About St. Francis of Assisi Church · Teutopolis, Illinois
St. Francis of Assisi Church is a Catholic parish in Teutopolis, Illinois, founded by German Catholic immigrants and continuously served by Franciscan Friars Minor (OFM) since September 1858. The parish worships approximately 3,669 parishioners across 1,224 families in a historic brick church on East Main Street, sharing its campus with a Franciscan friary and the Teutopolis Monastery Museum. Today it is staffed by three resident Franciscan friars — Father Joe Carlos, OFM (pastor), Father Carmen Scuderi, OFM, and Father Dennis Koopman, OFM — together with a parish team that includes a youth director, CRE teachers, a director of music, and a religious education secretary. Daily and Sunday Mass, a robust Parish School of Religion, youth ministry, two parish choirs and an RCIA/OCIA program sustain a thriving Catholic community rooted in the Franciscan spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi.
- Established
- 1858
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph (Joe) Carlos, OFM
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi offers the rare gift of a Catholic parish continuously shaped by Franciscan friars for more than 165 years, with daily Mass (six days a week) and three Sunday Masses that let families build the Liturgy of the Hours around their week. The community is unusually large for rural Effingham County — over 1,200 families — yet small enough that a robust Parish School of Religion, a dedicated youth ministry for grades 7–12, an Adult Choir and Guitar Group, a Resurrection Choir for funerals, and an OCIA (RCIA) program make it easy to get involved in faith formation, music, or service. Worshipping in a renovated historic brick church with stained-glass windows of St. Francis, alongside the friars in the attached St. Francis Friary and the adjacent Teutopolis Monastery Museum, gives parishioners a tangible connection to both the German Catholic pioneer heritage of Teutopolis and the living Franciscan charism.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
- First Thursday of the month: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
- Tuesday & Thursday: 6:15 pm – 6:45 pm (between Labor Day and Memorial Day)
Parish Overview
St. Francis of Assisi is a Catholic parish in Teutopolis, Illinois, in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The parish worships around 3,669 parishioners across 1,224 families and is one of the most prominent Franciscan-served communities in central Illinois. Franciscans of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) have ministered here continuously since September 1858.
- Type: Catholic parish
- Diocese: Springfield in Illinois
- Founded: 1858 (renamed St. Francis of Assisi in 1860)
- Families: 1,224; Parishioners: 3,669
Franciscan Friary & Clergy
Three Franciscans reside at St. Francis Friary on the parish campus. To leave a general message for the friars, parishioners call the parish office number — (217) 961-6404 — and leave a message in the general mailbox. The pastor, Father Joseph (Joe) Carlos, OFM, can be reached at [email protected].
- Rev. Joseph (Joe) Carlos, OFM — Pastor
- Rev. Carmen Scuderi, OFM — Friary resident / Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Dennis Koopman, OFM — In Residence
- Rev. Juan Carlos Ruiz, OFM — Parochial Vicar (Diocesan directory)
- Rev. Dat Hoang, OFM — Parochial Vicar (Diocesan directory)
Parish Staff & Office
Beyond the friars, a lay staff keeps the parish running day to day, from secretarial and bookkeeping work to faith formation and liturgical music. The parish office is reached at (217) 961-6404.
- Jane Miller — Secretary
- Anita Broom — Bookkeeper
- Camille Neihls — Part-time Religious Education Secretary
- Barb Weber — Religious Education Secretary
- Dan Niemerg — CRE, Grade School & Jr. High
- Maria Kingery — Youth Director; CRE for High School (7–12)
- Anne Marie Brummer — OCIA / RCIA
- Daniel Williams — Director of Music
Church History
Teutopolis was founded by German Catholic immigrants who came expressly to keep and pass on the Catholic faith. Their first log church was named St. Peter's. About twelve years later they built a brick church on the National Road using foundation stones that had originally been intended for the Road itself. In 1858 Franciscan fathers arrived from Germany; in 1860 the parish was renamed St. Francis of Assisi, and Franciscans have served here ever since.
- First log church built and named St. Peter's
- 1858 — first Franciscan Fathers arrive from Germany
- 1860 — parish renamed St. Francis of Assisi Church
- 1862 — St. Joseph's College opens (later becomes St. Joseph's Seminary)
- 1901–1912 — major renovation: high steeple, present high altar, interior architectural changes
- 1923 — stained glass windows installed depicting the life of St. Francis
- 1950 and 1975 — redecorations
- Mid-1960s — Franciscans move formation to Chicago area; seminary demolished; memorial tower remains
- 1975 — Teutopolis Monastery Museum founded in the novices' former cells
- 2005 — major church renovation
- July 19 (anniversary year) — 175th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone celebrated
Religious Education (PSR)
The Parish School of Religion (PSR) provides faith formation for children who do not attend the parish school. Families register their children each year either online or via a printable form, with a tiered fee schedule: 1 child $40, 2 children $80, 3 or more children $100. Payment can be made online, mailed to the religious ed office, or dropped in the collection basket.
- Dan Niemerg — CRE (Grade School, Jr. High)
- Maria Kingery — CRE (High School, 7–12)
- Camille Neihls — Part-time Religious Education Secretary
- Barb Weber — Religious Education Secretary
- Religious Education Phone: (217) 961-6477
Youth Ministry
St. Francis maintains an active Youth Ministry for grades 7–12, including an annual CHWC trip for the parish's young people. The youth director works in close coordination with the CRE for grades 7–12 so that confirmation preparation and youth-group activities reinforce one another.
- Maria Kingery — Youth Director
- Dan Niemerg — Grade School & Jr. High CRE
- Youth Activities Phone: (217) 961-1500
- Annual CHWC trip for parish youth
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music is led by Director of Music Daniel Williams and supported by several parish ensembles. The parish welcomes instrumentalists of every kind into its choirs.
- Adult Choir — rehearses Thursdays at 7:00 pm; sings every other week, alternating between 8:30 and 10:30 Masses; contact 217-961-6404 ext. 229
- Resurrection Choir — open to all ages; reading music not required; volunteers for funeral Masses; no set rehearsal
- Guitar Group — parish ensemble listed on the parish website
- Daniel Williams — Director of Music
OCIA / RCIA
Adults wishing to become Catholic, or Catholic adults seeking Confirmation, are served through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA / RCIA) program.
- Anne Marie Brummer — OCIA / RCIA coordinator
Teutopolis Monastery Museum
The Teutopolis Monastery Museum, founded in 1975, occupies more than 30 of the novices' former cells in the south section of the monastery/church building. It exists as a memorial both to members of the Franciscan Order and to the early German Catholic pioneers who settled Teutopolis. Early Teutopolis history and the history of the Franciscan friars there remain closely intertwined, and the museum helps preserve that story — including reproductions of the San Damiano Cross that hangs in the parish sanctuary.
- Founded 1975
- Located in south section of the monastery/church building
- Memorial to the Franciscan Order and Teutopolis pioneers
- Museum posts can be followed on its Facebook page
Sacraments & Faith Life
Beyond daily and Sunday Mass, the parish offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation three different ways each week, an OCIA program for adult initiation, and a PSR program that prepares children for First Communion and Confirmation. Bereaved families are supported through the Resurrection Choir's ministry at funeral Masses.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:00–4:00 pm; First Thursday 3:00–4:00 pm; Tuesday & Thursday 6:15–6:45 pm (Labor Day–Memorial Day)
- Eucharist: six days a week of daily Mass; three Sunday Masses
- OCIA / RCIA for adults (Anne Marie Brummer)
- Religious Education for children, K–12 (Dan Niemerg, Maria Kingery)
- Resurrection Choir for funeral liturgies
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone, fax, email, or in person at the rectory/friary on East Main Street. The parish also keeps a Facebook page with updates and pilgrimages.
- Address: 203 E. Main St., P.O. Box 730, Teutopolis, IL 62467-0730
- Parish Phone: (217) 961-6404
- Parish Fax: (217) 961-0680
- Religious Education Phone: (217) 961-6477
- Youth Activities: (217) 961-1500
- Email: [email protected] (parish); [email protected]; [email protected] (pastor)
- Website: https://www.stfrancischurch.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/stfrancisa2
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Carlos, OFM2016–present
Born June 18, 1947; ordained June 7, 1975. Previously Associate Pastor at St. Francis, Teutopolis (1980–1986); pastor at several other assignments including St. Francis, Quincy; military chaplain (Marine Corps and Navy, including deployments to Somalia, Cuba, Mediterranean) 1990–2005; Pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer, Dieterich, 2006–2016; Parochial Administrator of St. Francis of Assisi, Teutopolis, and St. Rose of Lima, Montrose, 2012 and 2015–2016; Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi, Teutopolis, 2016–present, and St. Rose of Lima, Montrose, 2016–2020; member of the College of Consultors 2020–2025.