Jack) Kusek
- Director of Religious Education / Secretary — Mrs. Carla Yanez ([email protected])
- Organist/Director — Mrs. Mary Jane Tonozzi
- Bookkeeper — Ms. Lizbeth (Liz) Nambo
- Trustees/Consultants — Thomas Tonozzi & Tom Piano
- Website Coordinator — Dan Draper
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments and prepares parishioners at each stage of life. Children receive First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in 2nd grade, and Confirmation in 8th grade. Adults seeking Baptism, First Communion or Confirmation join the parish's RCIA process and typically come into full communion at the Easter Vigil.
- Baptism — usually celebrated on Sundays after the 10:30 AM Mass; call the parish office; parents meet with Father Potthoff; adult Baptism through RCIA
- First Reconciliation — 2nd grade
- First Holy Eucharist — 2nd grade (adults through RCIA)
- Confirmation — 8th grade (adults at the Easter Vigil through RCIA)
- Marriage — Diocese of Peoria formation classes required; contact the pastor
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults for those inquiring about the Catholic faith
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education classes are held at the parish's Religious Education Building (815-664-2022), with the Director of Religious Education coordinating sacramental preparation across the parish's three church sites.
- Parish School of Religion (Religious Education Building)
- First Reconciliation / First Communion preparation (2nd grade)
- Confirmation preparation (8th grade)
- RCIA for adults
- Vocations discernment — referrals to Diocese of Peoria Emmaus Days retreat for men
Parish Groups, Fellowship & Fundraisers
Beyond the liturgy, the parish runs a year-round calendar of fellowship and fundraising events — many organized by the Ladies of God's Grace — that bring parishioners together and support parish operations.
- Ladies of God's Grace — women's fellowship and service group; meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM in the Parish Hall; open to all women 18–118.
- Annual Parish Picnic — held each September; volunteers needed for planning, setup, food service, bingo, games and cleanup.
- Annual Salad Luncheon — held in September; volunteers assist with cooking, setup, serving and cleanup.
- Ravioli & Tortalocci Making Days — volunteer-run fundraiser (ravioli and tortalocci sold for $8 a bag).
- Landscaping Care — 'Green Thumbs Wanted' volunteers maintain church landscaping; contact Nancy McNally (815-488-2242).
- Music Ministry — led by Organist/Director Mary Jane Tonozzi; joint choir serves multiple worship sites.
Diocese & Restructuring
Nativity of Our Lord is part of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria. In 2013 the parish was created from three Spring Valley parishes, and under Bishop Louis Tylka's Growing Disciples Pastoral Plan (launched July 1, 2024) it was expanded again with the merger of St. Mary Parish in DePue, becoming a single parish with multiple worship sites that continues the immigrant heritage of the Illinois Valley.
- Diocese — Catholic Diocese of Peoria
- Founded July 1, 2013 by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC
- 2024 — St. Mary, DePue merged into Nativity of Our Lord under the Growing Disciples Pastoral Plan
- Bishop — Louis Tylka (Diocese of Peoria, at time of 2024 restructuring)
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, mail, or in person during published office hours. Masses from St. Anthony are livestreamed on the parish's official Facebook page.
- Parish Office — (815) 663-3731
- Parish Fax — (815) 663-0012
- Parish Hall — (815) 664-5407
- Religious Education Building — (815) 664-2022
- Mailing address — P.O. Box 150, Spring Valley, IL 61362
- Office hours — Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM and 12:30 PM–2:00 PM
- Facebook — Parish of the Nativity of Our Lord (livestream of St. Anthony Masses)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Robert D. Spilman2013–
Founding pastor at the canonical formation of Nativity of Our Lord on July 1, 2013; led the merger of Immaculate Conception, Sts. Peter and Paul, and St. Anthony parishes.
- Rev. Scott Potthoff
Current pastor (per the parish staff page).