About St. James · Saint Jacob, Illinois
St. James Catholic Church is a small Roman-Latin rite parish in Saint Jacob, Madison County, Illinois (305 Washington Street), administered jointly from neighboring St. Jerome Parish in Troy, with which it shares pastors, staff, faith formation, and a parish school. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and, per the diocesan pastoral directory, counts roughly 100 parishioners in 65 families. Mass is celebrated three times a week (Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Saturday evening), with the Sacrament of Penance heard Saturday afternoons. The parish takes its name from the Apostle St. James, the namesake of the village's Catholic community, whose sacramental records (baptisms, marriages, deaths) are preserved by the diocese back to 1895.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- St. James the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Kevin M. Laughery
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. James is exactly the kind of small-town Catholic parish that many lifelong Catholics long for: a 65-family community worshiping in a single parish church on Washington Street in Saint Jacob, with three Masses a week celebrated by the same pastor who serves the wider Troy-area cluster. The parish is run jointly with St. Jerome in Troy, so families get the close, personal attention of a small rural parish along with the full sacramental and formation support of a larger staff — a dedicated Faith Formation director (Sr. Linda Mary Delaonais, O.P.), a Youth Ministry coordinator (Brenda Neumann), a Director of Liturgy and Music (Stephen Stack, M.Div), and a Deacon (Bob Crosby, OFS). Their children attend Saint John Neumann Catholic School in Maryville, and the parish is fully in communion with the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois — the faithful Catholic life of rural Madison County still has a home here.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
About St. James Catholic Church
St. James Catholic Church is the Catholic parish of the village of Saint Jacob in Madison County, Illinois, located at 305 Washington Street. It belongs to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and is administered jointly with St. Jerome Parish in Troy under the combined name 'St. Jerome & St. James'. The parish records listed in the diocese show about 100 parishioners in 65 families, served by a single pastor resident in Troy and shared with the larger St. Jerome community.
Parish History
St. James's continuous presence in the diocesan archives begins in 1895; the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois holds sacramental registers for the parish covering 1895–2005, including baptisms, marriages, and deaths. The parish is now administered as part of the St. Jerome cluster out of Troy but continues to celebrate Mass at its historic Saint Jacob location.
- Sacramental records on file with the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois: 1895–2005 (baptisms, marriages, deaths).
- From 2010–2011 a priest (born 1958, ordained 1985) served as Parochial Administrator of St. James, then as its Pastor (2013–2015) alongside St. Elizabeth, Marine, and St. Gertrude, Grantfork; he concurrently pastored St. Jerome, Troy (2009–2015) and was Canonical Administrator of St. John Neumann School.
- From 2015–2017 another priest (born 1950, ordained 1977) served the St. Jerome / St. Elizabeth, Marine / St. James cluster.
- Rev. Kevin M. Laughery is the current pastor, resident at St. Jerome, Troy.
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. James shares its pastoral team with St. Jerome Parish. The pastor resides in Troy and travels to Saint Jacob for the scheduled Masses.
- Rev. Kevin Laughery — Pastor (618) 667-6571 ext. 22, [email protected]
- Dcn Bob Crosby, OFS — Deacon (618) 667-6571 ext. 12, [email protected]
- Sr. Linda Mary Delaonais, O.P. — Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation (618) 667-6571 ext. 13, [email protected]
- Brenda Neumann — Pastoral Associate for Youth Ministry (618) 975-9319, [email protected]
- Stephen Stack, M.Div — Pastoral Associate for Liturgy and Music (618) 667-6571 ext. 23, [email protected]
- Betsy Weinel — Office Manager (618) 667-6571 ext. 11, [email protected]
- Jodi Roedl — Receptionist/Administrative Assistant, [email protected]
- Amanda Dotzert — Bookkeeper (618) 667-6571 ext. 15, [email protected]
- Gary Heidemann — Maintenance
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation for St. Jerome & St. James is run by Sr. Linda Mary Delaonais, O.P., and includes Parish Faith Formation (PFF) classes for preschool through middle school, a Home Study Faith Formation (HFF) alternative, First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation, and a Sunday-afternoon Youth Ministry program for middle and high schoolers. Families with children preparing for Confirmation or First Communion meet yearly in June for an orientation.
- PFF (Parish Faith Formation) — Preschool, Elementary, Middle School
- HFF (Home Study Faith Formation) — Elementary, Middle, High School
- First Reconciliation preparation and enrollment
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation (Family Meeting scheduled June 24, 6:00–7:00 pm in the church)
- Sunday Youth Ministry for middle and high school youth
- Children's Liturgy of the Word during the 8:30 Mass at St. Jerome
Youth Ministry
The combined St. Jerome & St. James Youth Ministry, led by Pastoral Associate Brenda Neumann, is open to middle-school and high-school students from both parishes. It combines a Sunday catechetical component with a Youth Group that meets Sunday afternoons, plus periodic prayer, community-building, and service activities.
- Youth Ministry — middle school: small Christian community faith-sharing
- Youth Ministry — high school: Sunday catechetical track, with Home Study option
- Confirmation preparation tied to Youth Ministry participation
- Annual Vacation Bible School (ChangeMakers LAB VBS), held 5:45–8:00 pm, open to children of both parishes
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is offered through St. Jerome Parish as the cluster's initiation process and is open to inquirers from St. James. The journey begins with an initial interview with the Pastor and the Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation, followed by the discernment stages of the Rite, and normally finishes with the reception of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
- Initial interview with the Pastor and the Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation
- Discernment by the Pastor in consultation with the Faith Formation team, RCIA Catechists, and Sponsors
- Reception of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist)
- Possible annulment-process pathway for those previously married
Liturgy and Music
Liturgy and music for the cluster is directed by Stephen Stack, M.Div. The pastor and deacon celebrate three weekly Masses at St. James in Saint Jacob, with the Saturday vigil Mass being the principal parish liturgy of the weekend. There is no Sunday Mass at St. James itself.
- Liturgical celebrations: Tuesday 8:00 am, Thursday 8:00 am, Saturday 5:30 pm vigil
- Director of Liturgy and Music: Stephen Stack, M.Div
- Children's Liturgy of the Word proclaimed at the 8:30 Mass at St. Jerome
Pastoral Care and Outreach
Through its cluster with St. Jerome, St. James supports a Safe Environment program and participates in Catholic Relief Services and the local Ministries Unlimited food pantry. The parish is also associated with Saint John Neumann Catholic School in Maryville for K-8 education.
- Safe Environment compliance and training for all parish volunteers
- Catholic Relief Services (CRS) outreach
- Ministries Unlimited local food pantry partnership
- Saint John Neumann Catholic School — sjncrusaders.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Anonymous priest (born 1958, ordained 1985)2010-2011 (Parochial Administrator); 2013-2015 (Pastor of St. James, St. Jacob alongside St. Elizabeth, Marine and St. Gertrude, Grantfork)
Also served as Pastor of St. Jerome, Troy 2009-2015 and Canonical Administrator of St. John Neumann School 2009-2015; later Pastor of St. Paul, Highland.
- Anonymous priest (born 1950, ordained 1977)2015-2017
Pastor of St. Jerome, Troy, St. Elizabeth, Marine, and St. James, St. Jacob, 2015-2017; prior long tenure at St. Mary, Taylorville (2002-2015).
- Rev. Kevin M. Laugherycurrent
Listed by the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois pastoral directory as Pastor of St. Jerome (Troy) and St. James (St. Jacob); resident at St. Jerome, Troy.