About St. Luke · Virginia, Illinois
St. Luke Parish is a small Roman Catholic community located at 240 E. Myrtle Street in Virginia, Illinois, in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The parish serves approximately 120 parishioners across 57 families and is currently part of a tri-parish grouping with St. Alexius in Beardstown and St. Fidelis in Arenzville under one pastor. Weekly worship includes a Wednesday morning Mass and a Saturday evening Mass, with the Sacrament of Penance offered Saturday evenings after Mass.
- Patron
- St. Luke
- Rector
- Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. Luke is a warm, family-sized Catholic community of roughly 57 families in the small town of Virginia, Illinois, where the pastor and deacon know the people by name. The parish gathers for Wednesday morning Mass, Saturday evening Mass with Saturday-evening confessions, and monthly Holy Hours of Adoration, and it is supported by a liturgy team, parish secretary, and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) coordinator. Visitors and newcomers are openly welcomed to prayer, worship, and communion alongside longtime parishioners.
Mass times at St. Luke
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 6:30–7:00 p.m.
Adoration times
- Holy Hour / Holy Adoration — 1st and 3rd Friday of each month
About St. Luke Parish, Virginia
St. Luke Parish is a small Roman Catholic community serving the village of Virginia in Cass County, Illinois. It belongs to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and is currently grouped with neighboring parishes St. Alexius in Beardstown and St. Fidelis in Arenzville under one pastor, with the pastor's official residence at St. Augustine in Ashland. The parish is pastored by Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C., assisted by Deacon Dirck Curry and a small staff of lay leaders and secretaries.
- Diocese: Springfield in Illinois
- Pastor: Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C.
- Deacon: Dirck Curry
- Address: 240 E. Myrtle St., Virginia, IL 62691
- Approximately 120 parishioners in 57 families
Parish Staff and Pastoral Team
Day-to-day parish life is supported by a compact team: the pastor (a Pallottine priest), a deacon, a business manager, an office manager/bookkeeper, a secretary, the OCIA coordinator, and a liturgical music coordinator. Staff are reached through either the Rectory (217) 452-7529 or the Pastoral Center (217) 371-4713, with the parish email [email protected] listed in the diocesan directory.
- Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C. — Pastor
- Deacon Dirck Curry
- Jack Kloppenberg — Business Manager
- Kris Cox — Secretary, Office Manager, Bookkeeper
- Marian Giacomini — Secretary
- Pat Kloppenburg — OCIA
- Carol Allen — Liturgical Music Coordinator
Cass County Parishes: A Tri-Parish Family
St. Luke does not stand alone administratively. Following a common pattern in rural Illinois, the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois has grouped St. Luke (Virginia), St. Alexius (Beardstown), and St. Fidelis (Arenzville) into a single pastoral team led by one pastor. Older parish communications describe them as 'three intradependent Catholic Churches in Cass County,' meaning the priestly ministry is shared even though each parish keeps its own identity, finances, and weekly schedule.
- St. Luke, Virginia
- St. Alexius, Beardstown
- St. Fidelis, Arenzville
Pastor History at St. Luke
Public diocesan appointment announcements allow a clear outline of recent pastoral transitions at St. Luke, beginning with the current pastor and working back through several re-shufflings tied to the tri-parish grouping.
- Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C. — Pastor since August 19, 2024 (also St. Augustine, Ashland; St. Fidelis, Arenzville).
- Rev. Paul Habing — concluded as Pastor of St. Luke and St. Fidelis on August 19, 2024; retained St. Alexius, Beardstown.
- Rev. Paul C. Stein — appointed Pastor of St. Alexius, St. Fidelis, and St. Luke effective July 1, 2022 (priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago with diocesan faculties).
- Rev. Ervin Pio M. Caliente, Parochial Administrator — served through July 31, 2022; left for discernment with the Norbertine Community in Silverado, California.
- Rev. Wayne Stock — earlier pastor of the grouping; subsequently assigned to Our Lady of Lourdes / St. Thomas, Decatur.
- Very Rev. Thomas C. Meyer, V.F. — historically listed as pastor of the three intradependent Cass County churches.
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Luke at 240 E. Myrtle Street in Virginia, Illinois. The Rectory line is (217) 452-7529 and the Pastoral Center line is (217) 371-4713; the diocesan directory lists the parish email as [email protected]. The parish's official web presence on the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois site is dio.org/parishes/st-luke-virginia.html, and a community Facebook page (St. Luke's Catholic Church | Virginia IL) carries parish news and event photos.
- Address: 240 E. Myrtle St., Virginia, IL 62691
- Rectory: (217) 452-7529
- Pastoral Center: (217) 371-4713
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/StLukeCatholicChurch/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Maurice Yonta, S.A.C.2024–present
Appointed Pastor effective August 19, 2024, also serving St. Augustine (Ashland) and St. Fidelis (Arenzville).
- Rev. Paul Habinguntil August 19, 2024
Concluded his appointment as Pastor of St. Luke and St. Fidelis, retaining St. Alexius, Beardstown.
- Rev. Paul C. SteinJuly 1, 2022 – 2024
Priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago with permission of his Archbishop; granted faculties of the Diocese.
- Rev. Ervin Pio M. CalienteParochial Administrator until July 31, 2022
Priest of the Diocese of Rockford; left to begin discernment with the Norbertine Community in Silverado, California.
- Rev. Wayne Stockprior
Earlier pastor of St. Alexius, St. Fidelis, and St. Luke; subsequently moved to Our Lady of Lourdes / St. Thomas, Decatur.
- Very Rev. Thomas C. Meyer, V.F.earlier
Listed on the parish's own historical web presence as pastor of the three intradependent Cass County churches (St. Luke, St. Alexius, St. Fidelis).