About St. Augustine of Canterbury · Hecker, Illinois
St. Augustine of Canterbury is a small Roman Catholic parish situated on Main Street in the Village of Hecker, Monroe County, Illinois, founded in 1824 by English Catholic settlers from Lancashire, England. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Belleville and is currently administered by the Vincentian Fathers (Congregation of the Mission, C.M.). It is a partner parish with SS. Peter & Paul in Waterloo and St. Mary in Valmeyer. Weekly Mass is offered Friday morning, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning, and the parish is known for its sandstone church built in 1893 with stone hauled by horse and buggy from Prairie Du Long Creek.
- Established
- 1824
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Canterbury
- Rector
- Rev. Linus Umoren, C.M. (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville, Illinois
Why belong here
St. Augustine of Canterbury is a small, two-centuries-old parish in rural Monroe County where English Catholic heritage and tight-knit village life still shape weekly worship. Weekend Mass on Saturday evening and Sunday morning is offered alongside a Friday morning Mass, and the parish is currently served by Vincentian priests. Active organizations include the Ladies Altar Sodality, the Holy Name men's society, the Knights of Columbus, the parish council, a finance committee, and a St. Vincent de Paul conference — meaning newcomers quickly get to know fellow parishioners through service, faith formation, and the annual parish events that mark the seasons in Hecker.
Mass times at St. Augustine of Canterbury
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 4:30–4:50 p.m. (per parish bulletin, when priests are available)
- Saturdays 4:00–4:45 p.m. and Sundays 8:00–8:20 a.m. (per diocesan directory; exceptions on Palm Sunday, Holy Saturday, and First Communion)
About St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish
St. Augustine of Canterbury is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Belleville, situated on Main Street in the small Village of Hecker, Monroe County, Illinois. According to the parish website, it was founded in 1824 and has been a fixture of the community for over 200 years. The parish mission statement centers on helping local people to know, love, and serve God through Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, making the Eucharist the heart of parish life and devoutly celebrating the Sacraments.
- Founded 1824
- Diocese of Belleville, IL
- 310 North Main Street, Hecker, IL 62248
- Pastoral partners: SS. Peter & Paul (Waterloo) and St. Mary (Valmeyer)
Bicentennial History (1824–2024)
The parish was begun in 1824 by English Catholic settlers from Lancashire, England — including the Bamber, Coop, Cottam, Gregson, Ibision, Newsham, Threlfall, Williams, and Winstanley families — who celebrated the first Mass at the Winstanley settlement. A log church was built that year on the settlement, where the parish cemetery is still located. In 1838 a larger stone church was dedicated, and it was rebuilt on the same foundation in 1854. The former log structure became the first parish school.
The 1893 Sandstone Church
In the 1890s, trustees moved parish life about two miles east to the new village of Freedom (incorporated as Hecker in 1895) and built the present sandstone church, which opened in 1893. The sandstone was quarried at Prairie Du Long Creek, about three miles west of town, and hauled to the site by horse and buggy. The building seats about 200 people and was redecorated in 1965, with the main altar turned to face the congregation in keeping with Vatican II.
- Sandstone quarried locally at Prairie Du Long Creek
- Capacity about 200
- Interior redecorated 1965; altar repositioned for Vatican II
The German-Carved Altar of 1908
Generous parishioner contributions in 1908 funded a new high altar carved in Germany, depicting two scenes from the life of St. Augustine of Canterbury. It is one of only two such altars in the United States (the other resides in a Franciscan church in New York). The two side altars were created in Quincy, Illinois.
- High altar carved in Germany, 1908
- Two side altars from Quincy, IL
- One of only two such altars in the U.S.
Parish School and the Poor Handmaids
From 1897 to 1985 the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ supplied nuns as teachers at St. Augustine's School. The Catholic grade school continued operating until May 1997, when it closed due to low enrollment. The parish now participates in a regional school board (SPPCS) with neighboring parishes.
- Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ taught 1897–1985
- St. Augustine Catholic School closed May 1997
- SPPCS School Board representative: Aaron Litteken
200th Anniversary Celebration
On October 19, 2024, Diocese of Belleville Bishop Michael McGovern celebrated the parish's Bicentennial Mass, followed by presentations, dinner, and entertainment by Tim Berg and the Kurtz Family Band at the Hecker Community Center. Parishioner Aaron Eckart, who served on the parish council and bicentennial committee, presented the gathered history drawn largely from Josephine Wittenauer's 1976 anniversary book. Sharon Martin's 1993 'Centennial Poem' was also adapted and read for the occasion.
- Bicentennial Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael McGovern, Oct. 19 2024
- Source: 'History of Saint Augustine of Canterbury Parish 1824-1974' by Josephine Wittenauer (1976)
- 'Centennial Poem' by Sharon Martin (1993), adapted for 2024
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently administered by the Vincentian Fathers (Congregation of the Mission, C.M.), with day-to-day operations run out of the Parish Office and the Parish Center on North Main Street. Parish Office hours are Mondays and Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Administrator: Rev. Linus Umoren, C.M.
- Parochial Vicar (per diocesan directory): Rev. Longenus Odum, CM
- Parochial Vicar (per Catholic Charities directory): Rev. Balaiah Ery
- Parish Secretary: Barbara Bruss (618-975-0166)
- Parish Center: 340 N. Main Street, Hecker, IL 62248
Parish Organizations and Ministries
The parish sustains a robust network of lay organizations, from the traditional Ladies Altar Sodality and Holy Name men's society to the Knights of Columbus and a St. Vincent de Paul conference. Trustees and a Finance Committee handle temporal matters, while the Parish Council and Cemetery Sexton oversee community and grounds.
- Parish Trustees: Larry Schaltenbrand, Ryan Grohmann
- Parish Council Finance Committee President: Scott Gregson
- Ladies Altar Sodality / Blessed Virgin Altar Sodality — President: Mary Schaltenbrand
- Holy Name — President: John Kaiser
- Knights of Columbus (Intellectual Disabilities Drive, etc.)
- St. Vincent de Paul help line: 618-792-4059
- Cemetery Sexton: David Williams
- House of Neighborly Service help line: 618-939-8680
Outreach and Parish Life
Outreach flows through several parish channels: the St. Vincent de Paul conference, the Respect Life Apostolate promoted in the parish bulletin (with referrals to the diocesan Project Rachel ministry), and the annual Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal. Each year the parish holds its Parish Council elections in October, an All Souls' Remembrance Mass in early November, and a Holy Name Men's Society fundraiser. Sharon Martin's 'Centennial Poem' remains a literary touchstone, adapted for the 2024 bicentennial.
- St. Vincent de Paul (618-792-4059)
- House of Neighborly Service (618-939-8680)
- Respect Life / Project Rachel (Diocese of Belleville)
- Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal — 2024–2025 goal $6,569.00 (98% pledged in early 2025)
- All Souls' Remembrance Mass, early November
Visiting the Parish
St. Augustine of Canterbury welcomes visitors to its Main Street church in the Village of Hecker, Monroe County, roughly 15 miles south of Belleville. The Parish Center at 340 N. Main Street is used for council, finance, and Sodality meetings. The parish office can be reached by phone or email, and the parish publishes a weekly bulletin (available on the parish website) with announcements, schedules, and the names of servers, lectors, and extraordinary ministers for each Mass.
- Address: 310 N. Main Street, Hecker, IL 62248
- Parish Center: 340 N. Main Street, Hecker, IL 62248
- Phone: 618-473-2217
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mondays and Thursdays, 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
- Bulletin available on the parish website