St. Patrick

Parish Identity and Location

St. Patrick Catholic Church stands at 858 S. Academy Street in Galesburg, Illinois. Founded in 1863 (with its first church building erected in 1857), it is the oldest Catholic congregation in Galesburg and one of the oldest in Knox County. Today it worships as part of a clustered Catholic community in Galesburg that also includes Corpus Christi and Immaculate Heart of Mary, all under the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.

History of St. Patrick's

According to the Knox County ILGenWeb transcription of the 1886 Portrait and Biographical Album of Knox County, the first Catholic service in Galesburg was held by a missionary in a shanty, which was later blown down. Rev. John O'Neil became the first settled priest and oversaw the building of the first Catholic church — St. Patrick's — in 1857. He was succeeded in 1863 by Rev. James Power (one year), then by Rev. Maurice Howard (until 1877), and then by the legendary Rev. Joseph Costa (1877–1917), whose tenure reshaped the Catholic life of Galesburg.

• First church building erected in 1857 under Fr. O'Neil
• St. Patrick's parish formally listed from 1863
• Fr. Joseph Costa appointed 1877; died Feb. 2, 1917, age 94

Father Joseph Costa and the Building of Galesburg Catholicism

Father Costa's decade of work in the 1880s alone transformed the community. He laid the cornerstone of Corpus Christi Church in May 1884, and Bishop Spaulding of Peoria dedicated it Sunday, October 4, 1885. The new church was 122 feet long by 57 feet wide, with a graceful 150-foot spire; architect Guido designed it and Matthias Schnell built it at a total cost of $35,000. In 1887, Costa traveled to Italy and obtained the relic of St. Crescent, which he brought back to Galesburg. He founded St. Joseph's Academy (cornerstone 1878, opened 1879), established St. Joseph's Cemetery in 1891, opened the Corpus Christi Lyceum boys' high school in 1895, and in 1909 brought two nuns from Peoria to found a Catholic hospital that opened in 1914.

• St. Joseph's Academy — opened 1879 with 295 students and 14 Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana
• Corpus Christi Church — dedicated October 4, 1885, by Bishop Spaulding
• Relic of St. Crescent — brought from Italy 1887, remains at Corpus Christi Church
• St. Joseph's Cemetery — founded 1891
• Corpus Christi Lyceum — boys' high school, opened 1895
• Catholic hospital — established 1909; opened 1914

Clergy and Staff

St. Patrick's is pastored as part of the merged Galesburg Catholic community. The current pastor, effective July 1, 2024, is Fr. Jeffrey Stirniman, with Fr. Christopher Magesa serving as parochial vicar. Parish staff supporting the cluster include Julie Fields (Director of Operations), Marti Gummerson (Office Assistant), Pat Tolle (Finance), and Jessie Kurtz (CCD Coordinator). The parish office is on the Corpus Christi campus in the McAteer Center, 254 E. Tompkins.

• Fr. Jeffrey Stirniman — Pastor ([email protected])
• Fr. Christopher Magesa — Parochial Vicar
• Julie Fields — Director of Operations ([email protected])
• Pat Tolle — Finance ([email protected])
• Marti Gummerson — Office Assistant
• Jessie Kurtz — CCD Coordinator ([email protected])
• Priest Emergency Line for Last Rites: 563-484-0530

Growing Disciples Pastoral Plan

Under the Diocese of Peoria's Growing Disciples pastoral plan announced in 2024, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Corpus Christi, and St. Patrick in Galesburg, together with St. James in Williamsfield and St. Aloysius in Wataga, were designated to be merged into one new parish, with Immaculate Heart of Mary and Corpus Christi as the continuing worship sites. St. Patrick in Galesburg, St. James in Williamsfield, and St. Aloysius in Wataga are 'eventually not be used.' Fr. Jeffrey Stirniman leads the implementation as pastor, with Fr. Christopher Magesa as parochial vicar, effective July 1, 2024. Fr. Deus-Dedit Byabato remains pastor of St. Aloysius in Wataga, and Fr. Deogratias Mpewo serves as administrator of St. James in Williamsfield during the transition.

• Implementation began July 1, 2024
• St. Patrick campus scheduled eventually to be taken out of worship use
• Clustered parishes now share unified offices and staff on the Corpus Christi campus

Visiting St. Patrick's

Visitors can find Mass, confession, and adoration schedules on the Galesburg Catholic website at galesburgcatholic.com under 'Worship With Us / Mass & Adoration Times.' The St. Patrick church is at 858 S. Academy Street, Galesburg, IL 61401. The St. Patrick-specific phone line is (309) 343-9874 (fax 309-343-9944), with office hours listed Monday and Thursday, 9 AM–3 PM. The unified parish office on the Corpus Christi campus (McAteer Center, 254 E. Tompkins) is open 9 AM–3 PM Monday–Thursday at 309-343-8256. For emergencies (Last Rites) the priest emergency line is 563-484-0530.