About St. Bridget · Loves Park, Illinois
St. Bridget Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Loves Park, Illinois, a northern suburb of Rockford, in the Diocese of Rockford. Founded in 1946 (one of three post-war Catholic parishes created to accommodate postwar growth in Winnebago County), the parish serves the Loves Park community and beyond. The current 1,000-seat sanctuary was dedicated in 1988. St. Bridget runs a PreK–8th grade Catholic school, offers perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (one of its spiritual hallmarks), and provides a wide range of formation, youth, and service ministries under its current pastor, Msgr. Steve Knox.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Bridget of Sweden
- Rector
- Msgr. Steve Knox
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rockford
Why belong here
St. Bridget offers a Catholic community grounded in the Eucharist and a distinctive perpetual Adoration Chapel that is open to the public 6:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. daily, with adoration running 24-hour cycles from Sunday 12:30 p.m. to Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Families with school-age children benefit from the on-site PreK–8th grade St. Bridget School, a 'Faith in Action' curriculum, and a strong Parish School of Religion. Adults and youth can grow through RCIA, Youth Ministry (Middle School and High School), the Traveling Vocations Chalice program, the St. Vincent de Paul conference, the parish Food Pantry, the Angel Garden, and the Giving Tree — making it a parish where daily prayer, Catholic education, and service to neighbors are woven into a single rhythm.
Mass times at St. Bridget
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 9:15–9:45 AM
- Wednesday: 7:30–8:00 AM
- Saturday: 8:45–9:30 AM
- Saturday: 3:30–4:15 PM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration: Sunday 12:30 PM through Saturday 1:00 PM (24-hour cycles)
- Adoration Chapel open to the public daily 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Holy Hour for Vocations: 3rd Friday of each month, 6:30–7:15 PM (led by Msgr. Knox)
- Wednesday 10:00–11:00 AM (Family Holy Hour)
History and Identity
St. Bridget Catholic Church was founded in 1946 in Loves Park, a north-side suburb of Rockford, Illinois, as one of three postwar Catholic parishes created to accommodate Winnebago County's postwar growth. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Rockford (created in 1908 by Pope Pius X). St. Bridget's patron is St. Bridget of Sweden, the 14th-century mystic and founder of the Bridgettine Order who is one of the patron saints of Europe and whose feast is celebrated on July 23. The current 1,000-seat sanctuary was dedicated in 1988. Today the parish combines traditional sacramental life with a modern school, perpetual adoration, and a full calendar of service and formation ministries.
- Founded: 1946
- Current sanctuary dedicated: 1988
- Patron: St. Bridget of Sweden (feast July 23)
- Diocese of Rockford
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners assist priests at Mass in four liturgical roles — Ushers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Altar Servers. The Music Ministry supports sung liturgy with parish choirs. Volunteers are recruited through the parish Office at 815-633-6311.
- Ushers
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers
- Music Ministry / Choir
Catholic Education: St. Bridget School
St. Bridget School is a parish-affiliated PreK through 8th-grade Catholic school sharing the parish campus. It is built around a '5 B's' framework (Be Caring, Be Fair, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Trustworthy) and a 'Faith in Action' program that pairs older students with younger 'Prayer Buddies' for weekly all-school Mass and outreach projects such as packing 20,000+ meals for Kids Around the World. Grades 5–8 attend daily Mass three days a week; grades 2–4 two days a week; and all-school Mass for K–8 takes place on Wednesdays.
- PreK through 8th grade
- 5 B's: Caring, Fair, Respectful, Responsible, Trustworthy
- Catholic Schools Week 2025: 20,000 meals packed for Kids Around the World
- Mass schedule: grades 5–8 attend 3x weekly, 2–4 attend 2x, all-school Mass Wednesdays
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish operates a Family Faith Formation program alongside sacramental preparation for First Communion and Youth Confirmation. RCIA classes meet for adults thinking about becoming Catholic or learning more about the faith. Catechesis is paired with sacramental preparation for First Communion, Confirmation, and ongoing adult formation through the parish's online resources (FORMED, podcasts, and the parish reading list).
- Family Faith Formation
- First Communion preparation
- Youth Confirmation preparation
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- FORMED subscription (free Catholic Netflix)
Youth Ministry
St. Bridget runs separate Middle School (6th–8th grade) and High School ministries that meet students where they are through community, prayer, and service. The program follows a four-part rhythm — Meet Christ, Know Christ, Love Christ, and Serve Christ — and relies on adult volunteer small-group leaders ('Students need 5–7 active Catholic adults in their life in order to remain Catholic into adulthood'). A prayer-partner program supports the ministries.
- Middle School Ministry (6th–8th grade)
- High School Ministry
- Director of Youth Ministry: Gabby Williams
- Coordinator of Youth Ministry: Isaac Weickert
- Prayer Partner signup
Vocations Ministry
Led by Msgr. Knox, the Vocations Ministry cultivates a culture of prayer for religious vocations. Its centerpiece is the Traveling Vocations Chalice program — a chalice that moves from home to home (and from classroom to classroom at the school) for two-week periods. On the 3rd Friday of each month, Msgr. Knox leads Adoration for Vocations from 6:30–7:15 p.m. The parish website reports that four of the Diocese of Rockford's nine seminarians were from St. Bridget at the time of writing.
- Traveling Vocations Chalice Program
- Adoration for Vocations: 3rd Friday, 6:30–7:15 p.m.
- Litany for Vocations and silent prayer
- 9 seminarians for the Diocese of Rockford; 4 from St. Bridget (as reported)
Service Ministries and Outreach
The parish reaches out beyond its walls through four core service ministries: the St. Bridget Food Pantry (1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month), the Angel Garden (parish-grown produce for the food pantry and the St. Elizabeth Center in Rockford), the Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference (which meets neighbors' physical, financial, and spiritual needs through personal encounter), and the Christmas Giving Tree (which provides Christmas gifts to neighbors in need each December).
- Food Pantry (1st & 3rd Wednesday)
- Angel Garden
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference
- Christmas Giving Tree
Devotions and Devotional Life
In addition to Mass, Confession, and perpetual adoration, the parish publishes a recurring calendar of devotions: First Friday Devotion, a monthly Diocesan Holy Hour for Life, an Adoration & Rosary for Life, and a Summer Scripture Series (held mornings and evenings).
- First Friday Devotion
- Diocesan Holy Hour for Life
- Adoration & Rosary for Life
- Summer Scripture Series
Pastoral Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by pastor Msgr. Steve Knox. Diocesan records show that Msgr. Daniel J. Deutsch has served as pastor since February 2013 while also serving as Vicar for Clergy and Vocations for the Diocese of Rockford. The parish has hosted parochial vicars including Rev. Christopher P. DiTomo (2013–2016). The parish office is staffed Monday–Thursday 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed noon–1:00 p.m.) and Friday 8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon.
- Pastor: Msgr. Steve Knox
- Pastors previously: Rev. Msgr. Daniel J. Deutsch (since 2013); Father Burt Absalon (2008–2013)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Christopher P. DiTomo (2013–2016)
- Parish phone: 815-633-6311
Sanctuary Architecture and Sound
The 1988 sanctuary seats roughly 1,000 worshippers and is built on a near-circular plan approximately 124 feet in diameter with a high ceiling and perimeter windows. In August 2015 the parish upgraded the sound system to twin Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC24-R-II steerable line-array columns flanking the altar, tuned via RHAON software to direct sound onto the pews and minimize reflections off the windows. The Adoration Chapel, located within the church, houses the confessionals.
- 1000 seats
- ~124 ft diameter, high ceiling, perimeter windows
- 2015 Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC24-R-II sound system
- Adoration Chapel with confessionals
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Burt Absalon2008–2013
Listed as pastor of St. Bridget Parish, Loves Park (2008–2013) in diocesan appointment announcements; previously at St. Mary, Freeport.
- Rev. Msgr. Daniel J. Deutsch2013–
Arrived February 2013 from Holy Cross Catholic Church in Batavia (where he had served 12 years); simultaneously serves as Vicar for Clergy and Vocations for the Diocese of Rockford.
- Rev. Christopher P. DiTomo2013–2016
Parochial Vicar at St. Bridget from July 1, 2013, until June 2016; ordained May 21, 2011; ordained at St. Bridget by Bishop Malloy on May 13, 2017, then became administrator and later pastor of St. Gall Parish, Elburn.
- Msgr. Steve Knox
Current pastor (as of the parish website in effect for the 2024–25 formation year); also leads monthly Adoration for Vocations on the 3rd Friday of each month.