About Our Lady of the Holy Spirit · Mt Zion, Illinois
Our Lady of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic parish serving the village of Mt. Zion, Illinois, a community in Macon County just south of Decatur. The parish is part of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and shares a pastor and administrative infrastructure with the nearby St. Isidore parish in Bethany, IL. With roughly 565 parishioners in 178 registered families, it offers daily and Sunday Masses, a PSR (Parish School of Religion) program, the Little Doves Preschool, Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays, and a Wednesday-evening Reconciliation service before its evening Mass.
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Holy Spirit (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Holy Spirit)
- Rector
- Rev. Rafal Pyrchla
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Holy Spirit offers a warm, small-parish setting with multiple daily Mass opportunities (including a Wednesday evening Mass), weekly Confession before Masses and a scheduled Wednesday evening Reconciliation hour from 4:15–5:15 p.m., and Monday-morning Eucharistic Adoration. Families are served by a PSR religious-education program and the Little Doves Preschool (for three- and four-year-olds) on the parish grounds. The parish is paired with St. Isidore in Bethany under one pastor, creating a tight-knit country-and-small-town Catholic community in Macon County.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
- 30 minutes before all Masses
- By appointment (contact the parish office)
Adoration times
- Monday: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (Eucharistic Adoration)
About Our Lady of the Holy Spirit
Our Lady of the Holy Spirit is a Catholic parish of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois located in Mt. Zion, a village in Macon County just south of Decatur. The parish serves roughly 565 parishioners in 178 families and is paired with St. Isidore Catholic Church in Bethany, IL, under one pastor and shared administrative staff. On its website, the pastor extends a welcome to visitors and invites them to explore the parish's ministries, groups, activities, and events.
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Father Rafal Pyrchla, Pastor. Carol Waller serves as Administrative Assistant. The wider staff includes Julie Fritzsche (Little Doves Preschool), Geralyn Shreiner (PSR Coordinator), Mike Fogarty (Music Director), Walter Friesel (Music Ministry), and Mary Ann Beck (Facility Cleaning). The diocesan directory additionally lists Beth Herbord as CRE (Coordinator of Religious Education).
- Rev. Rafal Pyrchla — Pastor
- Carol Waller — Administrative Assistant
- Beth Herbord — CRE (Coordinator of Religious Education)
- Julie Fritzsche — Little Doves Preschool
- Geralyn Shreiner — PSR Coordinator
- Mike Fogarty — Music Director
- Walter Friesel — Music Ministry
- Mary Ann Beck — Facility Cleaning
Sacraments
Our Lady of the Holy Spirit prepares and celebrates the seven sacraments typical of a Catholic parish. First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation are all prepared through the parish's PSR program. Adults entering the Catholic faith do so through the RCIA process, directed by contacting the parish office. Reconciliation is available Wednesdays from 4:15–5:15 p.m. and by appointment at both Our Lady of the Holy Spirit and St. Isidore.
- Baptism — scheduled through the parish office
- First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion — PSR preparation
- Confirmation — PSR preparation
- Reconciliation — weekly Wednesday hours and by appointment
- RCIA — adult initiation, contact parish office
Religious Education: PSR and Little Doves Preschool
Faith formation for children is offered through the Parish School of Religion (PSR), coordinated by Geralyn Shreiner (with Beth Herbord listed as CRE in the diocesan directory). PSR is the parish's vehicle for preparing children for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. The parish also runs Little Doves Preschool on-site for three- and four-year-olds in an afternoon session, Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 3 p.m. during the school year.
- PSR (Parish School of Religion) — children's faith formation
- Little Doves Preschool — afternoon program for ages 3–4 (Tues/Wed/Thurs, noon–3 p.m.)
- Contact: 217-864-3467 or [email protected]
Music Ministry
Liturgical music at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit is coordinated by Music Director Mike Fogarty, with Walter Friesel assisting in the Music Ministry. The team supports the parish's Sunday and weekday Mass schedule.
- Mike Fogarty — Music Director
- Walter Friesel — Music Ministry
Joint Parish: St. Isidore, Bethany
Our Lady of the Holy Spirit is paired with St. Isidore Catholic Church in Bethany, IL. The two parishes share a pastor, administrative staff, and mailing address. St. Isidore's Mass schedule includes 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, an 8:00 a.m. Saturday Mass in Latin, a Tuesday 8:00 a.m. Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration the first Sunday one hour before Mass. Our Lady of the Holy Spirit's website explicitly welcomes visitors to both parishes.
- Shared pastor: Rev. Rafal Pyrchla
- Shared office: 400 N. Whitetail Circle, Mt. Zion, IL 62549
- St. Isidore Sunday Mass: 8:00 a.m.
- St. Isidore Saturday 8:00 a.m. — Latin Mass
- St. Isidore Tuesday Mass: 8:00 a.m.
- St. Isidore Adoration: first Sunday one hour before Mass
Visit, Contact, and Giving
Parish office hours are Monday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the school year, and Monday–Thursday 8:30 a.m. to noon during the summer. The office can be reached by phone at (217) 864-3467 or fax (217) 864-3091, and by email at [email protected]. Online Giving is available through Pushpay via the parish website.
- Office hours (school year): Mon–Thu 8:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
- Office hours (summer): Mon–Thu 8:30 a.m.–Noon
- Phone: (217) 864-3467
- Fax: (217) 864-3091
- Email: [email protected]
- Online Giving: Pushpay via mtzolhs.org