About St. Michael the Archangel · Streator, Illinois
St. Michael the Archangel Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Streator, Illinois, belonging to the Diocese of Peoria. It was canonically established on July 1, 2010 by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, through the consolidation of four historic Streator parishes — Immaculate Conception (whose roots trace to a St. Michael's church built in 1870), St. Anthony of Padua (1881), St. Stephen's (1883), and St. Casimir's (1916) — and began operating as one faith community on September 29, 2010. The parish is pastored by Monsignor Philip D. Halfacre, Vicar General of the Diocese of Peoria, and worships at the former St. Stephen's Church. It operates St. Michael the Archangel Catholic School and offers a bilingual liturgical life, including a Sunday Mass celebrated in Spanish.
- Established
- 1883
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Monsignor Philip D. Halfacre, VG
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Michael the Archangel welcomes visitors and new parishioners with open arms, offering Mass seven days a week — including a Sunday Mass celebrated in Spanish (10:30 a.m.) for the area's Hispanic Catholics — along with religious education (CCD), a Catholic school, and devotion to the rosary. Rooted in the merged heritage of four ethnic parishes that served Streator's mining communities since the 19th century, the parish today is a unified, bilingual faith community where families can find the sacraments, faith formation for children, and the steady rhythm of daily and Sunday Mass.
Mass times at St. Michael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Our Parish
St. Michael the Archangel is a unified Roman Catholic parish in Streator, Illinois, formed in 2010 from the consolidation of four historic Streator parishes (Immaculate Conception, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Stephen's, and St. Casimir's). It is part of the Diocese of Peoria and is pastored by Monsignor Philip D. Halfacre, VG, who also serves as Vicar General of the diocese. The parish office is at 513 S. Shabbona St., Streator, IL 61364, with a phone line at (815) 672-2474 and fax (815) 672-2040; the physical church address listed by the diocese is 407 S. Park Street, while the New Parishioners page gives the worship site as 801 E. Lundy St., Streator, IL 61364.
- Pastor: Msgr. Philip D. Halfacre, VG
- Deacon: Deacon Robb
- Parish Office: 513 S. Shabbona St., Streator, IL 61364
- Phone: (815) 672-2474
- Fax: (815) 672-2040
- Diocese of Peoria — Year Established: 1883
History
Streator's Catholic community traces to 1870, when pioneer Catholics built the original St. Michael's church in what was then a thriving coal mining town. Successive waves of immigrants founded parishes along ethnic lines: St. Anthony of Padua (1881, German), St. Stephen's (1883, Slovak — often cited as one of the earliest Slovak Roman Catholic parishes in the U.S.), and St. Casimir's (1916, Polish). After decades of demographic change and a decline in the number of available priests, Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC approved a plan to consolidate all four parishes into one. Bishop Jenky formally erected St. Michael the Archangel Parish on July 1, 2010, and on September 29, 2010 the new unified faith community began worshipping together at the former St. Stephen's church building, taking the patron name of the original 1870 pioneer church.
- 1870: Original St. Michael's church built by pioneer Catholics in Streator
- 1881: St. Anthony of Padua founded (German Catholics)
- 1883: St. Stephen's founded (Slovak Catholics)
- 1916: St. Casimir's founded (Polish Catholics)
- 1906: Current St. Stephen's brick church built by Slovak immigrants
- 2010 (July 1): Bishop Jenky formally erects St. Michael the Archangel Parish
- 2010 (Sept. 29): Four parishes cease to exist; merged community begins at former St. Stephen's
- Msgr. Prendergast developed the consolidation plan
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a Religious Education (CCD) program for children whose families do not attend St. Michael the Archangel Catholic School. Registration for the 2024–2025 school year was open through the parish, and the Director of Religious Education, Ruth Neiggemann, can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at (815) 630-8373 / (815) 672-5911, with the RE office located in the school building. CCD students have gathered with Deacon Robb on recent Wednesday evenings to pray the rosary and learn about its history, continuing the parish's devotion to this traditional Marian prayer.
- Director of Religious Education: Ruth Neiggemann
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (815) 630-8373 or (815) 672-5911
- Office located in the parish school
- Rosary devotion led by Deacon Robb
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic School
The parish school continues the combined traditions of three predecessor schools — St. Mary School, St. Stephen School, and St. Anthony School — which were merged in 2010 alongside the parish itself. The school is led by Principal Emily Blumenshine and is located at 410 S. Park Street, Streator, Illinois 61364, with a phone line at (815) 672-3847. According to the school's own materials, it is 'guided by Catholic values' and seeks to 'empower students to develop their God-given talents and grow as faithful disciples, prepared to positively impact the world.'
- Principal: Emily Blumenshine
- Address: 410 S. Park Street, Streator, IL 61364
- Phone: (815) 672-3847
- Carries on the traditions of St. Mary, St. Stephen, and St. Anthony schools
New Parishioners & Visitors
The parish publicly welcomes new parishioners and visitors on its website. The parish office can be contacted at (815) 672-2474 (the site gives an alternate number, 815-674-2474) for more information. In its message to newcomers, the parish notes that the dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation — issued during the COVID-19 pandemic — was lifted by Most Reverend Bishop Louis Tylka on March 27, 2022, effective Palm Sunday, April 10, 2022, and welcomes worshippers back to in-person Mass.
- Contact: Parish office, 815-672-2474
- Bishop Louis Tylka lifted the Sunday Mass dispensation effective April 10, 2022 (Palm Sunday)
Live-Streamed Mass Ministry
St. Michael the Archangel maintains a YouTube channel where it live-streams Mass for those who are homebound, ill, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend in person. The Saturday 4:00 PM vigil Mass, Sunday 9:00 AM Mass, and the 7:00 AM weekday Mass are all streamed live, giving the parish an ongoing online presence beyond its website.
- Live-streamed Saturday 4:00 PM Mass
- Live-streamed Sunday 9:00 AM Mass
- Live-streamed Weekday 7:00 AM Mass
- Available on the parish YouTube channel
Diocese & Wider Context
St. Michael the Archangel Parish is one of the parishes of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, which lists the parish with a year established of 1883 and identifies Msgr. Philip D. Halfacre, VG as its current pastor. The diocese also notes the parish's associated school and lists its phone and fax contact information. The parish's profile on GCatholic corroborates the 1883 date, its Diocese of Peoria affiliation, and its Streator, Illinois location.
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Peoria
- Diocese listing year established: 1883
- Pastor also serves as Vicar General (Curia: Spalding Pastoral Center)
- GCatholic Church ID: 30615
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Prendergast2010
Developed the consolidation plan with members of each parish and presented it to the Presbyteral Council; oversaw the 2010 merger that created St. Michael the Archangel Parish.