About St. Mary · Atlanta, Illinois
St. Mary Catholic Parish is a rural mission church located in Atlanta, Illinois, part of the Logan County Catholic Community cluster established by the Diocese of Peoria in 2013 through the Growing In Faith Together (G.I.F.T.) process. The current church building was constructed in 1969 through the generosity of two families who donated both the land and the funds needed to build it. The parish describes itself as a growing faith community with a strong Altar and Rosary Society, and it offers weekly Sunday Mass at 8:30 a.m. (with a second Friday morning Mass on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month). It shares pastoral leadership and sacramental life with sister parishes Holy Family in Lincoln, St. Patrick in Elkhart, and St. Thomas Aquinas in Mt. Pulaski.
- Established
- 1969
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Dondanville
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers a small, family-sized rural Catholic community in which a single Sunday Mass each week (8:30 a.m.) can be a genuine gathering of friends and neighbors. It is supported by a strong Altar and Rosary Society open to all parishioners (male and female) who meet on the first Monday of the month at 6 p.m. in the church hall, and it shares the wider Logan County Catholic Community's vibrant sacramental life — including the OCIA/RCIA process, religious education for children, parish school (Carroll Catholic School in Lincoln), Care Ministry for the homebound and sick, and Adoration at Holy Family Church in Lincoln on Thursdays from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. The parish welcomes new members through its registration process and is described as a 'growing faith community' that lives out its mission to grow in holiness and the Gospel.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday — before 8:30 a.m. Mass (by presence of clergy)
- Appointments available by calling the Parish Office at (217) 732-4019
Adoration times
- Thursday 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration with Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00 p.m. at Holy Family Church, Lincoln (cluster-wide)
About St. Mary's Parish
St. Mary Catholic Parish is a rural mission church located in Atlanta, Illinois, in Logan County. The parish shares its faith life with the wider Logan County Catholic Community, a cluster of four parishes formed in 2013 under the Diocese of Peoria's Growing In Faith Together (G.I.F.T.) initiative. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:30 a.m., and the parish describes itself as a growing faith community with a strong Altar and Rosary Society. The mission of the cluster is to grow in holiness and to live out the Gospel through lives strengthened by faith and nurtured by the Sacraments, most especially the Holy Eucharist.
- Type: Mission
- Diocese of Peoria
- Sunday Mass: 8:30 a.m.
- Additional Friday Mass: 8:00 a.m., 2nd and 4th Fridays
- Part of the Logan County Catholic Community cluster (est. 2013)
History of St. Mary's
The present St. Mary's church building in Atlanta was constructed in 1969, made possible by the generosity of two families who donated both the funds and the land needed for the project. The parish's history page on the Logan County Catholic Community website emphasizes that the church exists because of local Catholic families willing to give sacrificially for worship in their community. GCatholic lists an 1857 historical date for the Catholic presence in Atlanta, suggesting the parish's roots stretch back further than the 1969 structure. In 2013, St. Mary's was brought into formal partnership with Holy Family (Lincoln), St. Patrick (Elkhart), and St. Thomas Aquinas (Mt. Pulaski) parishes to form the Logan County Catholic Community cluster under the Diocese of Peoria.
- 1969 — current church building constructed through the donations of two families
- 1857 — historical Catholic presence in Atlanta (per GCatholic)
- 2013 — St. Mary's joined the Logan County Catholic Community cluster under the G.I.F.T. process
Logan County Catholic Community (Cluster)
St. Mary's is one of four parishes in the Logan County Catholic Community cluster, established by the Diocese of Peoria in 2013 through the Growing In Faith Together (G.I.F.T.) process. The cluster also includes Holy Family Parish (Lincoln), St. Patrick's Parish (Elkhart), and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish (Mt. Pulaski), along with Carroll Catholic School in Lincoln. The cluster operates with shared pastoral leadership, a combined Parish Council that meets quarterly, and unified sacramental, faith-formation, and outreach programs.
- Holy Family Parish, Lincoln (316 South Logan Street) — Saturday Vigil 4:00 p.m., Sunday 10:00 a.m.
- St. Patrick's Parish, Elkhart (213 South Bogardus Street) — Sunday 8:00 a.m.
- St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Mt. Pulaski (321 South Lafayette Street) — Sunday 10:00 a.m.
- St. Mary's Parish, Atlanta — Sunday 8:30 a.m.
- Carroll Catholic School, Lincoln
Cluster Mission, Vision and Values
The cluster's mission statement declares: 'Our Mission as a Roman Catholic Community, is to grow in holiness and to live out the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We strive to accomplish this through lives strengthened by faith and nurtured by the Sacraments, most especially through Holy Eucharist.' The community's vision is to be a strong and vibrant family of parishes, with Carroll Catholic School as the foundation of children's religious education formation. Guiding values include saying yes to God through the gospel life, worshipping through liturgy and prayer, respect for life from conception to natural death, lifelong Catholic faith formation, and good stewardship of time, talent, and treasure.
- Say yes to God by living the gospel life
- Worshipping God through Liturgy, Sacraments and Prayer
- Respect for life from conception to natural death
- Commitment to lifelong Catholic Faith Formation
- Good stewardship of time, talent, and treasure
Pastoral Leadership and Staff
St. Mary's is shepherded by the same pastoral team that serves all four Logan County Catholic Community parishes. The cluster pastor is Rev. Joseph Dondanville, assisted by parochial vicar Rev. Nicodemus Muithi, with the diaconal ministry of Deacon Wendell Lowry. Sister Margaret Schreiber, O.P., serves as Pastoral Associate and Spiritual Life Coordinator, and is the primary contact for OCIA, baptismal preparation, hospital visitations, and Care Ministry. Sister Lori Kirchman, O.P., is Director of Music. Britta Langley is Director of Religious Education. The parish office is staffed by secretaries Alicia Baker and Isabel Vidal, with Michael Higgins as Facilities Manager. Carroll Catholic School is led by Principal David Welch.
- Rev. Joseph Dondanville — Pastor
- Rev. Nicodemus Muithi — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Wendell Lowry
- Sr. Margaret Schreiber, O.P. — Pastoral Associate / Spiritual Life Coordinator
- Sr. Lori Kirchman, O.P. — Director of Music
- Britta Langley — Director of Religious Education
- Alicia Baker — Secretary
- Isabel Vidal — Secretary
- Michael Higgins — Facilities Manager
- David Welch — Carroll Catholic School Principal
Sacraments
Information about the seven sacraments is published in the cluster's bulletin. Parents of infants to be baptized are asked to attend a baptism preparation session before the baptism of their first child, registered through the parish office. Couples planning marriage are asked to make arrangements at least nine months in advance of the desired wedding date. Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Communion for the homebound are arranged through the Parish Office or directly with Sr. Margaret Schreiber, O.P.
- Infant Baptism — baptism preparation session required
- Marriage — arrangements must begin at least 9 months in advance
- Reconciliation (Confession) — before Sunday Mass and by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — through Care Ministry / Sr. Margaret
- Holy Communion to the homebound and hospitalized
Parish Ministries and Groups
St. Mary's has an active parish life centered on its Altar and Rosary Society, which meets on the first Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the church hall and is open to all parishioners, men and women (no meeting in July). The society helps coordinate fellowship and service within the parish. The cluster also offers RCIA/OCIA (contact Sr. Margaret), parish-based Religious Education coordinated by Britta Langley, and a Care Ministry for the sick and homebound. Lector schedules are published regularly for St. Mary's, Atlanta, with rotating readers including Ed Jodlowski, Laura O'Donnell, and Matt McGhee.
- St. Mary Altar and Rosary Society — first Monday, 6:00 p.m., church hall
- OCIA / RCIA — contact Sr. Margaret Schreiber, O.P.
- Religious Education for children — Britta Langley
- Care Ministry — Sr. Margaret
- Lector Ministry — rotating schedule
- Combined Parish Council — quarterly meetings; St. Mary's reps: Joe Bell, Jan Bicknell, Zachary Craig
Faith Formation and Catholic School
Children's religious education across the cluster is coordinated by Director of Religious Education Britta Langley, with Carroll Catholic School in Lincoln serving as 'the flourishing foundation of our children's religious education formation.' Adult faith formation sessions are held throughout the year at rotating host parishes, featuring guest speakers such as Fr. Rob Johnson, who spoke on Youth Ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas in Mt. Pulaski. The cluster's vision explicitly commits to lifelong Catholic faith formation for children, teens, young adults, and adults.
- Carroll Catholic School, Lincoln — David Welch, Principal (217) 732-7518
- Religious Education for children — Britta Langley
- Adult Faith Formation sessions (cluster-wide)
- Jennifer Craig — Carroll Catholic School Secretary
Lenten and Holy Week Schedule (Cluster Sample)
The 2025 Lenten schedule published by the cluster shows the rhythm of the parishes' shared prayer life. Ash Wednesday brings a 7:00 a.m. Mass at St. Mary's. Wednesdays during Lent bring 6:00 p.m. Stations at St. Mary's. A communal Reconciliation Service is offered at Holy Family on a Thursday evening. The Triduum is celebrated at Holy Family, with the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses spread across all four parishes on Easter morning.
- Ash Wednesday — 7:00 a.m. Mass at St. Mary's
- Lenten Wednesdays — 6:00 p.m. Stations at St. Mary's
- Lenten Communal Reconciliation — 6:30 p.m., Holy Family
- Easter Sunday — 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Mary's
Becoming a Member
New parishioners are invited to register by completing the New Member Registration Form on the Logan County Catholic Community website. A member of the Rectory Staff will follow up with each new registrant. The parish's welcome message reads: 'We look forward to sharing our faith, activities, and fellowship with you. We also look forward to getting to know you and your many gifts that will be shared.' Registration is offered at each of the four parishes: Holy Family (Lincoln), St. Mary's (Atlanta), St. Patrick's (Elkhart), and St. Thomas Aquinas (Mt. Pulaski).
- Online New Member Registration Form via logancountycatholic.org
- Welcome follows up by Rectory Staff
- Open to all four cluster parishes
Visiting and Contact Information
St. Mary's is located at 805 S. Pearl Street (also referenced as 805 N.W. Pearl Street), Atlanta, IL 61723. The parish office for the entire cluster is at 316 South Logan Street, Lincoln, IL 62656, and is open Monday through Thursday (8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m., depending on the day); it is closed on Friday. The parish phone number is (217) 732-4019. Carroll Catholic School is also reached at (217) 732-7518.
- Address — 805 S. Pearl St., Atlanta, IL 61723
- Parish Office — 316 South Logan Street, Lincoln, IL 62656
- Phone — (217) 732-4019
- Office Hours — Monday–Thursday (8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.), closed Friday
- Carroll Catholic School — (217) 732-7518