St. Elizabeth Seton Parish stands at the corner of 87th Street and Lisson Road in Naperville. Founded in 1986 and named for Elizabeth Ann Seton, America's first native-born saint and founder of the Sisters of Charity, the parish is known for liturgical worship centered on the Mass, round-the-clock Eucharistic adoration, formation from childhood through adulthood, and service to people inside and beyond Naperville. Its pastor describes the goal as a loving environment where people feel welcome to participate and worship.
Mass at the Corner of 87th Street and Lisson Road
For a first visit, the regular worship schedule is:
- Saturday: 5:00 PM Mass
- Sunday: 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, and 11:30 AM Mass
- Monday through Friday: 8:15 AM Mass
The weekday Mass is celebrated in the Daily Mass Chapel. At the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass, children from kindergarten through pre-Communion second grade are dismissed for the Children's Liturgy of the Word. They meet in lower-level rooms with trained leaders, break open the Scripture readings, and return immediately after the homily.
The Worship Commission describes the parish's worship as meaningful, communal prayer. Greeters welcome people as they gather, especially newcomers. Lectors proclaim the Scriptures, extraordinary ministers assist with the distribution of Communion, and choirs, cantors, instrumentalists, greeters, and other ministers support the celebration. The parish also maintains Children's Choir, Youth Choir, High School Choir, Adult Choir, and instrumental groups.
Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on Saturdays from 4:00 to 4:30 PM. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are practicing Catholics who have received Confirmation, and training is provided. The parish requires appropriate dress for those ministers, including no shorts or flip-flops during summer.
The church stands at 2220 Lisson Road. The Parish Center is just south of the Lisson Road parking lot, and the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel occupies the southwest corner of the front parking area.
From 228 Families at Scott School to Lisson Road
St. Elizabeth Seton Parish was founded on July 1, 1986. Bishop Joseph Imesch celebrated the first Mass at Scott School on July 5, and Father Tony Nugent served as founding pastor from 1986 through 1995. The first roster contained 228 families. Masses were initially celebrated at Scott School, parish offices were located at College Square Mall, and Sunday worship moved to Madison Junior High School at Easter 1987. Baptisms and First Communions were celebrated at St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, funerals were held at St. Margaret Mary in Naperville, and holy-day Masses took place at Sacred Heart Convent in Lisle.
Groundbreaking for the current church began on September 17, 1989, and Bishop Imesh dedicated the church and worship space on December 18, 1990. The building continued to take shape over the following years. The present altar was consecrated and the worship space rededicated in February 1997. Artist Lillian Brulc began the Seton mural that March, the stained-glass windows and Great Hall were completed in 1998, and permanent seating was installed in 2000. Summer renovations in 2001 brought a new reredos and altar platform, followed by a crucifix in 2002. The John Paul II Perpetual Adoration Chapel opened on April 14, 2002.
A preschool opened in 1999. In 2005, St. Elizabeth Seton joined St. Margaret Mary and St. Thomas the Apostle to establish All Saints Catholic Academy. Exterior work and Stations of the Cross followed in 2007, a new organ and baptismal-font marble liner were installed in 2008, and the St. Elizabeth Seton Shrine was completed in 2009. Dindo Billote, the parish's first priest, was ordained for the Diocese of Joliet that year. Sanctus Bells were added in 2013, and Father Scott Huggins became the fifth pastor in 2016. Father Huggins is joined on pastoral staff by Deacons Emmanuel Eklou, Gerard Erickson, Matt Napoli, and John Ripoll. Deacon Ripoll directs Parish Faith Formation, Megan Shirer directs Music Ministry, and Jacqueline Skelly directs Student Faith Formation.
Windows That Follow Elizabeth Seton's Story
The sacramental windows make the parish's patron visible throughout the worship space. Baptismal windows show nine choirs of angels guarding newly baptized souls, with golden rays connecting the water below to heaven. The Confirmation window places the Holy Spirit in the form of an ascending dove, framed by thorns that represent the difficulties of life. Other windows trace Elizabeth Seton's conversion, widowed life, motherhood, vocation, and mission.
The Matrimony windows begin with two vines that become one after passing through the wedding bands of Elizabeth and William Seton. Their five children are represented by lilies, while an extinguished candle and two faded flowers recall early deaths in the family. The Eucharist window uses wheat and grapes for the Body and Blood of Christ, and the Vocation window portrays Seton's arms extended toward the world, her heart embracing the cross, and red vessels representing the Sisters of Charity.
Lillian Brulc's Communion of Saints mural covers six walls in blue fields crossed by moving white lines. Its groups include the saints of Scripture, the Resurrection, the Cross of Light, and those whose lives were marked by sacrifice or service. St. Elizabeth Seton appears among the Resurrection witnesses, while Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Katherine Drexel, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Monica, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, Mother Teresa, and many others appear throughout the church.
Sacraments Rooted in the Mass
The parish teaches that the Church's liturgical life revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and seven sacraments instituted by and through Jesus Christ. The sacramental life of the Church is meant to infuse people with God's grace, nourish faith, and build up the community.
Baptism and the Family's Role
Parents are recognized as the primary educators in the faith, with the wider family sharing responsibility for younger members. Preparation assists parents and godparents in raising a child in the Catholic Church. The family is expected to be registered and live within parish boundaries; relatives who are registered elsewhere need a letter of delegation from their home parish. Baptismal preparation is usually held on the third Sunday of the month after the 10:00 AM Mass, and Baptism is celebrated twice each month at 1:00 PM on Sunday. Older children may prepare through Student Faith Formation or the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.
First Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation
First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are prepared through Family Faith Formation after at least two years of participation, usually in second grade. Preparation for Confirmation begins in seventh grade and spans two years, with the sacrament conferred in the fall of freshman year of high school. These sacraments of initiation are understood as parts of one Christian life: Baptism begins new life in the Spirit, the Eucharist nourishes it with the Body and Blood of the Lord, and Confirmation strengthens believers to witness publicly to that life.
Healing, Marriage, Funerals, and Ordination
The Anointing of the Sick offers strength, comfort, and grace to people struggling with illness. The parish emphasizes that its healing need not be physical; it recalls God's presence within human suffering and is ideally celebrated within a community that surrounds the sick with prayer.
Marriage is a visible sign of God's love for the Church and a covenant of faithful, fruitful, self-giving love. Couples planning to marry at the parish are asked to make arrangements six months in advance, with one year preferred, and either the couple or a parent must be a registered parishioner for at least three months. FOCCUS preparation and meetings with a married sponsor couple address expectations, communication, marriage as a sacrament, growth, and change.
For funerals, the parish assists with planning and can involve family and friends in the Readings, Prayers of the Faithful, Presentation of Gifts, and Words of Remembrance. Holy Orders continues the mission entrusted by Christ to the apostles through the offices of bishop, priest, and deacon.
Welcoming Those Entering or Returning to Catholic Faith
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is open to unbaptized adults, baptized Catholics who want to complete their sacraments, and members of other Christian traditions seeking full communion. The process extends over weeks or months and includes inquiry, acceptance into the worshiping community, catechumenate, election, Easter reception of the Sacraments of Initiation, and mystagogy. Scripture, prayer, faith sharing, Church teachings, customs, and the sacraments are part of the journey. Sponsors and parish members share their faith and support participants as they discern whether to become Catholics.
One Family Journey Through Many Stages of Faith
Family Faith Formation invites families with children in the preschool years through eighth grade to grow together in Catholic faith. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the foundation, and the home is treated as the domestic church where parents share faith through prayer, example, and living the Catholic tradition. Families meet once each month in the evening. Parents receive preparation for the month's home lessons, children preview the material in age-specific groups, and everyone then joins in a family activity and time for friendship.
Children are divided into Family Faith Circles that continue to meet as they grow. Parish families also participate in service events and church ministries. First Reconciliation and First Eucharist usually follow two or more years of formation, while Confirmation preparation begins in seventh grade. The program places families at the center, but it also connects them with the wider parish through worship, service, and shared celebrations.
Formation continues after the school years. The high school teen ministry for grades 9 through 12 meets twice a month for friendship, worship, social justice, service, and social activities. Parish Bible Study examines both Testaments through group faith sharing. Other adult ministries include Cursillo, Small Faith Communities, That Man Is You!, Walking With Purpose, men's and women's Welcome Weekends, Worldwide Marriage Encounter and IMET, and a Young Adult Community for people in their twenties and thirties.
Vacation Bible School invites children entering kindergarten through fifth grade, with a leadership track for students entering sixth grade through college and opportunities for parents to volunteer. The parish library holds Catholic books, DVDs, and CDs for adults, teens, and children beside the Welcome Desk, with an online catalog. FORMED gives parishioners free access through the parish to Catholic films, books, audio programs, videos, and teachers covering Scripture, the saints, and Catholic life.
The parish helped found All Saints Catholic Academy in 2005 with two other Naperville congregations. The regional school serves preschool through eighth grade and is grounded in Catholic faith. St. Elizabeth Seton Preschool operated from 1999 and became an academy satellite location in 2007 before closing in 2014.
Praying Around the Clock Before the Blessed Sacrament
The John Paul II Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open around the clock. From 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day, visitors can enter without a code. Before 8:00 AM and after 5:00 PM, a door code is required. The chapel stands at the southwest corner of the front parking lot, with entrances between the two garages and from Lisson Road just south of the driveway.
Scheduled adorers strive to provide continuous prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Visitors are asked to sign in, enter quietly, read or pray, and remain respectful of others. Regular adorers coordinate coverage and substitutions so that the Blessed Sacrament is not left alone. Bibles, rosaries, prayer books, and other spiritual reading materials are available in the chapel.
On the first Sunday of each month at 4:00 PM, children accompanied by a parent or grandparent are invited to a guided hour of adoration. The session includes Scripture, a decade of the Rosary, song, quiet time, and a closing prayer for spiritual Communion. Children may remain for ten or fifteen minutes, and no advance registration is required.
From the Pantry Cart to Transitional Housing
The Christian Service Commission puts the Church's social teaching into practice through ministries that address hunger, housing, health, family strain, isolation, poverty, and the dignity of human life.
Food and the Needs of Neighbors
Harvest Sunday is the parish's largest Christian service effort, bringing people together around the end of October and beginning of November to collect, sort, pack, and distribute food. The effort draws donations from more than 10,000 local homes, has involved more than 30,000 food items, and brings together more than 500 parish volunteers. Food is sent to food banks serving Aurora, Naperville, and Chicago.
A donation cart in the church's lower level receives nonperishable food, cleaning products, and toiletries. A parish volunteer driver transports the items each week to the Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry, which also receives volunteer support from parish members. Another group serves lunch and assists with tasks at the Aurora Hesed House Adult Shelter on the first Monday of each month. Parishioners also prepare and serve a monthly hot dinner for approximately 50 to 100 people through the Quinn Community Center in the St. Eulalia and Maywood community.
The St. Vincent de Paul conference provides emergency financial assistance and guidance to people within parish boundaries who are in need. Share Christmas helps parishioners provide gifts to individuals and families who might otherwise receive nothing. The parish also supports DuPage PADS, whose year-round programs feed and shelter people experiencing homelessness and connect them with case management and other assistance.
Bridge Communities and Practical Support
Through Bridge Communities, St. Elizabeth Seton assists homeless families in working toward independence and self-sufficiency. transitional housing and subsidies can last between 18 and 30 months. Two to four trained mentors support each family, helping parents set goals, prepare for employment, and access education or job training needed to sustain independent living.
Other ministries meet concrete needs. Nourish offers practical and emotional support to people balancing work, family, health, and care for an aging parent, grandparent, or spouse; it meets in the church's lower level on the second Wednesday of each month. Need You Right Now builds awareness and community support for people affected by mental health challenges, their caregivers, and their families. Catholic Care emphasizes the dignity of human life from conception through natural death. Pastoral Care Ministers bring Communion, prayer, and a listening presence to people at Edward Hospital and to homebound members of the parish.
Helping Hands provides temporary, practical assistance such as meal preparation and delivery, light housework, local errands, transportation to Mass or medical appointments, visits to homebound people, light maintenance, and pet care. It does not provide financial or medical assistance. The Prayer Quilt Ministry combines hand-tied quilts with prayer for people in need. The Earth Care Ministry promotes ecological responsibility, sustainable living, and concern for the effects of human choices on creation. Respect Life emphasizes the sacredness of every human life and advocates care for the unborn, aged, dying, and vulnerable while opposing bullying and capital punishment.
Music, Liturgical Arts, and the Donut Church
Music Ministry supports prayer through the Adult Choir and Instrumental Ensemble for college-age adults and older, a High School Choir and ensemble for grades 7 through 12, a Youth Choir for grades 3 through 6, cantors, and instrumentalists. Music leaders play an important part in creating the spirit of prayer and celebration at Mass.
Other worship ministries include trained altar servers, lectors and commentators, extraordinary ministers, greeters, the Art and Environment Ministry, wedding hostesses, and the Sacrament Laundry Ministry. The Art and Environment group prepares the worship space with flowers, furnishings, and symbols appropriate to each liturgical season. Wedding hostesses guide couples and families through the process so that the ceremony reflects the parish's liturgical guidelines while remaining hospitable.
Parish Life creates connections outside formal worship through social gatherings, picnics, fish fries, anniversary celebrations, and other parish-wide activities. Once each month, volunteers serve coffee, donuts, and juice after Sunday Masses. This long-standing expression of hospitality has inspired the affectionate description The Donut Church.
The St. Elizabeth Seton Council of the Knights of Columbus was established in 1989 for Catholic men age 18 and older. Under the spiritual guidance of the parish priests, the council organizes service projects and works of mercy while taking part in blood drives, fish fries, breakfasts, and other gatherings. Knights also serve as Eucharistic ministers, greeters, lectors, choir members, and Bible study participants.
Catholic Belief and Shared Stewardship
The parish describes itself as one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic. Its teaching places the Mass at the center of Christian life and understands the seven sacraments as encounters that nourish faith through God's grace. The Bible is held as God's inspired and inerrant self-revelation, joined by Sacred Tradition. Mary is honored as the Mother of God and the greatest of the saints; saints are understood as exemplars, advocates, and friends who teach believers how to follow Christ. Prayer is communion with God and may be public or personal, spoken or silent.
St. Elizabeth Seton understands stewardship as receiving everything from God and returning it with praise. Time, talent, and treasure are approached as gifts to be shared generously. Parishioners give through automatic debit, which carries no parish processing fee, credit cards, and SHOP-SES gift cards purchased at a discount for the parish's benefit. Giving is also available through the parish's secure online giving.
At St. Elizabeth Seton, stewardship connects worship, family life, and service. The parish centers its life in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, presents itself as a supportive spiritual family, and brings together people of different ages and gifts through prayer, learning, music, hospitality, and care for others.