About St. Henry · Belleville, Illinois
St. Henry Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Belleville located at 5315 W. Main Street in Belleville, Illinois, founded in 1925 with fifty families. The parish was named for the patron saint of Bishop Henry Althoff and originally ministered to by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), who also opened St. Henry's Preparatory Seminary on the grounds in 1926. Today St. Henry is a community of roughly 300 Catholic families served by Very Rev. Kenneth J. York, V.F., and is partnered with St. Augustine of Canterbury in Belleville. Worship life centers on a church built and dedicated in 1965, with a long-running Creative Learning Center (founded 1980) that continues to serve parish families and the wider community.
- Established
- 1925
- Patron
- St. Henry (patron saint of Bishop Henry Althoff; Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Kenneth J. York, V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
St. Henry offers a stable, multigenerational Catholic community with daily and weekend Masses, weekly Eucharistic Exposition with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in Song, and a Saturday Reconciliation schedule. Faith formation runs through RCIA, a Religious Education committee, Adult Bible Study, Formed.org, a parish Lending Library, and Eucharistic Adoration. Families are supported by the on-site St. Henry Creative Learning Center (founded 1980), and the parish is partnered with neighboring St. Augustine of Canterbury in Belleville — making it a comfortable, mid-sized home for anyone seeking traditional Catholic worship and active parish life on Belleville's west side.
Mass times at St. Henry
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM (Eucharistic Exposition / Prayer & Renewal)
About Our Parish
St. Henry Catholic Church, located at 5315 W. Main Street in Belleville, Illinois, was established in 1925 with fifty families. The parish was named for the patron saint of Bishop Henry Althoff, who had purchased the former Priester's Amusement Park in 1919. Today the parish is home to about 300 Catholic families in the Diocese of Belleville, partnered with St. Augustine of Canterbury.
- Established: 1925
- Diocese of Belleville
- Partnered parish: St. Augustine of Canterbury, Belleville
- Creative Learning Center on campus: 618-234-6061
History of St. Henry Parish
The parish traces its origins to Bishop Henry Althoff's 1919 purchase of Priester's Amusement Park. With the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the new parish opened in 1925 with a grade school staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. An "L"-shaped church and school were dedicated in 1932, a new school and auditorium in 1951, and the present church and rectory in 1965 — the same year the Oblates' college program ended. The Oblates formally departed in 1960 and Msgr. Leonard A. Bauer became the first diocesan pastor.
- 1925: Parish founded with 50 families; School Sisters of Notre Dame open grade school for 45 children
- 1926: First graduation (June 13, 1926, three graduates); Oblates open St. Henry's Preparatory Seminary (Oct. 4, 1926)
- 1932: Bishop Althoff dedicates the "L"-shaped church and school (300-seat church)
- 1951: New school and auditorium dedicated by Bishop R. Zuroweste (25th anniversary)
- 1955: New parish boundaries; Sunday Masses overflow into auditorium (285 students enrolled)
- 1960: Oblates relinquish pastoral responsibilities; Msgr. Leonard A. Bauer becomes first diocesan pastor
- 1965: Current St. Henry Church and rectory built and dedicated by Bishop Zuroweste; seminary college program ends
- 1972: Parish school closes; Our Lady of Fatima Shrine acquired from the Academy of Notre Dame
- 1980: St. Henry Creative Learning Center founded
- 1984: St. Henry's Preparatory Seminary closes (May 1984)
Clergy, Deacons & Staff
St. Henry is currently shepherded by Very Reverend Kenneth J. York, V.F., and is assisted by two deacons and lay staff in the parish office and religious education programs.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Kenneth J. York, V.F. (Ext. 14)
- Deacon: Gerald G. Bach, Sr.
- Deacon: James C. Law
- Parish Secretary: Dawn Partington (Ext. 10)
- Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE): Kim Ahrens (618-540-8383)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Henry is coordinated by the Faith Formation and Religious Education Committee and includes RCIA, Adult Bible Study, Formed.org access, a Lending Library, and Eucharistic Adoration. After decades of offering Parish School of Religion (P.S.R.) classes, the parish recently discontinued its P.S.R. program due to declining enrollment and now assists families in transferring to neighboring PSR programs (with tuition reimbursement).
- R.C.I.A. — chaired by Fr. Kenneth York; instruction begins in September and culminates at the Easter Vigil
- Faith Formation & Religious Education Committee — chaired by Kathleen DuMontier (398-5122)
- Adult Bible Study
- Formed.org digital resources
- Parish Lending Library
- Eucharistic Adoration (Wed. 2:30–4:30 PM)
- P.S.R. (Parish School of Religion) — CRE Kim Ahrens; classes discontinued, tuition reimbursed for transfers
St. Henry Creative Learning Center
Founded in 1980, the St. Henry Creative Learning Center is an on-campus childcare center and preschool that began by meeting the needs of St. Henry parishioners and Althoff Catholic High School staff for quality childcare and educational/social development for their children. The center emphasizes small class sizes, strong parent–staff communication, secure controlled entry, catered meals meeting federal and state guidelines, and regular fire drills coordinated with the Belleville Fire Department.
- Founded: 1980
- Phone: 618-234-6061
- Email: [email protected] (listed on sthenryclc.com)
- Preschool and full-day childcare programs
- Religion program introduced in 2013 (God Made Me for 3-year-olds; God Made the World for 4-year-olds)
- On-site facility at 5315 W. Main Street, Belleville
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Henry by phone, email, or in person at the rectory office. The parish also livestreams the Sunday Mass and shares updates on its Facebook page.
- Address: 5315 W. Main Street, Belleville, IL 62226
- Phone: 618-233-2423
- Fax: 618-233-9879
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sthenrybelleville.com
- Facebook: St. Henry Catholic Church, Belleville
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Schulte, OMI (and other Oblates of Mary Immaculate)1925–1960
Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate served as the founding pastors of St. Henry from 1925; Father John Schulte, OMI, led the establishment of the mission house and college for young men. The Oblates relinquished pastoral responsibilities in August 1960.
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Leonard A. Bauer, S.T.D.1960–
First diocesan priest to serve as pastor of St. Henry Parish, taking over after the Oblates departed in 1960; oversaw the building and dedication of the current church and rectory in 1965 by Bishop Zuroweste.