About St. Charles Borromeo · Casey, Illinois
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic mission-turned-parish serving the western half of Clark County, Illinois, including the towns of Casey, Martinsville, and Westfield. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and is currently administered from St. Mary's in Marshall, with the priest caring for Casey also serving the parishes at Greenup (Christ the King) and Marshall. Despite its modest size of roughly 60–65 families, the parish runs an active Council of Catholic Women and Holy Name Society, and members are well known for volunteering across parish and community ministry.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo
- Rector
- Rev. Augustine Koomson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. Charles Borromeo offers a small, close-knit Catholic community in rural east-central Illinois, where parishioners genuinely know one another and pitch in across parish and community ministry. Worship is centered on a weekly Sunday Mass, a Monday morning Mass, Holy Day liturgies, and First Friday confession — complemented by an active Council of Catholic Women and Holy Name Society. It is an ideal parish for Catholics in Casey, Martinsville, or Westfield seeking traditional Catholic life within the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
Mass times at St. Charles Borromeo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Friday 5:00–6:00 p.m. (per Diocesan Pastoral Directory)
- By appointment (per parish website)
History of St. Charles Borromeo Parish
St. Charles Borromeo traces its beginnings to 1878, when Fr. Kuhlman of St. Mary's in Marshall was authorized to found a mission church in Casey with the financial help of local merchant Charles Wekenman. The mission was closed in 1897 but reopened in 1904 after oil was discovered in the Casey–Martinsville area. The present church building — originally an abandoned church — was purchased in 1913 at SE 3rd and Jefferson Streets, remodeled in 1915 and again in 1956. In October 1924, care of the parish passed to the Franciscan priests of Teutopolis, ending its mission status under Marshall. Since 1998, Casey has shared a priest with Greenup and Marshall in a tri-parish arrangement.
- 1878 – mission established by Fr. Kuhlman of St. Mary's, Marshall; helped by Charles Wekenman
- 1897 – mission closed
- 1904 – mission reopened following oil discovery in Casey–Martinsville
- 1913 – Fr. William O'Sullivan purchases an abandoned church and two lots with help from Mr. P. Finkler
- 1915 – church remodeled and enlarged
- 1924 – parish placed under Franciscan priests of Teutopolis
- 1937 – attached to the new church at Greenup
- 1956 – church expanded again
- 1973–1975 – under direction of the priest at Marshall
- 1998 – priest caring for Greenup and Casey also given Marshall
- 2002 – parish hall completed
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Charles Borromeo is served today by a Parochial Administrator who also ministers to St. Mary's in Marshall and Christ the King in Greenup. Day-to-day operations and faith formation are supported by an administrative assistant, a Director of Religious Education (DRE), a liturgist, a director of music, and a business manager. The parish website and the diocesan pastoral directory list overlapping staff teams, reflecting slight updates over time.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Augustine Koomson (resides at Christ the King, Greenup)
- Administrative Assistant: Stacey Boyer
- DRE: Karla Huddlestun (parish website) / Jenny Lewis (Diocesan Pastoral Directory)
- Liturgist: Teresa Hoecherl (parish website)
- Director of Music: Richard Hippler (Diocesan Pastoral Directory)
- Business Manager / Collections: Mark Gebben
Parish Ministries and Community Life
Although small in number, the parish supports an active lay life centered on the Council of Catholic Women and the Holy Name Society. Members of the parish are widely known for volunteering across both parish and broader community ministry, sustaining what the parish describes as 'good spirit and cooperation.' Faith formation is provided through a parish-based DRE program.
- Council of Catholic Women
- Holy Name Society
- Volunteer parish and community ministry
- Religious education program for youth
- Liturgy and music program
Parish Vocation Story
The parish is proud of two religious vocations that have come from its small community: a priestly son who went on to teach at The Catholic University of America, and a Dominican religious sister.
- Fr. Frederick Wekenman — taught at Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
- Sr. Regina Graham — Dominican religious sister
Service Area and Parish Identity
St. Charles Borromeo covers all of the western half of Clark County, including the towns of Martinsville, Casey, and Westfield. With roughly 60–65 families (about 27 registered households and 65 parishioners in the most recent diocesan count), the parish maintains a strong small-community identity and completed its own parish hall in 2002.
- Covers western Clark County: Casey, Martinsville, Westfield
- Roughly 65 parishioners across 27 families
- Parish hall built in 2002
Contact and Visit
The parish is administered through St. Mary's in Marshall; mail and calls are routed there, while Sunday and weekday Masses are celebrated at the Casey church on East Jefferson Street.
- Church: 300 E. Jefferson St., Casey, IL 62420
- Mailing / Parish Office: 414 South Sixth Street, Marshall, IL 62441
- Marshall Office Phone: (217) 826-2845
- Also listed: (217) 923-3523
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://mckchurches.weebly.com/st-charles-borromeo.html