About St. Mary · Farmersville, Illinois
St. Mary Catholic Church in Farmersville, Illinois is a small country parish of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois that today serves about 122 parishioners in 68 families. It is one of three parishes in the St. MRM Parish Unit, alongside St. Maurice in Morrisonville and St. Raymond in Raymond, sharing a single pastor and staff. The parish traces its roots to 1876, when a chapel named St. Isidore was built 3.5 miles east of town, and the present church at 310 Nobbe Street was established in 1902. A new church was built and dedicated in 1980, and the parish is proud of its long Catholic heritage in rural Montgomery County.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (the parish is named St. Mary); its predecessor chapel was named for St. Isidore the Farmer
- Rector
- Rev. Florent Emmanuel Kanga, S.A.C.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. Mary is a faithful, close-knit country Catholic parish where the same priest, secretary, bookkeeper, and music director serve all three MRM parishes together. Weekenders can worship at the Saturday 5:00 PM vigil Mass or the Tuesday 8:00 AM daily Mass, with confession beforehand on Saturday afternoons. The parish offers the full sacramental life — Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, RCIA, and homebound Communion — and a finance council of local parishioners helps steward its life. For Catholics in the Farmersville area it is a small but enduring community with deep roots going back to the 1870s.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 – 4:30 PM
- Or by appointment (contact Father)
History of St. Mary Parish
St. Mary's story begins in 1876 with the completion of a country chapel named St. Isidore, built 3.5 miles east of Farmersville in rural Montgomery County. In 1902, Father Joseph O'Rourke moved the parish into town and established St. Mary Church at its present Nobbe Street location, with a rectory acquired next to the church. A school named St. Isidore opened in 1921 and served local children for almost ninety years until closing in 2009. By 1980 the parish had outgrown its original 1902 building: a new St. Mary church was constructed alongside the old one, dedicated that same year, and a new rectory was added; the original church and old rectory were then torn down. The parish also shares a connection with St. Martin Cemetery, established in 1884.
- 1876 — St. Isidore chapel completed 3.5 miles east of Farmersville
- 1902 — Father Joseph O'Rourke founds St. Mary at the present Nobbe Street site
- 1921 — St. Isidore School opens
- 1980 — New St. Mary Church and rectory dedicated; old buildings demolished
- 2009 — St. Isidore School closes after 88 years
St. Martin Cemetery
St. Martin Cemetery is associated with the parish and was established in 1884. It is the resting place of Rev. Msgr. Timothy Maloney, who served as pastor of St. Mary from 1935 to 1967 and was buried there in 1970.
- Established 1884
- Burial site of Msgr. Timothy Maloney (d. 1970)
Parish Heritage — Vocations from Farmersville
St. Mary takes special pride in the fact that 34 nuns and 2 priests who came from the Farmersville area entered religious life. A plaque and photograph commemorating them are on display in the entryway of the church.
- 34 nuns and 2 priests originating from the Farmersville area
- Commemorative plaque and photograph in the church entryway
Leadership & Staff
St. Mary is led by a single pastor who serves all three parishes of the St. MRM Parish Unit. Day-to-day operations are supported by a secretary and bookkeeper, and music ministry is led by a Director of Music. A parish Finance Council advises on temporal matters.
- Pastor: Rev. Florent Kanga, S.A.C.
- Secretary: Kateri Marten
- Bookkeeper: Marlene Marten
- Director of Music: Donna Krager
- Finance Council members: Fr. Florent Kanga, Bob Wagahoff, Patty Clarke, Donna Krager, Bill Brown
Fr. Florent Kanga, S.A.C.
The current pastor, Rev. Florent Emmanuel Kanga, is a member of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottine Fathers). Born December 16, 1972, and ordained July 10, 2004, he served in Cameroon and in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee (including chaplaincy at St. Luke Hospital and Froedtert Hospital) before coming to Illinois. He first served the MRM parishes as Parochial Vicar (2020–2021), was pastor of St. Louis, Nokomis (2021–2022), and became pastor of St. Mary (Farmersville), St. Maurice (Morrisonville), and St. Raymond (Raymond) in 2022.
- Ordained July 10, 2004
- Pallottine (S.A.C.) priest
- Originally from Cameroon
- Pastor of the St. MRM Parish Unit since 2022
Sacraments
St. Mary offers the full range of Catholic sacraments. Families should contact the priest or the parish office well in advance for Baptism (6 weeks) and Weddings (6 months). The Anointing of the Sick is available anytime by contacting the priest; RCIA is offered for those preparing to enter the Catholic Church; and the Homebound Ministry brings Holy Communion to parishioners unable to attend Mass.
- Baptism: contact Father or parish office at least 6 weeks prior
- Marriage: contact Father or parish office at least 6 months prior
- Anointing of the Sick: contact Father anytime or see him after Mass
- Funerals: contact Father or parish office
- RCIA: contact Father or parish office
- Homebound Ministry: contact parish office or Father
Music Ministry
Liturgical music at St. Mary is coordinated by Donna Krager, who serves as Director of Music for the parish and also sits on the parish Finance Council.
- Director of Music: Donna Krager
Finance Council
A parish Finance Council works with the pastor to oversee the temporal affairs of St. Mary parish.
- Fr. Florent Kanga
- Bob Wagahoff
- Patty Clarke
- Donna Krager
- Bill Brown
Mass Intentions
Parishioners may request that a Mass be offered for a particular intention, living or deceased. To schedule a Mass intention, mail the parish office a list of names (printed legibly) along with a check. The Mass stipend is $10 per Mass.
- Mail list of names and stipend to the parish office
- Stipend: $10.00 per Mass
Bulletin & Prayer List
Weekly bulletins are posted on the parish website and carry parish news, the prayer list, and announcements. The bulletin submission deadline is Monday at 12:00 PM. Names can be added to or removed from the prayer list by contacting the parish secretary, Kateri Marten, by email.
- Weekly bulletins posted online
- Bulletin deadline: Monday 12:00 PM
- Prayer List additions/removals via email to Kateri Marten
St. MRM Parish Unit
St. Mary is one of three parishes that together form the St. MRM Parish Unit: St. Maurice in Morrisonville (706 East 4th Street, P.O. Box 45, Morrisonville, IL 62546, (217) 526-3363), St. Raymond in Raymond (306 South McElroy Street, Raymond, IL 62560, (217) 229-4435), and St. Mary in Farmersville. The three parishes share one pastor, Fr. Florent Kanga, S.A.C., and share the secretary, bookkeeper, and music director. The unit's website, stmrm.org, hosts Mass times, confession schedules, adoration opportunities, bulletins, and prayer resources for all three communities.
- St. Maurice — Morrisonville, IL — (217) 526-3363
- St. Raymond — Raymond, IL — (217) 229-4435
- St. Mary — Farmersville, IL — (217) 227-3349
- Shared pastor: Fr. Florent Kanga, S.A.C.
- Shared secretary: Kateri Marten
- Shared music director: Donna Krager
Visiting or Joining the Parish
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed. To register, request sacraments, arrange a Mass intention, or add a name to the prayer list, contact the parish office at (217) 227-3349 or [email protected]. For hospital visits, anointing, or homebound ministry, contact Father directly.
- Phone: (217) 227-3349
- Email: [email protected]
- Fr. Florent's cell: (414) 460-0335
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph O'Rourke1902–
Founded St. Mary Church at its present Farmersville site in 1902, having come from St. Isidore.
- Rev. Msgr. Timothy Maloney1935–1967
Long-serving pastor; buried at St. Martin Cemetery in 1970.
- Rev. Florent Emmanuel Kanga, S.A.C.2022–present
Pallottine priest; previously served as Parochial Vicar of the MRM parishes (2020–2021) and pastor of St. Louis, Nokomis (2021–2022) before becoming pastor of the unit.