About Ss. James and Patrick - St. Patrick · Decatur, Illinois
Saints James and Patrick Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Decatur, Illinois, formed on July 1, 2007 through the merger of Decatur's two oldest parishes — St. James (founded 1877) and St. Patrick (founded 1853). The unified parish is served from one office with two historic church buildings: St. James Church at 742 East Clay Street and St. Patrick Church at 407 East Eldorado Street, plus St. Patrick School at 412 North Jackson Street. Worship, faith formation, school life, music, and outreach are shared between the two campuses under the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The parish motto — 'To Remain in Christ & Reveal Christ to Others' — frames its sacramental, educational, and charitable life for roughly 1,600 registered parishioners in 858 families.
- Established
- 2007
- Patron
- St. James the Lesser (Apostle) and St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher J. Comerford
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
Ss. James and Patrick offers a long-standing Catholic community with two historic worship sites, an active parish school (preschool through 8th grade), and a full sacramental and formation life. Parishioners can attend daily and weekend Mass at either St. James or St. Patrick, raise children in a state-recognized Catholic grade school, prepare for Confirmation or OCIA, and join choirs, handbells, cantors, lectors, ushers, scouts, pastoral-care visits to the homebound and hospitalized, and an Athletic Association. With regular Confession times at both churches and a calendar that includes a Children's Choir, Scripture Study, Auction Committee, and S.A.V.E. school volunteers, there are many ways for newcomers and longtime families alike to live out the parish motto — 'To Remain in Christ & Reveal Christ to Others.'
Mass times at Ss. James and Patrick - St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 7:30–7:45 AM — St. James Church
- Wednesday 7:30–7:45 AM — St. James Church
- Friday 10:30–11:00 AM — St. Patrick Church
- Saturday 10:00–11:00 AM — St. Patrick Church
- Saturday 3:15–3:40 PM — St. James Church (March–September) / St. Patrick Church (October–February)
Welcome & Parish Mission
Saints James and Patrick Parish in Decatur, Illinois describes its identity with the motto 'To Remain in Christ & Reveal Christ to Others.' Whether a newcomer, visitor, or long-time parishioner, all are warmly welcomed to attend Mass at either of the parish's two churches and to greet the community when they do. The parish celebrates Christ's love through the sacraments, prayer, and stewardship.
Parish History
The merged parish traces its roots to two of Decatur's oldest Catholic communities. Read more under the subsections below.
History of St. Patrick Church
St. Patrick Parish was founded in 1853 and was the only Catholic parish in Decatur at the time. The current church building was constructed in 1908 at a total cost of $125,000 and was dedicated on November 21, 1909. The church is dedicated to St. Patrick, who spent his life preaching the Gospel in Ireland during the 5th century.
- Founded 1853
- Current church built 1908
- Dedicated November 21, 1909
- Construction cost $125,000
History of St. James Church
St. James Church was built at a cost of $3,500 and was dedicated in the summer of 1877. The church is dedicated to the Apostle St. James the Lesser, a cousin of Jesus who became the first bishop of Jerusalem.
- Built 1877
- Dedicated summer 1877
- Construction cost $3,500
- Dedicated to St. James the Lesser
Parish Leadership
The unified parish has been served by three pastors since the 2007 merger. The current pastor is Rev. Christopher J. Comerford (2020–present); Rev. John C. Burnette serves as Pastor Emeritus after leading the parish from 2011 to 2020; and Fr. Jeff Grant was the founding pastor of the merged parish from 2007 to 2011.
- Fr. Jeff Grant — 2007–2011
- Fr. John Burnette — 2011–2020 (now Pastor Emeritus)
- Fr. Christopher J. Comerford — 2020–present
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, including Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Marriage (PreCana), and Anointing of the Sick, and welcomes new members through the OCIA process.
- Baptism — individual preparation classes; contact the priest or deacon
- Confirmation — class sessions, retreat, service work, and pastor interviews
- First Eucharist — preparation through Families of Faith or St. Patrick Grade School
- Marriage / PreCana — preparation at the parish or via the diocese (www.dio.org/familylife)
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
- OCIA — Tuesday evenings at the Parish House at St. James, beginning in August; reception of sacraments at the Easter Vigil
Education & Formation
Ss. James and Patrick supports the lifelong formation of its members through a parish-affiliated Catholic grade school, religious education for children not enrolled in the school, OCIA for adults, and ongoing Scripture Study.
St. Patrick School
St. Patrick School, located at 412 N. Jackson Street, is the parish-affiliated Catholic school offering faith-based education for students in preschool through 8th grade. It is state recognized, and every teacher is state certified. The mission is to provide a quality, value-oriented Catholic education focused on the children served. Working together, parents, teachers, and students make St. Patrick School a Catholic community of faith that enriches both the Church and the wider world. School contact: (217) 423-4351; website www.decaturstpatrick.org.
- Preschool through 8th grade
- State recognized; all teachers state certified
- Enrollment ~143 K–8 students and ~34 preschoolers
- School address: 412 N. Jackson St., Decatur, IL 62523
School Organizations & Support
A network of parent and parish organizations supports St. Patrick School through fundraising, volunteer service, and policy guidance.
- Home and School Association — improves spiritual and educational opportunities; meetings twice a year plus monthly board meetings
- School Advisory Board — advises the pastor on school issues, events, activities, and policies; meets monthly
- Athletic Association — regulates soccer, basketball, and volleyball programs; raises funds for equipment, uniforms, and the playground
- S.A.V.E. (Shining Armor Volunteers for Education) — assists in school office, library, classroom, tutoring, playground supervision, KC Hall bingo, spring auction, and Scout troops
- School Annual Fund Drive — raises money to maintain and upgrade facilities and keep tuition costs low
- Auction Committee — plans and coordinates the annual Spring Auction fundraiser
Religious Education & Adult Formation
Children not enrolled in St. Patrick School are catechized through the parish's Families of Faith Religious Education program; adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church join OCIA; and ongoing Scripture Study is offered for adult enrichment.
- Families of Faith Religious Education — for children not enrolled in the parish school
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Tuesday evenings at the Parish House at St. James, beginning in August
- Scripture Study — adult Bible study; dates and times announced in the bulletin
Liturgical Ministries — Worshiping God Together
The parish offers a wide array of liturgical ministries welcoming parishioners of all ages to serve at Mass and special celebrations. All parish and school volunteers age 18 and older are required to take a Protecting God's Children class and submit to a background check, per Bishop Paprocki's mandate.
- Adult Choirs — lead music at two weekend Masses and special celebrations; high-school age and older welcome to try out
- 8:30 Choir — rehearses Wednesday evenings at St. James; sings primarily for 8:30 Sunday Mass at St. James
- 10:30 Choir — rehearses Thursday evenings at St. Patrick; sings for the 10:30 Sunday Mass at St. Patrick
- Handbell Choir — rehearses Thursdays 6:00–7:00 PM at St. Patrick; high-school age and older welcome
- Children's Choir — grades 2 through 8; sings for special celebrations including Christmas Eve
- Cantors — lead assembly singing and solo portions of the liturgy
- Readers (Lectors) — proclaim the Word of God at Mass
- Servers — assist the priest during Mass; 4th grade and older; family teams encouraged
- Ushers — ministers of hospitality; assist with seating, communion lines, and collections
- Art and Environment — decorate the churches for liturgical seasons and major feasts
- Prayer and Worship Committee — enhances personal and communal prayer life
Service, Outreach & Pastoral Care
Ss. James and Patrick extends Christ's love beyond the church walls through pastoral visits to the homebound and hospitalized, school volunteer programs, and youth service organizations. Tom Prior serves as the parish's Office Outreach coordinator.
- Pastoral Care volunteers — visit parishioners in homes, hospitals and nursing homes; make phone calls and send cards to the homebound; take communion to hospitalized and homebound parishioners; transport homebound parishioners to Mass
- S.A.V.E. (Shining Armor Volunteers for Education) — supports St. Patrick School and Scout programs
- Cub Scouts of America — boys grades 1–5; meets Tuesday evenings at St. Patrick
- Girl Scouts Troop 3052 — girls grades 3–5; meets Fridays at the Parish House at St. James
- Protecting God's Children — required training and background check for all volunteers 18+
Parish Staff & Office
The parish is served by a team of clergy, parish staff, and school leaders. The parish office is open Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM, and can be reached at (217) 429-5363 or [email protected].
- Rev. Christopher J. Comerford — Pastor
- Rev. John C. Burnette — Pastor Emeritus (in private residence)
- Anita Olson — Office Manager
- Robin Canary — Office Assistant
- Carla Hahn — Financial Secretary
- Tom Prior — Office Outreach
- Sue Miller — Liturgical Scheduler
- Sarah Snuppel — Choir Director
- Amy Yusko — Elementary Principal, St. Patrick School
- Jerry Spain — Jr. High Principal, St. Patrick School
- Michelle Gillespie — Secretary, St. Patrick School
News, Bulletin & Online Resources
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin online and points parishioners to a wide range of Catholic news and resource links. Online giving is also available through the parish website.
- Weekly parish bulletin (online)
- Online giving available via the parish website
- Catholic news and resource links including Aleteia, Catholic News Agency, Catholic World Report, Crux, USCCB, Vatican News, Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, Decatur Catholic Radio 88.9 FM, Catholics Come Home, Catholic Culture
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jeff Grant2007–2011
First pastor of the merged Saints James and Patrick Parish
- Fr. John Burnette2011–2020
Now Pastor Emeritus
- Fr. Christopher J. Comerford2020–present
Current pastor