About St. Ann (Jacob/Raddle) · Raddle, Illinois
St. Ann Catholic Church is a small rural parish serving the farming community of Raddle (also known as Jacob) in Jackson County, southern Illinois. Established in 1875 as a mission of St. Andrew Parish in nearby Murphysboro, it is one of the oldest Catholic congregations in the Mississippi River bottoms region. Today St. Ann is partnered with St. Andrew under the pastoral care of Rev. Joel Seipp, and the parish community gathers each Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. for Mass in its century-old church on Raddle Church Lane. The parish is best known locally for its annual Duck Booya and Chicken Dinner, a beloved community tradition held on the first Saturday of October since 1981.
- Established
- 1875
- Patron
- St. Ann (St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Joel Seipp
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville, Illinois
Why belong here
St. Ann offers a quiet, traditional Catholic parish home in the heart of Jackson County's river-bottoms farmland, with a weekly Sunday Mass and the sacraments celebrated in a historic country church just a few yards west of the intersection of Bardanel and Raddle Roads. Parishioners are also part of a broader partnered community with St. Andrew in Murphysboro, sharing faith formation, clergy, and a celebrated local heritage that includes the famous annual Duck Booya and Chicken Dinner — a tradition that has knit neighbors together every October since 1981.
Mass times at St. Ann (Jacob/Raddle)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. (before Mass)
Parish Identity & Partnership with St. Andrew
St. Ann is a small rural parish of the Diocese of Belleville, established in 1875 as a mission of St. Andrew Parish in Murphysboro. Today it operates as a partnered parish with St. Andrew under a single pastor, sharing staff, the parish office, and faith-formation resources. The shared website — standrewmboro.org — lists the St. Ann community alongside St. Andrew and identifies the parish as the oldest Catholic congregation serving the Raddle community in Jackson County.
- Diocese: Diocese of Belleville, Illinois
- Established: 1875
- Partnered Parish: St. Andrew, Murphysboro
- Mailing address uses St. Andrew office: 724 Mulberry St., Murphysboro, IL 62966
History of St. Ann
St. Ann's history reflects the Catholic pioneer settlement of Jackson County's Mississippi River bottoms. The mission was originally served by visiting priests from St. Andrew, Murphysboro. In 1888 Father Hessoun, a Bohemian priest from St. Louis, blessed the original church, and a German priest from Chester offered Mass monthly. By 1912 the original building was too small, and on October 23, 1912, the present St. Ann Church was dedicated. The parish then had only 43 members and was served twice-monthly by Father Fred Witte.
- 1888 – Original church blessed by Father Hessoun, a Bohemian priest from St. Louis
- 1912 – Present church dedicated October 23 by Father Fred Witte
- 1923 – Father Robert DeGasperi arrives
- 1925 – St. Ann merged with St. Elizabeth of Ava and St. Joseph of Willisville
- 1931 – Father Elmer Schuhmacher arrives; parish hall created from a remodeled home
- 1963 – Father Leo Hayes becomes pastor
- 1981 – Duck Booya and parish raffle tradition launched
Pastoral Leadership & Staff
St. Ann shares pastoral leadership and administrative staff with partnered parish St. Andrew in Murphysboro. The current pastor of both communities is Rev. Joel Seipp, who can be reached through the Murphysboro parish office. Faith formation for the youth of both parishes is coordinated through the shared Catholic Youth Faith Formation office.
- Pastor: Rev. Joel Seipp — [email protected], 618-687-2012
- Catholic Youth Faith Formation: Patty Williams — 618-534-6164
- Parish Secretary (St. Andrew/St. Ann): Cindy Thompson — [email protected]
- Finance Manager: Tammy Gartner — [email protected]
- High School Youth Minister: Bill Schwartz
- St. Ann PSR contact: Jessica Fritsche — 618-713-1835
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Catholic Youth Faith Formation (PSR) for St. Ann is administered jointly with St. Andrew Parish in Murphysboro, allowing families at the rural Raddle church to participate in the same program offered in town. The Coordinator of Family Faith Formation across both parishes is Patty Williams.
- Coordinator of Family Faith Formation: Patty Williams (618-534-6164)
- St. Ann PSR contact: Jessica Fritsche (618-713-1835)
- Program shared with partnered parish St. Andrew, Murphysboro
The Duck Booya and Chicken Dinner
The most distinctive tradition of St. Ann is the annual Duck Booya and Chicken Dinner, launched in 1981 and held every year on the first Saturday of October. The event serves all-you-can-eat duck booya — a hearty wild-duck stew rooted in the Midwest's rural hunting and farming culture — along with fried chicken, raffles, games, and concessions. It has become a beloved community tradition that draws visitors from across southern Illinois, and memorial contributions in honor of parishioners are often directed to the St. Ann's Duck Booya fund.
- Held annually on the first Saturday of October
- Started in 1981, paired with the parish raffle
- All-you-can-eat duck booya and fried chicken
- Includes raffles, games, and concessions
- Supports parish fundraising and community fellowship
Sacraments & Devotional Life
St. Ann offers the core sacraments on its regular weekly schedule, with Reconciliation heard each Sunday morning before Mass. Baptisms, weddings, anointing of the sick, and other rites are coordinated with the partnered St. Andrew parish office in Murphysboro so that parishioners have access to a full sacramental life despite the parish's small size and rural location.
- Reconciliation: Sunday 7:30–8:00 a.m.
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 a.m.
- Holy Day Vigil Mass: as announced
- Other sacraments coordinated through St. Andrew Parish office, Murphysboro (618-687-2012)
Visiting St. Ann
St. Ann's country church sits at 101 Raddle Church Lane, Jacob, IL 62950, just a few yards west of the intersection of Bardanel and Raddle Roads. Although the parish shares its mailing address with St. Andrew in Murphysboro, the church itself is in the heart of the historic Raddle farming community, and visitors are warmly welcomed at Sunday Mass.
- Address: 101 Raddle Church Lane, Jacob, IL 62950
- Mailing: 724 Mulberry St., Murphysboro, IL 62966
- Phone (parish office): 618-687-2012
- Located a few yards west of the intersection of Bardanel and Raddle Roads
- Website: https://www.standrewmboro.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Hessoun1888–early 1900s
Bohemian priest from St. Louis who blessed the original church and heard confessions; the rear triple window of the present church bears his name.
- Father Fred Witteby 1912
Came twice a month to celebrate Mass after the present church was dedicated in 1912; the parish then numbered 43 souls.
- Father Robert DeGasperi1923–
Arrived in 1923; oversaw St. Ann's 1925 merger of parishes with St. Elizabeth of Ava and St. Joseph of Willisville.
- Father Elmer Schuhmacher1931–
Acquired a home in Raddle and remodeled it as a parish hall.
- Father Leo Hayes1963–
Became pastor in 1963; served during the era when the Duck Booya tradition began in 1981.