About St. Augustine of Hippo · Breese, Illinois
St. Augustine of Hippo is a Roman Catholic parish in Breese, Illinois, established in 1912 and part of the Diocese of Belleville. It serves the community from its campus at 525 S. Third Street, partnering with St. Dominic in Breese and St. Anthony in Beckemeyer. The parish shares its Catholic school, All Saints Academy, with neighboring St. Dominic, and offers weekend Masses in English along with weekday Masses, Reconciliation, youth faith formation, RCIA, and a full range of parish commissions and outreach ministries.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Hippo
- Rector
- Rev. Charles W. "Chuck" Tuttle
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
St. Augustine of Hippo is a welcoming, multigenerational Catholic community rooted in more than a century of faith in Breese. Its vision statement — 'Called to Welcome, Serve, & Celebrate' — is lived out through strong faith formation for children and youth, RCIA and small faith-sharing groups for adults, family-life and sacramental preparation, and an active partnership with All Saints Academy Catholic School. Add in the warmth of weekday and weekend Masses, regular Reconciliation, and a parish campus that includes a church, school, rectory and Parish Center, and it is a place where families can truly grow in relationship with Christ and one another.
Mass times at St. Augustine of Hippo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:20 p.m.
Welcome to St. Augustine Parish
St. Augustine of Hippo Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Belleville serving the Breese, Illinois community from its campus at 525 S. Third Street. Its vision statement, 'Called to Welcome, Serve, & Celebrate,' expresses a commitment to welcoming newcomers, serving those in need, and celebrating the Eucharist and the sacraments together as a parish family.
Our History
Founded on July 1, 1912, when Father Vincent Hartung arrived as its first pastor, St. Augustine grew out of the congregation of nearby St. Dominic Church at the direction of Bishop J.J. Jansen of Belleville. A temporary frame church was raised by parishioners and dedicated on the Feast of St. Augustine, August 28, 1912; a school followed in 1913, and the present church was built under Father Albert Kaercher and dedicated on April 5, 1926.
- 1912: Parish established; Fr. Vincent Hartung named first pastor
- Aug 28, 1912: First Mass in the temporary frame church
- 1913: School and brick rectory constructed
- Jan 1916: Fr. Hartung transferred; Fr. Albert Kaercher named second pastor
- April 5, 1926: Present church dedicated
- 1927: Sisters of Notre Dame take over the school
- 1964: Parish Center with gym, kitchen and cafeteria completed
- 1966: Parish purchases home at SW corner of S. Main and Third
- 1974: Interior of church remodeled and redecorated
- 1990: All Saints Academy formed by merger of St. Augustine and St. Dominic Schools
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor, a deacon, a pastoral associate/DRE, a coordinator of youth faith formation, an administrative assistant, and a maintenance lead. Contact information for each staff member is published on the parish contact page.
- Pastor: Fr. Chuck Tuttle (phone 618-526-2566)
- Deacon: Deacon Jay Fowler
- Pastoral Associate / DRE: Phyllis Berndsen
- CRE — Breese/Beckemeyer Youth Faith Formation: Dan Robben
- Administrative Assistant (Office Manager): Carol Hilmes
- Maintenance: Rich Korte
Faith Formation
Faith formation at St. Augustine is offered across the lifespan — for public-school children through the Parish School of Religion, for high-schoolers through the Breese Youth Ministry, and for adults through RCIA, Small Faith Sharing Groups, LIMEX (Loyola Institute of Ministry Extension), and Baptism preparation. The Family Life and Education Commission coordinates sacramental preparation including marriage and Pre-Cana.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) — grades 1–8, Wednesdays 6–8 p.m.
- Breese Youth Ministry — high school, monthly Sunday meetings at noon
- RCIA — adult initiation, September through May
- Small Faith Sharing Groups — two six-week sessions per year
- Baptism Preparation — offered every third month
- Marriage Preparation & Pre-Cana
- Loyola Institute of Ministry Extension (LIMEX)
Youth & Family Life
Youth and family life are central to the parish's identity. The Breese Youth Ministry draws together all high-school youth of St. Augustine and St. Dominic for service projects, sports, fundraisers, and the diocesan Youth Conference, meeting once a month on Sundays at noon. Classroom volunteers and adult chaperones support the program year-round.
- High-school Youth Ministry meetings: first Sunday of the month at noon (alternating between St. Augustine and St. Dominic)
- Service projects, sports and fundraisers
- Diocesan Youth Conference
- Family Life and Education Commission
All Saints Academy
All Saints Academy is the parish's Catholic school, founded in 1990 through the merger of St. Augustine and St. Dominic Schools. It operates under the guidelines of the State of Illinois and the Diocese of Belleville and serves students from the Breese–Beckemeyer Catholic community.
- Pre-K through 2nd grade at the Primary Center on the St. Augustine campus
- Grades 3 through 8 at the Elementary/Jr. High Center on the St. Dominic campus
- Faith formation includes Morality, Catechism, Mass, Creed, and character education
- First Communion at St. Augustine celebrated on the second Sunday after Easter
- Confirmation prepared for and celebrated in the parish each spring
Cluster & Partner Parishes
St. Augustine partners with St. Dominic in Breese and St. Anthony in Beckemeyer for faith formation, school, and youth ministry — together forming the Breese–Beckemeyer Catholic cluster in Clinton County.
- St. Dominic, Breese
- St. Anthony, Beckemeyer
- Shared Parish School of Religion
- Shared Breese Youth Ministry
- Shared All Saints Academy school
Parish Office & Practical Information
Parish office hours, bulletin deadlines, and a calendar of Masses and events are kept current on the parish website. Hotlines for respect life, pregnancy, and post-abortion healing (Project Rachel) are listed on the contact page for parishioners in need.
- Office Hours: Monday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Wednesday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Thursday 8:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (also noted Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.); closed Tuesday
- Bulletin deadline: Tuesday
- Respect Life Coordinator: 618-235-9601 x1332
- Pregnancy Hotline: 618-526-4545
- Project Rachel (post-abortion healing): 1-888-456-HOPE
Get Involved
The parish maintains an active Stewardship / Family Life and Education Commission and regularly invites parishioners to share their time in faith formation, youth ministry, sacramental preparation, and small-group leadership. Opportunities to volunteer are listed on the parish website's Parish / Faith Development pages.
- PSR classroom volunteers (team teachers)
- RCIA team members
- Small Faith Sharing Group leaders
- Baptism preparation instructors
- Youth Ministry adult chaperones and coordinators
- Parish Stewardship
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Vincent Hartung1912–1916
First pastor; arrived July 1, 1912; transferred to St. Luke, Belleville in January 1916.
- Fr. Albert Kaercher1916–
Second pastor; oversaw construction and dedication of the present church on April 5, 1926.
- Fr. Aloys Eckert
- Fr. Humilis Soland
- Fr. F.X. Heiligenstein
- Fr. Vince Haselhorst
- Fr. Eugene Bungay
- Fr. Richard Mohr
- Fr. Mel Haas
- Fr. Steven Poole
- Fr. Charles Tuttle
Current pastor.