About St. Nicholas · Pocahontas, Illinois
St. Nicholas is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the village of Pocahontas in Bond County, Illinois, and is today administered jointly with Immaculate Conception Church in Pierron and St. Gertrude Church in Grantfork from a single shared parish office in Pierron. The parish traces its origin to 1871, when its first church was built under the patronage of St. Nicholas by local Catholic settlers, and its present brick church was completed and dedicated in 1950 after a fire destroyed the original building on New Year's Day 1949. St. Nicholas sits in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and offers Saturday Vigil and weekday Masses together with a regular Saturday confession schedule.
- Established
- 1871
- Patron
- St. Nicholas
- Rector
- Fr. Callistus O. Osiaga
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
Why belong here
St. Nicholas offers a small, longstanding Catholic community rooted in Pocahontas since 1871, with weekly Saturday Vigil Mass, a Thursday morning Mass, and Saturday confessions — all the essentials for a devout Catholic life in a rural Illinois village. As one of three worship sites in a shared parish family with Immaculate Conception (Pierron) and St. Gertrude (Grantfork), it gives parishioners the warmth of a close-knit country parish backed by the wider ministries of the grouping. Its ministries — Eucharistic Adoration, Pro-Life Rosary, RCIA, Music Ministry, Men's and Women's Groups, and the parish Pastoral Council — give newcomers and longtime members alike real ways to grow in faith and serve.
Mass times at St. Nicholas
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:45–4:15 pm (at St. Nicholas, Pocahontas)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration (parish-wide): Thursdays 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, September through April
St. Nicholas Catholic Parish, Pocahontas, Illinois
St. Nicholas is a Roman Catholic parish serving the village of Pocahontas in Bond County, Illinois, in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. It is part of a three-church shared parish with Immaculate Conception in Pierron and St. Gertrude in Grantfork, with a single pastor and parish staff coordinating worship, sacraments, and ministries across all three sites. The parish traces its roots to 1871, when the first St. Nicholas Church was built, and the present brick church was completed and dedicated in 1950.
Parish History
Catholic life in Pocahontas began in the 1860s when Franciscan Fathers from Teutopolis offered Mass in local homes. In 1871, under Rev. Francis Moenning, the community built its first church under the patronage of St. Nicholas. The parish grew to about fifty families and opened a school, but population decline forced the school to close and ultimately led Bishop James Ryan to close the parish. In 1908, Rev. Anthony Jaschke reorganized the parish and placed its care once again with the priest from St. Paul's in Highland. On the morning of January 1, 1949, the 78-year-old church was destroyed by fire, but the altar, statues, and vestments were saved. The current brick church, with stone trim and a stone entrance, was built largely by parishioner labor and dedicated by Bishop William O'Connor on June 18, 1950.
- 1821 — Benjamin Johnson lays out the town as 'Oakdale'.
- 1868 — Pennsylvania Railroad built; town renamed Pocahontas.
- 1860s — Franciscan Fathers from Teutopolis begin visiting local Catholics.
- 1871 — First St. Nicholas Church established under Rev. Francis Moenning.
- 1878 — Care transferred from Franciscans to St. Paul's, Highland (Rev. Reinhart first assistant).
- 1888 — Rev. William Futterer (pastor of Saline/Grantfork) takes charge.
- 1895 — Rev. John P. Maroney (St. Lawrence, Greenville) assumes care; parish later declines and is closed.
- 1908 — Rev. Anthony Jaschke reorganizes the parish.
- January 1, 1949 — Original church destroyed by fire; altar and vestments saved.
- June 18, 1950 — Present brick church dedicated by Bishop William O'Connor.
Devotions and Prayer Life
Beyond the Sunday and weekday schedule, the parish community gathers for a number of devotional practices that deepen prayer throughout the week and across the liturgical year. The Monday Night Prayer Group meets at 7:00 pm in the Convent Chapel to read and reflect on the upcoming Sunday's Gospel, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and pray either the Rosary or the Divine Mercy Chaplet on alternating weeks. A parish-wide Pro-Life Rosary brings the community together to pray for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death, with meditative hymns and mentored recitation.
- Monday Night Prayer Group — 7:00 pm, Convent Chapel
- Pro-Life Rosary
- Stations of the Cross — Friday evenings at 6:30 pm during Lent, followed by soup and sharing in the parish hall
Ministries and Groups
The parish shares a broad slate of ministries and lay groups across its three worship sites. Liturgical roles — lectors, greeters, ushers, altar servers, senior altar servers, sacristans, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and the Liturgical Linen Service — support every Mass. Pastoral life is shaped by the Parish Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and Fellowship Committee, while formation and outreach are carried by RCIA, Baptism Preparation, the Music Ministry (choir rehearsals Tuesday at 7:00 pm), and a monthly Soup Kitchen. Men's and Women's Groups, plus the Flowers and Grounds team and the Offertory Counters, round out the parish's life.
- Liturgical: Lectors, Greeters, Ushers, Altar Servers, Senior Altar Servers, Sacristans, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Liturgical Linen Service
- Formation: RCIA, Baptism Preparation, Music Ministry (choir rehearsals Tuesday 7:00 pm)
- Pastoral: Parish Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Fellowship Committee, Offertory Counters, Flowers and Grounds
- Community Life: Men's Group (every other Saturday 7:30–8:50 am), Women's Group, Soup Kitchen
Sacraments
The parish prepares families and adults for the sacraments through Baptism Preparation and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion also bring Communion to the sick and homebound. Couples should contact the parish office for marriage preparation, and the pastor and staff can be reached at the numbers listed on the parish website for all other sacramental needs.
- Baptism Preparation
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Communion to the sick and homebound
Staff and Clergy
The three-church parish family is served by one pastor and a parish secretary, both based out of the shared parish office in Pierron. Parishioners are warmly invited to call or email any member of the staff with questions, or to use the parish's online contact form.
- Fr. Callistus O. Osiaga — Pastor (618-654-2789, [email protected])
- Sonya Curry — Parish Secretary (618-669-2391, [email protected])
Contact, Location, and Directions
St. Nicholas Church stands at 401 East State Street in Pocahontas, Illinois 62275. The shared parish office and mailing address is PO Box 410, Pierron, IL 62273. From Interstate 70, take the Pocahontas exit; turn south into town until you reach State Street, turn left (north), and continue through town — St. Nicholas Church is on the right, just past the school.
- Church address: 401 E State Street, Pocahontas, IL 62275
- Parish office / mailing address: PO Box 410, Pierron, IL 62273
- Phone: (618) 669-2391
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.icstnstg.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis Moenning1871
Led the founding of the first St. Nicholas Church in Pocahontas.
- Rev. Reinhart1878
First assistant from St. Paul's, Highland, to serve Pocahontas bi-weekly.
- Rev. William Futterer1888
Pastor of Saline (Grantfork) who took charge of the St. Nicholas mission.
- Rev. John P. Maroney1895
Transferred the mission from St. Lawrence Church, Greenville; parish later declined and Bishop James Ryan closed it.
- Rev. Anthony Jaschke1908
Reorganized St. Nicholas parish and returned its care to the priest from St. Paul's, Highland.
- Bishop William O'ConnorJune 18, 1950
Dedicated the present brick St. Nicholas Church.