About Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary · East Dubuque, Illinois
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a rural Catholic parish in the Diocese of Rockford serving the East Dubuque, Illinois area and the surrounding farmland of Menominee Township in Jo Daviess County. Founded in 1864 and built in 1876, the parish is one of the older rural congregations in the Freeport Deanery and partners closely with neighboring St. Mary Parish in East Dubuque for shared sacramental programming and the annual Corpus Christi Procession. With roughly 173 registered families and a church seating 250–300, Nativity BVM keeps a tight-knit country-parish rhythm — weekend Mass, weekday Masses on Wednesday and Friday, a Wednesday-evening Rosary, and a St. Joseph Adoration Chapel open to the faithful.
- Established
- 1864
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (under the title of her Nativity)
- Rector
- Rev. Maddala Jayanthi Babu, HGN (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rockford (Freeport Deanery)
Why belong here
Nativity BVM is a small, rural country parish where most parishioners know each other by name and where the same lay families keep the Holy Name Society, St. Anne Society, prayer network and cemetery ministry running across generations. The parish offers four Masses a week (Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening), weekly Confession on Saturday afternoons, a Wednesday-evening Rosary, a St. Joseph Adoration Chapel, and a Holy Hour after morning Mass — a rhythm of Eucharistic devotion rare for a parish its size. Families with children can plug into Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, First Reconciliation/Communion, and 7th- and 8th-grade Confirmation alongside St. Mary Parish, and the parish gym and grounds host community pickleball leagues and the annual Corpus Christi Procession.
Mass times at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00–3:45 p.m.
- Friday: after 8:00 a.m. Mass
- Weekdays by appointment
Adoration times
- St. Joseph Adoration Chapel (open for ongoing Adoration — contact the parish for current hours)
Parish History & Identity
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established in 1864 to serve the Catholic farming community of Menominee Township, with the present church building completed in 1876. It is listed in the Diocese of Rockford's parish roster as a member of the Freeport Deanery, with 173 registered families and a seating capacity of 250–300. Its patron title — the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary — gives the parish its feast day on September 8, a date typically marked with a special Mass.
- Founded 1864
- Church built 1876
- Freeport Deanery, Diocese of Rockford
- 173 registered families
- Capacity: 250–300
- Feast day: September 8 (Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Twin-Parish Partnership with St. Mary, East Dubuque
Nativity BVM is operated as a twin parish with St. Mary Parish in East Dubuque (170 Montgomery Ave., East Dubuque, IL 61025). The two share a parochial administrator and many staff and lay leaders, and they cooperate on sacramental preparation, the annual Corpus Christi Procession (held after the 9:30 a.m. Mass at Nativity BVM and after the 8:00 a.m. Mass at St. Mary), and combined adult and youth programming. The St. Mary Rectory can be reached at (815) 747-3221.
- St. Mary address: 170 Montgomery Ave., East Dubuque, IL 61025
- St. Mary Rectory: (815) 747-3221
- Shared annual Corpus Christi Procession
- Combined faith formation, Confirmation and RCIA
Clergy, Staff & Lay Leadership
The parish is currently led by Rev. Maddala Jayanthi Babu, HGN, as Parochial Administrator, with Deacon Douglas Kremer and Deacon Jamie Schilling assisting. Deacon Schilling coordinates the RCIA program, the youth group, and the Anointing of the Sick ministry. Lay staff and volunteers include the parish secretary (St. Mary), the Coordinator of Religious Education, the Bulletin Editor, the Adoration Chapel Coordinator, the Cemetery Coordinator, the Prayer Network, the Homebound Ministry, and the Nativity BVM Parish Decorating and St. Mary Parish Decorating committees.
- Rev. Maddala Jayanthi Babu, HGN — Parochial Administrator
- Deacon Douglas Kremer
- Deacon Jamie Schilling — RCIA Director, Youth Group Coordinator, Anointing of the Sick contact (563) 543-2252
- Kathy Williams — Coordinator of Religious Education
- Kelly Puls — K–1st Catechesis
- Kelli Lange — 2nd Grade Catechesis
- Merle Neisis — 7th & 8th Grade Confirmation
- Melissa Kenkel — Family Catechesis
- Amanda Soat & Trisha Soat — 2nd Grade Catechesis / Aide
- Sally Mead — Bulletin Editor
- Kim Weber / Kim Berntgen — Rectory Staff
- Judy Heitkamp — St. Anne Society
- Jerry Rust / Shawn McDermott — Holy Name Society
- Kathy Petitgout — Altar & Rosary Society
- Lee Donar (563) 543-7841 & Vickie Middendorf (563) 663-6673 — Homebound Ministry
- Mary Kay Donar — Custodian
- Nativity BVM Cemetery Coordinator (TBA)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments, with preparation programs shared with St. Mary Parish. Children's First Reconciliation and First Communion are reached through the 2nd-Grade Catechesis, Confirmation is prepared in the 7th- and 8th-grade program, and adults enter the Church through the RCIA, directed by Deacon Jamie Schilling. The Anointing of the Sick is arranged by contacting Deacon Schilling at (563) 543-2252.
- Baptism — contact the rectory
- First Reconciliation & First Communion (2nd-grade Catechesis)
- Confirmation (7th & 8th Grade)
- Eucharist (Sunday vigil and Sunday Mass)
- Anointing of the Sick — Deacon Jamie Schilling (563) 543-2252
- Holy Orders & Religious Life (vocations)
- Matrimony — contact the rectory
Faith Formation for Children & Youth
Religious education at Nativity BVM and St. Mary uses the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-style atrium approach to children's catechesis, alongside traditional grade-level catechesis. The parish also runs a Family Catechesis track, a K–1 program, a 2nd-grade Sacramental prep track, and a 7th- and 8th-grade Confirmation program. Deacon Jamie Schilling coordinates a parish Youth Group.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- K–1st Grade Catechesis (Kelly Puls)
- 2nd Grade Catechesis (Kelli Lange)
- Family Catechesis (Melissa Kenkel)
- 7th & 8th Grade Confirmation (Merle Neisis)
- Youth Group (Deacon Jamie Schilling)
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Kathy Williams
Adult Parish Organizations
Adult life at Nativity BVM is anchored by traditional Catholic lay societies. The Holy Name Society for men and the St. Anne Society for women are based at Nativity BVM, while the Altar and Rosary Society for women and the Knights of Columbus council are based at St. Mary. A Prayer Network and a Homebound Ministry round out the adult lay apostolates.
- Holy Name Society at Nativity BVM — contact Shawn McDermott (815) 747-2796
- St. Anne Society at Nativity BVM — contact Judy Heitkamp
- Altar and Rosary Society at St. Mary — contact Kathy Petitgout
- Knights of Columbus at St. Mary — contact Jerry Rust
- Prayer Network
- Homebound Ministry — Lee Donar (563) 543-7841 / Vickie Middendorf (563) 663-6673
Outreach & Community Life
Beyond the sanctuary, Nativity BVM maintains a Homebound Ministry that brings Communion and pastoral care to parishioners who cannot attend Mass, and a Prayer Network that circulates intentions among the faithful. The parish gym on the Nativity BVM grounds hosts a community pickleball league several days a week, making the parish a hub for rural social life as well as spiritual life.
- Homebound Ministry
- Prayer Network
- Pickleball: Tues & Thurs 7–9 p.m.; Wed & Fri 8:30–10:30 a.m. at the Nativity BVM Gym
- Nativity BVM Parish Center and Gym
Parish Facilities & Cemetery
The parish grounds include the historic 1876 church, a rectory, a parish gym used for pickleball, and a parish cemetery maintained by a volunteer Cemetery Coordinator. A St. Joseph Adoration Chapel on site offers a quiet space for ongoing Eucharistic Adoration.
- 1876 church building (capacity 250–300)
- Parish Rectory
- Nativity BVM Parish Gym
- St. Joseph Adoration Chapel
- Nativity BVM Parish Cemetery
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office through the Nativity BVM Rectory at (815) 747-3670, by fax at (815) 747-2050, or by email at [email protected]. The mailing/drop-off address for donations is the back of Nativity BVM Church. The church is located about 2½ miles north of U.S. Highway 20 between Galena and East Dubuque.
- Rectory phone: (815) 747-3670
- Fax: (815) 747-2050
- Email: [email protected]
- Rectory alt.: (815) 986-9608
- Address: 15406 W. Creek Valley Rd., East Dubuque, IL 61025
- St. Mary Rectory: (815) 747-3221