About St. Mary of the Assumption · West Brooklyn, Illinois
St. Mary of the Assumption is a small Roman Catholic parish located in the rural village of West Brooklyn, Lee County, Illinois. It is one of three churches in a clustered tri-parish collaboration led by Father Randy Fronek, alongside Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sublette and St. Patrick Church in Maytown, all within the Diocese of Rockford. As the only Catholic church in West Brooklyn — a farming community of roughly 140 people — St. Mary's offers weekday Masses, a Saturday Vigil, Sunday Mass, Tuesday evening Eucharistic Adoration, and shares in a regional Religious Education (CCD) program and RCIA ministry with the other two parishes. The parish shares its website, mailing address (P.O. Box 80, Sublette, IL 61367), and parish office phone (815-849-5412) with the rest of the cluster, and welcomes visitors and new parishioners to register through the shared parish office.
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of her Assumption
- Rector
- Rev. Randy Fronek
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rockford (referenced on the parish's Morning Offering and Eucharistic Revival Prayer, which name Bishop Malloy as the diocesan ordinary and Fr. Randy as pastor)
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Assumption offers a quiet, intimate Catholic presence in the heart of rural Lee County — the only Catholic parish within the village of West Brooklyn — where parishioners know one another and Sunday Mass is celebrated weekly. The parish is pastorally linked with Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sublette and St. Patrick in Maytown, so registered families share in a tri-parish CCD Religious Education program, RCIA classes, a common parish office (815-849-5412), and a regional online giving and tithing system. Visitors and new parishioners are warmly invited to print the online Registration Form and drop it off at the parish office, and everyone is welcome at the weekly Tuesday evening Eucharistic Adoration (7:00–8:00 pm) and the regular Mass schedule.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
About St. Mary of the Assumption
St. Mary of the Assumption is a small Catholic parish in West Brooklyn, Illinois, in the Diocese of Rockford, and the only Catholic church inside the village. It is one of three parishes in a clustered tri-parish collaboration — Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sublette, St. Mary of the Assumption in West Brooklyn, and St. Patrick in Maytown — all served by a single pastor, the Reverend Randy Fronek. The three parishes share a common website (olphmarystpatrick.com), a shared mailing address (P.O. Box 80, Sublette, IL 61367), a shared parish office phone number (815-849-5412), and a unified Religious Education program.
- Only Catholic parish within the village of West Brooklyn
- Tri-parish cluster: OLPH (Sublette), St. Mary's (West Brooklyn), St. Patrick (Maytown)
- Shared pastor: Rev. Randy Fronek
- Diocese of Rockford
Religious Education & RCIA
Faith formation for the young (CCD — Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) and adult initiation (RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is run jointly across the three parishes. Registration forms and the CCD schedule for the school year are downloadable from the shared parish website, and RCIA classes begin in late September, meeting on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 PM in the Hall in Sublette. The pastor, Fr. Randy Fronek, has described this catechesis as 'the next most important thing' after the celebration of the Eucharist.
- CCD Religious Education (tri-parish, K–12, registration forms online)
- RCIA classes begin late September, Tuesdays at 6:30 PM in the Hall in Sublette
- Downloadable CCD Schedule and Registration Form for the school year
- Adult faith formation: book studies (e.g., Lenten study of 'Delay and Pray')
Parish Life & Sacraments
St. Mary's shares a single parish office with Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Patrick, so sacramental preparation, scheduling, and pastoral care all flow through the same phone line (815-849-5412). The parish has livestreamed Sunday Mass on YouTube — a practice that began during the COVID-19 pandemic so that the homebound and those without access to in-person Mass could make a Spiritual Communion. Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage are arranged through the parish office.
- Parish office: 815-849-5412
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 80, Sublette, IL 61367
- Livestreamed Sunday Mass on YouTube (began during COVID-19)
- Sacramental prep through parish office: Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick
Tithing & Online Giving
Parishioners of St. Mary of the Assumption can give online using major credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, Amex) or ACH/bank transfer through the shared parish website. Gifts can also be mailed to the central parish office address in Sublette.
- Online giving via olphmarystpatrick.com (MC, Visa, Discover, Amex, ACH/Bank)
- Mailed gifts: P.O. Box 80, Sublette, IL 61367
Getting Involved: Registration
New parishioners of St. Mary of the Assumption — along with new families at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Patrick — are invited to print and complete the tri-parish Parish Registration Form and return it to the parish office at their earliest convenience.
- Printable Parish Registration Form on the shared website
- Drop off or mail to the parish office at P.O. Box 80, Sublette, IL 61367
- Call 815-849-5412 for assistance
Visiting West Brooklyn
West Brooklyn is a tiny farming community in Lee County in north-central Illinois. According to community references, it is home to just one church — St. Mary of the Assumption. Visitors stopping for Mass will find a quiet village setting on Johnson Street, and during the warmer months they can pair the trip with the regional Assumption celebration that gives the parish its name.
- Lee County, north-central Illinois
- Village population 142 (2010 census)
- Located on Johnson Street in West Brooklyn
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joel
Predecessor pastor of the tri-parish; per Fr. Randy Fronek's published note, Fr. Joel celebrated Sunday Masses at 7:00 am in Maytown, 8:15 am in Sublette, and 9:30 am in West Brooklyn.
- Rev. Randy Fronek
Current pastor of the tri-parish cluster (Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Mary of the Assumption, St. Patrick). Has noted that he promised '8 years ago' that West Brooklyn would again have a Sunday Mass.