A Parish Reborn on Church Street
St. James Catholic Church stands at 402 Church Street in Belvidere, the seat of Boone County, Illinois, where it has served Catholic families since the earliest decades of the town's settlement. The parish that exists now is recent in its current form: Bishop David J. Malloy of the Diocese of Rockford dedicated the present church on December 18, 2014, and the surrounding ministries have grown along with it. Today the parish lists more than two thousand registered families, a steep rise from the seven hundred and eleven enrolled during the pastorate of Father Robert Miller in the 1980s. Mass is offered in both English and Spanish every weekend, with weekday Masses in English and a Thursday evening Mass in Spanish. The parish grounds include the new church, the Parish Center that was finished in 1994, Connolly Hall in the church undercroft, and the St. James Center Gym, which together host a wide range of religious education, fellowship, and outreach programs.
Mass in English and Spanish
The Mass schedule reflects the bilingual character of the parish. On weekdays, English Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 7:30 a.m. Thursday evenings add a Spanish Mass at 6:30 p.m. Saturday brings two English celebrations at 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Sundays feature four Masses: 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. in English, and 12:00 noon and 6:00 p.m. in Spanish. Holy Days are marked by English Masses at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 5:30 p.m., with a Spanish Mass at 7:00 p.m.
The music program is led by Christopher Aune, the parish music director, who holds a certificate in Sacred Art and Sacred Music from Holy Apostles College and Seminary and is a member of the Church Music Association of America. Aune studied piano starting at age thirteen and later the organ, and he served as music director for parishes in the Joliet and Peoria dioceses before joining St. James. He works with English, Spanish, and Latin hymnody, conducts multi-voice choirs, and is well versed in Gregorian chant and the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Both English and Spanish choirs sing at major liturgical celebrations, including a Christmas Eve concert preceding the Midnight Mass.
Confession and Eucharistic Adoration
Confessions are heard in both English and Spanish every Saturday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and on Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. The first Saturday of each month brings an additional 8:00 a.m. confession time, and confessions can also be arranged by appointment through the parish office.
Thursday is the day for Eucharistic Adoration, which runs from 8:00 a.m. until Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament at 6:20 p.m. The day's schedule of adoration, the Spanish Mass at 6:30 p.m., and the rosary led before the Knights of Columbus business meeting make Thursday a focal point of parish life.
A History from the 1830s to Today
Catholic life in Belvidere is older than the town itself. A visiting priest of the Chicago diocese offered Mass in a Catholic home here in 1838, making Belvidere a mission station along the route between Chicago and Galena. Father John McMahon, the first pastor of nearby Hartland, traveled on horseback through the area offering Mass in pioneer homes from 1844 to 1850. In 1851 Bishop Van de Velde noted in his diary that a lot had been purchased for the erection of a church. Father John Hampston was appointed to Belvidere that same year, but by 1853 he had moved to Rockford and founded St. James Parish there. Belvidere continued as a mission of Rockford until 1864, when Father Patrick McGuire became its first resident pastor and built the present rectory in 1872. The cornerstone of the original church was laid in July 1886, and Archbishop Patrick Feehan formally dedicated the completed building on March 28, 1889.
Subsequent pastors shaped the parish over the next century. Father J.C. Murphy remodeled the rectory and installed steam heat between 1907 and 1909, and Father Joseph Joyce built a four-room parochial school and a convent for the School Sisters of Notre Dame of Milwaukee. Father John Egan renovated the church and rectory from 1936 to 1946. Father John Connolly, pastor from 1954, excavated the basement and built the parish hall that today bears his name, added four classrooms to the school in 1958, and built a new convent at Main and Logan. Father Charles McCarren renovated the sanctuary in keeping with the 1965 Vatican Council guidelines, removing the old high altar and bringing the remaining altar closer to the people. A fire damaged the sanctuary shortly afterward, and air conditioning was added during the repairs. Father McCarren added the Spanish Mass and is long remembered for his care of the sick and dying, especially the victims of the 1967 Belvidere tornado.
Father Robert Miller, appointed in July 1979, oversaw a complete interior renovation that was ready for Easter 1982, with cleaned and releaded stained glass windows covered with Lexan, a new roof, a paved parking lot behind the church, and a sandblasted exterior that removed nearly a century of soot. Father Richard Russo arrived in July 1991 and oversaw construction of the present Parish Center, which opened in the spring of 1994 with a multipurpose room, parish offices, a Library-Resource Center, a Liturgy and Music Room, prekindergarten and kindergarten classrooms, small-group meeting rooms, and a commercial kitchen. Father Tom Brantman served for four years and brought new focus to technology and theology.
Father Brian Geary joined the parish on July 1, 2008, eliminated the parish debt, and led a Capital Campaign to build the new church that the parish worships in today. Father Timothy Mulcahey now serves as pastor, with Father William Schuessler in residence and Father James Canova also associated with the parish. Three permanent deacons assist at Masses, baptisms, and OCIA classes: Deacon James Olson, Deacon Steven Johnson, and Deacon Stu Dobson.
Becoming Catholic through OCIA
Adults interested in joining the Catholic Church or completing their initiation sacraments take part in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, or OCIA. The parish describes the program as a process of faith development and catechesis in which adults are initiated into the Church through the reception of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Sponsors walk with the candidates, and for the unbaptized and many candidates for full communion, the journey culminates in the reception of the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil.
Classes meet in the lower level of St. James Church on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., beginning in September and continuing through Easter. Confirmed Catholics are welcome to serve as sponsors, assist with hospitality, or join OCIA themselves in order to renew their Confirmation at Pentecost. Stacy Wendt coordinates the program and can be reached through the parish office.
Religious Education from Kindergarten through High School
The Religious Education program at St. James supports parents as the primary educators of their children. Classes are offered for children in kindergarten through eighth grade who do not attend Catholic school, and for high school youth in grades nine through twelve who are preparing for First Eucharist and Confirmation. The program follows the guidelines of the Diocese of Rockford and is led by the Director of Religious Education, Barbara Graybiel, who joined the parish staff in July 2014 with fourteen years of experience as a teacher and catechist. Admission is open to families who live within parish boundaries, which cover all of Boone County.
Sacramental preparation is organized around three milestones: First Communion and Reconciliation, Confirmation, and a Safe Environment program that parents complete with their children through grade-appropriate lesson plans provided in both English and Spanish. The Diocese of Rockford provides the curriculum through Virtus, and St. James walks families through the lessons from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Baptism preparation classes are held in Connolly Hall. English classes are offered on the first Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m., and Spanish classes on the fourth Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Baptisms are celebrated on the third Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in English and on the second Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in Spanish. Parents must be registered members of the parish and faithful in attending Mass. Godparents are required to be confirmed practicing Catholics, and if married they must be married in the Catholic Church. For adults, information about Marriage is available through the parish office, and the Anointing of the Sick can be arranged by calling the parish office for anyone in need.
Youth Choir and Youth Ministry
The St. James Youth Choir is open to children ages eight to fourteen, with younger children accepted on a case-by-case basis. Membership is free. Choir members develop their singing talent, learn to read music, and experience sacred music in English, Spanish, and Latin. They sing at Masses throughout the year, including the Christmas Eve concert that precedes the Midnight Mass. Christopher Aune directs the choir and can be reached through the parish office.
Separate from the choir, Youth Ministry at St. James reaches all junior high and high school youth. The ministry describes itself as parish-wide, fostering personal and spiritual growth through opportunities and experiences that draw young people into active, responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the faith community and the wider Church.
Helping Neighbors across Boone County
The St. Vincent de Paul conference at St. James is dedicated to serving all people in need who live within parish boundaries, which extend across Boone County. Made up of parish volunteers, the conference provides aid to individuals and families in emergency situations and shepherds them toward programs that can bring lasting care. All monies received go directly to help those in need. A Help Line at (815) 547-7429 connects neighbors in crisis with volunteers, and gifts and bequests of any amount are welcomed.
The Belvidere Knights of Columbus Council #735 is the parish men's group. Its members, in a spirit of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism, resolve to promote and protect St. James Parish and the Catholic faith, and to serve God by worshiping, evangelizing, educating, and ministering to the needs of all. Business meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the rectory basement, with a rosary at 6:30 p.m. beforehand.
Organizations for Men, Women, and Families
The Council of Catholic Women at St. James belongs to the National Council of Catholic Women, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and the Rockford Deanery of Catholic Women. Its mission is to support, empower, and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership, and service, with programs responding to the needs of the Church and society with gospel values. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in Connolly Hall, and women of the parish age eighteen and older are welcome.
The Legion of Mary meets in two language groups. The English morning group gathers each Monday from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in Connolly Hall, and the Spanish group meets Mondays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. and Fridays from 7:00 to 8:45 p.m. All practicing Catholics eighteen and older are invited to take part.
The Pastoral Council collaborates with the pastor to foster full participation of the entire parish in the life and mission of the parish and the wider Church. Members include Deacon Jim Olson, Jose Acosta, Steve Johnson, Tom Short, and Charles Gebhardt. The Finance Council assists and advises the pastor on the supervision of parish goods, with lay members Sue Short, Dave Adkins, Chuck Popp, Todd Seyller, and Dan O'Malley. The two councils meet regularly from September through May.
The People of St. James
Father Timothy Mulcahey serves as pastor, with Father William Schuessler in residence and Father James Canova also associated with the parish. Three permanent deacons assist with baptisms, OCIA classes, and Masses: Deacon James Olson, Deacon Steven Johnson, and Deacon Stu Dobson. Barbara Graybiel serves as Director of Religious Education, and Christopher Aune directs the music program.
Visiting St. James
St. James Catholic Church is located at 402 Church Street, Belvidere, Illinois 61008. The parish office can be reached at 815-547-6397, with office hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Religious Education office is at 815-547-7633, and the St. Vincent de Paul Help Line is (815) 547-7429. Online giving is available through the parish's giving portal, and parish registration can be completed online to join the parish community. The parish maintains a Facebook page and uses Flocknote for parish email updates, and the parish calendar keeps families current on Mass times, special liturgies, and parish events.