About St. Andrew · Rock Falls, Illinois
St. Andrew Church is a Roman Catholic parish located at 708 10th Avenue in Rock Falls, Illinois, in the heart of Whiteside County. It belongs to the Diocese of Rockford and serves the surrounding Sauk Valley community with daily and Sunday Masses, year-round Eucharistic Adoration in the Divine Mercy Chapel, faith formation for children and adults, and an active Catholic grade school (St. Andrew Catholic School, established 1952). The parish is pastored by Fr. Richard Russo with Deacon Keith Adams assisting, and offers a robust schedule of liturgical, social-justice, and fellowship ministries — including a St. Vincent de Paul Society conference, the Gianna's House pregnancy resource center, a thrift shop, a prayer chain, a widows' group, and an adult Bible study.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- St. Andrew (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Fr. Richard Russo
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rockford
Why belong here
St. Andrew offers a complete rhythm of Catholic life for the Rock Falls area: daily Mass Monday through Saturday, two Sunday Masses, Saturday confessions, and Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the Divine Mercy Chapel (open weekdays 9 AM–5 PM and Saturday 9 AM–4 PM, closed Sunday). Faith formation is available for every age — through St. Andrew Catholic Grade School (est. 1952), the parish Religious Education program coordinated by Sr. Marcianne Bzdon, and an adult Bible study that meets Wednesdays at 7 PM. Members live out the Gospel through the parish's own St. Vincent de Paul Society conference, the Gianna's House pregnancy resource center, the parish thrift shop, the prayer chain, a widows' fellowship, and visits to the homebound and sick.
Mass times at St. Andrew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM (or 4:00–4:45 PM per masstime.us)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the Divine Mercy Chapel: Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed Sundays)
- Holy Hour of Adoration: 1st Mondays of the month at 6:00 PM
- All-night Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: select dates from 7:30 PM until midnight (per parish calendar)
Welcome & Newcomers
St. Andrew's Newcomers page invites visitors and those new to the area to register as parishioners, learn about the Mass schedule, find the pastor, and view a map to the church. The parish emphasizes that the family of St. Andrew is open to all who wish to worship and grow in faith together.
- Register as a new parishioner
- View the parish Mass schedule and online calendar
- Find the pastor and parish map
- Explore getting involved in parish ministries
History of St. Andrew Parish
St. Andrew was founded in October 1950 as a mission of St. Mary's Parish in Sterling. Father Tully was the first pastor, setting up a temporary church at 716 Fourth Avenue in a former warehouse. He was succeeded in January 1951 by Father Burwell Beddoes, who initiated construction of the combined school and church at the present site. Until the new church was completed in 1975, the parish worshipped in the building's gymnasium. The parish is named in honor of Monsignor Burns of St. Mary's, who organized the Rock Falls mission.
- Founded October 1950
- First pastor: Father Tully
- Second pastor: Father Burwell Beddoes
- Present church building completed in 1975
Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Richard Russo with the assistance of Deacon Keith Adams. The Coordinator of Religious Education is Sr. Marcianne Bzdon, and the parish office is staffed by Bookkeeper Jenni DeMay (ext. 312) and Secretary Gwen Doane (ext. 310). Mike Imel coordinates the Sick / Shut-In Ministry.
- Pastor: Fr. Richard Russo — 815-625-4508
- Deacon: Keith Adams — 815-625-4508
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Sr. Marcianne Bzdon — 815-716-8134
- Bookkeeper: Jenni DeMay (ext. 312)
- Secretary: Gwen Doane (ext. 310)
- Sick / Shut-In Ministry: Mike Imel — 815-625-4508
Parish Life & Faith Formation
The parish frames its communal life around the Eucharist and a broad offering of faith formation opportunities. In addition to children's Religious Education coordinated by Sr. Marcianne Bzdon, the parish hosts an adult Bible study on Wednesday evenings, men's and women's groups, youth ministry, and a calendar full of liturgical-year celebrations. The parish encourages parishioners to read the weekly bulletin and consult the online calendar to stay engaged with events and Mass intentions.
- Adult Bible Study — Wednesdays 7:00 PM (Loreta Anning, 815-535-7676)
- Religious Education (Sr. Marcianne Bzdon, 815-716-8134)
- Youth Ministry
- Men's and Women's groups
- Annual Parish Bazaar
- Weekly bulletin & parish calendar
Human Concerns & Outreach
St. Andrew runs a wide network of social-justice and pastoral-care ministries, anchored by its own St. Vincent de Paul Society conference and the Gianna's House pregnancy resource center. The Prayer Chain lifts up special intentions when called upon, the Widows' Group gathers monthly after the First Saturday Mass, and parishioners volunteer at the Sauk Valley Food Bank and the parish-run St. Andrew Thrift Shop.
- Prayer Chain — Marianne Hardt, 815-622-0279
- Widows' Group — 1st Saturday 8:00 AM Mass + breakfast; Eileen Linton, 815-625-0210
- Gianna's House Pregnancy Resource Center — 808 W. Rt. 30, Rock Falls; Sharon Rude, 815-213-0290
- St. Andrew Thrift Shop — 1100 B First Ave., Rock Falls; Mon–Fri 9–3, Sat 9–1; 815-622-9181
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — 7 W. 6th St., Sterling; 815-625-0311
- Sauk Valley Food Bank — parishioner volunteers
- Sick / Shut-In visits — Mike Imel
Liturgical Ministries
The parish invites parishioners to serve in the liturgy as choir members, lectors, altar servers, and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. Holy Week and other special liturgies — including the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the Easter Vigil, Stations of the Cross, and Divine Mercy Sunday — are scheduled on the parish calendar.
- Choir
- Lectors
- Altar servers
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Holy Week and Easter liturgies
St. Andrew Catholic Grade School
St. Andrew Catholic Grade School was established in 1952 by St. Andrew Parish to educate the children of parishioners, with the founding conviction that children should receive an education within the context of a religious view of life. The school continues to operate from its campus adjacent to the parish and celebrated its 70th anniversary.
- Founded 1952
- Celebrated 70th anniversary
- Educates children of parish families
- Wednesday school Mass at 8:15 AM during the school year
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments and provides ongoing sacramental formation. The Anointing of the Sick is offered to anyone struggling with illness, in keeping with the broadened understanding of the sacrament since the Second Vatican Council. Baptisms, marriages, First Communion, and Confirmation are arranged through the parish office.
- Anointing of the Sick
- Baptism
- Marriage
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- First Communion & Confirmation
- Funeral Ministry
Calendar & Live Streaming
The parish maintains a public Google Calendar with Mass times, Holy Hour schedules, school events, Adoration evenings, and Holy Week services. Masses are live-streamed from the parish YouTube channel, allowing homebound parishioners and those unable to attend in person to remain connected to the liturgical life of St. Andrew.
- Online Google Calendar of parish events
- Live-streamed 8:00 AM daily Mass
- Live-streamed 9:30 AM Sunday Mass
- Parish YouTube channel
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father TullyOctober 1950 – January 1951
First pastor; established the temporary church at 716 Fourth Avenue in a former warehouse.
- Father Burwell BeddoesJanuary 1951 –
Succeeded Father Tully; initiated planning for the combined school and church at the present site; the gymnasium served as the church until the current church was built in 1975.