About St. Peter · Piper City, Illinois
St. Peter Parish is a small Roman Catholic church in the farming community of Piper City, Illinois, founded in 1887 and now part of the three-church Immaculate Conception Parish cluster serving Gilman, Piper City, and Roberts under the Diocese of Joliet. The parish gathers for Sunday morning, Wednesday evening, and Friday morning Mass in the red-brick Gothic-style church that has anchored the town's Pine Street corner since 1917. Today it is pastored by Fr. Santiago Corona-Bernal alongside the wider cluster, with the 2006 lightning strike and its community-led restoration still a vivid memory for longtime parishioners.
- Established
- 1887
- Patron
- St. Peter (Apostle)
- Rector
- Fr. Santiago Corona-Bernal
- Diocese
- Diocese of Joliet
Why belong here
St. Peter offers a small, personal parish home in the heart of rural Ford County, with three weekly Masses and the Sacraments served by a dedicated cluster pastor. The parish is woven into the life of Piper City — generations of the same families have worshipped, married, schooled their children, and mourned in this Gothic-style 1917 church, and its survival of the 2006 lightning strike is a testament to the loyalty of local Catholics. As one of three churches in the Immaculate Conception cluster (Gilman, Piper City, Roberts), St. Peter combines the intimacy of a country parish with the broader ministries, faith formation, and bilingual outreach of a multi-site community.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 9:15 AM – 9:45 AM (Last Sunday of the month)
- Reconciliation also offered by Fr. Santiago upon request
Parish History
St. Peter Parish was founded in 1887, but Catholic worship in the Piper City area dates to around 1867, when families gathered for Mass in homes and public halls. In 1880 local residents organized to build their own church: Matthew Soran donated the land and loaned money for lumber, donations paid the debt, and the largest contributor — Peter Gallahue — chose the patron, St. Peter. A 66-by-32-foot wooden church went up in 1882; independent parish status came in November 1887 under Bishop John Lancaster Spaulding of Peoria, with Fr. Donat Crowe as the first pastor and a mission at Cullom.
- 1867 — First Masses for area Catholics in homes and public halls
- 1880 — Piper City residents organize to build their own church
- 1882 — Original wooden church (66 × 32 ft) constructed
- 1887 — Parish formally erected by Bishop Spaulding; Fr. Donat Crowe first pastor
The Present Church (1917)
By 1915 the original wooden church had been outgrown. Rather than demolish it immediately, parishioners moved the old structure off the site so Mass could continue during construction. The new red-brick church, 83 by 56 feet in Gothic style modeled after 12th-century English and Irish chapels, was built at a cost of $25,000 and dedicated by Bishop M. Dunne on July 10, 1917, with Fr. Louis M. Connor as pastor.
- Gothic style modeled after 12th-century English/Irish chapels
- Dedicated July 10, 1917 by Bishop M. Dunne
- Cost of construction: $25,000
Key Moments in Parish Life
The parish hall was planned and begun under Fr. Oliver Walsh (1971–1975) and completed after his death under Fr. Matthew Walsh, an African missionary of 25 years who became a community fixture for more than a decade and a beloved supporter of Piper City school sports. In 2006 the church was struck by lightning; fast work by local firemen saved the building, and after roughly a year of worship in the parish hall the church was reoccupied without loss of artwork. The entryway was remodeled and expanded, and Fr. John Balluff later oversaw the restoration of the high altar.
- 1971–1975 — Parish hall planned under Fr. Oliver Walsh
- 1975 — Hall completed under Fr. Matthew Walsh
- 2006 — Lightning strike; church saved by local firemen
- Entryway remodeled and expanded post-2006
- High altar restored under Fr. John Balluff
Immaculate Conception Parish Cluster
St. Peter is one of three churches in the Immaculate Conception Parish cluster, which also includes Immaculate Conception Church in Gilman and Immaculate Conception Church in Roberts. The cluster is served by Fr. Santiago Corona-Bernal and is bilingual, offering English and Spanish worship at the Gilman site while keeping each town's individual church identity. Cluster religious-education programs reach families in both Gilman and Piper City.
- St. Peter — 204 N Pine St, Piper City
- Immaculate Conception — 231 N Secor St, Gilman
- Immaculate Conception — 202 Green St, Roberts
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) cluster ministry centered in Gilman
Mass & Sacramental Schedule
St. Peter offers Mass three times a week in English: Sunday morning at 10:00 AM, Wednesday evening at 5:30 PM (except the 1st Wednesday of the month), and Friday morning at 8:00 AM. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on the Last Sunday of the month from 9:15 to 9:45 AM, and Fr. Santiago also offers reconciliation by request through the cluster.
- Sunday — 10:00 AM (English)
- Wednesday — 5:30 PM (except 1st Wednesday)
- Friday — 8:00 AM
- Confession — Last Sunday, 9:15–9:45 AM, or by request
Faith Formation & Community Life
Religious education for parish children is offered through the Immaculate Conception Parish cluster in both Gilman and Piper City. The parish hall — completed in 1975 after Fr. Matthew Walsh finished construction begun by Fr. Oliver Walsh — remains an active center for parish gatherings, fundraising meals, and overflow worship (notably during the year after the 2006 lightning strike). St. Peter has a strong tradition of supporting local school sports, and the parish's survival of the 2006 fire is remembered as a defining moment of community solidarity.
- Cluster-based religious education
- Parish hall used for gatherings and overflow Mass
- Long tradition of supporting Piper City school sports
- Strong inter-generational family involvement
Visit & Contact
St. Peter Catholic Church is at 204 N Pine Street, Piper City, Illinois 60959. The parish is reached by Route 115 (one block west). Inquiries, sacramental requests, and reconciliation appointments are handled through the cluster office in Gilman at (815) 265-7236 or [email protected]. The official parish page is hosted within the Immaculate Conception cluster site at icgilman.cc.
- Address: 204 N Pine Street, Piper City, IL 60959
- Cluster phone: (815) 265-7236
- Cluster email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.icgilman.cc/stpeter.html
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. D. L. (Donat) Crowe1887–
First pastor of St. Peter Parish when it was raised to parish status by Bishop Spaulding in November 1887; also served the out-mission at Cullom.
- Fr. Louis M. Connor (O'Conner)
Pastor at the time the present brick Gothic church was dedicated by Bishop M. Dunne on July 10, 1917.
- Fr. Aloysius Selva
Piper City pastor later raised to the rank of monsignor (per 1969 Piper City history).
- Fr. Oliver Walsh1971–1975
Planned the parish hall and began construction; died in 1975.
- Fr. Matthew Walshafter 1975–
Completed the parish hall after Fr. Oliver Walsh's death. Served 25 years as a missionary in Africa before coming to Piper City, where he served more than a decade and was beloved for his support of local school sports.
- Fr. John Balluff
Served as pastor for 11 years; oversaw the restoration of the high altar.
- Fr. Santiago Corona-Bernal2024–present
Current pastor of the Immaculate Conception Parish cluster (Gilman–Piper City–Roberts); ordained in 2019 for the Diocese of Joliet.