About St. Joseph · Benton, Illinois
St. Joseph Parish is a Catholic church in Benton, Illinois, serving the Catholic faithful of Franklin County and surrounding Rend Lake region since 1910. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Belleville and is pastored by Rev. Urban Osuji, C.M., a Vincentian (Congregation of the Mission) priest originally from Nigeria, who also shepherds St. Andrew in Christopher and St. Mary in Sesser as chapels of the merged St. Joseph community. Worship is offered in a 1952 church on West Main Street, supported by an active Knights of Columbus council, a Youth Faith Formation program, the OCIA (Becoming Catholic) process, and a music ministry led by Sister Laura Reynolds.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Urban Osuji, C.M.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a welcoming, family-sized parish in the heart of Benton with weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, a friendly "come-as-you-are" atmosphere for families with young children (complete with a Parent's Room), and an active Knights of Columbus council that visibly serves the parish and community. Faith formation is a clear priority: children in preschool through eighth grade meet for Youth Faith Formation after the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, adults explore the faith through the Becoming Catholic (OCIA) process on Tuesday evenings, and a Bible-study resource (the Fr. Mike Schmitz 'Bible in a Year' podcast) is promoted for daily growth. Under the pastoral care of Fr. Urban Osuji, C.M., and a small, dedicated lay staff, the parish offers a clear path for anyone — lifelong Catholic, returning Catholic, or inquirer — to belong, serve, and grow.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:20 p.m.
- By request (call the parish office to schedule)
- Special Reconciliation Services during Advent and Lent (posted in the Parish Calendar)
Welcome & I'm New Here
St. Joseph's website invites first-time visitors with a 'Welcome / I'm New Here' page that addresses the most common practical concerns: when Mass is offered, where to park, which entrance to use, and how to find the restroom. The main entrance faces West Main Street on the north side of the building, with additional east and west entrances and restrooms at the west entrance. The parish explicitly welcomes families with infants and even encourages them to sit in the front pews so children can see what is happening — a Parent's Room is available in the back of church for those occasional moments when a quieter space is needed.
- Main (north) entrance on West Main Street
- Additional east and west side entrances
- Restroom at the west entrance
- Parent's Room in back of church near the main entrance
- Contact Fr. Urban or Sister Laura with questions about joining the parish
I've Been Away — Come Home
A dedicated 'I've Been Away' page on the parish website reaches out to Catholics who have drifted from regular practice of the faith. It echoes the traditional saying 'Once a Catholic, always a Catholic' and warmly invites anyone feeling a 'tug' to return to the sacraments and to full communion, regardless of how long they have been away. Inquirers are directed to the parish office, to Fr. Urban, or to Sister Laura for one-on-one conversation.
- Invitation to return to the sacraments
- Path back through OCIA or simple confession
- Welcoming tone emphasizing belonging
Parish History
St. Joseph Parish traces its origins to 1910 in Benton, the seat of Franklin County in southern Illinois. Early worship took place in a church in nearby West City, then in a basement church at 500 West Webster Street in Benton. By 1950 — a Holy Year of Prayer in the universal Church — Pastor Fr. John Venogoni led the building of the present church on West Main Street. Bishop Albert Zuroweste of Belleville laid the cornerstone in 1950 and dedicated the completed building on June 22, 1952.
- Established 1910
- Earlier worship sites: West City, Illinois, and 500 West Webster Street basement church, Benton
- Current church: cornerstone 1950, dedicated June 22, 1952 by Bishop Albert Zuroweste
Pastoral Leadership & Staff
St. Joseph is pastored by Rev. Urban Osuji, C.M., a Vincentian (Congregation of the Mission) priest of the Province of Nigeria who was first appointed Administrator of the parish in July 2015 and now serves as Pastor, also overseeing the merged communities of St. Andrew in Christopher and St. Mary in Sesser. The lay staff includes Ellen Neikes as Parish Secretary and Vickie Simpson as Coordinator / Director of Religious Education, with Sister Laura Reynolds serving as Director of Music and RCIA. Deacon Michael Rowland assists at the parish and the Christopher/Sesser chapels.
- Pastor — Rev. Urban Osuji, C.M.
- Parish Secretary — Ellen Neikes
- Coordinator of Religious Education — Vickie Simpson
- Director of Music and RCIA — Sr. Laura Reynolds
- Deacon — Michael Rowland (assists at Benton, Christopher, Sesser)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for children and adults is a major ministry at St. Joseph. The parish's Youth Faith Formation (YFF) program — also called PSR / Parish School of Religion — welcomes children from preschool through eighth grade. Classes meet on Sundays in the parish hall immediately after the 10:00 a.m. Mass and run about an hour. First Holy Communion is reserved for second-graders who are ready, with special arrangements for older children; Confirmation is prepared through a two-year readiness class for students in sixth and seventh grades, with the next Confirmation scheduled for spring 2026.
- YFF (PSR) for preschool through 8th grade
- Sundays after 10:00 a.m. Mass in the parish hall
- First Holy Communion — spring (2nd grade ready)
- Confirmation — two-year readiness, 6th & 7th grades
- Catechetical year began September 15, 2024
- Coordinator: Vickie Simpson
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
The parish runs an OCIA program — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — which it simply calls 'Becoming Catholic.' The group meets on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. and is open to anyone curious about the Catholic faith: those who are brand new to Christianity, those who come from a Catholic family but never learned or practiced the faith, and baptized Catholics who want a stronger grounding in the basics. The first stage, 'Inquiry,' is a no-pressure time to ask questions and discern a possible call to walk with the Catholic community.
- Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m.
- Three audiences: newcomers, cultural Catholics, returning Catholics
- Inquiry stage as the first step
- Coordinated by Sr. Laura Reynolds (RCIA / music director)
Sacraments
St. Joseph frames the seven sacraments as visible signs of invisible grace, instituted by Christ to sanctify his people and to draw them into their own salvation. Children prepare for the sacraments through the Youth Faith Formation program; adults prepare through the Becoming Catholic (OCIA) process. Reconciliation is celebrated weekly on Saturday afternoons in the Reconciliation Room, with both screened and face-to-face options.
- Children's sacramental prep via YFF
- Adult sacramental prep via OCIA
- Confession — Saturdays 4:00–4:20 p.m. or by request
- First Holy Communion (2nd grade ready)
- Confirmation (6th–7th grade readiness, two-year program)
Living Our Faith & Bible Study
The parish website gathers resources under 'Living Our Faith' to help parishioners take the Gospel into daily life. A dedicated Bible Study page promotes the widely used 'Bible in a Year' podcast hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz and produced by Ascension Press, with the parish inviting people to sign up to read through the whole Bible in 20–25 minutes a day at no cost.
- 'Bible in a Year' podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension Press)
- Free sign-up via the parish website
- Daily listening habit of 20–25 minutes
- Goal of hearing God's voice in daily living
Knights of Columbus
Two Knights of Columbus councils are tied to the parish family. Benton Council 9890 meets on the second Monday of the month in the St. Joseph Parish Center (Grand Knight Pat Sanders, District Deputy Harold Campbell) and is the visible engine behind many parish pro-life and vocations efforts. Christopher Council 3943 meets on the third Wednesday of the month in the Columbian Club in Christopher (Grand Knight Mike Salmo). The councils sponsor the Keep Christ in Christmas poster contest for YFF students, support Aid for Women Carbondale and St. Ann Cradle of Hope, put the pro-life 'Bridges for Life' message along Interstate 57, and donate proceeds from their annual Vocations Raffle to seminarians (in 2025 each of two seminarians, Greg Kassen and Grant Fender, received $500).
- Benton Council 9890 — meets 2nd Monday, St. Joseph Parish Center
- Christopher Council 3943 — meets 3rd Wednesday, Columbian Club
- Keep Christ in Christmas Poster Contest
- Bridges for Life pro-life effort on I-57
- Vocations Raffle donations to seminarians
- Support for Aid for Women Carbondale and St. Ann Cradle of Hope
- Lifetime-service honorees from St. Joseph: Msgr. Charles Nebel (2002), Fr. Joseph Trapp (2014), Harold Campbell (2023), Willie Wolf (2025)
Vocations & Seminarian Support
The parish actively promotes vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The Benton Knights' 2025 Vocations Raffle raised money that was presented to seminarians Greg Kassen and Grant Fender, each receiving $500 toward seminary expenses. The parish and K of C emphasize that supporting seminarians is supporting the parish's future priests.
- Annual Vocations Raffle
- $500 donations to Greg Kassen and Grant Fender (2025)
- Promotion of diocesan vocations prayer
Parish Boundaries & Partnership with Christopher/Sesser
Since 11 September 2018 — under Bishop Edward K. Braxton's Pastoral Plan for Parish Renewal and Restructuring — St. Andrew Parish in Christopher and St. Mary Parish in Sesser have been suppressed, their former church buildings designated as chapels of St. Joseph Parish in Benton, and the boundaries of St. Joseph extended to embrace the former parish territories. Today a single pastoral team, led by Fr. Urban Osuji, C.M., ministers to all three worship sites in partnership with Deacon Michael Rowland.
- St. Andrew, Christopher — chapel of St. Joseph
- St. Mary, Sesser — chapel of St. Joseph
- Pastoral Partnership of Franklin County
Contact & Practical Information
St. Joseph Parish is located at 506 West Main Street, Benton, IL 62812. The Parish Office can be reached by phone at 618-438-9941 (fax 618-200-4206) and by email at [email protected]. The parish maintains a calendar on its website and publishes weekday and Holy Day Mass schedules in the bulletin. Parishioners can also stay connected through the WeConnect app linked from the parish site.
- Address: 506 W. Main St., Benton, IL 62812
- Phone: 618-438-9941
- Fax: 618-200-4206
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: catholicchurchesofrendlake.com
- Diocese: Diocese of Belleville
- WeConnect parish app
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Venogoniaround 1950–1952
Pastor at the time the new church was built; oversaw the 1950 cornerstone laying and 1952 dedication by Bishop Zuroweste.
- Fr. Joseph L. Trapplong-serving pastor, retired July 2015
Granted retirement status in July 2015 after 56 years of priestly ministry in the Diocese of Belleville; honored by the Knights of Columbus in 2014.
- Rev. Urban Osuji, C.M.appointed Administrator July 2015; current Pastor
Vincentian priest of the Province of Nigeria; appointed by Bishop Braxton as Administrator of St. Joseph along with St. Andrew (Christopher) and St. Mary (Sesser).