About St. Matthew · Farmington, Illinois
St. Matthew Parish was a Roman Catholic mission church in the small town of Farmington, Illinois, in the Diocese of Peoria, founded in 1905. For most of its history it was shepherded by Rosminian (Institute of Charity) priests, who staffed it alongside nearby St. Patrick in Elmwood until the order's withdrawal from the diocese in 2017. From 2022 onward it was pastored by Monsignor Timothy Nolan as part of a Canton–Farmington–St. David cluster, and on September 22, 2024 the parish celebrated its final Mass as part of the Diocese of Peoria's 'Growing Disciples' plan to consolidate parishes. Since then, the pews of St. Matthew at 156 E. Vernon Street have fallen silent, with parishioners folded into St. Mary Parish in Canton.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- St. Matthew the Apostle
- Rector
- Monsignor Timothy Nolan (last pastor; parish suppressed 2024)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Mass times at St. Matthew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 4:00 PM
- Saturday 11:00 AM
- By appointment
Parish History
St. Matthew Parish was founded in 1905 in Farmington, Illinois, a small community in Fulton County in west-central Illinois, and was placed in the care of the Diocese of Peoria. For most of its active life it was one of the parishes served by the Rosminians (Institute of Charity, IC), the same order founded in northern Italy in 1828 that had staffed Catholic life across the Peoria diocese since its founding in 1877.
- Founded 1905
- Served by Rosminian (IC) priests for most of its history
- Pastored by diocesan clergy from 2017 onward after the IC withdrew
- Merged into St. Mary Parish (Canton) as part of the 2024 'Growing Disciples' plan
The Rosminian Years
The Rosminians — also known as the Institute of Charity — came to central Illinois in the 1870s under Father Joseph Costa, IC, the order's first priest in the United States. From their base in Galesburg they eventually staffed parishes in Farmington, Elmwood, Abingdon, Matherville, Viola, Rutland, Flanagan, Peoria and Seymour, where the order once maintained a novitiate. By 2017 only two Rosminian priests remained in active ministry in the diocese, and Bishop Daniel R. Jenky acknowledged that the order 'left an indelible mark' on the Peoria diocese.
- Father Joseph Costa, IC — founder of the order's U.S. mission, arrived 1864
- Rosminians staffed parishes in Galesburg, Abingdon, Elmwood, Farmington and more
- Father Paul Stiene, IC — last Rosminian pastor at St. Matthew; departed June 2017
- Father William Miller, IC — transitioned to incardination in the Diocese of Peoria
Clergy and Staff
St. Matthew was led in its final years by Monsignor Timothy Nolan, a priest of the Diocese of Peoria who also serves as Episcopal Vicar for the Permanent Diaconate and Vicar Forane of the Macomb Vicariate. He was appointed pastor of the Canton–Farmington–St. David cluster in 2022 and remained in charge until the parish's final Mass in September 2024.
- Monsignor Timothy Nolan — last pastor (2022–2024)
- Father Paul Stiene, IC — Rosminian pastor through June 2017
The Final Mass (September 22, 2024)
On Sunday, September 22, 2024 the Diocese of Peoria's 'Growing Disciples' pastoral plan brought St. Matthew's active life to a close. The parish's Altar and Rosary society organized a final meal after Mass, and Monsignor Nolan preached a homily reflecting on transitions, comparing them to his own parents' move from their farm into town. More than 130 parishioners attended the farewell liturgy.
- Final Mass celebrated by Monsignor Timothy Nolan
- More than 130 parishioners in attendance
- Altar and Rosary Society hosted the post-Mass meal
- Parishioners folded into St. Mary Parish, Canton
Liturgy and Schedule (final years)
In its last years of regular operation, St. Matthew celebrated Mass in English on Sunday mornings and on Thursday mornings, in the Roman (Latin) Rite. The parish also offered a regular weekly confession schedule, with priests available by appointment for additional needs.
- Sunday Mass — 7:30 AM
- Thursday Mass — 8:00 AM
- Wednesday Confession — 4:00 PM
- Saturday Confession — 11:00 AM
- Confession by appointment
Diocese of Peoria
St. Matthew belonged to the Diocese of Peoria, a Catholic diocese covering the heart of Illinois from the Mississippi River to the Indiana border. The diocese was established in 1877 with founding Bishop John Lancaster Spalding. The May 2024 'Growing Disciples' plan, announced by Bishop Louis Tylka, halved the number of parishes in the diocese through mergers and suppressions, of which St. Matthew's closure was a part.
- Diocese of Peoria
- Bishop Louis Tylka
- Part of the Macomb Vicariate
- Cluster: St. Mary (Canton) / St. Matthew (Farmington) / St. Michael (St. David)
Parish Life and Ministries
Like most small rural parishes, St. Matthew's active lay life centered on the Mass itself and a few long-standing devotional groups. The Altar and Rosary Society in particular organized parish gatherings and coordinated the farewell meal after the final Mass.
- Altar and Rosary Society
Location
St. Matthew sat at 156 East Vernon Street in Farmington, a small town in Fulton County in west-central Illinois. After the parish's suppression in 2024 the building remained on the property; at the time of the final Mass, Monsignor Nolan and parishioners reported that another Farmington-area church had expressed interest in purchasing the structure.
- 156 E. Vernon St., Farmington, IL 61531
- Fulton County, west-central Illinois
- Building's future use under discussion post-closure
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Various Rosminian (IC) fathersearly 20th century – June 2017
St. Matthew was one of several Diocese of Peoria parishes staffed for decades by the Institute of Charity (Rosminians).
- Father Paul Stiene, ICthrough June 2017
Last Rosminian pastor of the Farmington–Elmwood cluster; transferred to the Diocese of St. Petersburg when the IC withdrew from Peoria.
- Monsignor Timothy Nolan2022 – September 22, 2024 (final Mass)
Incardinated priest of the Diocese of Peoria; also Episcopal Vicar for the Permanent Diaconate and Vicar Forane of the Macomb Vicariate; pastor of the St. Mary (Canton) / St. Matthew (Farmington) / St. Michael (St. David) cluster.