About St. Augustine · Ashland, Illinois
St. Augustine Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Ashland, Illinois, belonging to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The parish was dedicated on November 14, 1882 by Bishop Peter Joseph Baltes and takes its name from Saint Augustine of Hippo, whose solemnity the Church celebrates on August 28. Today the parish serves about 180 parishioners in 74 families with weekly Sunday Mass, weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Penance, and it is currently shepherded by Father Maurice Yonta, S.A.C., who also pastors the neighboring parishes of St. Luke in Virginia and St. Fidelis in Arenzville.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- Saint Augustine of Hippo (Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
- Rector
- Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. Augustine is a warm, close-knit country parish where nearly everyone knows everyone else by name. The community gathers three times a week around the altar — for Sunday morning Mass, Tuesday evening Mass preceded by Eucharistic Adoration, and Thursday morning Mass — and offers the Sacrament of Penance every Sunday before Mass. With active religious education (PSR) for the parish's children, a liturgical music ministry, and the personal availability of a pastor who lives on site in the rectory, St. Augustine offers the kind of small-parish intimacy and missionary discipleship that the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois envisions for its faithful.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays from 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. (before the 9:00 a.m. Mass)
- Other times by appointment (anonymous appointment or request)
Adoration times
- Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (immediately preceding the 6:00 p.m. Mass)
Parish History
St. Augustine Parish traces its origins to the early 1880s, when Catholic families in and around Ashland were first served as a mission from nearby Petersburg. The visiting priest, Reverend Augustine Sauer, is believed to have given the new community its name — after his own patron, Saint Augustine of Hippo. The church building was formally dedicated on November 14, 1882 by Bishop Peter Joseph Baltes, the second Bishop of Alton. Today the parish belongs to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and continues to mark the anniversary of its dedication each November.
- Founded/dedicated: November 14, 1882
- Dedicator: Most Reverend Peter Joseph Baltes, second Bishop of Alton
- First attending priest (mission from Petersburg): Rev. Augustine Sauer
- Original diocese: Diocese of Alton (later Diocese of Springfield in Illinois)
- Patron: Saint Augustine of Hippo, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
St. Augustine celebrates the Holy Mass three times each week and offers the Sacrament of Penance every Sunday before Mass. Eucharistic Adoration is held Tuesday evenings immediately preceding the 6:00 p.m. Mass, giving parishioners a quiet hour of prayer in the church before the liturgy begins. Holy Day Masses are also scheduled (typically 6:30 p.m.), and the parish priest is available for confession by appointment, including anonymous appointments upon request.
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 a.m.
- Tuesday Mass: 6:00 p.m. (preceded by Adoration at 5:00 p.m.)
- Thursday Mass: 7:30 a.m.
- Confessions: Sundays 8:15–8:45 a.m. and by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration: Tuesdays 5:00–6:00 p.m.
- Holy Day Masses: typically 6:30 p.m. (check parish announcements)
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is currently served by a Pallottine priest, Father Maurice Yonta, S.A.C., who resides at the rectory in Ashland and also pastors St. Luke, Virginia, and St. Fidelis, Arenzville. Parish life is supported by a secretary in the office, a Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) who directs the Parish School of Religion, and a Liturgical Music Coordinator. Together this small team keeps the parish's liturgical, educational, and administrative life running.
- Pastor: Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C. (Pallottine) — 2024 to present
- Secretary: Jana Schulenburg
- Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) / Parish School of Religion (PSR): Tanya Wallbaum
- Liturgical Music Coordinator: Joanne Gaston
Father Maurice Yonta, S.A.C. — Pastor
Father Maurice Yonta is a member of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottines, S.A.C.). Born September 22, 1970 and ordained July 10, 2004, he served in Cameroon before coming to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois in 2019. After assignments in the Sherman–Athens area and as pastor of Holy Family, Athens and St. Peter, Petersburg, he was appointed in 2024 to pastor the Ashland–Virginia–Arenzville cluster, with his residence at St. Augustine's rectory in Ashland.
- Born: September 22, 1970
- Ordained: July 10, 2004
- Religious order: Pallottines (S.A.C.)
- Pastoral Vicar, St. John Vianney (Sherman) & Holy Family (Athens), 2019–2021
- Pastor, Holy Family (Athens) & St. Peter (Petersburg), 2021–2024
- Pastor, St. Augustine (Ashland), St. Luke (Virginia), St. Fidelis (Arenzville), 2024–present
- Office: (217) 476-8856 · Cell: (217) 208-2790 · Email: [email protected]
Faith Formation: Parish School of Religion (PSR)
The parish operates a Parish School of Religion (PSR) for the religious education of its children, coordinated by the parish's CRE (Coordinator of Religious Education). In a small rural parish like St. Augustine, PSR is the primary means by which Catholic children in the Ashland area receive ongoing catechesis in preparation for the Sacraments and a lifelong faith.
- Coordinator: Tanya Wallbaum (CRE, PSR)
- Program: Parish School of Religion (PSR)
- Catechesis for parish children and families
Liturgical Music Ministry
Music for the Sunday and weekday liturgies is coordinated by the parish's Liturgical Music Coordinator, Joanne Gaston. As is typical of small country parishes, the music ministry draws on volunteer cantors and musicians from the parish community to support the sung prayer of the Mass.
- Coordinator: Joanne Gaston
- Supports sung liturgy at Sunday and weekday Masses
Cluster Ministry with St. Luke and St. Fidelis
Since 2024, St. Augustine has been served together with two other small rural parishes in central Illinois — St. Luke in Virginia and St. Fidelis in Arenzville — under a single pastor, Father Maurice Yonta, S.A.C. Cluster arrangements are a common feature of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, allowing a priest to minister to several neighboring communities while each parish retains its own identity, schedule, and staff.
- St. Luke, Virginia — clustered parish
- St. Fidelis, Arenzville — clustered parish
- Single pastor since 2024: Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C.
Visit, Contact & Location
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed. The parish office is open by phone during the week, and the pastor is available for confession, anointing, home visits, and other pastoral needs either by appointment or (for confession) anonymously by request. The parish's mailing/office address is on Saratoga Street in Ashland, while the church itself stands on Main Street.
- Mailing/Office: 320 N. Saratoga St., Ashland, IL 62612
- Church: 800 N. Main St. (also reported as 800 W. Main St.), Ashland, IL 62612
- Office/Rectory: (217) 476-8856
- Parish Hall: (217) 476-8298
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.staugustineashland.org
- Pastor: Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C. — [email protected] · (217) 208-2790
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles A. Edwards
Listed as pastor on older parish directory listings.
- Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C.2024–present
Pastoral Vicar at St. John Vianney, Sherman, and Holy Family, Athens, 2019–2021. Pastor of Holy Family, Athens, and St. Peter, Petersburg, 2021–2024. Appointed Pastor of St. Augustine, Ashland, St. Luke, Virginia, and St. Fidelis, Arenzville in 2024. A member of the Pallottine order (S.A.C.), born September 22, 1970, ordained July 10, 2004.