About St. John Nepomucene Chapel · Dahlgren, Illinois
St. John Nepomucene Chapel is a small Roman Catholic chapel in Dahlgren, Illinois, in the Diocese of Belleville. Originally founded in 1893 as an independent mission of the older St. John the Baptist Parish in Piopolis, it served the Catholic families of the Dahlgren community for over a century before being officially designated, on March 4, 2019, a chapel of St. John the Baptist in Piopolis. The chapel is now administered alongside its partner parishes by Reverend Slawomir Ptak with the assistance of Deacon Archie L. Bowers, Jr.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- St. John Nepomucene (John of Nepomuk, c. 1345–1393), priest and martyr, patron of the seal of confession
- Rector
- Reverend Slawomir Ptak (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
St. John Nepomucene Chapel is a living piece of Hamilton County Catholic heritage, founded in 1893 and still serving the Dahlgren community as a designated chapel of St. John the Baptist Parish in Piopolis. Parishioners gather for weekend Mass in a striking 1958 modified-Gothic church graced with Emil Frei stained glass and a sandstone interior, and they support broader outreach through the Catholic Service Ministry Appeal, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, parish quilting, and the Knights of Columbus. It is a welcoming country chapel where families, the homebound, and visitors can worship, receive the sacraments, and find a true sense of small-parish community.
Mass times at St. John Nepomucene Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:30 a.m. (at partner parish St. John the Baptist, Piopolis)
- First Friday: 7:30 a.m. (at partner parish St. John the Baptist, Piopolis)
- Thursday: 7:30 p.m. (at partner parish St. John the Baptist, Piopolis)
Adoration times
- First Friday Holy Hour: 8:00 a.m. (at partner parish St. John the Baptist, Piopolis)
History of St. John Nepomucene
St. John Nepomucene grew out of the older St. John the Baptist Parish in Piopolis. Its first church was built in 1893 on West Main Street in Dahlgren under Rev. Johann Nepomuk Enzelberger, and Father Henry Keuth became the first resident pastor in 1896. Through the first half of the twentieth century the parish built a cemetery (1900), a brick school with nuns' quarters (1903, Rev. Henry Muenster), a new rectory after the 1936 fire (1942, Fr. Joseph Frey), a parish hall (1952, Rev. William Brandmeyer), and finally the present church, whose groundbreaking was led by Msgr. Meinrad Dunn on August 24, 1958. On March 4, 2019, the church was formally designated a chapel of St. John the Baptist, Piopolis.
- 1893 — first church built under Rev. Johann Nepomuk Enzelberger
- 1896 — first resident pastor, Rev. Henry Keuth
- 1900 — parish cemetery acquired west of the church
- 1903 — two-story brick school built under Rev. Henry Muenster
- 1936 — first rectory destroyed by fire (January 17)
- 1942 — new rectory built under Fr. Joseph Frey
- 1952 — parish hall built under Rev. William Brandmeyer
- 1958 — present church groundbreaking by Msgr. Meinrad Dunn (Aug. 24)
- March 4, 2019 — designated a Chapel of St. John the Baptist, Piopolis
The Church Building
The present church is a contemporary modified-Gothic structure of block and brick, 42 by 113 feet, seating 380. Its open southwest tower houses the bell salvaged from the 1893 original. The interior is finished in random-pattern St. Meinrad's sandstone, with the altar and communion rail in St. Genevieve rose marble and Ozark rouge. A two-inch yellow pine roof is supported by laminated pine arches. Near the confessional stands a shrine to St. John Nepomucene — the patron — depicted with cross in hand and finger to his lips in tribute to the seal of confession.
- Open tower with the salvaged 1893 bell
- Sandstone interior finish
- Rose marble and Ozark rouge altar and communion rail
- Shrine of St. John Nepomucene near the confessional
Stained Glass Windows
The spectacular stained glass windows gracing the main body of the church came from the chapel of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville. Originally installed there in 1914, they were made by Emil Frei and Company of St. Louis — the same firm whose work adorns the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. They were refurbished and squared off with cobalt blue to fit the more modern 1958 building.
- Originally installed 1914 at Sisters of St. Elizabeth Hospital, Belleville
- Created by Emil Frei and Company of St. Louis
- Refurbished with cobalt blue borders for the 1958 church
Parish School & Religious Education
The parish school opened in 1903 in the two-story brick building Rev. Henry Muenster constructed. It was taught by the Benedictine Sisters from Jonesboro, Arkansas until 1931, then by the Adorers of the Most Precious Blood until 1965, when a CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) center was established. The center later moved to Carmi and then back to McLeansboro. Today, faith formation continues through the Parish School of Religion (PSR) and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).
- 1903 — school opened (Benedictine Sisters of Jonesboro, AR)
- 1931 — Adorers of the Most Precious Blood take charge
- 1965 — CCD center established
- Today: PSR and OCIA programs
Clergy & Staff
St. John Nepomucene Chapel is administered jointly with St. John the Baptist, Piopolis. The current Administrator is Reverend Slawomir Ptak, assisted by Deacon Archie L. Bowers, Jr. Rachel Hopfinger serves as secretary in the shared parish office.
- Administrator: Rev. Slawomir Ptak (618-643-3552)
- Deacon: Deacon Archie L. Bowers, Jr.
- Secretary: Rachel Hopfinger (618-648-2490)
Partner Parishes
Following its 2019 designation as a chapel, St. John Nepomucene is partnered with St. John the Baptist Parish in Piopolis and St. Clement Chapel in McLeansboro. Together they form a single pastoral family of Catholic communities across Hamilton County, sharing clergy, faith formation, and outreach.
- St. John the Baptist, Piopolis (parent parish)
- St. Clement Chapel, McLeansboro (partner chapel)
Ministries & Outreach
Parishioners support the broader Catholic Service Ministry Appeal and the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, including Cosgrove's Soup Kitchen, the SVDP Thrift Store, the Help Center, and the Night Drop-In Center. Locally, the Ladies Quilting group meets every Tuesday morning at McLeansboro City Hall; the Knights of Columbus Council #8745 meets in Dahlgren; and the parish coordinates homebound visits for the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist. PSR, Bible Study, and OCIA sessions are held on Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
- Catholic Service Ministry Appeal
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul (Soup Kitchen, Thrift Store, Help Center, Night Drop-In Center)
- Ladies Quilting (Tuesdays)
- Knights of Columbus #8745 (Dahlgren)
- Homebound visits — Penance & Eucharist
- PSR, Bible Study, OCIA (Sundays, 9:30 a.m.)
Patron Saint — St. John Nepomucene
The chapel is named for St. John of Nepomuk (c. 1345–1393), a Bohemian priest, doctor of canon law, and vicar general to the Archbishop of Prague. He is the 'martyr of the confessional,' drowned in the Vltava (Moldau) River on the orders of King Wenceslaus IV after refusing to reveal the queen's confession. Canonized in 1729, he is the patron saint of Bohemia, of priests, and of the seal of confession — fitting for a parish whose shrine depicts him with a finger to his lips and a cross in his hand. His feast day is May 16.
- Born c. 1345 in Nepomuk, Bohemia
- Vicar general to the Archbishop of Prague
- Drowned in the Vltava River, 1393, for refusing to break the seal of confession
- Canonized 1729; feast day May 16
- Patron of Bohemia, of priests, and of the seal of confession
Visit, Contact & Giving
Parishioners and visitors may contact the office at (618) 648-2490 or the parish hall at (618) 736-2878, or write to the office at the McLeansboro mailing address. Online giving is available through the parish website to support Sunday offerings, the Catholic Service Ministry Appeal, and special collections.
- Office: 618-648-2490
- Hall: 618-736-2878
- Email: [email protected]
- Online giving via hamiltoncountycatholic.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Johann Nepomuk Enzelberger1893
Built the first church on West Main Street in Dahlgren; possible origin of the parish's patron name.
- Rev. Henry Keuth1896
First resident pastor; lived in a one-story frame house built in Dahlgren in 1896.
- Rev. Henry Muenster1903
Built the two-story brick school/classroom building with upstairs living quarters for the nuns.
- Fr. Joseph Frey1942
Directed construction of the new rectory to replace the one lost in the 1936 fire.
- Rev. William Brandmeyer1952
Oversaw construction of the parish hall.
- Msgr. Meinrad Dunn1958
Broke ground for the present church on August 24, 1958.