About St. Thomas Aquinas · Freeport, Illinois
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church is a Catholic parish in Freeport, Illinois, belonging to the Diocese of Rockford. Founded on December 4, 1921 by Bishop Peter Muldoon, it grew out of the mother parish of St. Mary to serve the Catholic families west of West Avenue, and today is the largest parish in Freeport. The parish operates from its current home on Kiwanis Drive, built in 1974, and offers weekend and daily Mass, daily Eucharistic Adoration, a parish school and religious education program, youth ministry, and sacramental preparation. It is currently served by a pastor, three permanent deacons, and a lay staff including a Director of Religious Education, Business Manager, Music Coordinator, and parish secretary.
- Established
- 1921
- Patron
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- Rector
- Fr. Peter Snieg
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rockford
Why belong here
St. Thomas Aquinas is a large, long-established parish with a full liturgical life — daily Mass Monday through Saturday, two Sunday Masses, daily Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel from 9 AM to 4 PM, and a clear Saturday confession schedule. It runs an active Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation program for grade-school children, a Youth Ministry, a Liturgical Ministry team, a Music Coordinator-led music program, and free parish access to FORMED's Catholic video, audio and book library. With three permanent deacons, a school building with a dedicated educational wing, and 100+ years of continuous Catholic life in Freeport, the parish is a stable anchor for families, students, and anyone seeking daily Mass, Adoration, and formation in northwest Illinois.
Mass times at St. Thomas Aquinas
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
- By appointment — call the church office
Adoration times
- Monday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (chapel)
- Tuesday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (chapel)
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (chapel)
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (chapel)
- Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (chapel)
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (chapel)
Parish History
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish was established December 4, 1921 by Bishop Peter Muldoon of the Rockford Diocese. All Catholics living west of West Avenue in Freeport were gathered from the mother parish of St. Mary to form the new congregation, with Rev. William G. McMillan as first pastor. The first Mass, Baptism, marriage and First Communion class all occurred within the first months of the parish's life, and the church on Harlem Avenue was officially dedicated May 28, 1922.
- Founded December 4, 1921
- First pastor: Rev. William G. McMillan
- First Baptism: Mary Catherine Grant, December 18, 1921
- First marriage: January 4, 1922
- First First Communion: May 21, 1922 (eight children)
- First Midnight Mass: December 24, 1921
- Official dedication: May 28, 1922
Building the Parish School
Fr. Daniel O'Connell, the second pastor, added a second floor with four classrooms to the church building in September 1929, and the parish school opened September 3, 1931 under the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. Seventy-two children enrolled — 100% of the parish's Catholic school-age children. The sisters lived in the Aquin convent and commuted for nearly twenty years until Fr. Alex McIsaac purchased a home at 1146 West Stephenson Street for use as a convent in 1950.
- 1929: second floor added with four classrooms
- 1931: school opened by Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa
- 1950: convent purchased at 1146 W. Stephenson Street
- 1954: 181 pupils enrolled
The Move to Kiwanis Drive
On October 21, 1973, Msgr. Raymond Wahl, Rev. Thomas Dzielak and Bishop Arthur J. O'Neill broke ground on a ten-acre site on Kiwanis Drive, adjacent to Highland Community College on the Pearl City Road. Built by Cheeseman Construction at a cost of $602,000, the cornerstone was laid June 30, 1974 and the new church was dedicated December 15, 1974. The sanctuary seated 550 and featured a marble altar and a 20-foot colored tapestry of Christ whose vestment colors were designed to be changed by the liturgical seasons.
- Groundbreaking: October 21, 1973
- Cornerstone laid: June 30, 1974
- Dedication: December 15, 1974
- Builder: Cheeseman Construction
- Cost: $602,000
- Sanctuary capacity: 550
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is currently served by a pastor and three permanent deacons, supported by a lay staff team handling faith formation, music, business, secretarial, building and grounds, and parish-hall coordination. The parish office can be reached at 815-232-3225 or [email protected].
- Fr. Peter Snieg — Pastor ([email protected])
- Deacon Kim Hemesath ([email protected])
- Deacon Steve Pospischil ([email protected])
- Deacon Vincent Drees
- Karen Sopcic — Business Manager
- Sandy Roser — Secretary
- Ellen McGinnis — Director of Religious Education
- Lorana Garvin — Music Coordinator
- Mary Blair — Volunteer Parish Hall Coordinator
- Norm (Nory) Newberry — Building & Grounds
Worship & Liturgical Schedule
Daily and Sunday Masses are celebrated in English. Confessions are heard twice on Saturday mornings and afternoons, and the chapel is open for Eucharistic Adoration every weekday and Saturday. Sunday Masses are live-streamed; the schedule and link are posted on the parish website.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:30 PM
- Sunday: 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM (8:00 AM is live-streamed)
- Tuesday: 5:30 PM
- Wednesday–Saturday: 8:00 AM
- Confession Saturday 8:30–9:00 AM and 3:30–4:15 PM, or by appointment
- Adoration Monday–Saturday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM in the chapel
Religious Education & Sacramental Preparation
St. Thomas Aquinas runs a parish Religious Education (RE) program for grade-school children, with Sacramental Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in Grade 2. Students out of sequence can receive private tutoring at no extra charge. The DRE (Director of Religious Education) coordinates the program; policies on attendance, arrival/departure, and student discipline are posted on the parish site.
- First Reconciliation (Grade 2)
- First Holy Communion (Grade 2)
- Older-child sacramental catch-up (private tutoring)
- RE Calendar of Events page on parish website
- Parent meetings required prior to each sacrament
- Proof of Baptism required for First Communion
Youth Ministry
The parish operates a Youth Ministry with its own texting list for news and event updates. Sign-up is available through the parish website's Youth Ministry page.
- Youth Ministry texting list
- Sign-up via parish website
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music at St. Thomas Aquinas is coordinated by Music Coordinator Lorana Garvin. The Liturgical Ministry team (ushers, lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers) is coordinated by Deacon Steve Pospischil, with a published Liturgical Ministry Schedule on the parish website.
- Music Coordinator: Lorana Garvin
- Liturgical Ministry coordinator: Deacon Steve Pospischil
- Published Liturgical Ministry Schedule
- Choir and instrumental music at weekend and holy-day Masses
Stewardship & Parish Life
St. Thomas Aquinas has long framed parish life around stewardship of time, talent and treasure, with a 'Time & Talent' quick link and a Stewardship page on the parish site. A volunteer Parish Hall Coordinator and a Building & Grounds Committee keep the facilities running, and the parish participates annually in the Diocese of Rockford Diocesan Appeal.
- Time & Talent sign-up
- Building & Grounds Committee
- Volunteer Parish Hall Coordinator
- Diocesan Appeal participation
Parish Communications
Parishioners can stay connected through Flocknote (email and texting), the parish Facebook page, the live-streamed Mass link, and free access to FORMED — a Catholic on-demand library of videos, audio talks, movies and books provided to parish members at no cost.
- Flocknote email and texting list
- Facebook (linked from parish website)
- FORMED — Catholic content on demand
- Live-streaming schedule and link
- Daily readings posted on the homepage
Visiting & Contact
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church is located at 1400 Kiwanis Dr., Freeport, IL 61032, on a ten-acre site adjacent to Highland Community College on the Pearl City Road. The parish office can be reached at 815-232-3225 or [email protected]; directions and a map are available on the parish website.
- Address: 1400 Kiwanis Dr., Freeport, IL 61032
- Phone: 815-232-3225
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stthomasfreeport.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William G. McMillan1921–
First pastor; transferred from St. Joseph Parish in Freeport; celebrated the first high Mass Dec 4, 1921 and the first Midnight Mass Dec 24, 1921.
- Fr. Daniel O'Connell1929–
Second pastor; added the second floor with four classrooms and opened the parish school under the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa in 1931.
- Fr. Alex McIsaac1936–
Took over during a period of parish expansion; oversaw purchase of the West Stephenson Street convent in 1950.
- Fr. Arthur O'Neilladministrator 1954; pastor 1957–
Oversaw the 1962 school addition (gym, all-purpose room, library, nurse's office, four classrooms). Later became Bishop of Rockford.
- Fr. P. William McDonnell1992–
Tenth pastor, named July 15, 1992; later appointed Dean of the Freeport Deanery by Bishop Thomas Doran.
- Very Rev. Kenneth J. Anderson, V.F.later
Listed as pastor on third-party directory and confirmed by 2016 Journal-Standard coverage.
- Fr. Peter Sniegcurrent
Current pastor per parish website Staff page.