About St. Columba · Ottawa, Illinois
St. Columba Catholic Church in Ottawa, Illinois, is the oldest Catholic parish in the city, established in 1838 to serve the Irish Catholic canal workers who built the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Today it operates as part of St. Brigid Parish in the Ottawa Vicariate of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, alongside St. Patrick (Ottawa), St. Francis of Assisi (Ottawa), and St. Mary Shrine in Naplate. The historic downtown church at 122 W. Washington Street offers Mass in both English and Spanish and serves as a regional landmark known across Illinois. It is currently pastored by Msgr. Mark J. Merdian, STL, who became pastor in 2022 and is leading an interior restoration campaign.
- Established
- 1838
- Patron
- St. Columba (of Iona)
- Rector
- Msgr. Mark J. Merdian, STL
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Peoria (Ottawa Vicariate)
Why belong here
St. Columba offers one of the most welcoming parish communities in the Illinois Valley — a historic downtown church where English and Spanish Masses (including a Spanish Mass every Sunday at 11:30am) are celebrated side by side. Under Msgr. Mark Merdian, the parish is in an active moment of renewal: an interior restoration campaign is under way following a decade of completed exterior work, meaning parishioners are literally helping to shape the next chapter of a 187-year-old church. As one of the anchor churches of the new St. Brigid Parish family (formed June 28, 2025), St. Columba connects Catholics across Ottawa, Naplate, and the surrounding rural communities with a deep tradition of faith, education, and service that goes back to the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in 1859.
Mass times at St. Columba
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM (30 minutes before Mass)
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM – 11:25 AM
- 20 minutes before all other Masses
Parish History
Catholic canal workers arrived in Ottawa with the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in the early 1800s, and what is now St. Columba was established in 1838. Holy Mass was first celebrated in humble settings, including county courthouses and a carpenter's shop. St. Columba Catholic Church is a living testament to the perseverance and faith of several generations.
Founding and Early Years (1838–1858)
The first church building, in the 300 block of W. Jefferson Street, was erected in 1841, though no plans survive. In 1844, Fr. Thomas O'Donnell arrived as the first resident pastor, sent by the Archdiocese of Chicago. He secured the land where the parish still stands and led construction of a brick church, completed in 1851 — tragically destroyed by fire within the same year. Fr. Dunn, O'Donnell's successor, then built a frame church that served the community for years.
Fr. Patrick Terry and the Cathedral Dream (1859–1878)
A turning point came in 1859 with the arrival of Fr. Patrick Terry, who invited the Sisters of Mercy to Ottawa that same year, beginning a long tradition of Catholic education and service. Hoping Ottawa might become the seat of a new diocese, Fr. Terry initiated plans for what the local newspaper called 'the finest church in the state.' Ground was broken in 1877 and the foundation was laid to cathedral scale. Hopes were dashed in 1878 when Peoria, not Ottawa, was chosen as the diocesan see city, and Fr. Terry halted construction.
Building the Present Church (1878–1912)
Fr. Ryan resumed construction, using the original foundation where possible, though the completed church was more modest in scale. A new era began in 1888 with the arrival of Fr. Thomas Keating, under whose leadership the parish flourished. After Fr. Keating's death in 1910, Dean Quinn oversaw extensive renovations — a new stone veneer, stained-glass windows, and the beloved 'Keating altars' — and the church was rededicated in 1912.
20th-Century Growth and the 1970s Renovation
The parish continued to grow under pastors Fr. Madden, Dean Sullivan (who oversaw construction of a hand-dug church hall), Msgr. Shields, and Msgr. Francis Cleary. Fr. Stephen Gould led a campaign that produced a new school building in 1963. The 1970s brought change and challenge: under Fr. James Fay and co-pastor Fr. Tom Kelly, the church underwent a controversial renovation that removed cherished altars and statues — a difficult period but also one of renewal.
Modern Era: Restoration and Renewal (1997–Present)
In 1997, Fr. David Kipfer became pastor and initiated a major capital campaign in 2011. By 2013, the exterior had been fully restored — brickwork renewed, the century-old roof replaced with new slate, and stained-glass windows repaired. Msgr. Mark Merdian became pastor in 2022 and has since led a capital campaign to restore and beautify the interior of St. Columba. Today the parish is part of the newly formed St. Brigid Parish (established June 28, 2025) in the Ottawa Vicariate of the Diocese of Peoria.
Leadership and Clergy
St. Columba is currently pastored by Msgr. Mark J. Merdian, STL, who became pastor in 2022. He also serves as pastor of St. Patrick (Ottawa), St. Francis of Assisi (Ottawa), and St. Mary Shrine (Naplate), and as Vicar Forane (dean) of the Ottawa Vicariate. The church is supported by the office staff of St. Brigid Parish at 122 W. Washington Street.
- Msgr. Mark J. Merdian, STL — Pastor (2022–present) and Vicar Forane of the Ottawa Vicariate
St. Brigid Parish: A Family of Parishes
St. Columba is one of the churches that make up St. Brigid Parish, formally established June 28, 2025 as a 'family of parishes' linking the Ottawa-area Catholic communities under one pastoral team. The other churches in the family are St. Patrick (Ottawa), St. Francis of Assisi (Ottawa), and St. Mary Shrine in Naplate. The parish office is shared at 122 W. Washington Street, Ottawa, and is staffed under the direction of the Diocese of Peoria.
- St. Columba — 122 W. Washington St., Ottawa (est. 1838)
- St. Patrick — 726 W. Jefferson St., Ottawa (est. 1893)
- St. Francis of Assisi — 820 Sanger St., Ottawa
- St. Mary Shrine — Naplate, IL
- Parish Established: June 28, 2025
Visiting and Contact
St. Columba sits in the heart of downtown Ottawa at 122 W. Washington Street, just blocks from the Illinois and Michigan Canal — a fitting location given the parish's origins serving the canal's Irish Catholic builders. The parish office can be reached at (815) 433-0700 or by email at [email protected]. Mass times and the latest parish information are kept current on the Ottawa Catholic website at ottawacatholic.org.
- Address: 122 W. Washington Street, Ottawa, IL 61350
- Phone: (815) 433-0700
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.ottawacatholic.org/saintcolumba
- Parish bulletin posted at: stfrancisparishot.org/bulletin/
Diocese and Vicariate
St. Columba belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, which covers 26 counties in central and north-central Illinois. Within the diocese, the parish is part of the Ottawa Vicariate, one of the diocese's regional deaneries. Msgr. Mark Merdian serves as Vicar Forane (dean) of the vicariate, helping to coordinate pastoral life across the region's parishes.
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Peoria
- Vicariate: Ottawa Vicariate
- Vicar Forane: Msgr. Mark J. Merdian, STL
- Diocesan bishop: Bishop Louis Tylka
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Patrick Terry1859–
Invited the Sisters of Mercy to Ottawa; initiated plans for the grand church with cathedral-scale foundation in 1877
- Fr. Ryan
Resumed construction of the church using the original foundation after Ottawa lost the diocesan seat to Peoria in 1878; the completed church was more modest in scale
- Fr. Thomas Keating1888–1910
Parish flourished under his leadership; died in 1910
- Dean Quinn1910–
Oversaw extensive renovations including stone veneer, stained-glass windows, and the beloved 'Keating altars'; church rededicated in 1912
- Fr. Madden
20th-century pastor
- Dean Sullivan
Oversaw construction of a church hall dug by hand
- Msgr. Shields
20th-century pastor
- Msgr. Francis Cleary
20th-century pastor
- Fr. Stephen Gould
Led the campaign that produced a new school building in 1963
- Fr. James Fay1970s
Co-pastor (with Fr. Tom Kelly) during controversial 1970s renovation that removed cherished altars and statues
- Fr. Tom Kelly1970s
Co-pastor with Fr. James Fay during the 1970s renovation
- Fr. David Kipfer1997–
Launched a major capital campaign in 2011; oversaw exterior restoration completed in 2013 (brickwork, slate roof, stained-glass windows)
- Msgr. Mark J. Merdian, STL2022–present
Currently leads a capital campaign to restore and beautify the interior; also pastors St. Francis of Assisi, St. Patrick (Ottawa), and St. Mary Shrine (Naplate); Vicar Forane of the Ottawa Vicariate