About St. Anne · East Moline, Illinois
St. Anne is a Roman Catholic parish located at 555 18th Avenue in East Moline, Illinois, founded in 1919 by Father William Cleary to serve a growing, multi-ethnic Catholic community on the eastern edge of the Quad Cities. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Peoria and for more than a century has welcomed generations of families — many with five or more generations on the parish rolls — into a worshipping community that the parish itself describes as faith-filled, diverse, and rooted in core Catholic values. After serving the area for 106 years as an independent parish, St. Anne merged on June 29, 2025 with St. John the Baptist in Rapids City to form the new Our Lady of Grace Parish, with Fr. Julien Esse, SMA continuing as pastor.
- Established
- 1919
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Julien Esse, SMA
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Anne is a parish where a Catholic can plant deep roots: the parish proudly tracks families with five or more generations on the rolls, and celebrates the multi-ethnic, working-class character of its founders. Worship is offered in a historic setting with notable stained glass windows and a recently remodeled sanctuary. The parish also runs a popular men's program, 'That Man Is You!', and welcomes all men over 18 — married, single or divorced — to gather in Clearly Hall on Friday mornings. As part of the new Our Lady of Grace Parish formed in June 2025, St. Anne continues its 106-year tradition of Catholic life in East Moline under Fr. Julien Esse, SMA, and Deacon Jim Briggs.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Adoration times
- Sunday Adoration at St. Anne prior to the 10:30 a.m. Mass (per Our Lady of Grace Parish schedule)
Parish History & Centenary
St. Anne was established in 1919 by Father William Cleary for a growing, multi-ethnic Catholic community in East Moline. The parish's history page preserves the original membership list from circa 1919, a parish timeline running to 2002, parish books written by parishioner Joe Roels, and a record of baptisms, marriages and funerals from 1919 to 2019. The parish is also unusual in tracking families with five or more generations on the rolls. The 2017–2019 centennial under the theme REMEMBER – REJOICE – RENEW produced seven issues of The Centennial Scoop, letters from then-pastor Fr. Antonio Dittmer, local press coverage in the Dispatch-Argus and the Catholic Post, and a sanctuary remodel whose before/after renderings are still online. The Centennial Finale Mass was celebrated in July 2019.
- Parish Records: Baptisms, Marriages & Funerals 1919–2019
- Father Cleary Book, St. Anne Parish Book, St. Anne School Book (by Joe Roels)
- Original Parish Members, circa 1919
- Parish Timeline, 1919–2002
- Parish Events, 1919–1993
- Parish Groups, 1919–1970
- Five or More Family Generations at St. Anne's
- History Booklet from Centennial Mass, 2019
- Parish Directory, 2016
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
St. Anne is currently served by Fr. Julien Esse, SMA — a member of the Society of African Missions — as pastor, and by Deacon Jim Briggs, who has been assigned to the parish since 2002. Fr. Esse continues as pastor of the new Our Lady of Grace Parish formed by the June 2025 merger.
- Rev. Julien Esse, SMA — Pastor (2024–present)
- Deacon Jim Briggs — serving since 2002
Vocations from St. Anne's
St. Anne has produced an unusually rich harvest of priestly and diaconal vocations across its 100+ year history, as listed on the parish history page.
- Rev. Raymond Lassuy (1939)
- Rev. Carl G. Schulte (1948)
- Rev. Ralph Aldrich (1953)
- Rev. John Niemeyer (1955)
- Rev. John Van Wiel (1966)
- Rev. Duane C. Jack (1967)
- Rev. Tom Mizeur (1973)
- Rev. Bruce Lopez (1988)
- Rev. Richard Soseman (1992)
- Deacon Tim Granet (1992)
- Deacon Jim Briggs (2002)
Parish Ministries & Groups
The parish's flagship lay ministry listed publicly is 'That Man Is You!', a multimedia men's faith and leadership program open to all men over 18 — married, single or divorced. It meets Fridays from 6:00 to 7:20 a.m. in Clearly Hall (555 18th Ave, East Moline), with doors opening at 5:45 a.m. The program integrates contemporary social science with Catholic teaching and the spirituality of St. John Paul II.
- That Man Is You! — men's program, Fridays 6:00–7:20 a.m. in Clearly Hall
- Parish BINGO Night
- Annual Mission Appeal hosting for the Diocese of Peoria
Historic Stained Glass Windows
The parish highlights its historic stained glass windows directly on its About page, calling them out as a distinctive feature of St. Anne's worship space. The windows are presented alongside the parish history, the sanctuary remodel, and the centennial materials.
2025 Merger into Our Lady of Grace Parish
On June 29, 2025, St. Anne of East Moline and St. John the Baptist of Rapids City were merged by the Diocese of Peoria into a single new parish, Our Lady of Grace Parish. Fr. Julien Esse, SMA continues as pastor of the combined community. The Diocese of Peoria records St. Anne's founding year as 1919 and lists 555 18th Avenue, East Moline, IL 61244 as the physical address of St. Anne Church within the new parish.
- Merger effective: June 29, 2025
- New parish name: Our Lady of Grace Parish
- Pastor: Fr. Julien Esse, SMA
- Combined Mass schedule includes St. Anne (Sat 4 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m., Tue 8 a.m., Fri 8 a.m.) and St. John the Baptist (Sat 5:45 p.m., Sun 8:30 a.m., Wed 6:30 a.m., Thu 12 p.m.)
Mission Appeal & Outreach
Each year every parish in the Diocese of Peoria is required to host a Mission Appeal. St. Anne's website highlights a recent visit by Fr. Luc Tougouma, SMA, ordained in 2017, whose Society of African Missions works in the most abandoned areas of Africa — bringing sacraments, Catholic teaching, clean drinking water, advocacy for justice and peace, and empowerment of young women through healthcare, schooling and economic opportunity.
- Annual Mission Appeal required by the Diocese of Peoria
- Recent visitor: Fr. Luc Tougouma, SMA (Society of African Missions)
Visiting & Contact Information
St. Anne's parish office and Clearly Hall share the address 555 18th Avenue, East Moline, IL 61244-2093. The parish can be reached by phone at (309) 755-5071 and by email at [email protected]. Visitors unable to attend Mass who wish to receive Holy Communion at home are encouraged to call the parish office. As of 2025 the parish also operates as part of Our Lady of Grace Parish.
- Address: 555 18th Avenue, East Moline, IL 61244-2093
- Phone: (309) 755-5071
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.saintanne-em.org
- Homebound Holy Communion available by request
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Cleary1918–1972
Founding pastor; led St. Anne for more than 50 years from its establishment in 1919.
- Rev. John F. O'Connor1967–1972
Co-pastor alongside Fr. Cleary in the final years of the founder's tenure.
- Rev. Edward J. Bawiec1972
- Rev. Michael T. VanRaes1972–1978
- Rev. J. W. Anderson1976–1978
- Rev. J. Richard Fagan1978–1979
- Rev. Francis J. Ryan1978–1983
- Rev. Albert W. Hallin1983–1988
- Rev. Robert D. O'Connor1988–2003
Long-tenured pastor of 15 years.
- Rev. James K. Ramer2003–2008
- Rev. Keith A. Walder2008–2011
- Rev. Gregory J. Jozefiak2011–2014
- Rev. Fredi Gomez Torres2014–2017
- Rev. Antonio Dittmer2017–2019
Led the parish through its centennial year and the 2019 sanctuary remodel.
- Rev. James Pallardy2019–2020
- Rev. Glenn Harris2020–2021
- Rev. James Pallardy2021–2023
Returned for a second term.
- Rev. Glenn Harris2023–2024
Returned for a second term.
- Rev. Julien Esse, SMA2024–present
Member of the Society of African Missions; continues as pastor of the merged Our Lady of Grace Parish.