About St. Alexius · Beardstown, Illinois
St. Alexius Catholic Church is a multilingual parish in the small Illinois River town of Beardstown (Cass County), about 45 miles west of Springfield. It belongs to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and serves roughly 815 parishioners across 330 families, with Mass celebrated in English, Spanish, and (on the third Sunday of each month) French. Since the late 1980s the parish has been closely identified with the dramatic growth of Beardstown's Hispanic community, and today it functions as both a spiritual home and a social-services hub for newly arrived immigrant families alongside its long-standing Anglo parishioners.
- Patron
- St. Alexius of Rome (Alexis)
- Rector
- Rev. Paul A. Habing
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. Alexius is one of the few parishes in central Illinois where a single Sunday worships in three languages — English at 10:00 a.m., Spanish at 11:30 a.m., and French on the third Sunday at 4:30 p.m. — making it a genuine cross-cultural Catholic community. The parish pairs that liturgical life with hands-on outreach: a parish-based free store, bilingual sacramental preparation, an OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program, and a long tradition of accompanying immigrant families. With 815 parishioners across 330 families, it is small enough to know one another but large enough to offer daily Mass, confession, and a music ministry under a dedicated coordinator.
Mass times at St. Alexius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 5:00–5:30 p.m.
Parish Identity and Community
St. Alexius is a Roman-Latin Catholic parish in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, serving about 815 parishioners across roughly 330 families in Beardstown, Cass County. Its tri-lingual Sunday worship — English, Spanish, and monthly French — and its history of accompanying immigrant families make it one of the more distinctive small parishes in central Illinois.
- Parish population: ~815 parishioners, ~330 families
- Jurisdiction: Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
- Languages: English, Spanish, French
- Location: Beardstown, on the Illinois River about 45 miles west of Springfield
History and the Immigrant Story
Beardstown's demographic profile changed dramatically after the Excel Corporation reopened a shuttered hog meatpacking plant in 1987 and recruited workers from Mexico. St. Alexius, then a small parish under the Viatorians, became a focal point for the wave of new arrivals — first by introducing Spanish-language Masses around 1995, and then by running a free store and social-services outreach from its basement. The parish's story was told nationally in a 2001 NPR Illinois feature and a 2004 Copley News Service piece that chronicled both the congregation's growth and the racial tensions the parish tried to mediate.
- 1987 — Excel Corp. reopens local meatpacking plant; Mexican workers begin arriving in Beardstown.
- 1989 — Rev. Eugene J. Weitzel, CSV, appointed pastor of St. Alexius.
- c. 1995 — First Spanish-language Masses introduced at the request of four Hispanic parishioners.
- Late 1990s — Dominican Sister Renee Lawless, OP, recruited to assist immigrant families.
- 2001 — Parish-organized meeting of ~60 residents launches a local alliance for racial harmony.
- 2006 — Fr. Weitzel retires as pastor; continues as part-time sacramental minister until 2011.
- April 30, 2015 — Fr. Eugene J. Weitzel dies at age 88.
- August 2023 — Rev. Paul A. Habing appointed pastor of St. Alexius, St. Fidelis (Arenzville) and St. Luke (Virginia).
- August 19, 2024 — Fr. Habing retains St. Alexius as sole pastorate.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Rev. Paul A. Habing, a veteran missionary who spent 16 years in Peru and then coordinated Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois for twelve years before being named pastor in 2023. Day-to-day parish life is supported by a small lay staff and volunteer ministry coordinators.
- Rev. Paul A. Habing — Pastor (2023–present); ordained May 31, 1980.
- Kris Cox — Office Manager and Bookkeeper.
- Marian Giacomini — Secretary.
- Pat Kloppenburg — OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults).
- Dominique Mignanou — African French Community coordinator.
- Mary Beth Tillitt-Pratt — Liturgical Music Coordinator.
- Deacon Paul E. Koch — previously assigned to St. Alexius (2012–2023); now serving Holy Family, Mt. Sterling.
Mass and Sacramental Schedule
The parish offers a daily Mass on Thursdays, a bilingual Wednesday evening Mass, and three Sunday liturgies — one in English, one in Spanish, and a monthly French Mass reflecting the parish's African French-speaking community. Confessions are heard immediately before the Wednesday bilingual Mass.
- Thursday — 8:00 a.m. Mass (English)
- Wednesday — 6:00 p.m. Mass (Bilingual English/Spanish)
- Sunday — 10:00 a.m. Mass (English)
- Sunday — 11:30 a.m. Mass (Spanish)
- Sunday (Third Sunday of the month) — 4:30 p.m. Mass (French)
- Holy Days — contact St. Luke, Virginia
- Sacrament of Penance — Wednesday 5:00–5:30 p.m.
Parish Ministries and Outreach
St. Alexius's ministry portfolio reflects both the sacramental needs of a tri-lingual community and the parish's long tradition of direct service to immigrant families. Music, OCIA (formerly RCIA), and the African French Community each have named lay coordinators.
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (Pat Kloppenburg)
- African French Community — Dominique Mignanou
- Liturgical Music — Mary Beth Tillitt-Parish coordinator
- Bilingual sacramental preparation (English/Spanish)
- Parish free store and material aid to immigrant families
- Social-work outreach and accompaniment (historically led by Dominican Sister Renee Lawless, OP)
Location and Contact
St. Alexius is listed by the City of Beardstown and the diocesan directory at 215 W. 5th Street in Beardstown, Illinois, in zip code 62618. The parish shares administrative coordination with neighboring diocesan parishes.
- Address: 215 W. 5th St., Beardstown, IL 62618
- Rectory phone: (217) 323-4345
- Office phone: (217) 371-4713
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Pastor's email: [email protected]
- Diocesan website: dio.org (parish directory entry 1988)
- Parish website: dio.org/parishes/st-alexius-beardstown.html
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is St. Alexius? — 215 W. 5th St., Beardstown, IL 62618, in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
- What time is Mass at St. Alexius Beardstown? — Sunday 10:00 a.m. (English), 11:30 a.m. (Spanish), and 4:30 p.m. on the third Sunday (French). Weekday Mass: Thursday 8:00 a.m.; Wednesday 6:00 p.m. bilingual.
- Is there a Spanish Mass? — Yes, every Sunday at 11:30 a.m., plus a bilingual Mass on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m.
- When is confession offered? — Wednesday 5:00–5:30 p.m., immediately before the bilingual Mass.
- Who is the pastor? — Rev. Paul A. Habing, appointed in 2023; previously pastor Fr. Eugene J. Weitzel, CSV, served 1989–2006/2011.
- What diocese is St. Alexius in? — The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
- Does the parish serve immigrant families? — Yes; since the late 1980s St. Alexius has operated outreach to Beardstown's Hispanic community, including a parish free store and bilingual sacramental preparation.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Eugene J. Weitzel, CSV1989–2006 (pastor); 2006–2011 (part-time sacramental minister)
Viatorian priest from Springfield; previously chaplain at St. John's Hospital, Springfield for 18 years. Welcomed Beardstown's growing Hispanic community after Excel Corp. reopened the local meatpacking plant in 1987; helped introduce Spanish-language Masses (~1995) and social services. Died April 30, 2015, age 88.
- Rev. Paul A. Habing2023–present
Ordained May 31, 1980; longtime missionary in Peru (1987–2009), then Area Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois (2011–2023). Appointed pastor of St. Alexius (Beardstown), St. Fidelis (Arenzville) and St. Luke (Virginia) in 2023; in August 2024, retained duties as pastor of St. Alexius while concluding his appointment at St. Fidelis and St. Luke.