A Hundred Years on Spruce Street
St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church sits at 700 East Spruce Street in Chatham, Illinois, a village south of Springfield that has grown around the parish since nine English-speaking families planted the first seeds of Catholic worship here in January 1920. At that time Chatham was a village of about 800 souls, and the new church began as a mission of Auburn, the village a few miles to the south. Bishop James Ryan gave the first pastor, Father Daniel Quinn, permission to say Mass in the home of Mary Johnson until a church could be built; Father Quinn's first Mass drew twelve adults and fifteen children, and later Masses were also celebrated in the home of Michael Evoy.
Those founding families were not affluent in material things, but they were rich in dedication. They donated what they could and did much of the labor themselves, putting up a modest brick church at 211 East Chestnut Street. Catholics and non-Catholics alike helped with the work. The cornerstone was laid on July 20, 1920, and Bishop Ryan dedicated the new St. Joseph the Worker Church later that same month. Through the mid-century the parish grew with the village. A Chicken Dinner became its signature fundraiser from the early 1950s until 1972, when rising costs retired it in favor of an Ice Cream Social and later the parish's still-running Mostaccioli Dinner and Pancake and Sausage Breakfast.
The post-war population boom made a new and larger church a necessity by the early 1960s. Monsignor Casimir Toliusis began a fundraising drive in 1963, and Father Thomas O'Connor, the first resident pastor in Chatham, carried it forward. Ground was broken on June 28, 1970, at the southwest corner of Spruce and Ball Streets, and the new facility at 700 East Spruce Street was completed in 1971 at a cost of $165,000. Father O'Connor celebrated it on Wednesday, August 4, 1971, before a congregation of 75 to 80 households; Bishop William A. O'Connor officiated at the dedication that October.
The parish kept building. In November 1988, under Father Martin O'Hara, work began on a 9,345-square-foot Community Center with multi-movable partitions, a new kitchen, a fellowship area, and space that would eventually house a preschool; Bishop Daniel L. Ryan blessed it on January 7, 1990. By 1992 more than 500 families belonged to the parish and over 400 young people were enrolled in the Parish School of Religion. Project 2000, a $2.5 million capital campaign led by Father Robert Franzen, added an entirely new church building to the existing complex in 1999 and 2000, with a quieting room, a separate gathering space, a covered carport entrance, and a day chapel seating thirty. The present worship space was dedicated on September 17, 2000, with Bishops Daniel L. Ryan and George J. Lucas in attendance. St. Joseph's all-purpose room was named Kollross Hall on May 25, 2019, in memory of Father Dennis Kollross, who served as pastor from 2013 until his sudden death in 2015.
Father Joe Molloy was appointed pastor on July 1, 2021, and continues to lead a parish whose stated mission is to be a Roman Catholic faith family in Chatham committed to proclaiming the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, and seeking to be a place of mercy and hope where everyone is welcomed, loved, and respected.
Mass Schedule, Adoration, and Reconciliation
Weekend Masses are celebrated on Saturday at 4:30 PM and on Sunday at 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM. The 10:30 AM Sunday Mass is livestreamed on YouTube, and during the school year it is also the setting for Children's Liturgy of the Word, when children in the congregation are dismissed after the opening prayer to hear the First Reading and Gospel in age-appropriate language before rejoining their families for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Weekday Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 8:30 AM, with one notable exception: on the second Monday of each month the weekday Mass moves to 6:00 PM. Holy Days of Obligation are observed with Mass at 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM, and a list of those days for the current liturgical year is maintained on the parish calendar. Reconciliation is heard on Saturday afternoons from 3:15 to 4:00 PM and by appointment through the parish office. Eucharistic Adoration takes place on the first Friday of each month from 7:15 to 8:15 AM and again from 9:15 to 11:30 AM, ending with Benediction, and on the third Monday of each month from 6:00 to 7:00 PM.
The Mass is celebrated in English and follows the regular Roman Rite. Worship aids with the order of Mass, postures, and prayer responses are placed in each pew, and screens in the sanctuary carry lyrics and prayers so visitors can follow along. Ushers are glad to bring a worship aid to anyone who cannot find one.
What Visitors Can Expect
Parishioners are warm and welcoming to newcomers. The parish shares its parking lot with the Chatham Library, so visitors can park there without worry. Parents with restless little ones are invited to step back to the Cry Room, a quiet space off the main church where the Mass can still be heard; the room is reserved for that single purpose so it stays available to families who need it most.
Dress is comfortable and respectful. In summer, shorts are common as long as they are a conservative length; others prefer Sunday best, and either is welcome. Visitors are not expected to put anything in the offering basket; it is fine to let it pass. Those who are not Catholic are warmly invited to come forward at Communion with arms crossed over their chest for a special blessing, since Catholics believe the Eucharist is the true presence of Christ and is reserved for those in full communion with the Church.
The parish building is fully accessible. Accessible restrooms sit on the north and south sides of the Gathering Space, all bathrooms have handicapped-height toilets, the doors are powered, every entrance to the Gathering Space is inclined, and an accessible ramp leads into the sanctuary from the south side. End-of-row pews on both the north and south walls are designed for accessibility.
Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled throughout the year, but parents seeking the sacrament for the first time are asked to attend a Baptism Preparation Class held every other month in the parish Resource Room; the parish encourages a refresher for parents whose previous child was baptized more than twenty-four months earlier. Reconciliation is available by appointment, and Anointing of the Sick is offered by calling the parish office, with special anointing visits scheduled during Advent and Lent. Couples wishing to be married at St. Joseph the Worker are asked to contact Father Joe at least six months before the proposed wedding date.
Children preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation follow the parish's Restored Order, meaning First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation are all received in third grade. Parents and children attend a series of monthly enrichment gatherings outside of regular Faith Formation classes. To take part, families must be registered, active members of the parish, and the child must attend Faith Formation sessions. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) welcomes adults who have never been baptized, those baptized in another Christian tradition who wish to enter into full communion, and Catholics who have been baptized but have not yet received Confirmation and Eucharist; sessions are held weekly, with initiation celebrated at the Easter Vigil. Children's OCIA sessions are also offered for older children who have not been baptized.
Faith Formation, Youth, and Vacation Bible School
Faith Formation meets on Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 10:15 AM for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, fitting between the two Sunday Masses so that Mass attendance and formation can both be part of the family Sunday rhythm. Tuition for the K-8 program is $60 for one child and $100 for two or more, and no child is denied participation because of an inability to pay. Sacramental Coordinator Amy West and Baptism Preparation Coordinator Cindy Essex support the families as their children move through the Restored Order milestones.
Junior high and high school youth are invited to Youth Ministry, with weekly youth sessions beginning at 11:45 AM on Sundays after the 10:30 AM Mass for students in seventh through twelfth grade; light snacks and drinks are provided. Vacation Bible School is offered in the summer for younger children.
The Preschool on Spruce Street
St. Joseph the Worker Preschool is a faith-based half-day program that meets in the Community Center. The 4/5-year-old class meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 to 11:30 AM, and the 3-year-old class meets Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 to 11:30 AM. Children must be three or four by September 1 to enroll. Tuition is $155 a month for the older class and $140 a month for the three-year-old class, with a non-refundable $75 registration fee. Placement decisions consider current families, alumni families, parish families, and public families in that order.
The preschool classroom is led by Jackie Viste, supported by classroom aides Dana Moomey and Melody Clark. The preschool's SCRIP program lets families purchase gift cards through Great Lakes Scrip at a discount of 1.5 to 20 percent depending on the retailer, raising funds for the program without any extra cost to the buyer. A Preschool Board of Education meets on the first Monday of each month in the parish Resource Room to guide the program.
Music, Liturgy, and the Choir
Music at St. Joseph the Worker is led by Music Minister John Kennedy, who coordinates a choir and band that include piano, guitar, and other instruments. Musicians are invited to share their gifts through the parish music ministry, with a separate Funeral Choir supporting the Order of Christian Funerals. Liturgical roles are filled by a wide range of volunteers: Hospitality Ministers who greet and seat guests, Readers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Gift Bearers, Altar Servers, and those who care for the Decorating of the Church through the seasons.
Care, Prayer, and Outreach
Outreach to the sick and homebound is coordinated through the Ministry of Care under Judy Gartland. Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist, Scripture, and the continuing presence of the parish community to those who cannot easily get to Mass, and Father Joe visits for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, and end-of-life conversations. The parish maintains a Prayer Chain, in which prayer requests sent to the Minister of Care are forwarded to all members so that many prayers rise up for each intention.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry combines knitting and crocheting with prayer: each shawl is prayed over throughout its creation and blessed by the pastor before being sent along to a recipient in need of comfort during bereavement, illness, separation, addiction, or other difficult times. The Sew 'n Sews meet to sew for parish projects, and Helping Hands offers practical support to neighbors in need.
Three registered nurses serve the parish as Parish Nurses - Kathy Bednarchik, Pamela Branham, and Mary Beth Paulek - acting as health advisors, educators, visitors to the homebound, and referral resources for parishioners seeking community health services. Funeral Lunches are organized by volunteers to feed families after a loved one's funeral.
Parish Life and Community Service
The parish is also a sponsor of community service projects. Each month a designated food pantry receives donations; collection boxes stand at the south entrance of the church outside the Fr. Franzen Day Chapel. The annual Thanksgiving Baskets program gathers food to help struggling families celebrate the holiday. St. Joseph the Worker has also been a Habitat for Humanity partner parish, helping to build a Habitat Home in the area, and hosts Knights of Columbus Council 4179, whose members sponsor an annual coat drive in October collecting new or gently used coats, hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves for local charities.
TEAM is the umbrella group of all registered parishioners and meets every third Sunday from 9:15 to 10:15 AM in the Resource Room; its purpose is to plan social events such as the Ice Cream Social and the Art and Craft Fair, and to coordinate fundraisers like the Mostaccioli Dinner and Pancake and Sausage Breakfast. Proceeds from TEAM fundraisers have supported landscaping, youth ministry, Faith Formation, the parish food pantries, and other local needs.
The WATCH retreat - We Are The Church - is offered periodically as a spiritual weekend focused on God, self, and neighbor, drawing on a program developed in 1987 by Deacon Don Efinger of Peoria. WATCH is open to all men and women eighteen and older, includes meals, and gathers at St. Joseph the Worker for the Sunday 10:30 AM Mass.
Joining the Parish and Getting Involved
Newcomers are warmly invited to register as members of St. Joseph the Worker, and adults who are still living with their parents and are gainfully employed are encouraged to register on their own to keep parish records accurate. The parish is also pleased to welcome visitors who simply wish to worship with the community.
Ministry teams are organized into three families of service: Hospitality Teams that welcome guests and help seat them; Family Teams in which members of an entire family serve together in children's, youth, or adult ministry; and Support Teams that keep things running behind the scenes in office work, library, maintenance, photography, laundry, carpentry, electric, painting, landscaping, and general cleaning. All adult volunteers are required to complete the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois Safe Environment training and a background check before serving.
Parishioners and friends support the mission of St. Joseph the Worker in three ways. Online giving is available through the parish's secure giving page for one-time or recurring gifts. Electronic giving can be set up semi-monthly through a paper form available in the parish office, and traditional Sunday offerings may be mailed to the parish at 700 East Spruce Street, Chatham, IL 62629.
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM and can be reached at 217-483-3772. Father Joe Molloy and the parish staff look forward to welcoming anyone who wishes to join them in worship, formation, and service in Chatham.