About St. Mary's Catholic Church · Lewistown, Illinois
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lewistown, Illinois is one of three rural parishes that worship together as '3 for the Trinity' under the pastoral care of Father David Whiteside. The cluster — St. Mary's in Lewistown, Immaculate Conception in Manito, and St. Patrick's in Havana — spans East Fulton and all of Mason Counties in West Central Illinois and functions as one Catholic community despite the 30 miles between St. Mary's and Immaculate Conception. According to GCatholic, the parish was established in 1865 and is part of the Diocese of Peoria.
- Established
- 1865
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (Church of St. Mary)
- Rector
- Father David Whiteside
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers a deeply rooted, rural-Catholic experience where three parishes in East Fulton and Mason Counties function as one worshipping community under Father David Whiteside and three permanent deacons. Regular Friday and Saturday Masses are complemented by weekly adoration and confession at the Lewistown church, an annual 'Year of the Rosary' devotion led by the pastor, and outreach to a needy surrounding area of West Central Illinois. It is a place to pray, serve and belong together with the sister parishes of Immaculate Conception (Manito) and St. Patrick's (Havana).
Mass times at St. Mary's Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday: 11:30–11:45am (St. Mary's, Lewistown)
- Saturday: 3:45–4:15pm (St. Mary's, Lewistown)
Adoration times
- Friday: 10:45–11:45am (St. Mary's, Lewistown)
- Saturday: 2:30–3:30pm (St. Mary's, Lewistown)
About 3 for the Trinity
St. Mary's is part of a three-parish family branded '3 for the Trinity,' under the pastoral care of Father David Whiteside. The cluster pairs the rural churches of East Fulton County and all of Mason County: St. Mary's in Lewistown, Immaculate Conception in Manito, and St. Patrick's in Havana. The three communities function as one parish family — praying together, sharing clergy, and serving the surrounding area — even though the trip between St. Mary's and Immaculate Conception is thirty miles.
- St. Mary's Catholic Church — Lewistown
- Immaculate Conception Church — Manito
- St. Patrick's Church — Havana
- Pastor: Father David Whiteside
History of St. Mary's, Lewistown
St. Mary's Catholic Church was founded in 1865, ten years before the Diocese of Peoria was erected by Pope Blessed Pius IX in 1875. The parish has long served the small farming community of Lewistown and surrounding Fulton County and today partners with two sister parishes to the north and east.
- Founded: 1865
- Diocese: Peoria (erected 1875)
- Associated mission: St. Michael's Church, St. David, Illinois
Parish Clergy & Staff
The cluster is led by Father David Whiteside and supported by three permanent deacons who minister across all three parishes. The parish cluster office is staffed from the St. Patrick's campus in Havana.
- Father David Whiteside — Pastor
- Deacon Bill Meyer
- Deacon Jon Dosher
- Deacon Bob Sondag
Year of the Rosary
Father David has called the three parishes to a special 'Year of the Rosary,' running from the first weekend of October (the month of the rosary) through the first weekend of the following October. The devotion is offered as a powerful prayer against evil in a needy rural region of West Central Illinois.
- Begins first weekend of October
- Runs one full liturgical year
- Open to all three parishes and visitors
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation is offered cluster-wide from the parish office. Families should contact Father David or the parish secretary to arrange Baptism, Marriage, First Communion, or Confirmation.
- Baptism — call the parish office
- Marriage — pre-marriage preparation through the cluster
- First Communion & Confirmation — cluster-based preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — by request
Cluster Office & Contact
Day-to-day administration of the 3 for the Trinity parishes is handled from the cluster office in Havana, while St. Mary's itself retains a direct listing and phone number.
- Parish Office: 545 S. Orange St., Havana, IL 62644
- Parish Office Phone: (309) 740-1495
- St. Mary's Church: 705 N Broadway St., Lewistown, IL 61542
- St. Mary's Phone: (309) 547-3226
- Email: [email protected]
Related Mission
St. Mary's Lewistown sponsors St. Michael's Catholic Church in the nearby village of St. David, Illinois, as a mission parish.
- Mission: Church of St. Michael, St. David, IL
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Anthony Bernasapprox. pre-2020
Listed as 'Priest' at St. Mary's Lewistown on aggregator sites such as JoinMyChurch.com (data last refreshed in 2016).
- Father David Whitesideapprox. 2020–present
Current pastor of the 3 for the Trinity cluster (St. Mary's Lewistown, Immaculate Conception Manito, St. Patrick's Havana); named in parish bulletins from May 2020 onward.