About St. John the Evangelist · Medora, Illinois
St. John the Evangelist is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the rural village of Medora in Macoupin County, Illinois, within the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and the Jerseyville Deanery. The parish is cared for together with St. Alphonsus Parish in Brighton by Pastor Rev. William F. Kessler, who resides at Brighton while serving both communities. Sunday Mass is celebrated weekly at 10:30 a.m. in its church at 203 N. Main Street, with Holy Day Masses on the eve of the feast and the Sacrament of Penance available by appointment. The parish counts roughly 140-172 registered parishioners across about 59 families, drawn from the small farming communities of the area, and participates in the diocesan Public School Religious (PSR) program for faith formation.
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. William F. Kessler
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist offers a familiar, small-town Catholic community in which parishioners know one another and the priest cares personally for both St. John and the neighboring St. Alphonsus in Brighton. Families in the Medora area who want a Sunday Mass close to home, faith formation for their children through the diocesan PSR program, and the regular sacramental life of the Church — including Holy Day Masses and confession by appointment — will find a welcoming parish rooted in the rural Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
Parish Identity
St. John the Evangelist is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Medora, Illinois, in Macoupin County. It sits within the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and is part of the Jerseyville Deanery. The parish is named for St. John the Evangelist, whose feast day is celebrated on December 27.
- Patron: St. John the Evangelist (feast day December 27)
- Diocese: Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
- Deanery: Jerseyville Deanery
- Type: Parish (Roman Rite, Roman Catholic)
Pastor and Clergy
The parish is served by Rev. William F. Kessler, who is pastor of both St. John the Evangelist, Medora, and St. Alphonsus, Brighton. Fr. Kessler resides at the Brighton rectory and travels to Medora to celebrate the weekly Sunday Mass and other sacraments. He was born October 21, 1971, and was ordained a priest on May 29, 1999, for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
- Rev. William F. Kessler — Pastor since 2017 (Parochial Administrator 2013–2017; Parochial Vicar 2012–2013)
Father Kessler's Pastoral Assignments
A complete assignment history for the current pastor, drawn from the diocesan pastoral directory.
- Parochial Vicar, Blessed Sacrament, Springfield (1999–2002)
- Parochial Vicar, St. Anthony of Padua, Effingham (2002–2005)
- Pastor, Blessed Trinity, Brussels, and St. Francis of Assisi, Hardin (2005–2008)
- Pastor, St. Patrick, Pana, and Sacred Heart, Oconee (2008–2010)
- Pastor, St. Mary, Edwardsville (2010–2012)
- Leave of Absence (2012)
- Parochial Vicar, St. Alphonsus, Brighton, and St. John the Evangelist, Medora (2012–2013)
- Chaplain, Marquette Catholic High School, Alton (2013–2022)
- Parochial Administrator, then Pastor, St. Alphonsus, Brighton, and St. John the Evangelist, Medora (2013–present)
Parish Staff
Day-to-day parish operations are coordinated by the staff shared with St. Alphonsus, Brighton, where the parish office is located. Faith formation is provided through the Parish School of Religion (PSR) for public-school students.
- Christina McAfee — Secretary
- Jane Hanneken — PSR Coordinator
- Mary Kate Kinder — PSR Coordinator
- Stacey Bierman — Liturgical Music Coordinator
Sacraments and Faith Formation
Beyond weekly Mass, St. John the Evangelist offers the Sacrament of Penance by appointment and coordinates the Parish School of Religion (PSR) program for the religious education of children in the parish.
- Sunday Eucharist
- Holy Day Mass on the Eve of the feast
- Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation) by appointment
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) for public-school students
Ministries and Community Life
As a small parish, St. John the Evangelist relies on a core team of staff and volunteers to support its liturgical and faith-formation ministries. The parish is closely connected with its sister parish of St. Alphonsus in Brighton, sharing pastor, secretary, and PSR leadership.
- Liturgical Music Ministry
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) for children's faith formation
- Pastoral leadership shared with St. Alphonsus, Brighton
Visiting and Contacting the Parish
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office through the Brighton office line. The Medora church itself is the regular location for Sunday worship.
- Church address: 203 N. Main St., Medora, IL 62063
- Mailing address: 920 N. Main St., Brighton, IL 62012 (via St. Alphonsus)
- Office phone: (618) 372-3352
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.dio.org/parishes/st-john-the-evangelist-medora.html
In the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
St. John the Evangelist is one of more than 140 parishes and missions within the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. It belongs to the Jerseyville Deanery, which clusters parishes across Macoupin County and neighboring counties in west-central Illinois. The diocese's 2025 Pastoral Plan lists the parish at roughly 140 registered parishioners served by a single Sunday Mass.
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois — established 1923, see city Springfield
- Jerseyville Deanery
- 2025 Pastoral Plan registration: 140 parishioners
- Earlier diocesan directory record: 172 parishioners / 59 families
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William F. Kessler2012–present
First Parochial Vicar of St. Alphonsus, Brighton and St. John the Evangelist, Medora (2012–2013); Parochial Administrator of the same two parishes while also serving as Chaplain of Marquette Catholic High School, Alton (2013–2017); Pastor of both parishes since 2017. Resides at St. Alphonsus, Brighton.