About St. Mary Roman Catholic · Moline, Illinois
St. Mary of the Assumption (Santa María de la Asunción) is a Catholic parish in the Floreciente neighborhood of Moline, Illinois, within the Diocese of Peoria. Established in 1875, it is the oldest Catholic parish in Moline and the spiritual home of a vibrant bilingual (English/Spanish) community, with three of its four Sunday Masses celebrated in Spanish. The parish operates a food pantry together with Sacred Heart and Christ the King parishes, supports Catholic education through Seton Catholic School and Alleman Catholic High School, and runs a range of Hispanic and Charismatic movements. Its mission statement is to be "a welcoming Catholic community called by God to live out the message of Christ in love and service to all people."
- Established
- 1875
- Patron
- St. Mary of the Assumption (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Antonio Dittmer
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Mary's welcomes families and individuals into a deeply bilingual Catholic community where the Eucharist is central and every member is invited into ministry. The parish combines historic roots (it is the oldest Catholic parish in Moline, founded in 1875) with active Hispanic movements — Legion of Mary, Cursillo, Neocatechumenal Way, Charismatic Renewal, and a weekly bilingual Liturgy of the Word — plus daily Mass, multiple weekly adoration periods, and a collaborative food pantry serving the Quad Cities. Seton Catholic School and Alleman Catholic High School give parish families a complete Catholic education pathway from elementary through high school.
Mass times at St. Mary Roman Catholic
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Adoration times
- Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (in the Church)
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (in the Church)
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Chapel of the Marian Center)
- First Friday of the month: 6:30 PM Spanish Mass followed by Adoration all night
Parish Overview & Mission
St. Mary of the Assumption — known in Spanish as Santa María de la Asunción — is a bilingual Catholic parish in the Floreciente neighborhood of Moline, Illinois. Founded in 1875 and belonging to the Diocese of Peoria, it is the oldest Catholic parish in Moline. The parish describes itself as 'a welcoming Catholic community called by God to live out the message of Christ in love and service to all people,' committed to 'spreading faith and love' (Difundir la fe y el amor).
History of St. Mary's Parish and School
Established in 1875, St. Mary's replaced Moline's earlier St. Anthony congregation and grew alongside the booming Quad Cities manufacturing town. The Sisters of Charity, B.V.M., opened a parish school in 1884; a larger school building followed in 1886 and was expanded again in 1899. The parish operated the only Catholic high school in Moline until Alleman Catholic High School opened in Rock Island in 1949; St. Mary's continued as a grade school until Seton Catholic School was formed in 1977. The historic 1926 school building, with its limestone facing and decorative sculpted heads, is still part of the parish complex.
- 1875 – Parish established (Diocese of Peoria)
- 1884 – Sisters of Charity, B.V.M., open parish school
- 1886 – Larger school building completed
- 1899 – School expanded to seat 295 children
- 1916 – Benedictine Sisters from Nauvoo arrive to teach
- 1926 – Cornerstone laid for new high school building
- 1949 – Alleman Catholic High School opens in Rock Island; St. Mary's High School closes
- 1977 – Seton Catholic School formed; parish school closes as grade school
Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Rev. Antonio Dittmer as Pastor, with Fr. Jacob Martini serving as Parochial Vicar. Anna M. Zepeda is the Parish Secretary; Phil and Cusi Graf serve as Bookkeepers; Alba Martinez is the Director of Religious Education, with John Gray as Co-DRE.
- Fr. Antonio Dittmer, Pastor — [email protected]
- Fr. Jacob Martini, Parochial Vicar — (815) 993-7547
- Anna M. Zepeda, Parish Secretary — [email protected]
- Phil & Cusi Graf, Bookkeepers
- Alba Martinez, DRE — (309) 721-0502
- John Gray, Co-DRE — (309) 738-2083
Pastoral Succession
The current pastor is Rev. Antonio Dittmer, appointed in 2017 after serving as parochial vicar of St. Joseph, Pekin, and previously as pastor of the LaSalle Catholic parishes. His immediate predecessor was Fr. Fredi Gomez Torres (2014–2017), a native of Mexico and former episcopal vicar for Hispanic ministry. The parish's 19th-century missionary roots trace back to Rev. George Alleman, and Rev. Adolph Geyer — the 13th pastor — oversaw significant changes to the historic church and rectory beginning in 1904.
Parish Life, Faith Formation & OCIA
The parish frames its life around the Eucharist and offers many ways to participate beyond the sacraments. Faith formation is described as a lifelong journey; the parish runs the OCIA process (formerly RCIA) for adults seeking initiation or returning to the faith. The parish encourages involvement through liturgical ministries (choir, lector, altar server, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist), social-justice ministries (homebound visits, food pantry, St. Vincent de Paul), and parish groups such as youth ministry, men's and women's groups, and the annual parish bazaar.
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Liturgical ministries: choir, lectors, altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Social-justice ministries: homebound visitation, food pantry, St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Youth ministry, men's and women's groups
- Annual parish bazaar
Movements & Hispanic Ministries
The parish is a regional center for several Catholic movements, particularly within the Hispanic community. Weekly gatherings take place at the Marian Center and the School Gym.
- Liturgy of the Word with Eucharist — Wednesdays 7–8:30 PM and Saturdays 7–9 PM, Marian Center (Martimiano Robles, (309) 948-4299)
- Legion of Mary / Legion de María — Mondays 6–7 PM, Marian Center (Leticia Cruz, (309) 592-3335)
- Neocatechumenal Way / Camino Neocatecumenal
- Cursillo de Cristiandad — Thursdays 7:00 PM, Marian Center (Maria Calderon, (309) 506-9188)
- Conquering Nations for Christ — Mondays 7:00 PM, School Gym (Javier y Rosario Granja, (309) 721-3735)
- Charismatic Renewal in the Holy Spirit / Renovación Carismática — Fridays 7–8 PM, School Gym (Victoria and Anabel Torres)
Catholic Schools
St. Mary partners with three regional Catholic schools that serve parish families from elementary through high school. The parish itself no longer operates a school (Seton Catholic School was formed in 1977 from several parish schools), but it actively supports these institutions.
- Seton Elementary School — (309) 757-5500
- Seton Middle School — (309) 764-5418 — setonschool.com
- Alleman Catholic High School — (309) 786-7793 — allemanhighschool.org
Moline Catholic Food Pantry
St. Mary's hosts the Moline Catholic Food Pantry, a collaborative ministry shared with Sacred Heart (Moline) and Christ the King parishes. The pantry, located at the parish's 412 10th Street address, is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Volunteers from St. Mary's, Sacred Heart, Christ the King, and St. Ann's keep the ministry running.
- Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Co-sponsored with Sacred Heart (Moline) and Christ the King
- Supported by St. Ann's and parish volunteers
St. Mary Cemetery
The parish maintains St. Mary Cemetery (Cementerio de Santa María) at 2301 3rd Street, East Moline, IL 61244. Office: (309) 755-3672.
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Mary's by phone at (309) 764-1562 (fax 309-764-0317) or by email at [email protected]. The parish office is at 412 10th Street in the Floreciente neighborhood of Moline. Mass intentions, sacramental needs, and OCIA inquiries are handled through the parish office; holy day schedules are confirmed by phone, in the bulletin, or on the website.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. George Alleman1851 (missionary founder)
Missionary priest who established early Catholic worship in the Rock Island County area; served the predecessor congregation.
- Rev. Adolph Geyer1904–
13th pastor of the historic St. Mary's congregation; oversaw significant changes to the church and rectory appearance in the early 1900s.
- Rev. Fredi Gomez Torres2014–2017
Native of Mexico; former episcopal vicar for Hispanic ministry. Reassigned in 2017 to parishes in Champaign.
- Rev. Antonio Dittmer2017–present
Previously parochial vicar at St. Joseph, Pekin; former pastor of the LaSalle Catholic parishes.