About St. Joseph · Crescent City, Illinois
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small rural mission parish at 307 Union Street in Crescent City, Illinois, in the Diocese of Joliet. Founded in 1874, it has served as a Catholic presence in the area for 150 years and is administered as a mission of St. Edmund Parish in nearby Watseka, sharing the same pastor. The church offers one Sunday Mass each week and is part of a three-parish family that includes St. Edmund in Watseka and St. Mary in Beaverville.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Powell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Joliet
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small, rural Catholic mission that has faithfully served Crescent City since 1874, offering a familiar Sunday Mass and a connection to the wider Catholic community of Iroquois County. As part of the St. Edmund Parish family, parishioners have access to religious education, sacramental preparation, and parish life shared with Watseka and Beaverville. It is a welcoming church for visitors, returning Catholics, and anyone seeking a quiet, traditional rural parish rooted in decades of local Catholic presence.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30–4:50 PM at St. Edmund (Watseka), or by appointment
St. Joseph Catholic Church — A Rural Mission in Crescent City, Illinois
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a mission parish of St. Edmund in Watseka, located at 307 Union Street in the small village of Crescent City in Iroquois County. The parish traces its origins to 1874 and continues to serve as the Catholic presence in this rural stretch of east-central Illinois. Visitors and parishioners alike are welcomed at the church, which celebrates one Sunday Mass each week.
- Address: 307 Union Street, Crescent City, IL 60928
- Type: Mission (under St. Edmund Parish, Watseka)
- Diocese: Joliet
- Sunday Mass: 9:30 AM
History and 150th Anniversary
According to the Diocese of Joliet, St. Joseph of Crescent City was founded in 1874. The parish marked its sesquicentennial in 2024, with a special 10:00 AM Mass on Saturday, April 27, 2024, followed by a brunch at the Crescent City Community Center. For 150 years, the church has served farming families and neighbors in and around Crescent City as part of the wider Catholic life of Iroquois County.
- Founded 1874
- 150th anniversary celebrated April 27, 2024
- Connected to St. Edmund (Watseka, founded 1908) and St. Mary (Beaverville)
Pastoral Leadership
St. Joseph is served by the pastor of St. Edmund Parish in Watseka. Under current leadership, one priest — Rev. Michael Powell — serves as pastor of all three parishes: St. Edmund (Watseka), St. Joseph (Crescent City), and St. Mary (Beaverville).
- Rev. Michael Powell — Pastor of St. Edmund, St. Joseph, and St. Mary parishes
- Rectory phone: 815-432-3274
- Office hours: 8:00 AM–12:00 PM, Monday–Friday
The Three-Parish Family
St. Joseph belongs to a small pastoral family of three Iroquois County Catholic churches under St. Edmund Parish in Watseka. Together they form the Catholic network for this part of rural east-central Illinois: St. Edmund (Watseka), St. Mary (Beaverville), and St. Joseph (Crescent City).
- St. Edmund Catholic Church, 219 East Locust St., Watseka, IL 60970 — 815-432-3274
- St. Mary Catholic Church, 308 St. Charles St., Beaverville, IL 60912 — 815-435-2432
- St. Joseph Catholic Church, 307 Union St., Crescent City, IL 60928 — mission parish
- Shared website: www.stedstjoe.org
Diocese of Joliet
St. Joseph is part of the Diocese of Joliet, which covers much of the Chicago-collar counties and parts of central Illinois. The diocese's official church listing records 'Crescent City St. Joseph—Founded 1874' among its parishes. The diocese's stated mission, repeated on the parish's own materials, is 'Transforming the world in which we live by bringing the teachings of Jesus Christ to every living person.'
- Jurisdiction: Diocese of Joliet
- Diocesan parish list includes Crescent City St. Joseph, founded 1874
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the mission through the St. Edmund rectory in Watseka. Office hours are 8:00 AM to noon Monday through Friday. The Sunday 9:30 AM Mass at 307 Union Street is the regular weekly gathering for the Crescent City Catholic community.
- Phone: (815) 432-3274
- Fax: (815) 432-3275
- Website: http://www.stedstjoe.org/
- Religious Education Office: 815-432-5569