St. Anthony

Welcome to St. Anthony Catholic Church

St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church is a historic parish of the Diocese of Peoria, serving the rural Belgian-American Catholic community of Atkinson, Illinois, since 1870. Today the parish is part of a three-church 'Building Faith Together' cluster that includes St. Patrick in Sheffield and the Shrine of St. Mary of the Fields in Hooppole. The parish offers weekend and weekday Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, faith formation for children and adults, and a strong tradition of lay organizations.

History of the Parish

Catholic life in the Atkinson area traces back to 1857, when priests began celebrating Mass in scattered farm homes. Land donated in 1870 became the site of the first St. Anthony Church, a simple wooden structure. A brick replacement was built across the street in 1900 but was destroyed by fire in 1916. The current church was dedicated December 4, 1917, at a cost of $52,800. The interior was redecorated in 1949 and 1967, and the parish center (built on the site of the original 1870 church) was dedicated by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, in 2011. In 2017, parishioners celebrated the centennial of the present church with a Mass of Thanksgiving.

• 1857: First Masses celebrated in private homes
• 1870: Wooden church dedicated to St. Anthony
• 1900: Brick church built across the street
• 1916: Fire destroys brick church
• 1917 (Dec. 4): Current St. Anthony Church dedicated ($52,800)
• 1949 & 1967: Interior redecorations
• 2004: Cookbook 'Recipes and Recollections' raises $35,000 for new mahogany doors
• 2011: Parish center dedicated by Bishop Jenky on site of original 1870 church
• 2017: Centennial Mass celebrated by Bishop Jenky

Parish Staff & Leadership

The parish is led by Father S. Stephen Engelbrecht, who also serves as pastor of the linked parishes of St. Patrick (Sheffield) and the Shrine of St. Mary of the Fields (Hooppole). He is assisted by two active deacons, Nick Simon and Marshall Plumley, plus a parish secretary, bookkeeper, trustees, and parish and finance councils.

• Rev. S. Stephen Engelbrecht — Pastor ([email protected], 309-936-7900)
• Deacon Nick Simon ([email protected], 309-936-7682)
• Deacon Marshall Plumley ([email protected], 309-944-2219)
• Deacon Martin Van Meltebeck — Senior Status (Diocese of Peoria directory)
• Bonnie Van De Velde — Parish Secretary
• Valerie Plumley — Financial Bookkeeper
• Terry Patton — Parish Trustee
• Ken DeSmith — Parish Trustee
• Ben Raschke — Representative from A&R

Faith Formation & Religious Education

St. Anthony's CCD program provides religious education for parish children during the school year. Classes meet in the Parish Hall & Annex, with the program coordinated by Mary Ann Cernovich. Adults seeking to become Catholic or complete their sacraments are welcomed through the parish RCIA program, directed by Father Engelbrecht.

• CCD Program — Sundays during the school year, 8:30–9:45 am at the Parish Hall & Annex
• CCD Coordinator: Mary Ann Cernovich
• RCIA Program — contact Father Engelbrecht at 309-936-7900

Parish Organizations & Ministries

Parish life at St. Anthony is shaped by a handful of long-standing lay organizations. The Altar & Rosary Society gathers women of the parish for prayer, fellowship, and service; the Parish Circles Ministry divides the women of the parish into three working groups (Circle One, Circle Two, Circle Three). The Parish Council and Finance Council advise the pastor on spiritual and temporal matters.

• Altar & Rosary Society — President Jan Wyffels; meetings twice yearly at 6:30 pm
• Parish Circles Ministry — Circle One, Circle Two, Circle Three (each with Co-Chairs)
• Parish Council — chaired by the pastor with deacons and elected trustees
• Finance Council — chaired by the pastor with lay members
• Parish Prayer Chain — 936-7968, 936-7976, 944-8303

Sacraments

St. Anthony prepares parishioners for and celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. The parish encourages families to call ahead for Baptism preparation, and engaged couples are asked to contact the priest at least eight months before their proposed wedding date. The sick and homebound are visited with Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick upon request.

• Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:00–3:30 pm, or by appointment
• Baptism for Infants — call the parish office for preparation
• Holy Matrimony — eight months' notice to a priest
• Anointing of the Sick — call anytime; offered to the dying and homebound
• Holy Communion for the homebound/hospitalized — call the parish office

Parish Center & Facilities

The Parish Hall & Annex is the hub of parish gatherings and the home of the CCD program. The parish center itself was dedicated by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, in 2011 and was built on the site of the original 1870 wooden church. The church interior is home to stained-glass windows depicting St. Anthony, the Resurrection, and a round choir-loft window, plus four large mahogany doors installed in 2004 thanks to the parish cookbook fundraiser.

• Parish Hall & Annex — CCD classes and parish events
• Parish Center — dedicated 2011 by Bishop Jenky
• Four large mahogany entry doors — replaced 2004 with cookbook-proceeds funds
• Stained-glass sanctuary windows including St. Anthony and the Resurrection

The Linked Parish Family: 'Building Faith Together'

St. Anthony is linked with two nearby Catholic communities — St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church in Sheffield and the Shrine of St. Mary of the Fields in Hooppole — all sharing a single pastor and a single office. The Shrine of St. Mary of the Fields traces its origin to the 1870s, when Hooppole-area parishioners began as a mission of St. Anthony; a separate St. Mary's Church was built there in 1883. Together the three communities form the 'Building Faith Together' cluster referenced throughout the parish website.

• St. Patrick — 233 W. Atkinson Street, Sheffield, IL 61361 (309-936-7900)
• Shrine of St. Mary of the Fields — 24772 St. Mary's Road, Hooppole, IL 61277
• Shared pastor: Rev. S. Stephen Engelbrecht
• Shared office: [email protected]

Contact, Giving & Online Resources

Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Anthony by phone, email, or in person at the parish office. Online giving is available through Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) for both St. Anthony and Sacred Heart, and the parish participates in the Diocese of Peoria's volunteer training program.

• Parish Office Phone: 309-936-7900
• Parish Office Fax: 309-936-4035
• Parish Email: [email protected]
• St. Anthony Online Giving: https://www.osvhub.com/stanthonys-church/funds
• Diocesan Volunteer Training: https://peoria.cmgconnect.org/
• Diocese of Peoria ADA Appeal: https://www.cdop.org/ada