About St. Joseph · Olney, Illinois
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historic parish in Olney, Illinois (Richland County), founded in 1857 and part of the Diocese of Belleville. The parish serves approximately 700 families and shares a pastoral partnership with Holy Cross in Wendelin, St. Joseph in Stringtown, and St. Lawrence in Lawrenceville. Weekend Masses are celebrated Saturday evening and Sunday morning, with the parish also operating St. Joseph Grade School (Pre-K through 8th grade). The current church building was begun in 1937 and dedicated on Thanksgiving Day 1938, and the parish complex includes a 1997-built Parish Center with parish offices, a multi-purpose space, a computer lab, and a full kitchen.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Very Rev. Steven L. Beatty, V.G.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville, Illinois
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers a small-town Catholic community with deep roots, serving about 700 families across the Olney area. Parishioners can worship at a historic church (built 1938), send their children to the parish-operated St. Joseph Grade School (Pre-K–8), grow in faith through Family Catechesis and the Adult Faith Formation Committee, and serve through active ministries like the Knights of Columbus, Social Outreach (including the Lenten 'Blessings in a Bag' project and Meals for Moms), the Parish and Family Life Committee, and the Parish School of Religion. The parish also livestreams Masses and partners liturgically with neighboring parishes in Wendelin, Stringtown, and Lawrenceville, giving newcomers a friendly, well-connected Catholic home in southeast Illinois.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 – 4:45 p.m. (parish website)
- Saturday 4:15 – 4:30 p.m. (Diocese of Belleville directory)
- Or by appointment
Parish History
St. Joseph Parish of Olney was founded in 1857 when Father Laughren, the first priest assigned here, celebrated Mass in the O'Donnel family home at 122 West North Avenue. The first church was built in 1861 on a site donated by Thomas Lily at the corner of Fair and Butler Streets; in 1892, this small frame church was moved on rollers to the parish's present location at Elliott and Chestnut Street. The present-day church was begun in 1937 and dedicated on Thanksgiving Day 1938, with an interior renovation in the fall of 1979 that left the exterior essentially unchanged. The 1957 centennial brought the gym/cafeteria building, dedicated April 13, 1958, and in 2007 the parish celebrated 150 years of the church and 100 years of the school with a picnic, an old-time dress-up Sunday, and a special Mass with Bishop Braxton of Belleville. An Illinois House of Representatives resolution (HR 0819) was adopted in 2007 commemorating the parish's sesquicentennial.
- 1857 — Parish founded; first Mass at 122 West North Avenue
- 1861 — First church built at Fair & Butler Streets (site donated by Thomas Lily)
- 1892 — Original frame church moved on rollers to Elliott & Chestnut
- 1907 — Parish school completed
- 1937–1938 — Present church built and dedicated on Thanksgiving Day 1938
- 1953 — Old Parish House purchased (formerly C.P. Porter estate); served as Sisters' Convent
- 1957–1958 — Centennial year; gym/cafeteria building dedicated April 13, 1958
- 1979 — Interior renovation of the church
- 1995–1997 — Parish House demolished; Parish Center groundbreaking August 17, 1997
- 2007 — 150th anniversary of parish and 100th of school, with Mass celebrated by Bishop Braxton
St. Joseph Grade School
St. Joseph Grade School is the parish school, founded in 1907 and opened to students in January 1908 when seventy children enrolled. The Ursuline Sisters of Paola, Kansas were recruited by Dr. George Weber to staff the school, teaching from 1907 to 1914. The Adorers of the Blood of Christ then took over the teaching role and remained until Sister Joan left the school in 1985. The school today serves about 216 students in Pre-K through 8th grade and operates from 520 East Chestnut Street, Olney. It is supported by parish School Advisory Council members and active parish-school partnerships such as the St. Joseph School Bingo Bash fundraiser and annual benefit calendar drawing.
- Principal: Mrs. Josy Hart
- School Advisory Council President: Angel Padilla
- Address: 520 East Chestnut Street, Olney, IL 62450
- Phone: 618-395-3081; Fax: 618-395-8500
- Athletics ministry contact: Jodi Schneider (618-869-2353)
- Recycling program contact: Carl Kocher (618-869-2318)
- Website referenced: stjoeolney.com
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Joseph is coordinated through Family Catechesis and an Adult Faith Formation Committee, with Caroline Trimble serving as Pastoral Associate across the partnered parishes. Family Catechesis offers at-home learning using Word of Life for all ages from birth through high school (and adults), with sessions held at Holy Cross in Wendelin on the first Wednesday of each month (6:30–7:30 p.m., September–May) and at St. Lawrence in Lawrenceville on the first Sunday of each month (9:00–9:55 a.m.). The Adult Faith Formation Committee, chaired by Jane Kocher, plans speakers, workshops, and other opportunities aimed at fostering faith development among adult parishioners, meeting twice a year.
- Family Catechesis (Word of Life) — at-home domestic-church model
- Sessions: 1st Wednesday, 6:30–7:30 p.m. at Holy Cross – Wendelin
- Sessions: 1st Sunday, 9:00–9:55 a.m. at St. Lawrence – Lawrenceville
- Adult Faith Formation Committee — Chair Jane Kocher (618-869-2471)
- Committee members: Eleanor Steber, Ron Steber, Stacey Steber
Devotions & Prayer Life
Beyond the Sunday and weekday Mass schedule, the parish observes a number of traditional Catholic devotions, especially during Lent. These include the praying of the Rosary before every Mass (beginning 30 minutes before each), Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings, First Friday Communion Visitation after the 8:00 a.m. Mass, and the blessing and burning of palms at the start of Lent. A parish lending library — 'Following in the Footsteps of the Saints' — provides Catholic reading material for adults and children year-round.
- Rosary before all Lenten Masses (30 minutes prior)
- Stations of the Cross on Fridays in Lent
- First Friday Communion Visitation
- Burning of palms in the courtyard at the start of Lent
- 'Following in the Footsteps of the Saints' parish library
Parish Partnership
St. Joseph – Olney shares a formal pastoral partnership with three neighboring Catholic communities: Holy Cross in Wendelin, St. Joseph in Stringtown, and St. Lawrence in Lawrenceville. Father Steven Beatty, V.G. serves as pastor of the partnership, Father Levi James serves as Parochial Vicar, and Caroline Trimble serves as Pastoral Associate across the grouping. The parishes share a coordinated Mass schedule so that every day of the week one of the four communities offers a Mass, with weekend Masses staggered between Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning.
- Saturday 4:00 p.m. — Holy Cross, Wendelin
- Saturday 5:00 p.m. — St. Joseph, Olney
- Sunday 8:00 a.m. — St. Joseph, Stringtown
- Sunday 8:00 a.m. — St. Joseph, Olney
- Sunday 10:00 a.m. — Holy Cross, Wendelin
- Sunday 10:00 a.m. — St. Lawrence, Lawrenceville
- Monday 6:30 p.m. — St. Joseph, Stringtown
- Tuesday 6:30 p.m. — St. Lawrence, Lawrenceville
- Wednesday 8:00 a.m. — St. Joseph, Olney
- Thursday 6:30 p.m. — Holy Cross, Wendelin
Knights of Columbus
The Olney Council of the Knights of Columbus is an active men's group at St. Joseph, with separate 3rd Degree and 4th Degree meetings each month (typically Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.). The council sponsors several well-known parish events, including six Friday Night Fish Fries (5:00–7:00 p.m. at the Olney City Park Community Building) during Lent, an annual Member Family Picnic, the Free Throw Competition for St. Joseph School grades 3–8, and a school Spelling Bee for grades 5–8. Knights also lead the Rosary before Masses, volunteer at parish liturgies (such as standing honor guard at visitations), and host social fellowship breakfasts after the Sunday Mass at Olney.
- 3rd Degree meetings (monthly, 7:00 p.m.)
- 4th Degree meetings (monthly, 7:00 p.m.)
- Friday Night Fish Fry (6 events during Lent) at Olney City Park Community Building
- Free Throw Competition for school grades 3–8
- School Spelling Bee (grades 5–8)
- Knight-led Rosary before Masses
- Annual Member Family Picnic
Social Outreach & Charity
St. Joseph carries out a number of charitable works locally and beyond. The Parish and Family Life Committee's signature Lenten project is 'Blessings in a Bag,' collecting basic-living items (lip balm, socks, toothpaste, snack crackers, gift cards, etc.) for neighbors in need. The parish also supports Catholic Relief Services through the gift-tag program (farm animals, school kits, fertilizer, etc.), participates in the diocesan Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal (CSMA), and runs a 'Meals for Moms' ministry coordinated by Laura Matthews that delivers meals to families with new babies. Donations of unopened wine for the St. Joseph School Bingo Bash Wine Pull and the recycling of aluminum cans and plastic bags on the school campus (proceeds benefit St. Joseph School) round out the parish's outreach portfolio.
- Blessings in a Bag (Lenten outreach, led by Parish & Family Life Committee)
- Catholic Relief Services gift-tag program
- Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal (CSMA) — parish target $21,855
- Meals for Moms (Laura Matthews, 618-924-5901, [email protected])
- School Recycling program (aluminum cans, plastic bags)
- St. Joseph School Bingo Bash Wine Pull
Parish Staff & School Leadership
The parish is staffed by Pastor Very Rev. Steven L. Beatty, V.G. and Parochial Vicar Rev. Levi K. James, with Caroline Trimble serving as Pastoral Associate across the parish partnership. Casey Hemrich is the parish Administrative Assistant, Tyler Timm is the Youth Minister, and Mrs. Josy Hart is Principal of St. Joseph Grade School. The School Advisory Council, chaired by Angel Padilla, provides governance support for the school. Parish council members, trustees, and committee chairs (including a Holy Cross–Wendelin representative, a St. Joseph–Stringtown representative, and representatives from the wider community) work together with the pastor and pastoral associate to coordinate parish life.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Steven L. Beatty, V.G. (618-697-2632)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Levi K. James ([email protected])
- Pastoral Associate: Caroline Trimble (618-392-8181 ext. 4)
- Administrative Assistant: Casey Hemrich (618-392-8181 ext. 4; [email protected])
- Youth Minister: Tyler Timm (507-530-2911)
- Principal: Mrs. Josy Hart
- School Advisory Council President: Angel Padilla
- Trustees include Jeffrey Rosenberg
- Pastoral & Family Life Committee, Adult Faith Formation Committee, and School Advisory Council all active
Facilities & Buildings
The parish plant in Olney is centered on the 1938 church at 220 South Elliott Street, with the parish rectory next door at 215 South Elliott Street, the parish school (St. Joseph Grade School) at 520 East Chestnut Street, and the modern Parish Center complex completed in 1997. The Parish Center addition — built after the older Parish House was demolished — houses a large multi-purpose space for parish and school events, classrooms, a computer lab, full kitchen facilities, meeting rooms, an all-weather entrance, and the new parish administrative offices. The 1997 building was specifically designed to be handicap accessible.
- Church: 220 South Elliott Street (built 1937–38; interior renovated 1979)
- Rectory: 215 South Elliott Street
- School: 520 East Chestnut Street
- Parish Center (1997): multi-purpose room, classrooms, computer lab, kitchen, meeting rooms, all-weather entrance, handicap-accessible offices
- 1958 gym/cafeteria building (formerly Parish Center)
Bulletin & Communications
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin — available both on the website (stjosephchurcholney.com) and as PDF — with announcements, the Mass intention schedule, ministry news, and Knights of Columbus updates. A bulletin archive is maintained on the parish website, with recent issues from March, April, and May 2026 available at the time of writing. The website also hosts minister schedules and a livestream of Mass via YouTube. Mass intentions may be requested through the parish office, with up to three offerings per Mass and certain days (Easter, Holy Days, First Communion, Confirmation, Mother's/Father's Day) reserved for the general intentions of parishioners.
- Weekly Sunday bulletin with Mass intentions and announcements
- Online bulletin archive on stjosephchurcholney.com
- Live-streamed Mass via YouTube on the parish website
- Minister schedules published on the parish website
- Mass intention requests accepted through the parish office