About St. Michael · Paderborn, Illinois
St. Michael's Paderborn is a rural Catholic parish located at 4576 Buss Branch Road, Waterloo, Illinois — about 8 miles south of Millstadt and 4 miles south of Smithton, on Floraville Road. It belongs to the Diocese of Belleville and serves roughly 210 registered families today. The parish identifies itself as a stabilizing presence in the community, a kind of extended family that worships together, supports members in times of need, and reaches out especially to the young, newcomers, and non-practicing Catholics in the area. Weekend Masses are celebrated Saturday evening at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m.
- Established
- 1843
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Evaristus Akabueze, CM (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville
Why belong here
St. Michael's Paderborn offers a small, family-style Catholic community rooted in the rural landscape south of Waterloo. With about 210 registered families, the parish emphasizes supporting one another in times of need, forming young people through Catholic education and the Parish School of Religion, and giving the wider neighborhood (Catholic and non-Catholic alike) a stable identity. Active groups — the Council of Catholic Women, Men's Club, Teen Spirit Youth Group, choir, and Parish Council — give newcomers and longtime members many ways to belong.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 20 minutes before scheduled Mass
- Sunday: 20 minutes before scheduled Mass
About St. Michael's Paderborn
St. Michael's Paderborn is a Catholic parish in the Diocese of Belleville, located in the rural Waterloo area of St. Clair County, Illinois. About 210 families belong to the parish, which sees itself as a stabilizing influence and an extended family for the surrounding community — both Catholic and non-Catholic. The parish's mission is to worship together, support one another especially in times of need, and keep the faith alive among the young, newcomers, and non-practicing members of the area.
Parish History
Catholic life on this hilltop in Prairie Du Long began around 1837 with the log mission chapel of St. Thomas. By 1843 two acres had been donated for a church, and in 1859 construction began on the present stone church, which was dedicated on May 8, 1862, in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. Father William Busch, the first resident pastor, gave the community its lasting name: Paderborn.
- c. 1837 — St. Thomas the Apostle Mission built in Richland Precinct
- 1843 — Two acres of land donated; first log church (St. Thomas) on the site
- 1859 — Construction begins on the stone church
- 1862 (May 8) — Stone church dedicated as St. Michael
- 1863 — Parish school organized with lay teachers (closed 1965)
- 1870–1874 — St. Michael's serves as mother church for St. John the Baptist, Georgetown (Smithton)
- Today — About 210 registered families
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is administered by a Vincentian priest, with a retired priest in residence, and a small lay staff handling parish office, faith formation, and accounting.
- Rev. Evaristus Akabueze, CM — Administrator
- Rev. James A. Voelker — Retired, In Residence
- Karen Sue Walsh — Parish Secretary / Director of Religious Education (CRE)
- Tammie Hettenhausen — Parish Accountant
Ministries & Organizations
St. Michael's life is carried by a network of lay groups, each with a long local tradition. Together they form the parish family and reach outward to the wider community.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) — grades 1-8, Sundays 10:00-11:00 a.m., September–April
- Teen Spirit Youth Group (TSYG) — joint high school youth group with St. John the Baptist, Smithton
- Parish Council — meets third Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the parish center
- Choir — sings at the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass; directed by Paul Quirin
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW) — hosts the annual Pumpkin Party (first Wednesday of November, since 1982), supports St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Urban Program
- Men's Club — annual euchre tournament (third Saturday of February) and men's dinner/Christmas party
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Parish School of Religion (PSR) provides weekly religious education for students in grades 1 through 8, meeting Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., September through April. For high school students, the joint Teen Spirit Youth Group (TSYG) with St. John the Baptist in Smithton offers community service and fellowship.
Music & Liturgy
The parish choir leads music at the Sunday 9:00 a.m. Mass under the direction of Paul Quirin. The CCW purchases the wine and other liturgical items used at Mass throughout the year.
Parish Council
Established in 1992, the Parish Council sets direction and vision for St. Michael's. It is composed of two appointed members and five elected members, meeting the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the parish center, except during July, August, and December.
Council of Catholic Women (CCW)
The CCW has been a backbone of parish life since 1982, when it launched the annual Pumpkin Party the first Wednesday of November. The group purchases the parish's sacramental wine and other liturgical needs, contributes to St. Vincent de Paul Society and Catholic Urban Program, supports local food pantries, and hand-quilts the quilts raffled at the annual Parish Picnic.
Men's Club
The Men's Club gathers the men of the parish for fellowship and service. Annual events include an euchre tournament on the third Saturday of February and a Christmas dinner party.
Visit Us
The parish is located in a rural setting and is easy to find from the main highways south of Waterloo. Visitors are warmly welcomed at weekend Masses and parish events; the current bulletin is posted on the parish website.
- Address: 4576 Buss Branch Road, Waterloo, IL 62298
- Phone: 618-473-2798
- From Route 159: take County Road 9 west (Floraville Road) for 3 miles, then turn onto Buss Branch Road — the church is on the left.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. H. Liermann1850-1859
Served St. Michael while also at St. James, Millstadt
- Rev. F. Carel1859-1861
- Rev. William Busch1861-1863
First resident pastor; credited with naming the town Paderborn
- Rev. Rustemeyer1863-1864
- Rev. F. Trojan1864
- Rev. George Tuerk1864-1868
- Rev. Frank Lohmann1866-1869
- Rev. Frederick Chmelick1869-1872
- Rev. Longius Quitter1872-1874
- Rev. John Berlage1875
- Rev. Bernard Fresenberg1876-1882
- Rev. Bernard Claus1882-1893
- Rev. Herman Gegemann1894-1898
- Rev. Felix Ferbers1898-1913