About St. Patrick · Hennepin, Illinois
St. Patrick is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Hennepin, Illinois, in Putnam County along the Illinois River. It is part of the Diocese of Peoria and, since April 26, 2025, has been united with Sacred Heart Church in nearby Granville to form St. Pius of Pietrelcina Parish (commonly known as 'Padre Pio Parish'). The faith community gathers at 920 E. Dore Drive, where the current church — completed in 1990 — incorporates stained glass, side altars, and the high altar salvaged from the earlier 1902 St. Patrick building. The parish has served Catholic families in Hennepin for more than 150 years.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Father Patrick DeMeulemeester
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Patrick offers the small, tight-knit character of a rural Illinois parish with a worship schedule that includes a Latin Mass on Thursday mornings alongside the regular English Masses. The faith community has celebrated its Catholic heritage continuously for more than 150 years, and the current 1990 church preserves the devotional furnishings of its 1902 predecessor — including its stained glass and high altar. As part of Padre Pio Parish with Sacred Heart in Granville, parishioners have access to an expanded weekly Mass schedule, Saturday and Sunday confessions, and the pastoral care of Father Patrick DeMeulemeester.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:15 AM – 8:45 AM (also by appointment)
Parish Overview
St. Patrick is the Catholic parish of the village of Hennepin in Putnam County, Illinois, situated along the Illinois River. It is one of two worship sites of St. Pius of Pietrelcina Parish — 'Padre Pio Parish' — the other being Sacred Heart Church in Granville. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Peoria and is pastored by Father Patrick DeMeulemeester. The community worships in a 1990 church at 920 E. Dore Drive that incorporates furnishings from the original 1902 St. Patrick building.
- Diocese: Peoria
- Pastor: Father Patrick DeMeulemeester (since 2008)
- Worship site of St. Pius of Pietrelcina 'Padre Pio' Parish (since April 26, 2025)
- Address: 920 E. Dore Drive, Hennepin, IL 61327
- Parish website: https://shgsph.org (shared with Sacred Heart, Granville)
History
Catholic worship in Hennepin predates the formal parish by decades. The first Catholic structure, St. Anthony Church, was built in 1852, and the community received parish status in 1867/1868. A second church was erected in 1902 on land donated by the Dore family and renamed St. Patrick in memory of their Irish ancestor Patrick Dore. That building and its hall still stand; the hall is now the Hennepin public library and the old church a private home. The present church was completed in 1990, reusing the 1902 building's stained glass, side altars, and high altar. In April 2025, St. Patrick and Sacred Heart in Granville were merged into St. Pius of Pietrelcina Parish.
- 1852 — St. Anthony Church, first Catholic building in Hennepin
- 1867/1868 — Parish formally established (Diocese of Chicago records)
- 1902 — Second church built; donated by the Dore family; renamed St. Patrick
- 1990 — Present St. Patrick church completed on E. Dore Drive
- March 17, 2018 — 150th anniversary celebrated with Mass, baptism, and corned-beef-and-cabbage dinner
- April 26, 2025 — St. Patrick joined Sacred Heart (Granville) to form Padre Pio Parish
The 1990 Church Building
The present St. Patrick church on East Dore Drive was completed in 1990 and was deliberately designed to continue the devotional life of its 1902 predecessor. Many of the furnishings of the earlier building — including its stained glass windows, the side altars, and the high altar — were carefully moved into the new sanctuary. The result is a modern rural church that visibly carries the prayer and craftsmanship of the parish's earlier century.
- Stained glass windows from the 1902 church
- Side altars from the 1902 church
- High altar from the 1902 church
Padre Pio Parish (St. Pius of Pietrelcina Parish)
On April 26, 2025, St. Patrick in Hennepin and Sacred Heart in Granville were canonically combined into a single parish, St. Pius of Pietrelcina Parish, commonly known as 'Padre Pio Parish.' The combined parish retains both historic worship sites, both the regular Sunday Mass schedule, and Saturday confessions. The mailing address is shared with Sacred Heart in Granville (PO Box 217, Granville, IL 61326), and the parish website is shgsph.org.
- Established April 26, 2025
- Mailing address: PO Box 217, Granville, IL 61326
- Two worship sites: St. Patrick (Hennepin) and Sacred Heart (Granville)
Clergy & Staff
The parish has been served by Father Patrick DeMeulemeester since 2008; he continues as pastor of the combined Padre Pio Parish. Father Michael J. Driscoll, PhD, is also named on diocesan records in connection with the parish.
- Father Patrick DeMeulemeester — Pastor (since 2008; pastor of Padre Pio Parish from April 2025; also Assistant Chaplain of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria, from November 2025)
- Father Michael J. Driscoll, PhD
Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office through the shared Padre Pio Parish contact information, with the parish website serving both St. Patrick and Sacred Heart.
- Address: 920 E. Dore Drive, Hennepin, IL 61327
- Phone: (815) 339-2138
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://shgsph.org
- Diocesan fax: (815) 339-2880
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Patrick DeMeulemeester2008–present
Pastor of St. Patrick (Hennepin) and Sacred Heart (Granville) from 2008; became pastor of the newly formed St. Pius of Pietrelcina 'Padre Pio' Parish in April 2025; also appointed Assistant Chaplain of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center (Peoria) in November 2025.