About St. Barbara · Scheller, Illinois
St. Barbara is a small Roman Catholic parish in the rural community of Scheller, in Jefferson County, southern Illinois. It was established in 1898 by Polish immigrant farming families from Radom and surrounding areas, and it remains a member of the Diocese of Belleville. Today the parish is administered by Rev. Felix Anyikwa and is partnered with St. Charles Borromeo in DuBois and St. Michael in Radom, sharing pastoral and sacramental ministry across the three small farming communities. The current weekend liturgy is celebrated on Sunday morning, and parish life centers on faith formation, the annual Sodality, and the strong agricultural heritage that built the original church more than 125 years ago.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- St. Barbara (virgin and martyr)
- Rector
- Rev. Felix Anyikwa (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
St. Barbara offers a quiet, rural Catholic home where the same farming families who built the church in 1898 still worship today. Weekend Mass on Sunday morning, faith formation for children through Director of Religious Education Tiffany Kluck, the historic Sodality, and the bell tower dedicated in 1996 all keep the parish rooted in over 125 years of tradition. As a partnered parish with St. Charles Borromeo in DuBois and St. Michael in Radom, it shares the sacramental life of a tight-knit cluster of small southern-Illinois Catholic communities under the Diocese of Belleville.
Mass times at St. Barbara
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
St. Barbara Catholic Church was founded in 1898 in the rural village of Scheller, in Jefferson County, southern Illinois, by Polish Catholic families from the Radom area. According to the parish's centennial booklet, "Centennial St. Barbara Catholic Church, 1898–1998," the community had first gathered for Mass near Scheller Lakes under visiting Franciscan Fathers from Radom before the bishop selected a permanent site. The Scheller family — Barbara, Lazzey, Mary, Gertrude, Julia, and John — donated two acres of land for the church, and about 25 founding families built the first wooden church with timber milled on site by Ed Reidelberger's sawmill. Joseph Bok donated the original St. Barbara statue and the two bells. The parish's first resident pastor, Rev. Stanislaus Berent, was assigned in 1908, beginning more than a century of resident clergy.
- Founded 1898
- First resident pastor: Rev. Stanislaus Berent (1908)
- Original land donated by the Scheller family
- Statue and bells donated by Joseph Bok and his wife Mary
Building the Present Church
By the mid-1950s the original 1898 frame church had become too small. Sister M. Humilianna, who had come to St. Barbara in 1919 to start the parochial school, appealed for more land, and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Dodds of Mt. Vernon donated a plot north of the existing convent. Mr. and Mrs. Max Skortz and son donated adjoining land as well. The new, larger church was dedicated on March 25, 1958 — the Feast of the Annunciation — and is the worship space used today. In 1996, the St. Barbara Sodality financed construction of the bell tower, which was dedicated on the parish's patronal feast, December 4, 1996.
- New church dedicated March 25, 1958
- Bell tower dedicated December 4, 1996
- Bell tower funded by the St. Barbara Sodality
- Land for expansion donated by Harry Dodds and the Max Skortz family
Parish School
St. Barbara operated a parochial school staffed by Franciscan Sisters from 1919 until 1968. Sister M. Humilianna was the first nun to come to St. Barbara to start the school in 1919, and she remained a beloved figure in the parish's later years. A long succession of Franciscan Sisters — including Sisters Petronella, Benedicta, Aurelia, Alexia, Josephine, and many others — taught at the school across five decades. The school closed in 1968, but its legacy is preserved in the parish's centennial history.
- School opened 1919 under Sister M. Humilianna
- Staffed by Franciscan Sisters
- Closed 1968
Clergy and Pastoral Succession
According to the parish's centennial record, nine priests have served St. Barbara since its founding. The parish was ministered by visiting Franciscan Fathers from Radom during its first decade before receiving its first resident pastor in 1908. Most of its 20th-century pastors were members of religious institutes — the Order of Friars Minor (O.F.M.) and the Sons of Divine Providence (F.D.P.). Today the parish is served by Administrator Rev. Felix Anyikwa and Deacon Mark Kabat, in partnership with neighboring parishes.
- Rev. Remigius Bereudt, O.F.M. (1898–1908)
- Rev. Stanislaus Berent (1908–1914)
- Rev. Leo Panicki (1914–1929)
- Rev. Michael Klimas (1929–1940)
- Rev. John Putas (1940–1942)
- Rev. Stanislaus Ksycki (1942–1955)
- Rev. Joseph Wieczorek, F.D.P. (1955–1984)
- Rev. Jerome Hibner, F.D.P. (1984; 1995–present)
- Rev. Hyacinth Mazuchowski, F.D.P. (1987–1995)
Current Staff
St. Barbara's current parish team is shared with its partnered parishes in DuBois and Radom.
- Administrator: Rev. Felix Anyikwa
- Deacon: Deacon Mark Kabat
- Secretary: Christy VanDeveer
- Director of Religious Education: Tiffany Kluck (618-237-0539)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education for the parish's children is coordinated by Director of Religious Education Tiffany Kluck, who serves St. Barbara together with its partnered parishes. The DRE can be reached at 618-237-0539 for current program details, registration, and sacramental preparation.
- Director of Religious Education: Tiffany Kluck
- Phone: 618-237-0539
Parish Life and Organizations
The St. Barbara Sodality is the parish's principal lay organization and a continuing force in its life. In 1996 the Sodality funded construction of the church's bell tower, dedicated on December 4 of that year. The Sodality continues to organize devotions, fundraisers, and the parish's annual patronal celebration on the feast of St. Barbara.
- St. Barbara Sodality (founded bell tower 1996)
Partnered Parishes
St. Barbara is one of three small Catholic parishes in a cluster in Jefferson and Perry counties, sharing pastoral and sacramental ministry. Together they keep Catholic life alive across the rural farming communities of Scheller, DuBois, and Radom.
- St. Charles Borromeo, DuBois, IL
- St. Michael, Radom, IL
Diocese and Contact
St. Barbara is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville. The parish mailing and street address is 4281 N. Scheller Lane, Scheller, IL 62883. The parish phone is 618-450-5200. The parish's online presence is maintained via its Facebook page (facebook.com/stbarbarascheller) and through the partner-parish website at stmarymtvernon.org.
- Diocese: Diocese of Belleville
- Address: 4281 N. Scheller Lane, Scheller, IL 62883
- Phone: 618-450-5200
- Facebook: facebook.com/stbarbarascheller
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Remigius Bereudt, O.F.M.1898–1908
Franciscan priest who served the parish from nearby Radom during its founding decade.
- Rev. Stanislaus Berent1908–1914
First resident pastor, assigned by the bishop in 1908.
- Rev. Leo Panicki1914–1929
- Rev. Michael Klimas1929–1940
- Rev. John Putas1940–1942
- Rev. Stanislaus Ksycki1942–1955
- Rev. Joseph Wieczorek, F.D.P.1955–1984
Long-tenured priest of the Sons of Divine Providence; oversaw the 1958 construction of the present church.
- Rev. Jerome Hibner, F.D.P.1984–
Sons of Divine Providence priest; returned to serve again starting 1995.
- Rev. Hyacinth Mazuchowski, F.D.P.1987–1995
Sons of Divine Providence priest between Fr. Hibner's terms.