About St. Maurice · Morrisonville, Illinois
St. Maurice is a Catholic parish in the small farming community of Morrisonville, Illinois (Christian County), belonging to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The parish is now part of the St. MRM Parish Unit, sharing one pastor with St. Raymond in Raymond and St. Mary in Farmersville. The parish serves roughly 284 parishioners in 135 families with a Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM, a Friday morning daily Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday confession. The current pastor is Fr. Florent E. Kanga, S.A.C., a Pallottine (Society of the Catholic Apostolate) priest originally from Cameroon who is assigned to the Diocese of Springfield as a Parochial Vicar.
- Patron
- Saint Maurice (Mauritius), early Christian martyr and commander of the Theban Legion of the Roman army
- Rector
- Rev. Florent E. Kanga, S.A.C. (Pallottine)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. Maurice is a welcoming small-town parish rooted in the Catholic faith of rural central Illinois for more than a century, where families are known by name and supported by a stable rhythm of weekly and daily Mass, all-day Wednesday Adoration, and Saturday confession. As part of the three-parish St. MRM Unit with St. Raymond and St. Mary, the community offers a traditional devotional life along with the practical ministries families need — baptisms, weddings, RCIA, anointing of the sick, a homebound ministry that brings Communion after Sunday Mass, and a parish cemetery that continues to serve multiple generations. It is an ideal place for Catholics who value a close-knit, Eucharistic-centered rural parish and the personal care of a pastor who visits the sick and homebound.
Mass times at St. Maurice
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
- Or by appointment (contact Father)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
About St. Maurice Parish
St. Maurice is a Catholic parish serving the small farming community of Morrisonville, Illinois, in Christian County. It is part of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and currently shares a pastor with two sister parishes in the St. MRM Parish Unit: St. Raymond in Raymond and St. Mary in Farmersville. The parish's mission is to bring the Eucharist and the sacraments to rural Catholic families, with a particular emphasis on weekly Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, confession, and visits to the sick and homebound.
- Diocese: Springfield in Illinois
- Parish Unit: St. MRM (St. Maurice, St. Raymond, St. Mary)
- Approx. 284 parishioners in 135 families
- Pastor: Fr. Florent E. Kanga, S.A.C.
History of the Parish and Community
Morrisonville was platted in 1869 by Colonel James Morrison as a railroad stop in central Illinois. Colonel Morrison himself donated the land for St. Maurice Church, and the first parish church was a large frame building on the corner of Fuller and Third Streets built at a cost of $4,000. The parish's Saint Maurice Catholic Cemetery, located southeast of town on County Highway 400 East, holds more than 1,000 known burials with the earliest recorded around 1865, showing that Catholic families had settled in the area from the town's earliest years. A parish school, St. Maurice School, was constructed in 1922 with a full basement and a large room across its front, serving children who once rode to school by horse and buggy from surrounding farms.
- Town of Morrisonville founded/platted 1869 by Colonel James Morrison
- Land for St. Maurice donated by Colonel Morrison
- First church: large frame building, corner of Fuller and Third Streets, $4,000
- St. Maurice Cemetery: 1,000+ burials, earliest c. 1865
- St. Maurice School built 1922
Pastor and Staff
The parish is pastored by Rev. Florent E. Kanga, S.A.C., a member of the Pallottine Fathers and Brothers (Society of the Catholic Apostolate) of the Mother of God Province based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born in Nanga-Eboko in the Center Region of Cameroon, Fr. Florent joined the Pallottines in 1995 and was ordained on July 10, 2004. After serving in Cameroon and as a hospital chaplain in Milwaukee, he was sent by his superiors to work in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois as pastor of the St. MRM Parish Unit. Parish office operations are led by parish secretary Kateri Marten and bookkeeper Debbie Forbes.
- Pastor: Fr. Florent E. Kanga, S.A.C.
- Fr. Florent's cell: (414) 460-0335
- Fr. Florent's email: [email protected]
- Secretary: Kateri Marten — [email protected]
- Bookkeeper: Debbie Forbes
Sacraments
All sacramental preparation at St. Maurice is coordinated through Fr. Florent and the parish office. Baptisms are scheduled at least six weeks in advance, weddings at least six months in advance, and the Anointing of the Sick and funeral rites are arranged directly with the priest. The parish also offers the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for adults seeking to enter the Church, and a Homebound Ministry that brings Holy Communion to parishioners unable to attend Mass after Sunday Mass.
- Baptisms — 6 weeks' notice
- Weddings — 6 months' notice
- Anointing of the Sick — anytime
- Funerals — through Father / parish office
- RCIA — through Father / parish office
- Homebound Ministry — Communion visits after Sunday Mass
Parish Ministries and Devotional Life
Beyond the sacraments, the parish sustains a traditional devotional life centered on the Eucharist. Weekly all-day Adoration on Wednesdays gives parishioners extended time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. The Homebound Ministry ensures that those who can no longer attend Mass still receive Holy Communion, and the parish maintains a Prayer List and a weekly bulletin to keep the community connected and informed.
- Eucharistic Adoration (Wednesdays)
- Homebound Communion visits
- Prayer List (coordinated through the parish office)
- Weekly bulletin (deadline Monday noon)
- Mass Intentions ($10 stipend)
St. Maurice School and Cemetery
The parish campus at 706 East 4th Street includes St. Maurice School, a private Catholic school built in 1922 that has long served the children of Morrisonville and the surrounding farming community. Adjacent to the parish is the Saint Maurice Catholic Cemetery, located approximately 1.5 miles southeast of Morrisonville on County Highway 400 East, with more than 1,000 burials dating back to around 1865. The cemetery remains active and is managed by the parish.
- St. Maurice School — built 1922, adjacent to the church
- St. Maurice Catholic Cemetery — County Highway 400 East
- Cemetery has 1,000+ burials; earliest c. 1865
Visiting and Contact Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person. The mailing address is P.O. Box 45, Morrisonville, IL 62546, and the church is located at 706 East 4th Street. Fr. Florent can also be reached on his cell phone for pastoral needs such as anointing of the sick, hospital visits, or last rites.
- Office phone: (217) 526-3363
- Office email: [email protected]
- Fr. Florent's cell: (414) 460-0335
- Fr. Florent's email: [email protected]
- Address: 706 E. 4th Street, P.O. Box 45, Morrisonville, IL 62546