About St. Mary · Wenona, Illinois
St. Mary Parish in Wenona, Illinois is a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Peoria that worships at 207 W. 3rd Street South. The church itself was established in 1867, making it one of the oldest Catholic communities in Marshall County. Today St. Mary is part of a four-parish collaborative known as '4 Saints' (4saints.org), which also includes St. Patrick in Minonk, St. Ann in Toluca, and the additional worship site of St. John the Baptist in Lostant. The parish is staffed by Conventual Franciscan friars (OFM Conv.), with Father Patrick Greenough serving as pastor and Father Stephen McKinley as associate pastor. Weekly Mass is offered Saturday evening and Sunday morning, with a Friday morning weekday Mass and monthly Eucharistic Adoration and Sacred Heart devotions.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Father Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Mary is a small-town Catholic parish with deep roots in Wenona since 1867 and the warm, intimate character of a rural Illinois church. Worshippers can attend Saturday evening Mass (4:00 PM), Sunday morning Mass (9:15 AM), and a Friday morning weekday Mass, with monthly Eucharistic Adoration and devotions to the Sacred Heart on first Fridays. As one of the four '4 Saints' parishes sharing Conventual Franciscan clergy and a single parish office, St. Mary offers the stability of long-tenured friars, the sacraments of Reconciliation, Baptism, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick, and an active Altar & Rosary Society that gathers in St. Mary's Hall on the Tuesday after the first Sunday of the month.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- After every 8:00 AM daily Mass (Friday)
- By appointment — call the Parish Office
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month, 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM (followed by devotions to the Sacred Heart) — St. Mary, Wenona
About St. Mary Parish
St. Mary is the Catholic parish of Wenona, Illinois, a small city split between Marshall and LaSalle counties along the historic Illinois Central Railroad corridor. The church sits on W. 3rd Street South and shares its grounds and parish life with the broader '4 Saints' Catholic community of Marshall and Woodford counties. The Wenona church itself dates to 1867, the same year Wenona was formally chartered as a city, and it has been served by Conventual Franciscan friars (OFM Conv.) for many decades.
- Established: 1867
- Diocese: Peoria
- Part of '4 Saints' collaborative with St. Patrick (Minonk), St. Ann (Toluca), and St. John the Baptist (Lostant)
- Staffed by Conventual Franciscans (OFM Conv.)
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Mary offers a regular weekend and weekday Mass schedule that fits a small-town parish community. The Saturday vigil Mass and Sunday morning Mass allow working families to gather for Sunday worship, while a Friday morning Mass provides a weekday anchor for the parish. First Fridays include a special half-hour of Eucharistic Adoration followed by devotions to the Sacred Heart, a traditional Catholic practice kept alive in the 4 Saints collaborative.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass: 9:15 AM
- Friday Weekday Mass: 8:00 AM
- First Friday Eucharistic Adoration: 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM, followed by Sacred Heart devotions
Sacraments
St. Mary prepares parishioners for and administers all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled through the parish office. Weddings are reserved for registered parishioners and require the couple to contact the Pastor at least six months in advance to satisfy Diocesan requirements. The Ministry of the Sick brings Holy Communion and Anointing to the homebound and hospitalized, and the Friary Office is available around the clock for sacramental emergencies.
- Baptism — contact Parish Office to schedule
- Reconciliation — after daily Mass and by appointment
- First Communion & Confirmation — preparation programs
- Matrimony — 6-month notice required, registered parishioners
- Anointing / Ministry of the Sick — call Parish Office, or Friary in emergencies
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Although St. Mary is a small rural parish, it sustains a handful of lay organizations and parish-staff roles that keep the church running and connect parishioners to one another. The Altar & Rosary Society, a long-standing women's devotional and service organization, meets in St. Mary's Hall on the Tuesday after the first Sunday of each month at 7:00 PM. Two lay staff members support the parish office, which serves all four 4 Saints worship sites.
- Altar & Rosary Society — meets Tuesday after first Sunday, 7:00 PM, St. Mary's Hall
- Robin Phillips — Parish Secretary
- Beth Palm — Parish Bookkeeper
- Ministry of the Sick — pastoral visits to homes and hospitals
Clergy
St. Mary is served by Conventual Franciscan friars (OFM Conv.) assigned by the Diocese of Peoria. The pastor oversees the entire 4 Saints collaborative, while the associate pastor assists across the four worship sites. Both priests are listed on the Diocese of Peoria's online clergy directory as incardinated members of a religious order serving in the Peoria Diocese.
- Father Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv. — Pastor
- Father Stephen McKinley, OFM Conv. — Associate Pastor
The 4 Saints Collaborative
St. Mary is the Wenona member of the '4 Saints' Catholic collaborative, a unified pastoral grouping of four historic rural parishes in central Illinois. Together they share one parish office, one bulletin deadline, and one combined weekend Mass schedule that rotates among the four worship sites, allowing each community to maintain its own identity while sharing clergy and administrative resources.
- St. Mary — Wenona (1867) — this parish
- St. Patrick — Minonk
- St. Ann — Toluca
- St. John the Baptist — Lostant (1862, additional worship site)
- Combined parish office: 207 W. 3rd St. South, Wenona, IL 61377
- Combined phone: (815) 853-4558
Contact, Office Hours & Directions
All four 4 Saints churches share a single parish office located on the grounds of St. Mary in Wenona. Visitors travelling from the regional state highway network will find the church just west of the intersection of IL Routes 17 and 251. Bulletin submissions and sacramental scheduling should be directed to the parish office during posted hours.
- Address: 207 W. 3rd St. South, Wenona, IL 61377
- Phone: (815) 853-4558
- Fax: (815) 853-0111
- Office hours: Mon–Wed & Fri 8:00 AM–3:00 PM; Thu 8:00 AM–12:00 PM; closed weekends
- Directions: From IL Routes 17/251, head west on W. 3rd South St.; church is on the south side of the road
- New parishioners: register by calling the parish office