About Saint Paul (see also St. Patrick, Dwight, IL) · Odell, Illinois
St. Paul Catholic Church is a historic parish in Odell, Illinois, in the Diocese of Peoria, founded in 1873 to serve the Catholic farming families of this small Livingston County town. The present church building was designed by prolific Midwest church architect George P. Stauduhar of Rock Island and remains an architectural landmark on the community. Since June 14, 2025, St. Paul has been united with St. Patrick Church in Dwight and Sacred Heart Church in Campus as part of the newly established Blessed Trinity Parish under Father John Bosco Mujuni, while continuing to celebrate Mass and the sacraments at the Odell worship site.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Father John Bosco Mujuni
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Paul offers a faithful, intimate Catholic community in a small Livingston County town, with Sunday Mass, weekday Masses, regular Confession, and a Catholic grade school (Saint Paul School) right next door. Parishioners now belong to the new Blessed Trinity Parish, which blends the traditions of three historic congregations under Father John Bosco Mujuni, and the community warmly welcomes new members through faith formation, the school, and shared parish life.
Mass times at Saint Paul (see also St. Patrick, Dwight, IL)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday following the 8:30 AM Mass
- Friday 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM (per discovermass.com)
About St. Paul Church, Odell
St. Paul Catholic Church is a historic parish of the Diocese of Peoria serving the small village of Odell in Livingston County, Illinois. Founded in 1873, the parish has gathered Catholic families in the Odell area for more than 150 years. Its present church building was designed by the celebrated Midwest church architect George P. Stauduhar and remains a notable local landmark. The parish shares its campus with Saint Paul School, the parish cemetery, and the parish offices.
- Founded 1873 (Diocese of Peoria)
- Architect: George P. Stauduhar (Rock Island)
- Worship site of Blessed Trinity Parish since June 14, 2025
History of the Parish
A local history of Odell records that the Catholics of the village built a substantial church in 1875 — 45 feet wide by 86 feet long, built at a cost of $5,300, serving some 120 families, and placed in the care of Rev. Bernard Boylan. That frame structure was eventually replaced by the current St. Paul's, designed in the early twentieth century by George P. Stauduhar, a prolific designer of Midwestern Catholic churches, college buildings, and even Streckfus Line riverboats. Photographs of the church under construction, the finished exterior, and two interior views survive in the Stauduhar Papers at the University of Illinois Archives. The parish continued to grow and adapt through the twentieth century; an old underground passage beneath Route 66 once let parishioners safely reach the church across the busy 'Mother Road.' On the weekend of June 14, 2025, St. Paul merged with St. Patrick of Dwight and Sacred Heart of Campus into the new Blessed Trinity Parish under the leadership of Father John Bosco Mujuni.
- 1873 — parish founded (per GCatholic)
- 1875 — large 45×86-ft. church built; Rev. Bernard Boylan pastor
- Early 1900s — current church designed by George P. Stauduhar
- June 14, 2025 — merged into Blessed Trinity Parish
Architecture & the Stauduhar Building
The present St. Paul's was designed by George P. Stauduhar (1863–1928), a Rock Island architect and University of Illinois alumnus. His body of work — spanning Catholic churches, hospitals, banks, college buildings, and Streckfus Line riverboats — made him one of the most prolific church architects of the early twentieth-century Midwest. Stauduhar's signature style is often described as 'eclectic,' combining Gothic Revival elements such as steeply pitched roofs, pointed-arch openings, rose windows, and rudimentary flying buttresses with his own designs. The University of Illinois Archives hold original Stauduhar photographs of St. Paul's, including exterior views (two under construction and one front facade) and two interior shots looking toward the main altar and the organ loft.
- Architect: George P. Stauduhar, Rock Island, IL
- Original plans & photos held in U of I Archives, RS 26/20/42
Blessed Trinity Parish (Merger, 2025)
On the weekend of June 14, 2025, the Catholic communities of St. Patrick Church (Dwight), St. Paul Church (Odell), and Sacred Heart Church (Campus) officially merged into one new family of faith: Blessed Trinity Parish. The diocesan announcement calls the merger 'not an end, but a beautiful beginning — a blending of traditions, gifts, and strengths aimed at forming a more vibrant Church with more disciples.' The new parish is led by Father John Bosco Mujuni as pastor, and its central offices are located at 114 W. Mazon Avenue, Dwight, IL 60420.
- Established June 14, 2025
- Three worship sites: St. Patrick (Dwight), St. Paul (Odell), Sacred Heart (Campus)
- Pastor: Fr. John Bosco Mujuni
- Mailing address: 114 W. Mazon Avenue, Dwight, IL 60420
Pastor & Parish Staff
The current pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish (which includes St. Paul, Odell) is Father John Bosco Mujuni. The parish office team includes an Office Administrator, a CCD / Religious Education Coordinator, and the principal and staff of Saint Paul School. Parishioners may contact the parish office by phone at (815) 584-3522 or by email at [email protected].
- Pastor: Fr. John Bosco Mujuni — [email protected]
- Office Administrator: Tammy Josefik — [email protected]
- CCD Coordinator: Danielle Schmidberger
- Saint Paul School Principal: Kelli Drechsel — (815) 998-2194
- Secretary: Ms. Jodi Minnaert
Faith Formation & Saint Paul School
St. Paul has long been home to a parish grade school that continues to serve local families. The school is staffed by a principal and faculty and is supported by the parish's Religious Education / CCD program, which offers faith formation for children, sacramental preparation, and ongoing catechesis in the Catholic tradition. As part of Blessed Trinity Parish, the Odell school retains its identity while sharing staff and resources with the wider merged community.
- Saint Paul School — 300 S. West Street, Odell, IL 60460 — (815) 998-2194
- Principal: Kelli Drechsel
- Religious Education / CCD program for parish children
- Sacramental preparation through the parish
Why Visit or Join the Parish
St. Paul offers a small-town Catholic community with regular Sunday and weekday Mass, Confession, an on-site Catholic school, and active faith formation for children. As part of the new Blessed Trinity Parish, it now combines the heritage of three historic Livingston County congregations under one pastor, with shared ministries and a shared Catholic identity rooted in the Eucharist.
- Welcoming small-town parish with long-standing Catholic presence since 1873
- Sunday Mass plus weekday Masses and regular Confession
- On-site Saint Paul Catholic School
- Now part of the merged Blessed Trinity Parish community
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bernard Boylanc. 1875
First pastor referenced in the historical record; in charge of the Odell Catholic congregation when the large 1875 church was built, serving about 120 families.