About St. Mary · East Dubuque, Illinois
St. Mary Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in East Dubuque, Illinois, in the Diocese of Rockford. Worship takes place at 170 Montgomery Avenue in this small Mississippi River community across from Dubuque, Iowa. The parish today is twinned with neighboring Nativity BVM (in nearby Menominee) and shares priests, deacons, faith-formation programs, and a website with that sister parish. St. Mary offers nine Masses each week (including two Sunday Masses), Saturday confessions, a Perpetual Adoration Chapel, a robust religious-education program, and ministries for youth, men, women, and the homebound.
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Bosco Aruldoss (Parish Priest)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rockford (Freeport Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mary is a parish where everyone seems to know everyone — a small, family-friendly Catholic community on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, anchored by frequent Masses (nine a week), Saturday confessions, and a Perpetual Adoration Chapel. The parish runs a full K-8 religious-education program with family catechesis, First Communion and Confirmation preparation, a Vacation Bible School, a youth group for grades 4-12, and adult faith formation such as RCIA. Parishioners also find community in the Knights of Columbus, Altar Rosary Society, Holy Name Society, homebound ministry, prayer network, and the lively parish hall used for pickleball and Corpus Christi processions.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday after the 8:00 AM Mass
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
- Weekdays by appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel (open around the clock; coordinator listed in parish staff)
About St. Mary Parish
St. Mary Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in East Dubuque, Illinois, in the Diocese of Rockford. It is located at 170 Montgomery Avenue in this small Mississippi River community just across the bridge from Dubuque, Iowa. The parish is twinned with the neighboring Nativity BVM parish (in Menominee, IL) and the two share priests, deacons, staff, faith-formation, and a common website at stmaryandnativitybvm.org. Together they serve a multi-generational community of Catholic families in Jo Daviess County.
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is led by a small team of priests and deacons who also serve the sister parish of Nativity BVM. Supporting them is a broad network of lay staff and volunteer coordinators who handle faith formation, liturgy, youth ministry, hospitality, and maintenance.
- Rev. Bosco Aruldoss — Parish Priest
- Rev. Tom Srenn — Resident Retired Priest (assisting with Masses and Confession)
- Deacon Jamie Schilling — RCIA Director, Youth Group Coordinator
- Deacon Douglas Kremer
- Deacon Tony Keppler
- Kathy Williams — Coordinator of Religious Education
- Hannah McDermott & Shawn McDermott — Holy Name Society and Youth Group
- Kim Berntgen, Joayne Sullivan — Prayer Network
- Vickie Middendorf, Lee Donar — Homebound Ministry
- Sally Mead — Bulletin Editor
- Darlene Bloom — St. Mary Parish Decorating
- Reuben & Sally Mead — Maintenance
- Kim Weber, Ron Swift — Nativity BVM Parish Rectory Staff
- Mary Kay Donar — Custodian
Religious Education & Youth Ministry
Religious Education is held Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 7:15 PM, September through May, using a hybrid approach of classroom sessions and all-family activities. The program serves children from kindergarten through 8th grade, including special adapted/modified classes for individuals with disabilities. A summer Vacation Bible School welcomes K–5 children each year.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (K–1): hands-on, Montessori-based — Kelly Puls, teacher
- Family Catechesis (3rd–6th grade): monthly parent class plus home learning — Melissa Kenkel, teacher
- 2nd grade Catechesis: First Reconciliation & First Communion preparation — Kelli Lange and Amanda Soat (Aide: Trisha Soat)
- Confirmation preparation (7th & 8th grade): two-year program with sponsor/parent attendance — Merle Neises, teacher
- Vacation Bible School (K–5): summer program with music, art, games, and prayer
- Youth Group (grades 4–12): Hannah McDermott & Deacon Jamie Schilling; mission — 'Growing individually and communally as disciples of Jesus Christ, while preparing to evangelize in a challenging world.'
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for and celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Preparation for First Communion and First Reconciliation includes weekly classes plus six required parenting classes, with a retreat/practice scheduled in the spring. Confirmation is a two-year program in 7th and 8th grade, typically including a retreat in the first year and individual discernment meetings with the pastor or deacon in the second. The parish also publishes Wedding Guidelines on its website and offers information for those discerning Holy Orders or Religious Life.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation & First Communion
- Confirmation (7th & 8th grade)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Marriage (Wedding Guidelines on parish website)
- Holy Orders & Religious Life (discernment information)
- Adapted/modified classes for individuals with disabilities
Parish Ministries & Organizations
A wide variety of lay-led groups give parishioners of all ages a way to participate in parish life. Men's, women's, and youth organizations anchor the social and devotional life of the parish alongside prayer, hospitality, and outreach ministries. Many of these are organized jointly with Nativity BVM.
- Knights of Columbus (St. Mary council) — men's service and fraternity
- Altar Rosary Society (St. Mary) — women's devotion and parish service
- Holy Name Society (Nativity BVM) — men's devotion and service
- St. Anne Society (Nativity BVM) — women's society
- Prayer Network — Kim Berntgen, Joayne Sullivan
- Homebound Ministry — Vickie Middendorf, Lee Donar
- Liturgy Committee
- Parish Decorating Committee (Darlene Bloom at St. Mary)
- Adoration Chapel Coordinator
Devotions & Parish Life
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish gathers for regular devotions, processions, and social events that build community. These include the weekly Rosary, the annual Corpus Christi procession, a Holy Hour after Mass, and a parish breakfast after Mass. The parish center also hosts a popular pickleball program several days a week.
- Rosary prayed at Nativity BVM Church every Wednesday at 6:30 PM
- Corpus Christi Procession after the 8:00 AM Mass at St. Mary (combined with Nativity BVM after 9:30 AM)
- Holy Hour after Mass
- Breakfast after Mass at the St. Mary Parish Center
- Anointing of the Sick
- Pickleball at the Nativity BVM Gym: Tuesday & Thursday 7:00–9:00 PM; Wednesday & Friday 8:30–10:30 AM
Contact, Location & Visiting
St. Mary is located at 170 Montgomery Avenue in East Dubuque, Illinois 61025. The rectory can be reached at (815) 747-3221 and the parish email is [email protected]. Donations and mail may be dropped off at the St. Mary Parish Center, located in the back of the church. Mass times, staff contacts, and event updates are posted on the combined parish website at stmaryandnativitybvm.org. The parish is part of the Freeport Deanery of the Diocese of Rockford.
- Address: 170 Montgomery Ave, East Dubuque, IL 61025
- Rectory Phone: (815) 747-3221
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stmaryandnativitybvm.org/
- Diocese: Diocese of Rockford (Freeport Deanery)
- Combined sister parish: Nativity BVM, Menominee (15406 W. Creek Valley Rd, East Dubuque, IL 61025) — rectory (815) 747-3670