About St. Patrick · Sheffield, Illinois
St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church is a small, historic parish in the village of Sheffield, in Bureau County, Illinois, founded in 1854 by Irish Catholic immigrants drawn to the area by the Sheffield Mining & Railroad Company. The parish is part of the Diocese of Peoria and is now linked with nearby St. Anthony Parish in Atkinson under a shared pastoral team, jointly operating online under the name 'The Heart and the Lily.' Today St. Patrick offers Sunday and weekday Mass, First Friday adoration, a CCD religious-education program, RCIA, and an Altar & Rosary Society, all served by Father S. Stephen Engelbrecht and two deacons.
- Established
- 1854
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. S. Stephen Engelbrecht
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Patrick offers a warm, small-town Catholic community with deep roots in Sheffield — over 170 years of continuous worship, a beautiful 1885 brick church, and a real sense of family. Parishioners can worship at a 10:00 am Sunday Mass and a Wednesday-evening weekday Mass, with First Friday adoration and a generous 20-minute window for confession every Sunday morning. The parish runs a CCD program for children, an RCIA process for adults, an Altar & Rosary Society, parish circles, and a Parish Council with elected trustees — meaning there are concrete ways to get involved, regardless of your age or stage of life.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:30 am – 9:50 am
- Or by appointment with the priest
Adoration times
- 5:00 pm First Friday
History of St. Patrick Parish
The story of St. Patrick begins in 1854, when Irish Catholic immigrants came to the new town of Sheffield laid out by the Sheffield Mining & Railroad Company. Mission priests celebrated Mass in local homes for the first decade, then in the first wooden Catholic church on West Walnut Street from 1864. The parish was formally established in 1877 under Father Grogan, the brick church was dedicated May 31, 1885, and wings were added in 1920.
- 1854 — First Masses celebrated in the homes of Mr. Egan, Mr. Murtaugh, and Whipple's Hall by traveling priests.
- 1864 — Monthly Masses begin at the first wooden church on the 300 block of W. Walnut Street, under Father O'Farrell of Mendota.
- 1877 — St. Patrick's formally established as a parish in the new Diocese of Peoria; Father Grogan becomes first resident priest.
- 1885 — Current brick church dedicated on West Atkinson Street on May 31.
- 1889 — Rectory built at 231 W. Atkinson, just east of the church.
- 1920 — East and west wings added to accommodate a growing congregation.
- 1961 — Parish hall built just east of the rectory.
Faith Formation & Religious Education (CCD)
The linked parishes of St. Anthony and St. Patrick offer a shared CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program for children and teens. The CCD Coordinator is Mary Ann Cernovich.
- Classes meet Sundays during the school year at 8:30 – 9:45 am at the Parish Hall & Annex.
- Open to children and teens, Grades K-8.
- Curriculum uses the Faith and Life Series and the Dynamic Catholic Confirmation program.
- Registration is free; forms are available in church, at the office, or online.
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
Adults interested in joining the Catholic Church or completing their sacraments participate in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), directed from the linked parish office.
- Open to unbaptized adults, baptized Christians seeking full communion, and Catholics seeking Confirmation.
- Contact Father Engelbrecht at 309-936-7900 for more information.
Parish Organizations & Ministries
St. Patrick's is served by a number of lay organizations and councils that keep the parish running liturgically, financially, and socially.
- Altar & Rosary Society — President Jan Wyffels; meets twice a year at 6:30 pm.
- Parish Circles Ministry — Circle One, Circle Two, and Circle Three, each with co-chairs.
- Parish Council — Pastor, two Deacons, two Trustees (Terry Patton, Ken DeSmith), and at-large members.
- Finance Council — oversees parish finances.
- Liturgical ministries — Lectors, Ushers, and Money Counters (e.g., Darrell & Nancy Anderson, Shawn & Kristal Larette).
- Trustees — Terry Patton and Ken DeSmith.
The Heart and the Lily — Linked Parishes
St. Patrick Sheffield and St. Anthony Atkinson are formally linked parishes of the Diocese of Peoria, sharing a pastor, parish staff, bulletins, and communications under the joint name 'The Heart and the Lily' (theheartandthelily.org). The linked arrangement also includes the Shrine of St. Mary of the Fields in Hooppole.
- St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church — 233 W. Atkinson Street, Sheffield, IL 61361 — 309-936-7900.
- St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church — 204 W. Main Street, PO Box 210, Atkinson, IL 61235 — 309-936-7900.
- St. Mary of the Fields Shrine — 24772 St. Mary's Road, Hooppole, IL 61277.
- All bills, cards, and financial contributions for St. Patrick should be sent to: St. Patrick Parish, c/o St. Anthony Office, PO Box 210, Atkinson, IL 61235.
Getting Involved & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can connect with the parish office through the linked-parish website, by phone, or in person. Volunteers are needed regularly as lectors, ushers, money counters, and CCD catechists.
- Parish Office Phone — 309-936-7900.
- Email — [email protected].
- Website — https://www.theheartandthelily.org/.
- FORMED — parishioners are encouraged to sign up at https://formed.org/ for Catholic faith content.
- Annual Diocesan Appeal (ADA) — St. Patrick's goal is updated annually in the bulletin.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Lynch
First recorded missionary priest to celebrate Mass in Sheffield, traveling from St. Patrick's, LaSalle.
- Fr. O'Farrellfrom 1864
Pastor of Mendota who began monthly Masses at the first wooden Catholic church on W. Walnut St.
- Fr. Groganfrom 1877
First resident priest of St. Patrick's when it became a parish in 1877.
- Rev. S. Stephen Engelbrechtfrom 2025
Current pastor; also pastor of linked St. Anthony Parish in Atkinson; Vicar Forane of the Kewanee Vicariate; ordained May 27, 2000.