About St. John the Evangelist · Hanover, Illinois
St. John the Evangelist is a small Roman Catholic parish in Hanover, a rural village in Jo Daviess County in northwestern Illinois, served by the Diocese of Rockford. The parish, founded in 1926, gathers a tight-knit rural community at 103 Savanna Road for Sunday Mass and weekday celebrations, and is currently preparing for its 100th anniversary in June 2026. It is led by Rev. Dennis M. Morrissy and offers four Masses a week along with regular opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Established
- 1926
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Dennis M. Morrissy
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rockford
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist offers a welcoming, small-town Catholic community where families across the Hanover countryside can come together for Sunday Mass, weekday Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Under the pastoral care of Rev. Dennis M. Morrissy, the parish keeps a steady rhythm of four Masses a week — including a Saturday Vigil and a Sunday morning Mass — so that working families and rural neighbors can plan their worship around real life. As the parish approaches its 100th anniversary in June 2026, it remains a faithful, familiar spiritual home in the rolling hills of Jo Daviess County.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM (or by appointment)
About St. John the Evangelist Parish
St. John the Evangelist is a Roman Catholic parish in Hanover, Illinois, part of the Diocese of Rockford. The parish serves the Catholic families of Hanover and the surrounding Jo Daviess County countryside. The community worships at 103 Savanna Road and is currently pastored by Rev. Dennis M. Morrissy. As a small rural parish, St. John the Evangelist offers a steady, intimate schedule of Masses and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, with Holy Day schedules published in the parish bulletin or on the diocesan website.
- Diocese: Rockford
- Pastor: Rev. Dennis M. Morrissy
- Address: 103 Savanna Road, Hanover, IL 61041
- Phone: (815) 591-2258
- Email: [email protected]
Parish History
St. John the Evangelist was founded in 1926 and has served the Hanover area for a century. The parish community is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary on Sunday, June 7, 2026, with a special Mass at 11:00 AM at the church. Throughout its history the parish has been cared for by priests of the Diocese of Rockford, including Father Anger (pastor 1979–1991) and Father Richard R. Kramer, who served as administrator of the parish in the 1970s while also administering other small missions in the Sterling Deanery.
- Founded in 1926
- 100th anniversary celebration scheduled June 7, 2026
- Father Anger served as pastor from 1979 to 1991
- Father Richard R. Kramer administered the parish in the 1970s
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently served by Rev. Dennis M. Morrissy as pastor. The parish office can be reached at (815) 591-2258 and by email at [email protected]. As part of the Diocese of Rockford, the parish also benefits from the pastoral and administrative support of the diocesan chancery in Rockford, Illinois.
- Pastor: Rev. Dennis M. Morrissy
- Diocese of Rockford chancery support
100th Anniversary Celebration
In 2026 the parish community will gather to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of St. John the Evangelist. A special anniversary Mass is scheduled for Sunday, June 7, 2026 at 11:00 AM at 103 Savanna Road, Hanover, IL.
- 100th Anniversary of the Founding of St. John the Evangelist
- Sunday, June 7, 2026
- 11:00 AM
- 103 Savanna Road, Hanover, IL
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Richard R. Kramer1970s (administrator)
Served as one of the administrators of St. John the Evangelist, Hanover, alongside other Rockford Diocese assignments, including St. Catherine (Freeport), St. Ann (Warren), St. Catherine of Genoa (Genoa) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Freeport).
- Father Anger1979–1991
Pastor of St. John the Evangelist, Hanover from 1979 until his death on September 15, 1991; previously served at parishes in Aurora, Johnsburg and Savanna.