About St. Michael · Greenfield, Illinois
St. Michael Parish is a small Catholic community serving the rural town of Greenfield in Greene County, southwestern Illinois. As one of three parishes in the Catholic Churches of Greene County cluster — alongside St. John the Evangelist in Carrollton and All Saints in White Hall — it is served from the Carrollton parish office and shares its pastor, Fr. Callistus Chukwudi Onumah (Fr. Callyben), with the sister parishes. With roughly 172 parishioners in 87 families, St. Michael gathers at 411 Sheffield Street for a Saturday Vigil Mass and a weekly Tuesday morning Mass, supported by Deacon Charles Theivagt and a small staff of dedicated lay ministers.
- Patron
- St. Michael (the Archangel) — the patron under whom the parish is named
- Rector
- Rev. Callistus Chukwudi Onumah (Fr. Callyben)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. Michael is exactly the kind of close-knit rural parish where every face is known — with about 172 parishioners in 87 families, visitors and newcomers are quickly welcomed into the life of the community. The parish offers the full rhythm of Catholic life in compact form: a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m., a Tuesday morning daily Mass, Saturday afternoon Confession, faith formation for children and adults through Martha Rawe's PSR and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) programs, and music coordinated by Director Kathy Mettenburg. As part of the Catholic Churches of Greene County cluster with sister parishes in Carrollton and White Hall, St. Michael's parishioners share a wider fellowship, school community, and sacramental ministry while keeping a parish home of their own at 411 Sheffield Street.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 – 3:45 p.m.
Parish Identity and Community
St. Michael Parish is a small Catholic community in the rural town of Greenfield, Illinois, the county seat area of Greene County in southwestern Illinois along Route 267 between Jacksonville and Alton. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and gathers at 411 Sheffield Street in Greenfield. With roughly 172 parishioners in 87 families, it is one of the intimate rural congregations where most parishioners know one another by name. Despite its modest size, St. Michael maintains a regular rhythm of sacramental life — a Saturday Vigil Mass, a weekly Tuesday morning Mass, and Saturday Confessions before the Vigil — supported by a pastor who also serves two sister parishes in the surrounding area.
- Diocese: Springfield in Illinois
- Statistic: 172 parishioners in 87 families
- Parish address: 411 Sheffield Street, Greenfield, IL 62044
- Cluster: Catholic Churches of Greene County (with Carrollton and White Hall)
Catholic Churches of Greene County (Parish Cluster)
St. Michael does not stand alone — it is one of three parishes that make up the Catholic Churches of Greene County, a cooperative cluster sharing one pastor, shared office staff, and cooperative ministry. The other two parishes are St. John the Evangelist in Carrollton (414 3rd Street) and All Saints in White Hall (South Main Street). The cluster publishes a unified weekend Mass schedule rotating across the three parish churches: Saturday 4:00 p.m. at St. Michael's, Saturday 6:00 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist, Sunday 8:00 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist, and Sunday 10:00 a.m. at All Saints. By pooling resources, the three small congregations are able to sustain weekday Masses, faith formation, music ministry, and sacramental preparation across the county.
- St. John the Evangelist, Carrollton — 414 3rd Street, IL 62016
- St. Michael, Greenfield — 411 Sheffield, IL 62044
- All Saints, White Hall — South Main Street, IL 62092
- Cluster weekend Mass rotation: Sat 4:00 (St. Michael's), Sat 6:00 (St. John's), Sun 8:00 (St. John's), Sun 10:00 (All Saints)
Clergy and Parish Staff
St. Michael is pastored by Rev. Callistus Chukwudi Onumah, who goes by the familiar 'Fr. Callyben' and serves as pastor of all three parishes in the Catholic Churches of Greene County cluster; his canonical residence is St. John the Evangelist in Carrollton. He is assisted by Deacon Charles E. 'Charlie' Theivagt, who ministers across the cluster. Lay staff who keep the parish's day-to-day life running include Cathy Schirz (parish secretary), Martha Rawe (who coordinates both the OCIA adult-initiation process and the Parish School of Religion for children), and Kathy Mettenburg (Director of Music, serving liturgy across the cluster). A separate bulletin editor, Ryan Skolasinski, prepares the shared parish bulletin.
- Rev. Callistus Chukwudi Onumah ('Fr. Callyben') — Pastor (residence: St. John the Evangelist, Carrollton)
- Deacon Charles E. 'Charlie' Theivagt
- Cathy Schirz — Secretary
- Martha Rawe — OCIA (formerly RCIA) and PSR coordinator
- Kathy (Kathryn) Mettenburg — Director of Music
- Ryan Skolasinski — News/Bulletin Editor
Faith Formation: PSR and OCIA
Children's faith formation at St. Michael is provided through the Parish School of Religion (PSR), a weekly religious-education program for parish children that meets outside of regular school hours. Adult faith formation and the journey into full communion with the Catholic Church are coordinated through OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, the current name for what is still widely called RCIA. Both programs are coordinated by Martha Rawe, who is responsible for forming both the youngest parishioners and those preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist as adults.
- PSR — Parish School of Religion (children)
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly RCIA)
- Coordinator: Martha Rawe
Music and Liturgical Ministry
Music ministry across the Catholic Churches of Greene County — including St. Michael — is directed by Kathy 'Kathryn' Mettenburg, who serves as Director of Music for the cluster. In this role she coordinates cantors, accompanists, and choirs who lead the sung liturgy at weekend and daily Masses in Greenfield, Carrollton, and White Hall.
- Director of Music: Kathy (Kathryn) Mettenburg
- Ministry served cluster-wide across the three Greene County parishes
Office, Contact, and Getting in Touch
Although St. Michael shares its pastor with two other parishes, the cluster maintains a real office presence in Carrollton that handles calls, records, and bulletin publication. The main parish office line is (217) 942-3551 (St. John the Evangelist, Carrollton), with a dedicated St. Michael rectory line of (217) 368-2176. The fax line is (217) 942-6767. The parish email listed in the Diocesan Pastoral Directory is [email protected]. St. Michael's own office hours at 411 Sheffield Street are Mondays from 9:00 a.m. to noon; the Carrollton office is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Parish office (Carrollton): (217) 942-3551
- St. Michael line: (217) 368-2176
- Fax: (217) 942-6767
- Email: [email protected]
- St. Michael office hours: Monday 9:00 a.m. – Noon
- Carrollton office hours: Mon–Thu 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
History and Community Context
Greenfield, Illinois, was platted in 1835 by George W. Allen and grew through the mid-19th century as an agricultural community serving the rolling prairies of eastern Greene County. Catholic families in the Greenfield area have worshiped at St. Michael's for well over a century; the parish is described in community histories as a 'longstanding community hub established in the mid-1800s,' and its present church at 411 Sheffield Street has served generations of Catholic families. Today St. Michael shares sacramental and administrative ministry with two sister parishes through the Catholic Churches of Greene County cluster, allowing a small, faithful congregation to continue offering Mass, Confession, and faith formation in the rural heart of southwestern Illinois.
- Greenfield platted in 1835 by George W. Allen
- St. Michael described locally as a 'longstanding community hub established in the mid-1800s'
- Today shares pastoral and administrative ministry cluster-wide