About St. Damian · Damiansville, Illinois
St. Damian Parish is a historic Catholic community in the village of Damiansville, in Clinton County, Illinois. Founded in 1861 by German and Dutch immigrants from the Hanover and Holland regions, it is one of the oldest parishes in the Diocese of Belleville and is today partnered with its sister parish, St. Bernard in Albers. The parish offers weekend Masses in English and Spanish, a Wednesday weekday Mass, Catholic faith formation for children, youth ministry, Knights of Columbus council work, Bible study groups, and an annual summer picnic and quilt raffle that anchors its community life.
- Established
- 1861
- Patron
- St. Damian
- Rector
- Rev. Matthew Elie
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
St. Damian welcomes worshippers into a small, close-knit rural parish with deep German-Catholic roots and a bilingual (English and Spanish) liturgical life. Worshippers can take part in weekday and Sunday Masses, regular Saturday confession in the odd months, ongoing adult Bible studies (including on Daniel and Revelation), a vibrant parish picnic and quilt raffle each July, and a Knights of Columbus council that is shared with neighboring Albers. Children are served through the combined Faith Formation program with St. Bernard, and the parish's Hispanic ministry and youth ministry give clear entry points for new families.
Mass times at St. Damian
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15–4:45 p.m. in odd-numbered months (January, March, May, July, September, November; except on picnic day, which is the 2nd Saturday of July)
Parish History
St. Damian was born in 1861 out of the immigration of Hanover German and Dutch Catholic families into the Looking Glass Township of Clinton County, Illinois. Bishop Damian Junker of Alton secured the twenty-acre site and gave the parish its name, and the village of Damiansville grew up around the new Catholic church. The first brick church (1861) was expanded into its current Roman-style form by 1879, and a stately brick rectory followed in 1891.
- First Catholic settlers arrived 1837 from Hanover, Germany and Holland
- Site secured by Bishop Damian Junker in 1860; parish founded 1861
- First pastor: Rev. A. Berger; first Mass February 2, 1861
- Church completed in present form in 1879; 120 ft × 46 ft, 130-ft bell tower with 3 bells
- First rectory (1861) replaced by the present parsonage in 1891 ($9,000)
- Parish school destroyed by fire on February 22, 1940; rebuilt and reopened by September
Pastoral Staff and Leadership
St. Damian is led by a pastor supported by two permanent deacons, a parish secretary, a Hispanic minister, and a youth minister. The parish is partnered with St. Bernard in Albers under shared pastoral leadership, and falls under the care of the Bishop of Belleville.
- Pastor: Rev. Matthew Elie (618-248-5134)
- Deacon Glennon J. Netemeyer — Pastoral Associate, Director of Religious Education / Catechetical Ministry Director
- Deacon Kevin Templin — Permanent Deacon
- Parish Secretary: Angie Toennies
- Hispanic Minister: Maria Gimenez (618-708-1487)
- Catholic Youth Minister: Michelle "Shelly" Schuetz (618-401-6007)
- Diocesan Bishop: Bishop Godfrey Mullen, OSB, Diocese of Belleville
Mass and Sacraments
The parish offers a bilingual weekend schedule (English and Spanish), a midweek Mass on Wednesday mornings, and a Saturday Vigil on weekends. Confession is offered on Saturday afternoons in odd-numbered months, with Holy Day Masses announced from the pulpit.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 p.m. at St. Damian
- Sunday: 9:30 a.m. (English) at St. Bernard (alternating weeks)
- Sunday: 11:00 a.m. (Spanish / Domingo) at St. Damian
- Weekday Mass: Wednesday 7:45 a.m.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 4:15–4:45 p.m. (January, March, May, July, September, November — not on picnic weekend)
- Holy Day Vigil: as announced / 7:00 p.m.
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education for parish children is provided through the combined St. Damian–St. Bernard Faith Formation program, directed by Deacon Glennon J. Netemeyer. Registration for the following year takes place each spring so books can be ordered; commitment and new-student forms are made available on the parish website.
- Commitment forms and new-student registration forms posted online
- Classes offered Saturdays in conjunction with St. Bernard
- Combined newsletter published monthly (English)
- Students participate in the Knights of Columbus 'Keep Christ in Christmas' poster contest (Council 9768)
Youth and Hispanic Ministry
St. Damian maintains a dedicated Catholic Youth Minister to walk with the parish's middle- and high-school students, and a Hispanic Minister who coordinates sacramental and devotional life for the Spanish-speaking community of Damiansville and surrounding farms.
- Catholic Youth Minister: Michelle "Shelly" Schuetz
- Hispanic Minister: Maria Gimenez
- 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass celebrated in Spanish each week at St. Damian
- Spanish-language outreach to local families
Knights of Columbus, Council 9768
St. Damian shares the Albers/Damiansville Knights of Columbus Council 9768 with neighboring St. Bernard Parish. The council sponsors the annual 'Keep Christ in Christmas' poster contest, with Faith Formation students from both parishes competing at the Diocesan level, and supports parish fundraisers and vocations.
- Combined council covering Albers and Damiansville
- Annual 'Keep Christ in Christmas' poster contest for PSR students
- Scholarship and vocations support
Parish Picnic and Quilt Raffle
Each July the parish community comes together for the St. Damian Picnic, a multi-day fundraiser centered on the Saturday of the second weekend. Volunteers gather in the parish gym for noodle making, bread cutting, food prep and grounds setup in the days before, and a quilt raffle and country store are parish staples.
- Annual picnic: second weekend of July
- Quilt raffle coordinated by volunteer committee (Donna Fuehne, Shannon Sanders and parishioners)
- Country store with homemade wine, baked goods and home-grown produce
- Cake stand: 1–2 cakes per family requested
- Picnic dinner, raffles, and grounds cleanup on the Sunday following
Bible Study and Adult Faith Formation
The parish hosts a series of multi-week adult Bible studies published on its website, including in-depth series on the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation, in addition to ongoing study groups open to all parishioners of the partner parishes.
- Bible Study 1 (introductory)
- Bible Study 2
- Bible Study 3: Book of Daniel
- Bible Study IV: Book of Revelation
Contact and Giving
Parishioners and visitors can contact the parish office at 1 W. Main Street, Damiansville or by phone at (618) 248-5134. An electronic giving (ACH debit) program is offered as an alternative to the collection basket, and weekly bulletins and combined parish registration forms are posted on the website.
- Office: 1 W. Main Street, Damiansville, IL 62215
- Phone: (618) 248-5134
- Website: stbernardandstdamian.org
- Weekly bulletins and parish forms available online
- Electronic (ACH) giving available for monthly contributions
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. A. Berger1860–1864
First pastor; said the first Mass on February 2, 1861 in the unfinished brick church.
- Rev. F. Schmelicek (Chmelicek)1864–1868
Freed the church of debt, opened the Catholic school district, acquired the Christmas crib figures.
- Rev. J. Lohmann1868–1903 (death)
Long-tenured pastor; oversaw 1877 steeple and addition; parish grew to 120 families by 1881.
- Rev. Hy. Althoff1903 (interim)
Served as administrator for nine months after Father Lohmann's death.
- Rev. O. Meier1903–
Appointed rector a few days after Lohmann's death; serving at the 1913 publication of the parish history.