About St. Mary · Bloomington, Illinois
St. Mary's Catholic Church, located at 527 W. Jackson Street in Bloomington, Illinois, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Peoria founded in 1867 by German-speaking Catholic families. Long served by the Franciscan Friars of the St. John the Baptist Province (1881–2016), the parish is today a bilingual community that operates the parish-affiliated St. Mary's Catholic School (Preschool–Grade 8) and a large Office of Hispanic Ministry. Known locally as 'the action on Jackson,' St. Mary's serves more than 1,200 families through daily and Sunday Mass (in English and Spanish), religious education, youth ministry, an outreach network including a soup kitchen, and a full calendar of parish life events.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Adam Stimpson
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Peoria (Bloomington–Lincoln Vicariate)
Why belong here
St. Mary's is a bilingual, multigenerational Catholic parish with deep historical roots and a reputation as 'the action on Jackson.' Daily and Sunday Masses are offered in English and Spanish, an Adoration chapel is open alongside the daily Mass schedule, and the parish runs an extensive formation and outreach program — Family Faith Formation and OCIA for adults, IGNITE high-school youth ministry and a junior-high youth group, multiple choirs, a Catholic school (Preschool–Grade 8), St. Anthony Outreach, the Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen, financial assistance, Kermes, and a year of parish-life events from Las Posadas to the Gumdrop Shop. For Catholics moving to Bloomington-Normal, it offers everything from cradle-to-grave sacramental life to active service — all under one campus on West Jackson Street.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (before the 4:00 PM Vigil Mass)
Adoration times
- Adoration is listed among the parish's liturgical ministries; consult the parish bulletin or office for current weekly hours (parish phone: 309-827-8526).
Parish History
St. Mary's was born in 1852 out of the German Catholic community of Bloomington, formally established in 1867 as a mission of St. Mary in Lincoln, and grew into an independent parish in 1877 under its first resident pastor, Father Francis X. Schreiber. In 1881 the Franciscan Friars of the Order of Friars Minor (St. John the Baptist Province, Cincinnati) took charge and would serve the parish for the next 135 years — the longest and most defining chapter in its history. The current Gothic church was designed by architect George H. Miller and built by Frank A. Weishaar in 1886; renovations in 1944–45, 1962, and a Bishop-John-Myers-led rededication in 1996 gave the building its present interior. After the Franciscans withdrew in May 2016, pastoral care returned to the Diocese of Peoria, and on September 10, 2017 the parish marked its Sesquicentennial with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C.
- 1852 — German Catholic families arrange Mass in German at 810 N. Main St.
- 1867 — Parish established as a mission of St. Mary, Lincoln.
- 1869 — First small frame church built on South Water St. (now Taylor).
- 1873 — Parish school opened by Rev. W. J. Reeves.
- 1877 — Becomes a parish with its own resident pastor, Fr. Francis X. Schreiber.
- 1881 — Franciscan Friars (St. John the Baptist Province, Cincinnati) assume pastoral care for 135 years.
- 1886 — Present Gothic church built; dedicated 1887 with the tallest spire in Bloomington.
- 1902 — Combined convent and school built.
- 1922 — Pipe organ installed (refurbished 1991).
- 1944–45 — Church redecorated.
- 1955 — New school building dedicated.
- 1962 — Church remodeled: new stained glass, baptistery chapel, rear entrance; chapel built between church and friary.
- 1996 (Sept 22) — Bishop John J. Myers rededicated the church after a $250,000 interior renovation.
- 2003 — Eight-classroom wing added to the school, dedicated by Bishop Daniel Jenky.
- May 2016 — Franciscans withdraw; pastoral care returned to the Diocese of Peoria.
- Sept 10, 2017 — Sesquicentennial (150th Anniversary) celebration at Central Catholic High School with Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C.
Mission Statement
The parish's published mission statement reads: 'St. Mary's is a community dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus received in the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church and experienced through the Word of God, the Sacraments, and service to others in need. Our goal is to accompany everyone on our faith journey with a spirit of charity and hope so others will better encounter the Lord's presence through our witness and example.' The parish organizes this mission around four pillars — Word, Sacraments, Service, and Charity.
- WORD — Sharing faith by living the Gospel and spreading the Word of God.
- SACRAMENTS — Renewed in the sacraments and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.
- SERVICE — Witness through discipleship in service to the Church and others.
- CHARITY — Accompanying everyone to seek His light with a spirit of charity and hope.
Clergy & Parish Staff
St. Mary's is currently served by a pastor and parochial vicar of the Diocese of Peoria, with a parish office staff split between English and Hispanic Ministry teams. Pastor Fr. Adam Stimpson (ordained 2009, pastor here since 2024) is also Vicar Forane of the Bloomington area. Fr. Andru O'Brien serves as parochial vicar. Parish life is supported by Business Manager Sharon Hamaker and Hispanic Ministry Administrative Assistant Maribel Arias; the parish school (Preschool–Grade 8) is led by Principal Jamie Hartrich.
- Pastor: Fr. Adam Stimpson
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Andru O'Brien
- Business Manager / Admin: Sharon Hamaker — (309) 827-8526
- Hispanic Ministry Admin: Maribel Arias — (309) 661-6503
- School Principal: Jamie Hartrich
- Assistant Principal & Director of Development: Kate Tiemann
Councils & Parish Governance
The parish is guided by a Pastoral Council (a consultative body assisting the pastor on spiritual and temporal needs) and a Finance Council, with elected members serving three-year terms. Council meetings are open to visitors.
- Pastoral Council meets on the third Thursday every other month at 6:30 PM in the Parish Hall.
- Pastoral Council: Fr. Stimpson, Fr. O'Brien, Trustees Bob Hillmer & Jim Finnigan, Marty Behrens (2026), Mary Garcia (2026), Julian Lopez (2027), Paula Weiland (2027), Lisa Clover (2028), Tom Peterson (2028).
- Finance Council: Fr. Stimpson, Trustees Finnigan & Hillmer, Principal Jamie Hartrich, Lacey Bordewick, Carol Burroughs, Michael Kiley, John Lally.
Liturgical Ministries & Music
St. Mary's calls parishioners into every part of the liturgy, from the altar to the choir loft, supporting both English and Spanish Masses.
- Altar Servers
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- Ushers
- Adoration
- Traditional Choir, Contemporary Choir, Spanish Choir, Cantors, and an Event Choir
Faith Formation & Youth
Formation spans cradle-to-adult, including sacramental preparation, OCIA, family faith formation, parish-based adult small groups, and a thriving youth-ministry program for middle- and high-school students.
- Family Faith Formation
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage prep
- Adult Study small groups
- Heart of the Catholic Woman
- Uncoupled Catholics
- Young at Heart (seniors)
- Youth Group (Junior High)
- IGNITE (High School Youth)
- Catholic Heart Work Camp
- Teens Encounter Christ (TEC)
Office of Hispanic Ministry
St. Mary's ministry to its Spanish-speaking community is so central to parish life that the Sunday 12:15 PM Mass is celebrated in Spanish every week, and the Office of Hispanic Ministry maintains its own administrative staff line. The Hispanic community has also contributed devotional artifacts to the church — including a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, blessed and placed in the baptistery.
- Maribel Arias — Hispanic Ministry Administrative Assistant, (309) 661-6503
- Sunday 12:15 PM Mass in Spanish
- Spanish Choir
- Las Posadas (Dec 16–24)
- Día de los Reyes Magos (Jan 6)
- Our Lady of Guadalupe statue in the baptistery
St. Mary's Catholic School
Parish-affiliated Preschool through Grade 8 school sharing the campus with the church, led by Principal Jamie Hartrich. The school notes smaller-than-average class sizes (about 15 students), licensed teachers, and ESL/RTI programming.
- Preschool through Grade 8
- Principal: Jamie Hartrich
- Assistant Principal / Director of Development: Kate Tiemann
- School address: 603 W. Jackson Street, Bloomington, IL 61701
- School phone: (309) 828-5954 — Fax (309) 829-3061
- Curriculum adds ESL and RTI in Math, Reading, Writing (Tiers 1–3) and Handwriting
- St. Mary's Cafe (in-house chef) and Aftercare program
Outreach & Charity
Service is one of the four pillars of the parish mission. St. Anthony Outreach, the Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen partnership, and a Financial Assistance line are the mainstays of the parish's local charity work, and the parish also runs parish-life events and stewardship initiatives (Winner Everyday Raffle, Kermes, Graf Scholarship) to support them.
- St. Anthony Outreach
- Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen
- Financial Assistance
- Stewardship Committee (bequests, memorials, tax-advantaged gifts)
- Winner Everyday Raffle
- Kermes (Hispanic fundraising festival)
- Graf Scholarship
Parish Events & Cultural Celebrations
Throughout the year St. Mary's combines religious devotion with community building — from traditional Advent processions to its annual children's Christmas shopping day.
- Las Posadas (Dec 16–24, nine evenings)
- Three Kings Day / Día de los Reyes Magos (Jan 6)
- Gum Drop Shop (December, for children PreK–5)
- Food, Faith & Fellowship gatherings
- Parish Life Events and Cultural Events
Visit, Contact & Directions
St. Mary's welcomes visitors and new parishioners. The parish office is open Monday–Friday 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM; the Hispanic Ministry office is open by appointment. The church is also livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person.
- Church: 527 W. Jackson Street, Bloomington, IL 61701
- Parish office (mailing): 601 W. Jackson Street, Bloomington, IL 61701
- Phone: (309) 827-8526 — Fax: (309) 829-3061
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stmarysbloomington.org/
- Driving directions: I-74 Market Street exit → east on Market → right on Lee → right on Jackson.
- Parking: lots off Jackson Street and behind the church.
- Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcUtGAdUCgI
- Online registration / 'Join Us': stmarysbloomington.org/join-us
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Francis X. Schreiber1877–
St. Mary's first resident pastor after the mission gained parish status in 1877.
- Franciscan Friars, Order of Friars Minor (St. John the Baptist Province, Cincinnati)1881–May 2016
Pastored the parish for 135 years; the longest continuous ministry in its history.
- Fr. Ric Schneider, OFM1993–2016 (approx.)
Served as pastor for 23 years (cited at 2017 Sesquicentennial).
- Fr. Neri Greskoviak, OFMuntil May 2016
Last Franciscan priest to serve at St. Mary's before the order returned pastoral care to the Diocese of Peoria.
- Br. Kevin Duckson, OFMapprox. 1996–2016
Pastoral associate for 20 years.
- Fr. Greg Nelsoncirca 2017
Listed as pastor at the time of the September 2017 Sesquicentennial celebration.
- Fr. Adam Stimpson2024–present
Current pastor; ordained 2009 (Rock Island), previously pastor of St. Paul, Macomb and Vicar Forane of the Macomb Vicariate.