About St. Joseph · Cobden, Illinois
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Cobden, Illinois, in the southern Illinois county of Union, within the Diocese of Belleville. The parish was formally established in 1879 and today is served by Father Uriel Salamanca, with weekday Masses in English and a Tuesday evening Mass celebrated in Spanish for the local Hispanic community. It is partnered with St. Mary Parish in nearby Anna and tends an active Catholic cemetery adjoining its property on North Centennial Street. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin and a monthly newsletter and is supported by a Parish Council, St. Ann's Sodality, and a small but active group of lay ministries.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Uriel Salamanca (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small but lively historic Catholic parish in rural Union County, with deep roots in the German-Catholic farming community of Cobden going back to 1853. The parish offers weekday and Sunday Mass in English, a Spanish-language Mass each Tuesday for the local Hispanic community, and Reconciliation twice a week, all in an intimate setting. A faithful core of lay ministers run the Parish Council, St. Ann's Sodality, the CCD/PSR faith-formation program, the bulletin and newsletter, and the care of the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery — making it an easy place for newcomers to know one another and to get involved.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (after Mass, or by appointment)
- Friday 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (after Mass, or by appointment)
Parish Identity & Location
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the small village of Cobden, in Union County in far southern Illinois. It is one of the historic parishes of the Diocese of Belleville and is formally partnered with St. Mary Parish in nearby Anna. The parish mailing address is P.O. Box 237, Cobden, IL 62920, and the church is located at 101 North Centennial Street, where the main office can be reached at (618) 893-2276.
- 101 N. Centennial Street, Cobden, IL 62920
- Mailing: P.O. Box 237, Cobden, IL 62920
- Phone: (618) 893-2276
- Diocese of Belleville
- Partnered parish: St. Mary, Anna
Parish History: 1853–1879
Catholicism in Cobden begins with the 1853 immigration of six German farming families — Mathias Clemens, Joseph Bigler, Frank Manzer, Joseph Metz, Benjamin Basler, and John Sweitzer. They settled around the place then called South Pass (later renamed Cobden for Illinois Central Railroad stockholder Richard Cobden) and eked out a living as truck farmers, specializing in sweet potatoes and strawberries. Mass was first said in the Clemens home in 1861, and the Cobden mission was attended successively from Anna, Cairo, and Mound City by priests whose names are preserved in the early registers. The community grew steadily and, in 1879, was formally organized as a parish.
- First Catholic families arrived 1853 from Germany
- First Mass in Cobden: 1861, in the home of Mathias Clemens
- Parish formally organized 1879
- First baptism: Magdaline Blum, March 30, 1879
- First funeral: Gertrude Clemens, February 23, 1880
- First wedding: Edgar Buck and Lorraine Belle, March 6, 1881
Parish History: 1879–1954 — The Benedictine Era and the Parish School
After organization in 1879, the parish was served by visiting Benedictine Fathers from the monastery at nearby Wetaug, and a few rooms were added to the original church to house the visiting priest. After the Anna church burned in 1893, Father Alto Herr moved his residence to Cobden, buying the lot where the present rectory now stands, and Anna Petsch and Joseph Bigler donated two parcels of land for what became St. Joseph Cemetery. Under Rev. Christopher Goelz the parishioners built a school in 1905, opened by White Benedictine Sisters from Jonesboro, Arkansas, with Sister Adelheid, OSB, and Sister Alphonsa, OSB, as the first teachers. In 1912 the Benedictine sisters were recalled to Little Rock, and the School Sisters of Notre Dame from Sancta Maria in Ripa in St. Louis took over the school — a partnership that would last fifty years.
- Benedictine Fathers from the Wetaug monastery served the parish
- Father Alto Herr moved into Cobden in 1893; rectory lot acquired
- Cemetery land donated 1893 by Anna Petsch and Joseph Bigler
- Parish school built 1905 under Rev. Christopher Goelz
- White Benedictine Sisters from Jonesboro opened the school
- School Sisters of Notre Dame arrived 1912 from St. Louis
Parish History: 1954–1979 — Jubilees, Vatican II, and a New Parish Hall
Father Victor Sulkowski led the Diamond Jubilee on October 24, 1954, with a Pontifical High Mass in which the story of Catholic Cobden was retold back to 1853. He was transferred to Carlyle in 1961 and succeeded by Rev. Joseph Orford, who also served as Catholic chaplain for Anna State Hospital. Declining enrollment forced the closing of the parish school in 1962, ending fifty years of Notre Dame teaching. The Vatican II years brought a Parish Council, the Diocesan Service Appeal, lay religious teachers, and an Adult Confraternity of Christian Doctrine that met in small groups in parishioners' homes. Under Father Stephen Humphrey (assigned 1971), the old school was demolished in 1972 and a new Parish Hall was built by 1973 and blessed in June 1974. Father Ted Baumann led the 1978–79 Centennial, which began with a 5:00 p.m. Mass on Saturday, March 18, 1978, and included a Memorial Mass at the cemetery, an ecumenical service with neighboring clergy, the parish's first Communal Penance Service, and the ordination of the parish's first native son, Father Arthur Basler, in 1975.
- 1954 Diamond Jubilee celebrated with Pontifical High Mass
- Parish school closed 1962
- Parish Council, DSA, and Adult CCD established post-Vatican II
- New Parish Hall built 1973–74, replacing the old school
- Centennial year 1978–79 with ecumenical service and Memorial Mass
- Father Arthur Basler ordained 1975 — first native son to the priesthood
Clergy, Staff & Parish Leaders
The parish is currently administered by Rev. Uriel Salamanca, with a small lay staff and a network of volunteer coordinators listed on the parish website. Jeanne Wacker serves as bookkeeper and Gabriela Morales as Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) for the CCD/PSR program. Trustees are Rick Flamm and Karl Sweitzer. Lay coordinators head up liturgy, faith formation, the bulletin, communications, safety and grounds, and the cemetery.
- Administrator: Rev. Uriel Salamanca — (618) 713-8257 — [email protected]
- Bookkeeper: Jeanne Wacker
- Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE): Gabriela Morales — (618) 697-2790
- Trustees: Rick Flamm, Karl Sweitzer
- Liturgy: Paulette Aronson
- Bulletin & Parish News: Luisa Vercide, Sherry Haddick
- Communications / Media: Brian Sapp
- Safety & Grounds: Harold Blunt
- Parish Council members: Kenny Flamm (Chair), Gabriela Morales (VP/Education/Media), Sherry Haddick (Secretary/Sodality), Brian Sapp (Communications), Harold Blunt (Safety & Grounds), Dori Bigler, Seirra Brumleve
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Parish life is shaped by a Parish Council, the St. Ann's Sodality, and the CCD/PSR faith-formation program, along with a Liturgy Committee, a Cemetery committee, and a Hispanic ministry anchored by the Tuesday Spanish Mass. Bulletin and newsletter editors keep the parish informed weekly and monthly, and trustees, grounds, and communications leads keep the building and media presence running.
- Parish Council — Kenny Flamm, chair
- St. Ann's Sodality — Sherry Haddick, Connie Vincent
- CCD / PSR Faith Formation — Gabriela Morales
- Liturgy Committee — Paulette Aronson
- St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery — Ken & Patty Flamm (queries/plots); Gary Wiggs (maintenance)
- Hispanic Ministry / Spanish Mass — Tuesday 6:00 p.m.
- Bulletin & Parish News — Luisa Vercide, Sherry Haddick
- Communications / Media — Brian Sapp
- Safety & Grounds — Harold Blunt
St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery
The parish cemetery adjoining the church grounds was established in 1893 with two parcels of land donated by Anna Petsch and Joseph Bigler. Under Father Victor Sulkowski it was landscaped and a crucifix of Union County Lutz Marble was erected and lit by automatic floodlights; an adjacent parcel was later given by Arthur Bigler. Today the cemetery is stewarded by the parish through a dedicated committee of volunteers.
- Cemetery land donated 1893 by Anna Petsch and Joseph Bigler
- Union County Lutz Marble crucifix erected under Father Victor Sulkowski
- Adjacent parcel later given by Arthur Bigler
- Queries & plots: Ken & Patty Flamm — (618) 697-0952 — [email protected]
- Maintenance: Gary Wiggs — (618) 967-7116
Bulletin, Newsletter & Communications
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin (with PDF downloads available on the website) and a monthly newsletter that includes parish news, Mass intentions, and historical features. Announcements for the bulletin are accepted by email with a deadline of the Thursday before publication. A monthly newsletter (such as the November 2025 and March 2026 issues) is hosted on the parish's web platform and includes tributes to former pastors, the early days of the parish, and parish council updates.
- Weekly bulletin — PDF available on the website
- Monthly newsletter — parish history features and Mass intentions
- Bulletin submission deadline: Thursday before publication
- Submission emails: [email protected] or [email protected]
- Bulletin & Parish News contacts: Luisa Vercide, Sherry Haddick
Getting Involved
Because the parish is small, the path to involvement is direct: every ministry is listed on the website with a named contact and a phone number or email. Visitors and parishioners are invited to reach out to the Parish Council chair, the St. Ann's Sodality, the Liturgy Committee, or the CCD/PSR program to find a place to serve. The parish also welcomes Spanish-speaking families to the Tuesday evening Mass and the wider Hispanic ministry.
- Parish Council — Kenny Flamm, (618) 528-9611, [email protected]
- St. Ann's Sodality — Sherry Haddick, (618) 559-4347, [email protected]
- Liturgy — Paulette Aronson, (618) 893-2882, [email protected]
- CCD / PSR — Gabriela Morales, (618) 697-2790, [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/st.josephcobden
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Visiting priests from Anna, Cairo, and Mound City1861–1878
Rev. Theodore Elshoff (1861), Rev. L.A. Lambert (1862–63), Rev. William Kuchenbuch (1863–65), Rev. R.A. Walsh (1863), Rev. F. Foekele (1868–71), Rev. H.A. Hellhake (1872–73), Rev. R. Grant (1874), Rev. G. Hoppe (1875), Rev. L. Lambert (1875–76), Rev. J. Masterson (1877), Rev. John Herlitz (1877–81).
- Benedictine Fathers of the Monastery at Wetaug1879–c.1893
Visiting monks from the nearby monastery took charge after the parish was organized in 1879.
- Rev. Alto Herr1893
Transferred his residence to Cobden after the Anna church burned; purchased the lot where the rectory now stands.
- Rev. Christopher Goelzearly 1900s
Built the parish school in 1905; brought the White Benedictine Sisters and later the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
- Rev. Victor Sulkowskithrough 1961
Celebrated the 1954 Diamond Jubilee with a Pontifical High Mass; transferred to Carlyle in August 1961.
- Rev. Joseph Orford1961–
Succeeded Father Victor; also served as Catholic Chaplain for Anna State Hospital.
- Rev. Stephen Humphrey1971–
Assigned as pastor and Catholic Chaplain at Anna State Hospital; era of building the new Parish Hall.
- Rev. Ted Baumann1978–
Completed church renovation projects during the Centennial year; began periodic Spanish Masses for migrant farm laborers.
- Father Fedrecent
Celebrated First Communions and supported CCD/PSR faith formation; remembered in March 2026 parish newsletter.
- Rev. Uriel Salamancacurrent
Current Administrator of the parish.