About St. Joseph · Loda, Illinois
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Loda, Illinois is a historic rural mission parish in the Diocese of Joliet that has served Catholic farm families in this central Illinois village since 1870. It is now closely twinned with St. Mary Catholic Church in Paxton and Our Lady of Lourdes in Gibson City, sharing one pastor and a combined schedule of Masses across the three small communities. Today St. Joseph continues its 19th-century mission of bringing the sacraments to the prairie — it celebrated its 150th anniversary around 2020 and remains a tight-knit, volunteer-run congregation rooted in over 150 years of faith.
- Established
- 1870
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Jose Kadukunnel, CMI
- Diocese
- Diocese of Joliet
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small, volunteer-driven rural mission where the Catholic faith has been celebrated continuously since 1870 — a place where Mass is offered twice a week (Sunday morning and Thursday evening) so that farm families and neighbors can keep the Eucharist central to their week. As a mission of St. Mary in Paxton, worshippers are part of a tight three-church family that shares Faith Formation, the Parish Center on Maple Street, and a single pastor. It is a congregation that has weathered fires, rebuilt sanctuaries, and earned its stained-glass windows one generation at a time — a good place for anyone looking for reverent liturgy, real community, and a parish that knows your name.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 AM – 7:45 AM (before Mass)
Parish History
St. Joseph was founded in 1870 by Fr. Fanning, who first celebrated Mass in the area in the late 1850s in the Healy family home. The parish grew from a one-room mission into the mother church for Paxton, Rankin and Gibson City under Fr. Louis Heideman (1883–1900), survived a rectory fire in 1911 and a damaging church fire in 1920, and became a mission of St. Mary in Paxton when the Diocese of Joliet was formed in 1948. Today it continues as a small but active congregation 150+ years after its founding.
- Founding: 1870 by Rev. Dr. Wm. A. Fanning
- First resident pastor: Fr. Cahill, 1879
- Rectory built by Fr. Martin Kelly, 1880
- Convent and parochial school, 1884–85, under Fr. Louis Heideman
- Rectory fire, 1911
- Stained-glass windows added under Fr. Philip Markey (1914–c.1933)
- Church fire and repairs, 1920
- Became mission of St. Mary, Paxton, in 1948 when Diocese of Joliet was created under Bishop Martin D. McNamara
Combined Parish Family
St. Joseph is one of three Catholic churches served together by Rev. Jose Kadukunnel, CMI: St. Mary in Paxton (407 W. Pells Street), Our Lady of Lourdes in Gibson City, and St. Joseph in Loda (312 N. Hickory Street). Together they form a single pastoral community sharing clergy, Mass rotation, Faith Formation, and the Parish Center.
- St. Mary, Paxton — 407 W. Pells Street, Paxton, IL 60957
- St. Joseph, Loda — 312 N. Hickory Street, Loda, IL 60948
- Our Lady of Lourdes, Gibson City
Parish Center & Faith Formation
Faith Formation classes for the combined St. Mary / St. Joseph community are held at the Parish Center at 150 N. Maple Street, Paxton, just north of St. Mary Catholic Church. Built in 1962 under Fr. Stanley Orlikiewicz, the Center is the heart of parish activity outside the churches and the meeting place for combined-church organizations.
- Parish Center built 1962 under Fr. Stanley Orlikiewicz
- Address: 150 N. Maple Street, Paxton, IL 60957
- Hosts Faith Formation classes and organization meetings
Visiting & Contact
Visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Joseph. The church office is reached through the combined St. Mary parish office in Paxton.
- Address: 312 North Hickory Street, Loda, IL 60948
- Phone (parish office): (217) 379-0102, Option 1
- Phone (also listed for parish): (217) 379-4033
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing address: 150 N. Maple Street, Paxton, IL 60957
- Directions: U.S. 45 in Loda, west on Jefferson to Hickory
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Dr. Wm. A. Fanning1866–1879
Pastor at Fairbury; given charge of Loda as an out-mission in 1866; formally founded the parish in 1870 and built St. Joseph Church in 1871.
- Fr. Engelbert Blume
Conducted the first Holy Communion class in 1877.
- Fr. Cahill1879–c.1880
First resident priest at St. Joseph.
- Fr. Martin Kelly1880
Built the first rectory in Loda.
- Fr. Louis Heideman1883–c.1900
Served 17 years; built a convent and parochial school (1884–85); founded Holy Ghost church/school in Paxton and made Paxton, Rankin and Gibson City missions of Loda.
- Fr. Edward Jacob1900
Had the sanctuary arch built.
- Fr. Healy1904–1914
Enlarged sanctuary and sacristy; added new floor, pews, confessional, Stations of the Cross, statues of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, and a high altar. After his departure, only Rankin remained as a mission.
- Fr. Philip Markey1914–c.1933
Served 19 years; commissioned new stained-glass windows; rebuilt after a 1920 church fire.
- Fr. Stanley Orlikiewicz1958–1964
Led St. Mary parish (which oversaw the Loda mission); under his leadership the present Parish Center was built in 1962.
- Rev. Jose Kadukunnel, CMI
Current pastor of the combined St. Mary (Paxton) / St. Joseph (Loda) / Our Lady of Lourdes (Gibson City) parishes.