About St. Ann · Toluca, Illinois
St. Ann Catholic Church is a small parish located at 311 W. Santa Fe Avenue in Toluca, Illinois, founded in 1893 to serve the Irish Catholic families of the area. Today it is part of the "4 Saints" Catholic collaborative, linked with St. Patrick (Minonk), St. Mary (Wenona), and the oratory of St. John the Baptist (Lostant), under the Diocese of Peoria. The parish is pastored by Conventual Franciscan friars Father Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv., and Father Stephen McKinley, OFM Conv., and offers Sunday and weekday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a CCD religious education program, and Knights of Columbus fellowship.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- St. Ann (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Father Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Ann is a warm, generational parish where Irish-Catholic Tolucan families have worshipped since 1893, and where newcomers quickly become part of the family. Worshippers can attend Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM and Wednesday morning Mass, with Eucharistic Adoration on the first Wednesday of every month and Confession offered after each daily Mass. The parish runs an active CCD program for children, a Knights of Columbus council that meets monthly, and shares priests and faith life with the other 4 Saints Catholic parishes in Minonk, Wenona and Lostant.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- After every 8:00 AM daily Mass
- 1st Wednesday of the month, following the 8:00 AM Mass (during Eucharistic Adoration 8:30–9:00 AM)
Adoration times
- 1st Wednesday of the month, 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM (immediately following the 8:00 AM Mass)
About St. Ann Parish
St. Ann Catholic Church in Toluca, Illinois, is a small but historically rich parish founded in 1893 for the Irish Catholic families of this Marshall County coal-mining town. Today the parish worships and serves the faithful as part of the 4 Saints Catholic collaborative, which links St. Ann with St. Patrick in Minonk, St. Mary in Wenona, and the St. John the Baptist Oratory in Lostant. The parish is cared for by Conventual Franciscan priests of the Diocese of Peoria.
- Founded 1893
- Diocese of Peoria
- Pastored by Conventual Franciscans (OFM Conv.)
- Member of 4 Saints Catholic collaborative
History of St. Ann, Toluca
St. Ann's was created in the very early 1900s to serve the Irish Catholic families of Toluca. A parish grade school — and eventually a high school — were established, with instruction provided for many years by the Sisters of St. Francis of Clinton, Iowa. A second parish for Italian immigrants, St. Joachim, was founded by Fr. Boncini in 1900; in 1921 it merged into St. Ann, and its school building was moved to 121 North Chestnut in 1922. Father Roche rebuilt the school in 1950, the church was remodeled in 1954, and the grade school ultimately closed in 1971. In 2013, Sacred Heart Church in Rutland — which had been established in 1875 — was merged into St. Ann as part of the diocese's 'Growing in Faith Together' initiative.
- 1893 — Parish founded for Irish Catholic families
- 1900 — Fr. Boncini establishes St. Joachim for Italian immigrants
- 1901 — St. Joachim school opens
- 1921 — St. Joachim parish and school consolidate into St. Ann
- 1922 — School moved to 121 N. Chestnut
- 1928 — High school discontinued
- 1936 — Parish hall built under Fr. Francis J. Casey
- 1950 — School rebuilt by Father Roche for $30,000
- 1954 — Church remodeled
- 1971 — Grade school closes
- 2013 — Sacred Heart, Rutland, merged into St. Ann
Clergy & Staff
St. Ann is pastored by Conventual Franciscan friars assigned by the Diocese of Peoria. Father Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv., serves as Pastor of the 4 Saints parishes, and Father Stephen McKinley, OFM Conv., is in residence and also serves the collaborative. Both priests are incardinated members of a religious order serving in the Peoria Diocese.
- Father Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv. — Pastor (born Oshkosh, WI; ordained July 20, 1987; assigned to the 4 Saints parishes in 2017)
- Father Stephen McKinley, OFM Conv. — Priest (born New Albany, IN; ordained September 3, 1994; in residence at St. Mary, Wenona, since 2017)
Faith Formation (CCD)
The parish runs a parish-school-of-religion program (CCD) for children of the 4 Saints parishes. Pre-K through Grade 4 classes meet on Wednesdays from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM, while Grade 5 and up (including Confirmation preparation) meet on select Sundays after the 9:15 AM Mass in Wenona, running until 11:15 AM. The program year concludes with a May Crowning.
- PreK–Grade 4: Wednesdays, 5:30–6:30 PM
- Grade 5+ / Confirmation prep: Sundays after 9:15 AM Mass – 11:15 AM
- Year-end May Crowning
Parish Organizations
St. Ann is supported by active parish organizations that foster fellowship and faith formation across the collaborative. The Knights of Columbus council meets locally on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30 PM, while other devotional groups (such as the Cenacle of the Marian Movement of Priests and Holy Face Devotion) are listed among the linked parishes' activities.
- Knights of Columbus – 2nd Tuesday of the month, 6:30 PM
- Cenacle of the Marian Movement of Priests – Thursdays, 9:00 AM (linked parishes)
- Holy Face Devotion – Tuesdays, 5:30 PM (linked parishes)
Sacraments
The parish office helps schedule Baptisms, the Sacrament of the Sick (available in home or hospital), and Marriage preparation. Confessions are heard after every 8:00 AM daily Mass, and CCD programs prepare children for First Communion and Confirmation.
- Baptism – contact the Parish Office
- Sacrament of the Sick – call the Parish Office for home or hospital visits
- Reconciliation – after every 8:00 AM daily Mass
- Marriage – contact the Parish Office
- First Communion & Confirmation – through CCD
Visit & Contact
St. Ann's physical address is 311 W. Santa Fe Avenue, Toluca, IL 61369. Parish mail is routed through St. Mary in Wenona (c/o St. Mary, 207 W. 3rd St. South, Wenona, IL 61377). The parish office can be reached at (815) 853-4558 (fax 815-853-0111) or by email at [email protected].
- Address: 311 W. Santa Fe Avenue, Toluca, IL 61369
- Mailing: c/o St. Mary, 207 W. 3rd St. South, Wenona, IL 61377
- Phone: (815) 853-4558
- Fax: (815) 853-0111
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.4saints.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Phillip Walsh
Pastor of St. Ann's at the time St. Joachim's school supervision was turned over to him by Bishop Dunne; oversaw the 1921 union of the two parishes.
- Fr. Francis J. Caseythrough 1936
Supervised the building of the new parish hall (later used as a gymnasium), much of it constructed by parishioners during the Depression.
- Father Roche
Rebuilt the school in 1950 for $30,000; died 1954.
- Father Patrick Convery, I.C.1954 (few months)
Served as administrator briefly after Father Roche's death.
- Father John Schumacherappointed May 1954
Took over after Father Convery.
- Father T. J. Lesniakappointed June 2, 1970