About St. Boniface · Evansville, Illinois
St. Boniface Parish is a Catholic parish in Evansville, Illinois, a small village in Randolph County in southwestern Illinois. Established in 1860, it has served local Catholics for more than 160 years and is part of the Diocese of Belleville. Today the parish is administered by Rev. Charles Anyaoku, a Fidei Donum missionary priest of the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria, who also shepherds the partnered parishes of Our Lady of Lourdes in Sparta and St. Pius V in Walsh. Weekend Mass is celebrated on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at the parish church at 1007 Olive Street.
- Established
- 1860
- Patron
- St. Boniface (patron saint of Germany and of German Catholics)
- Rector
- Rev. Charles Anyaoku (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
St. Boniface offers a small, tight-knit Catholic community in Evansville, Illinois, with more than 160 years of parish life behind it. Worshippers can join Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m. at the church on Olive Street, participate in religious education coordinated by parish CRE Kurt Gross, and be part of a regional cluster of rural parishes (with Our Lady of Lourdes in Sparta and St. Pius V in Walsh) that share pastoral care and sacramental life. The parish's enduring presence in Randolph County, its diocesan connections through the Diocese of Belleville, and its warm rural character make it a welcoming place to practice the Catholic faith.
Mass times at St. Boniface
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Identity & Location
St. Boniface is a Catholic parish located at 1007 Olive Street in Evansville, a small village in Randolph County in southwestern Illinois. Established in 1860, it has served the local Catholic community for more than 160 years. The parish is one of the smaller communities of the Diocese of Belleville and is currently part of a regional cluster of rural parishes served by a single priest-administrator.
- Established: 1860
- Patron: St. Boniface
- Address: 1007 Olive Street, Evansville, IL 62242
- Phone: 618-853-4435
- Diocese: Belleville, Illinois
History
The parish was established in 1860 in Evansville, Illinois, the same year the cornerstone was laid for its first church building. Its sacramental register — running from 1860 through 1958 — is one of the longest continuous Catholic parish records in Randolph County and is preserved within the diocesan archive. In recent decades the parish has been organized into a regional cluster with neighboring faith communities, sharing pastoral leadership and weekend liturgy across the western part of the Diocese of Belleville.
- Parish records on file from 1860 to 1958.
- Now clustered with Our Lady of Lourdes (Sparta) and St. Pius V (Walsh).
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently led by an Administrator rather than a resident Pastor, reflecting its place in a multi-parish pastoral cluster. The Administrator also serves Our Lady of Lourdes in Sparta and St. Pius V in Walsh, and is assisted by a Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) and a part-time bookkeeper based in the parish office.
- Rev. Charles Anyaoku — Administrator (ordained August 16, 2003; Fidei Donum priest of the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria)
- Kurt Gross — Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE)
- Robert Myerscough — Bookkeeper; Office hours Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Mass & Sacramental Schedule
Because St. Boniface shares its pastor with neighboring parishes, weekend Mass is celebrated on a rotating schedule across the cluster. The Sunday Mass at St. Boniface Church in Evansville is offered at 10:00 a.m.; an earlier Sunday Mass is offered at 8:00 a.m. at St. Mary of Divine Maternity in Ellis Grove, and the Saturday vigil Mass is offered at 5:00 p.m. at St. Joseph in Willisville. Weekday Mass and reconciliation are coordinated across the cluster, and Holy Day schedules are announced as they occur.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m. — St. Joseph Church, Willisville
- Sunday: 8:00 a.m. — St. Mary of Divine Maternity Church, Ellis Grove
- Sunday: 10:00 a.m. — St. Boniface Church, Evansville
- Weekday Mass: as scheduled across the cluster
- Holy Day Mass: as announced
- Reconciliation: by arrangement through the parish office
Partnered Parishes & Cluster
St. Boniface Evansville is partnered with two other Catholic parishes under a single Administrator as part of the western pastoral planning of the Diocese of Belleville. Together they form a cluster that shares weekend Mass coverage, sacramental ministry, and pastoral care across rural Randolph County.
- St. Pius V Parish, Walsh
- Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Sparta
- Cluster weekend Mass rotation includes St. Joseph, Willisville and St. Mary of Divine Maternity, Ellis Grove.
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Faith formation for children and families is coordinated at the parish by the Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE), Kurt Gross, working in collaboration with the cluster parishes. The parish office, reachable at 618-853-4435, can provide current information on class schedules, sacramental preparation, and family programs.
- CRE: Kurt Gross
- Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation is arranged through the parish office.
Visiting & Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office at 1007 Olive Street, Evansville, IL 62242, by phone at 618-853-4435. The bookkeeper's office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The parish is listed in the official directory of the Diocese of Belleville and in the Discover Mass directory of Catholic churches.
- Mailing address: 1007 Olive Street, Evansville, IL 62242
- Phone: 618-853-4435
- Fax: 618-853-4435
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles Anyaoku2025–
Appointed Administrator of St. Boniface Evansville, Our Lady of Lourdes Sparta, and St. Pius V Walsh effective July 1, 2025, for a renewable two-year term; Fidei Donum missionary priest from the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria, ordained August 16, 2003.