About St. Mary Magdalen (Todd's Mill) · Pinckneyville, Illinois
St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church is a small rural parish located in the unincorporated community of Todd's Mill, about 8.5 miles north of Pinckneyville in Perry County, Illinois. Established in 1868, it is one of the oldest Catholic communities in the area, originally served by priests saying Mass in the home of local Catholic settler Joseph Todd in the early 1860s. The parish is partnered with St. Bruno in Pinckneyville under the administration of Reverend John Igwe, CM, a priest of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), and belongs to the Diocese of Belleville.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- St. Mary Magdalene
- Rector
- Reverend John Igwe, CM
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
St. Mary Magdalen offers a small, tight-knit rural Catholic community with deep roots in the Todd's Mill countryside north of Pinckneyville. Weekend Mass is offered on Saturday evening, and the parish shares pastoral care, faith formation, and sacramental preparation with its partner parish, St. Bruno in Pinckneyville, where the parish school, religious education, and most ministries are based. It is a quiet, mission-style setting for Catholics in the Beaucoup Township area looking for a faithful local parish under the Diocese of Belleville.
Mass times at St. Mary Magdalen (Todd's Mill)
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Mary Magdalen Parish
St. Mary Magdalen is a small Catholic parish serving the rural unincorporated community of Todd's Mill in Beaucoup Township, north of Pinckneyville in Perry County, Illinois. It is one of the older parishes in the Diocese of Belleville, established in 1868, and is paired administratively with St. Bruno Catholic Church in Pinckneyville. The two parishes share a single pastor, deacon, parish secretary, website, and parish office phone number.
- Established: 1868
- Diocese: Belleville
- Partnered parish: St. Bruno, Pinckneyville
- Patron: St. Mary Magdalene (feast day July 22)
History
The parish's origins lie in the home of Joseph Todd, a Catholic immigrant from Northern Ireland who settled on the Beaucoup Creek in Perry County and operated a steam circular sawmill on his farm from 1854. In the early 1860s, Father Walsh celebrated Mass in the Todd home — the first Mass within the present parish boundaries. The community around the sawmill became known as Todd's Mill, and in 1871 the Catholic congregation was divided, creating two parishes: St. Bruno's in Pinckneyville and St. Mary Magdalen's at Todd's Mill. A chapel was built at Todd's Mill, originally served once a month by the priest from Pinckneyville.
- Early 1860s: First Masses celebrated in the home of Joseph Todd by Father Walsh
- 1854: Joseph Todd and sons erect a steam circular sawmill on the family farm
- 1871: Congregation divided; St. Bruno (Pinckneyville) and St. Mary Magdalen (Todd's Mill) established
- Chapel built at Todd's Mill; Mass initially monthly, served by the Pinckneyville priest
- Parish sacramental records date back to 1886
- Adjacent Todd Mills Cemetery (St. Mary Magdalen Cemetery) holds the grave of founder Joseph Todd (d. 1879)
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Mary Magdalen currently offers one weekend Mass each week, on Saturday evening. Holy Day Masses are announced in the bulletin. The parish shares its worship life with its partner parish, St. Bruno in Pinckneyville, which offers Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m., Tuesday and Thursday morning Masses at 8:30 a.m., and Saturday afternoon Reconciliation at 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 6:00 p.m. (English)
- Holy Day Mass: as announced
- No regular weekday Mass at the Todd's Mill church is currently listed
- Sunday Mass, weekday Mass, and Reconciliation are available at partner parish St. Bruno, Pinckneyville
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Mary Magdalen is administered jointly with St. Bruno by a Vincentian priest of the Congregation of the Mission. The same staff serve both parishes under one parish office.
- Administrator: Reverend John Igwe, CM (Congregation of the Mission)
- Deacon: Deacon Anthony Kellerman
- Parish Secretary: Kacie Davis
- Office phone (shared): (618) 357-5510
Partner Parish: St. Bruno, Pinckneyville
Since the 1871 division of the original Catholic congregation, St. Bruno in Pinckneyville (founded 1872) has been the mother parish of St. Mary Magdalen. The two share one pastor, deacon, secretary, and parish office, and together they publish a combined bulletin and website at stbrunostmarymagdalen.com. St. Bruno also hosts the parish school, St. Bruno Grade School, and the Coordinator of Religious Education (Janet Hayden).
- St. Bruno Catholic Church — 210 N. Gordon St., Pinckneyville, IL 62274
- St. Bruno Grade School — 210 North Gordon Street, Pinckneyville (618-357-8276)
- Sunday Mass at St. Bruno: 8:00 a.m.
- Weekday Mass at St. Bruno: Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m.
- Reconciliation at St. Bruno: Saturday 4:30 p.m.
- Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE): Janet Hayden
Todd's Mill Community & Cemetery
Todd's Mill is an unincorporated rural community in Beaucoup Township, Perry County, about 8.5 miles north of Pinckneyville. The community takes its name from the Todd family's 1854 sawmill on the Beaucoup Creek. Adjacent to the church on the north side of Todds Mill Road is Todd Mills Cemetery, also known as St. Mary Magdalen Cemetery, which has served as the parish's burial ground since the 19th century and contains many generations of area Catholic families.
- Unincorporated community in Beaucoup Township, Perry County, Illinois
- Named for the Todd family's 1854 steam sawmill
- Todd Mills Cemetery (St. Mary Magdalen Cemetery) lies next to the church
- Buries include founder Joseph Todd (d. 1879) and descendants
Contact & Visit
St. Mary Magdalen shares its parish office and contact information with St. Bruno in Pinckneyville. Visitors and parishioners are encouraged to reach the parish office by phone; the combined parish website is updated with bulletins and announcements.
- Address: 5047 Todds Mill Road, Pinckneyville, IL 62274
- Phone: (618) 357-5510
- Website: http://stbrunostmarymagdalen.com/
- Diocese of Belleville listing: diobelle.org/directory/parishes/st-mary-magdalen-todds-mill