St. Philomena

About St. Philomena Parish

St. Philomena is a Roman Catholic church and school established in 1945, located in a family neighborhood on the northwest side of Peoria, Illinois. The parish is home to about 1,380 families, and its school serves roughly 500 students from preschool through 8th grade. St. Philomena offers daily Mass, weekly Confession, perpetual Adoration, marriage preparation, anointing of the sick by appointment, and weekly ministries for ongoing Christian formation for all ages. The youngest members are welcomed into a children's chapel and nursery inside the church near the sanctuary, where parents can still see and hear Mass while giving little ones room to move. The church parking lot, church, and parish center are handicap accessible, and hearing-assistance devices are available.

Our History

In 1941 Bishop Joseph Schlarman announced a new parish would be formed in the then-northwest section of Peoria and named it St. Philomena, reviving the name of Peoria's first church (built 1846 by French missionaries). Ground was broken on the first campus building in March 1944, and on January 3, 1946 Msgr. T.J. Jordan offered the parish's first Mass in the sacristy. Rev. Joseph Gerber was named the first resident pastor in April 1946, and the school basement served as the original worship space while classrooms were built above.

• 1941 — Bishop Schlarman announces the new parish, restores the name of Peoria's 1846 French-missionary church
• 1944 — Ground broken on the first campus building (now the school entrance)
• 1946 — First Mass offered Jan. 3 by Msgr. T.J. Jordan; Rev. Joseph Gerber named first resident pastor in April
• 1946 — Sister Mary Kathleen Adams opens the school to 274 students
• 1948 & 1950 — First two school additions as enrollment grows
• 1952 — Convent renovated and expanded to house more Franciscan sisters
• May 12, 1953 — Bishop William Cousins breaks ground for the current church
• June 1953 — Pledge drive raises $360,000
• Oct. 18, 1953 — Cornerstone laid by Bishop Cousins
• Oct. 31, 1954 — Church dedicated
• 1994 — Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration begun on the campus
• 2010 — Former Grotto becomes the new Perpetual Adoration Chapel
• Jan. 1, 2011 — Bishop Daniel Jenky consecrates the new Adoration Chapel
• 2012 — Last Franciscan sister (Sr. Jeanne Ciuffini) departs, ending 67 years of Franciscan service
• March 2016 — Ground broken on the new Parish Center
• May 2017 — Parish Center opens (offices, banquet room, JPII Library, athletic space, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atriums)

Our Patron Saint — St. Philomena

On May 24, 1802, the remains of a teenage girl were discovered in the Catacombs of Saint Priscilla on the Via Salaria in Rome. The tomb bore the Latin inscription 'pax tecum filumena' ('peace be with you, Philomena'), along with symbols of a lily and palm (virginity and martyrdom), an anchor, a scourge, and arrows. Tradition holds that Philomena was a princess who refused to marry the Roman Emperor Diocletian, made a vow of chastity at age 13, and was subjected to multiple tortures before being beheaded. Her feast day is August 11, and she is patron saint of children, youth, babies, infants, lost causes, sterility, and virgins. The parish marks her feast each year with a special Pastor's Letter, and her name (meaning 'daughter of light') is reflected in the parish's strong ministries to children and young families.

• Tomb discovered May 24, 1802 in the Catacombs of St. Priscilla, Rome
• Inscription 'pax tecum filumena' — 'peace be with you, Philomena'
• Patronage: children, youth, babies, infants, lost causes, sterility, virgins
• Feast Day: August 11

Faith Formation & OCIA (RCIA)

St. Philomena offers ongoing formation for all ages — from catechesis for the youngest parishioners, to OCIA (formerly RCIA) for adults seeking full initiation, to Confirmation preparation for 8th graders in either the parish school or the Sunday Faith Formation program. A distinctive resource is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atriums housed in the lower level of the Parish Center (opened May 2017).

• OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Tuesdays 6:30–8:00 p.m.; the 2025–26 year opened with a 'Come and See' night on August 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the parish center banquet room
• Children's Faith Formation (Sunday program)
• Confirmation prep in 8th grade
• Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — atriums in the Parish Center lower level

St. Philomena School

St. Philomena School is a parochial Catholic elementary school serving about 500 students from preschool through 8th grade. It opened its doors in January 1946 under its first principal, Sister Mary Kathleen Adams, OSF, with 274 students, and has grown through multiple additions over the decades, including a gymnasium and primary wing. The school shares a campus with the church, Parish Center, and Perpetual Adoration Chapel.

• Preschool through 8th grade
• Approximately 500 students
• On-site preschool programs (PK3 and pre-K)
• Extensive campus: church, school, Parish Center (2017), Adoration Chapel

Service & Outreach Ministries

St. Philomena runs an extensive network of service groups that care for parishioners and neighbors in the surrounding Peoria community. The St. Vincent de Paul Conference coordinates needy-family coverage with other Peoria SVdP conferences via a central helpline and covers about ten square miles in the heart of Peoria, collaborating with other local agencies. The food ministry provides funeral luncheons, supports parish events and ministry meetings, and runs meal trains for new moms and families in need. Other active groups include the Men's Club, Catholic Women's League, Sophia's Kitchen, Christ Child Society, Respect Life, Bereavement Ministry, Blood Drive, Christmas Giving Tree, and Card Ministry.

• St. Vincent de Paul Conference — home-visit teams covering ~10 sq mi of central Peoria
• Food Ministry — funeral luncheons and meal trains (Sign Up Genius coordination)
• Men's Club — open to men 18+; annual Smoker (Feb), Golf Outing (May), Lenten Fish Fry Dinners
• Catholic Women's League
• Sophia's Kitchen
• Christ Child Society
• Respect Life
• Bereavement Ministry
• Blood Drive
• Christmas Giving Tree
• Card Ministry
• Church Cleaning teams (Mon / Wed / Sat)
• Scrip program

Parish Staff & Pastoral Leadership

St. Philomena is led by a pastor and three parochial vicars, supported by a permanent deacon and a parish staff. The parish office is open Monday–Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with reduced summer hours in June and July.

• Fr. Luke Spannagel — Pastor (ext. 2100)
• Fr. Daniel J. Dionesotes — Parochial Vicar (ext. 2103)
• Fr. Albert Mwita Mung'aho — Parochial Vicar (ext. 2114)
• Fr. Blake Miller — Parochial Vicar
• Dcn. Mike Schallmoser — Permanent Deacon (309-267-4897)
• Jenny Witt — Evangelization (ext. 2104)
• Susan Clark — Bookkeeper (ext. 2102)
• Criss Sheehan — Receptionist / Scrip Coordinator (ext. 2101)
• Rhonda Parker — Communications / Bulletin Editor (ext. 2112)
• Gloria Khoury — Mass Intention Requests (ext. 2106)
• Debbie Salander — PK3 Lead Teacher
• Prayer Chain Requests — 309-682-8642
• General Inquiries / Fax — 309-682-8642 / fax 309-431-1258

Getting Involved & Stewardship

The parish invites parishioners to share their time and talent through liturgical ministries (altar server, lector, usher, music/choir), formation ministries (children's faith formation teacher, OCIA team, men's formation), community-building ministries (welcome new families, nursery/child care, funeral luncheons, men's club, respect life, St. Vincent de Paul), and service (Sophia's Kitchen, drive students, Christmas Giving Tree).

• Liturgical: Altar Server, Lector, Usher, Music / Choir
• Formation: Children's Faith Formation Teacher, OCIA team, Men's Formation
• Service: St. Vincent de Paul, Sophia's Kitchen, Drive Students, Christmas Giving Tree, Blood Drive
• Community: Welcome new families, Nursery / Child Care, Funeral Luncheons (food donations and servers), Christ Child Society, Catholic Women's League, Respect Life, Scrip, Church Fundraising, Collection Counter
• Online stewardship commitment form available on the parish website

Visit & Contact

St. Philomena welcomes new members and visitors. The parish office team is happy to give a tour of the campus, introduce you to a parish family, and arrange a meeting with the pastor. You can register online through the parish website or call 309-682-8642 to set up an appointment. The mailing address is 1000 W. Albany Avenue, Peoria, IL 61604; the fax line is 309-431-1258. The Perpetual Adoration Chapel is open 24/7 to anyone who has checked out a key card; cards are available from the parish office Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Friday closed in June and July).

• Parish Office: 1000 W. Albany Ave., Peoria, IL 61604
• Phone: (309) 682-8642 • Fax: (309) 431-1258
• Email: [email protected]
• Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (June & July: Mon–Thu 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; closed Fridays)
• Online registration and stewardhip sign-up forms available on the website