About St. Boniface · Edwardsville, Illinois
St. Boniface Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Edwardsville, Illinois, in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, serving approximately 5,475 parishioners across 1,825 families. The parish was founded on January 1, 1869, by German-speaking Catholics who built their own church in the 1860s, and today it offers Mass in English and Spanish, a K-8 Catholic school, a preschool, a wide range of ministries, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each Wednesday.
- Established
- 1869
- Patron
- St. Boniface
- Rector
- Very Rev. Jeffrey H. Goeckner, V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. Boniface is one of the largest parishes in the Edwardsville area, with more than 1,825 families and almost 5,500 parishioners, and offers a full sacramental and community life: daily and Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and a robust Reconciliation schedule. The parish runs a K-8 Catholic school and a preschool, supports youth, young adult, and adult faith formation, and maintains a parish staff that includes a Director of Worship & Music, a Director of Development, youth and adult ministry coordinators, and a coordinator for the Spanish-speaking community — making it a place where families can grow in faith from infancy through adulthood.
Mass times at St. Boniface
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. (Bilingual)
- Saturday 3:30 – 4:00 p.m.
- By appointment (call 618-656-6450)
Adoration times
- Wednesday – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Parish History
St. Boniface was founded in 1869 by the German Catholic community of Edwardsville. German parishioners raised funds, formed the St. Joseph's Building Society, and even purchased a brickyard so the new church could be built of brick made by parishioners. The cornerstone was laid June 2, 1869, the church was dedicated in August 1873, and the parish marked its sesquicentennial in 2019 with the motto 'St. Boniface – Always Here.'
- Ground purchased 1866; brickyard purchased 1867.
- Rev. Anton Rustige appointed first pastor January 1, 1869.
- Architect Adolphus Druiding; builder H. Melcher; contract $14,000.
- Cornerstone laid June 2, 1869 by Very Rev. Peter Joseph Baltes.
- Parish formally separated from St. Mary's November 7, 1869.
- First baptism January 1, 1869; first marriage July 22, 1869.
- Bishop Baltes confirmed a class of 142 in May 1870 and blessed two bells in September 1870.
- Combination rectory/school completed 1871; interior plastered 1872; church dedicated August 1873.
- Father Rustige died 1874, age 33, bequeathing $1,000 to the parish.
- 140th anniversary celebrated 2009; 150th anniversary (sesquicentennial) celebrated 2019 with major church and school renovations.
Clergy and Parish Staff
The parish is led by Very Rev. Jeffrey H. Goeckner, V.F., who serves as Pastor, Dean of the Alton Deanery, and President of Father McGivney Catholic High School. He is assisted by a parochial vicar, a transitional deacon, a permanent deacon, a deacon emeritus, and a deacon candidate, along with a large lay staff that runs parish operations, faith formation, worship and music, communications, development, and the school.
- Very Rev. Jeffrey H. Goeckner, V.F. — Pastor
- Rev. Braden Maher — Parochial Vicar; Associate Chaplain, Father McGivney Catholic HS
- Rev. Christopher Trummer — Parochial Vicar (per diocesan directory)
- Rev. Mr. Padrick Mulligan — Transitional Deacon
- Deacon Robert Sgambelluri — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon Daniel Corbett — Deacon Emeritus / Tribunal Advocate
- Patrick King — Deacon Candidate
- Dr. Marcelo Nieto — Coordinator of the Spanish Community
- Sarah Kreke — Parish Office Manager and Administrative Assistant
- Cindy Zurliene — Business Manager
- Dale Renken — Operations Manager
- Clyde Nosser — Pastoral Associate / Adult Faith Coordinator
- Jill Griffin — Director of Worship & Music / Chorus
- Emily Moore — Parish Choir Director
- Emily Gates — Director of Development
- Caroline Nohl — Youth & Young Adult Ministry Coordinator
- Katie Foppe — Parish School Administrative Assistant / Youth Ministry Coordinator
- Joe Siemer — Young Adult Faith Formation
- Jo Niebur — PSR Coordinator
- Jessica Goebel — Bulletin Editor & Communications / School Librarian
- John Lednicky — Tech Specialist & Communications
- Sue Papajcik — Parish School Financial Officer / Safe Environment & Volunteer Coordinator
- Linda Daniels — Tribunal Advocate
- Kelly Schilly — Business Office
St. Boniface Catholic School
St. Boniface Catholic School, located at 128 N. Buchanan Street in Edwardsville, serves students in K-8 with an attached preschool. It is a parish school with strong faith formation woven into the curriculum and an active extracurricular and music program.
- Address: 128 N. Buchanan St., Edwardsville, IL 62025
- Phone: (618) 656-6917; Fax: (618) 692-8385
- Email: [email protected]
- Principal: Laura Kretzer; Assistant Principal: Linda Hobbs; Secretary: Katie Foppe
- Approximately 237 K-8 students and 20 Pre-K students (per diocesan directory)
- Pastor Fr. Jeffrey Goeckner serves as school pastor
- Preschool located at 133 N. Fillmore; phone (618) 692-9315; email [email protected]
Faith Formation and Ministries
Faith formation at St. Boniface spans the whole life — children in the Parish School of Religion and the parish school, teens in Youth Ministry, college-aged and young adults in a dedicated young-adult program, and adults in ongoing formation coordinated by Clyde Nosser. A separate Spanish community, coordinated by Dr. Marcelo Nieto, supports Spanish-speaking parishioners, complemented by the weekly Misa en Español.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) — Coordinator: Jo Niebur
- Youth Ministry — Coordinator: Caroline Nohl and Katie Foppe
- Young Adult Faith Formation — Coordinator: Joe Siemer
- Adult Faith Formation — Coordinator: Clyde Nosser
- Spanish Community — Coordinator: Dr. Marcelo Nieto
- Misa en Español — Sundays 12:15 p.m.
Worship and Music
Worship and music are led by Director of Worship & Music Jill Griffin, with Emily Moore directing the parish choir and Griffin also directing the school chorus. The parish's 2019 sesquicentennial renovation refreshed the worship space for ongoing liturgical celebration.
- Director of Worship & Music: Jill Griffin
- Parish Choir Director: Emily Moore
- School Chorus: Jill Griffin
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the standard Catholic sacraments with set weekly times for Reconciliation and Mass, and a long historical record of baptisms, marriages, and confirmations dating to its founding. It also supports parishioners in tribunal matters through designated advocates.
- Baptism (first recorded January 1, 1869)
- Marriage (first recorded July 22, 1869)
- Confirmation (class of 142 in May 1870)
- Eucharist — daily, Sunday Vigil, and Sunday Mass schedule
- Reconciliation — Wednesday, Saturday, and by appointment
- Tribunal advocacy — Linda Daniels and Deacon Daniel Corbett
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Anton Rustige1869–1873
First pastor; laid cornerstone June 2, 1869; oversaw construction and dedication; died 1874 at age 33.