About St. Michael the Archangel · Radom, Illinois
St. Michael the Archangel Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Radom, in rural Perry County, Illinois, founded in 1873 by Polish immigrants and now serving the community as part of a tri-parish grouping with St. Barbara in Scheller and St. Charles Borromeo in DuBois. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Belleville and is currently administered by Rev. Felix Anyikwa, a Fidei Donum missionary priest of the Diocese of Orlu, Nigeria, with the assistance of Deacon David Mills. The parish's present church — the second on the site — was dedicated on September 29, 1924, and at the time of its completion was the largest church in Southern Illinois, with a Roman/Byzantine interior, 32 tons of steel in its roof, a 90-foot bell tower, and seating for about 700. The parish welcomes all to its Sunday liturgy and to a small but active sacramental life of weekday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and confession.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Felix Anyikwa (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Belleville, Illinois
Why belong here
St. Michael's is a small, historically Polish-American parish that still takes seriously its founder's call to be a vital part of its community and world. The parish offers the full rhythm of Catholic sacramental life — Sunday and weekday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and regular confession — in an intimate rural setting, and it partners with two neighboring parishes (St. Barbara in Scheller and St. Charles Borromeo in DuBois) under one administrator so that Mass, devotions, and faith formation are shared across the cluster. Anyone visiting is welcomed as one of 'many faces, one faith,' and the parish explicitly asks for the prayer, time, and financial support of members, former parishioners, and friends to keep its 150-plus-year mission alive for the next generation.
Mass times at St. Michael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:30–9:45 AM (before Mass)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:00–6:30 PM (before Wednesday Mass)
Parish History
St. Michael the Archangel Parish was founded on St. Michael's Day in 1873 when Polish immigrants — many refugees of Bismarck's Kulturkampf — settled in the village of Radom, Illinois, recruited to southern Illinois by the Illinois Central Railroad. The first resident pastor, Father Teodor Gieryk, lived in the railroad workers' barracks and within months had co-founded the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA) at a Detroit meeting on October 3, 1873. The first church was completed in a single year, with a rectory, convent, school and even a high school soon following, staffed by Franciscan priests and by Franciscan and then Notre Dame nuns.
- Founded September 29, 1873 (St. Michael's Day)
- First resident pastor: Rev. Teodor Gieryk (1873–1876)
- Second (present) church dedicated September 29, 1924
The Present Church Building
The current church is the parish's second, dedicated on September 29, 1924. Built in the Roman/Byzantine style, it is 60 feet wide at the front and 156 feet 6 inches long, with a roof frame built of 32 tons of steel that allows an unobstructed interior — there are no inner supporting columns. The interior rises 33 feet from floor to ceiling, the exterior walls stand 23 feet above the foundation, and the bell tower rises 90 feet into the air. At the time of its dedication it was the largest church in Southern Illinois, seating about 700 people.
- Style: Roman/Byzantine
- Dimensions: 60 ft wide × 156 ft 6 in long
- Roof: 32 tons of steel, no interior columns
- Interior height: 33 ft; walls 23 ft above foundation; bell tower 90 ft
- Original seating capacity: ~700 (largest church in Southern Illinois at dedication)
Father Teodor Gieryk and the PRCUA
Father Teodor Gieryk (1837–1878), St. Michael's first resident pastor, was a Prussian-born Polish priest who, on October 3, 1873 — within weeks of the parish's founding — called together Polish-American civic and religious leaders at St. Albertus Parish in Detroit. That meeting established the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA), a fraternal Catholic organization whose motto was 'For God and Country.' Father Gieryk served as its first president from 1873 to 1875. After being asked to leave Radom in April 1876 over a dispute with a land agent about settlers' property deeds, he moved to Jefferson County, became critically ill, and died on November 3, 1878, at age 41. In 1937 the PRCUA erected a 14-foot granite cross at his gravesite in Radom, where the parish still honors him.
- Father Teodor Gieryk (1837–1878)
- First resident pastor of St. Michael's, 1873–1876
- Co-founder and first president of the PRCUA, 1873–1875
- Buried in Radom; 14-foot granite cross at his gravesite (erected 1937)
Community Life in the Depression
The parish's own history records a notable act of community solidarity during the Great Depression. In 1933, when the Ashley State Bank faced a threatened run, St. Michael Church agreed to leave 30 percent of the parish account on deposit as a loan so the bank could reopen — one of several examples the parish cites of parishioners seeking 'to be a vital part of their community and world.'
- 1933: parish left 30% of its funds as a loan to Ashley State Bank during a threatened bank run
Clergy and Parish Staff
St. Michael's is currently administered by Rev. Felix Anyikwa, a Fidei Donum missionary priest of the Diocese of Orlu, Nigeria, ordained August 23, 1987. He serves as Administrator of St. Michael's in Radom as well as St. Barbara in Scheller and St. Charles Borromeo in DuBois. He is assisted by Deacon David Mills.
- Administrator: Rev. Felix Anyikwa (Diocese of Orlu, Nigeria; ordained 08/23/1987)
- Deacon: Deacon David Mills
Tri-Parish Cluster
St. Michael's is partnered with two neighboring Catholic parishes under shared administration: St. Barbara Parish in Scheller and St. Charles Borromeo Parish in DuBois. The three parishes share one administrator and one deacon and coordinate Mass schedules, faith formation, and sacramental life across Perry and Washington counties.
- St. Barbara, Scheller
- St. Charles Borromeo, DuBois
Supporting the Parish
The parish explicitly asks parishioners, returning visitors, and friends to support St. Michael's through prayer, time, and financial giving. The parish notes that it does not currently offer electronic giving; donations may be sent by check made out to 'St. Michael the Archangel Parish' and mailed to the parish PO Box. The message from the parish is clear: 'St. Michael the Archangel Parish cannot continue without your goodness and generosity!'
- Giving accepted by check made out to St. Michael the Archangel Parish
- Mail to: PO Box 128, Radom, IL 62876
- No electronic giving currently available
Contact and Visiting
St. Michael's is located at 52 South 3rd Street in Radom, Illinois, with a mailing address of PO Box 128, Radom, IL 62876. The parish office can be reached by phone at 618-485-2265 (fax 618-485-2272) and by email at [email protected]. Visitors are warmly welcomed at the Sunday 10:00 AM Mass and are invited to introduce themselves to the administrator or deacon after liturgy.
- Address: 52 South 3rd Street, Radom, IL 62876
- Mailing: PO Box 128, Radom, IL 62876
- Phone: 618-485-2265
- Fax: 618-485-2272
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Teodor Gieryk1873–1876
First resident pastor of St. Michael's; co-founder of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA) in 1873. Born 1837 in Prussian-partitioned Poland; died November 3, 1878, at age 41. Asked to leave Radom in April 1876 after a dispute with a land agent over settlers' property deeds. Buried in Radom; the PRCUA erected a 14-foot granite cross at his gravesite in 1937.