On the east side of Geneseo, just off Ogden Avenue, Saint Malachy Parish has anchored Catholic life in Henry County since the first Mass was offered in the area in 1857. Now more than 165 years on, the parish combines a thriving K-6 school, a deep roster of youth and adult faith formation programs, and a worship life that stretches from early morning weekday Mass to monthly late evening Eucharistic Adoration. Under the leadership of Father Daniel P. Gifford, with Father Chris Haake as parochial vicar and seven permanent deacons, the parish and school share a single campus that serves families from Geneseo and the surrounding farming communities.
A Catholic Presence in Geneseo Since 1857
The story of Saint Malachy begins in 1857, when Father Alleman of Rock Island celebrated the first Mass in Henry County in the home of James Warren in Geneseo. The congregation grew quickly enough that in 1866 the parish built its first church on Russell Avenue in the area known then as Beautiful Valley, an early name for Geneseo. Land on Russell was purchased for $243, and the finished building cost about $5,110, with early parishioners sitting on plank benches around a table used as an altar. The first resident priest, Father Ackley, completed the interior, and Father R. W. Smyth, who arrived in 1867, purchased the parish's first organ and formed its first choir. By then the parish had four hundred members, descendants of the Irish, German, Alsatian, and Polish families who first settled the area.
The Diocese of Peoria was formed in 1877, and the parish kept growing. By the late 1890s, the Russell Avenue church had become too small. Father Martin Foley and the parish marked a Golden Jubilee in 1899 and broke ground for a larger church. Bishop O'Reilly of Peoria laid the cornerstone on December 4 of that year, and the new church, built at a cost of $35,000, was dedicated on October 27, 1908, with seating for four hundred.
Father Enos Barnes, who arrived in 1923, was a firm believer in Catholic education. He built a parish school at a cost of $48,000 and contracted with the Dominican Sisters from Sinsinawa, Wisconsin to teach it. The first teaching sisters arrived on August 30, 1923, and the school opened on December 3 of that year with an enrollment of fifty students in grades one through eight. Seven years later, the parish built a parish hall with volunteer labor, and in 1969 the school was reduced to its current configuration of grades one through six. The Dominican sisters served the school for forty years before handing teaching over to a lay staff in 1972.
By 1980, the parish numbered roughly one thousand families, and the church built for four hundred was once again too small. Father Thomas Brajkovich led the search for new property, and in 1984 the fund drive for a new facility was completed. Construction began in September 1987, and on May 14, 1989, the parish processed from the old Russell Avenue church to the new one on Ogden Avenue. The new church seats six hundred, with a narthex, a chapel, a kitchen, an office, and a baptismal area with a fountain between the church and chapel. The first Masses were celebrated May 20 and 21, 1989, and Bishop Edward W. O'Rourke of Peoria presided at the Dedication Mass on July 2, 1989. The old church on Russell was later torn down, and the stained glass windows were incorporated into the new building.
Harley Chaffee was ordained the parish's first permanent deacon in 1983, and two more permanent deacons, Walt Verbeck and Harley Harris, were ordained in 1988. In 2007 the parish marked a $750,000 building fund and began a major construction project that added new school rooms, parish offices, a kitchen, a cafeteria, an indoor gym, art and music rooms, and updates for fire and safety. The work finished in the summer of 2011, and in January 2014 the parish addition was paid off in full. A year-long celebration for the 150th anniversary of the parish began in 2016.
The current pastor, Father Daniel P. Gifford, was appointed by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky in September 2020. Father Michael G. Pakula, who had served the parish for more than two decades, was moved to senior status and retired on July 8, 2020. Father Chris Haake serves as parochial vicar. The seven permanent deacons currently assisting the parish are Thomas Wachtel, Robert O'Rourke, Art Ries, Mike Sigwalt, Tom Mattan, and Bob Thoene.
Mass, Reconciliation, and Adoration
Weekend Masses are offered Saturday at 5:00 PM and Sunday at 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM. On the second Sunday of each month, the 10:30 AM Mass is celebrated as the Children's Mass, with young parishioners taking active roles as servers, ushers, readers, and choir members. Weekday Masses are offered Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:00 AM and Thursday at 5:45 PM. A school Mass for students and their families is celebrated each Wednesday at 9:00 AM during the school year. First Friday Mass and devotions are held at 8:00 AM, and First Saturday Mass and devotions are also at 8:00 AM.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard Tuesday and Friday mornings at 8:45 AM (except on First Fridays), Thursday from 5:00 to 5:30 PM, and Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 PM in the reconciliation room in the Parish Chapel. Extra times are added during Advent and Lent.
Eucharistic Adoration is offered in the chapel Monday from 2:00 to 7:00 PM, Thursday from 4:30 to 5:30 PM, and on First Fridays and First Saturdays at 8:30 AM. ADORE, an evening of contemporary praise and worship before the Blessed Sacrament, is held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM and is open to all ages.
The parish livestreams Mass on its YouTube channel. Bulletins are posted each week, and online giving is available through ParishSoft. The parish keeps families in touch through Flocknote, Facebook, and Instagram.
The Parish School, K Through 6
Saint Malachy School welcomes families and students of all faiths. The school is rooted in the teachings and traditions of the Catholic faith and presents Catholic beliefs as true and life-giving, while also welcoming families who do not practice the Catholic faith but want their children to share in the Catholic educational experience. The school is accredited by AdvancEd, and historically 80 to 98 percent of Saint Malachy alumni go on to the middle school and high school honor rolls.
Classrooms are equipped with one-to-one Chromebooks, iPads, Clevertouch displays, and a STEM classroom, with an average class size of eighteen and classroom aides supporting individualized instruction. Title I reading, speech-language pathology services, and counseling are arranged as needed. Weekly specials include art, music, physical education, STEM, and library. Students in grades three through five help plan and present the liturgy at the weekly school Mass, and fourth and fifth graders serve as altar servers.
Since 1995, the All School Project has been one of the most anticipated traditions of the school year. The entire student body, kindergarten through sixth grade, is divided into multi-aged groups led by a sixth grader, with each group rotating through stations built around an annual theme such as Illinois (2010-2011), All God's Creatures (2012-2013), Vocations (2017-2018), and Caring for God's Creation (2024-2025). The 2025-2026 theme is Our Catholic Faith. Past leaders describe the day as one of the highlights of the sixth-grade year.
The school also holds a free and reduced lunch program, hosts a Parents Club, and runs an annual Car Party fundraiser that began in 1974. School Mass is celebrated each Wednesday at 9:00 AM during the school year, with third, fourth, and fifth graders preparing the liturgy and fourth and fifth graders serving at the altar.
Forming Young Disciples
The parish's faith formation program for children and teens, called Young Disciples, is rooted in Catholic teaching and guided by the Holy Spirit. Its mission is to welcome families and nurture the spiritual growth of children by deepening their relationship with Christ and His Church.
Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during select Sunday Masses for ages four through second grade, and the parish's Sunday Children's Masses are held the second Sunday of each month at 10:30 AM. Children in kindergarten and up can sign up to serve, usher, read, and sing, and they hear a homily written for them.
Catholic Children's Discipleship (CCD) classes for grades K-5 meet on most Wednesdays after school during the school year from 3:30 to 4:45 PM. Children are dropped off at church or ride the bus to the middle school and walk to the parish with an adult. Parents pack a snack. The curriculum, Christ Our Life, is grounded in the Bible, Church teaching, and the liturgical year.
Confirmation preparation is a two-year program for students in grades seven and eight. Classes meet between the Sunday Masses from 9:30 to 10:20 AM. The 6th grade year works through the Old Testament stories of God's covenant with His people. The 7th grade and fall of the 8th grade year use the Chosen program, and the spring of the 8th grade year moves into a Theology of the Body program rooted in the teachings of Saint John Paul II.
Middle School Youth Group gathers on Wednesday evenings during the school year from 5:30 to 7:00 PM for faith, food, and games. Each week focuses on a topic such as What is Truth?, The Eucharist, The Saints, perseverance, honesty, or gossip. Dinner is served together from 6:30 to 7:00 PM.
High School Small Groups meet Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:20 AM between Masses, starting in the narthex with donuts. Separate groups for young men and young women dig into themes like Dating and Relationships, Discernment, Money and Stewardship, Men and Women of the Bible, Adulting, and What is Truth? over six to eight sessions. High School Youth Group meets Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM during the school year, with an optional free hangout, prayer, or game time until 9:00 PM. ADORE, a monthly praise and worship night, is woven into the youth group schedule. The parish also takes high schoolers on a summer trip; recent trips have included the Steubenville-Joliet Summer Conference.
Totus Tuus, a week-long summer catechetical program for students entering grades one through twelve, takes its name from the motto of Saint John Paul II, Totus Tuus meaning totally yours, drawn from Saint Louis de Montfort's True Devotion to Mary. Day camp for grades one through six runs Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM. Junior high and high school evenings run Sunday through Thursday from 6:30 to 8:15 PM. The week is led by a missionary team and parish volunteers and is built around evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness, and Eucharistic worship.
The parish also runs a Youth Ministry Intercessory Prayer Team that gathers on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:15 PM in the Parish Chapel to pray the Rosary for the intentions of the youth.
Adult Faith and Discipleship Quads
The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) welcomes adults who want to enter the Catholic Church as well as Catholics who want to deepen their faith. Sessions meet on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 PM, drawing on the model of the early Church in the Acts of the Apostles. Participants are invited to come to some or all of the weekly sessions, and the program is open to non-Catholics exploring the faith, Catholic adults seeking Confirmation or First Communion, and parents who want to support their children's Catholic education.
Discipleship Quads are the parish's signature small-group ministry. A Quad is a group of four people, recommended to be of the same gender and open to teens and adults, who commit to meeting weekly for about a year to pray, read Scripture and short faith lessons, and grow in friendship. Each meeting typically lasts about an hour and a half, with another ninety minutes to two hours of preparation during the week. Groups meet at the church, in members' homes, or wherever the group chooses, and a Parish Quad Coordinator, Katrina Jensen, helps new members form or join a Quad. After a Quad finishes its first year together, the idea is to pray about starting a new group with new members, and the curriculum continues with a second year. Quarterly gatherings celebrate the journey.
The parish also operates a lending library with a curated list of titles, and a Bible study is planned to launch.
The Seven Sacraments
Baptism is offered to families of the parish through a Pre-Baptism Gathering scheduled by appointment, especially for first-time parents. Parents are encouraged to come before the birth of their child. Godparents are most welcome, and individual arrangements can be made.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated in the reconciliation room in the Parish Chapel, with the regular weekly schedule of Tuesday and Friday mornings, Thursday evenings, and Saturday afternoons. Second graders prepare for and receive their First Reconciliation. A new reconciliation room was built in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in 1995.
First Eucharist is celebrated with second graders who have prepared through the parish's CCD program. A series of breadmaking videos accompanies the preparation, including From Mass to Mission and How Hosts Are Made.
Confirmation is conferred after a two-year preparation in seventh and eighth grades. A Godparent/Sponsor Commitment Form is part of the preparation.
Anointing of the Sick is administered to bring spiritual and physical strength during an illness, especially near the time of death. Those wishing to receive the sacrament are asked to call the parish office.
Holy Matrimony is arranged at least four months in advance of the anticipated wedding date through Father Gifford. A Wedding Request Form, a copy of the parish's Wedding Policy, and a resource called Marriage: Catholic Style guide couples through the process.
Holy Orders, the sacrament of apostolic ministry at the level of bishop, priest, or deacon, is explored by those discerning a vocation. Inquiries are directed to Father Gifford or to the parish's permanent deacons.
Parish Ministries and Service
The Lay Ministry program organizes the men and women who serve weekend Masses as altar servers, greeters, ushers, lectors, commentators, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Training is provided, and a Lay Ministry Schedule is published monthly. Girls were first admitted to serve as altar servers in 1994, trained by Deacon Walter Verbeck.
The Liturgy Committee oversees the parish's liturgical planning throughout the year, working with seasonal planning teams on environment, music, and ritual movement. The Pastoral Care Ministry brings the Holy Eucharist to those who are homebound, in nursing homes, or in long-term care, along with a regular visit from a familiar face.
The Altar and Rosary Society is the parish's chapter of the National Council of Catholic Women, caring for the altars and vestments used in Divine services. It was first organized under Father Dunne in the early 1880s and divided into neighborhood Circles under Father Thomas Jordan in the 1930s.
The Rosary Makers meet monthly on the third Tuesday at 7:00 PM in the Youth Ministry room to make rosaries for missionary groups around the world. They also sell quality rosaries to support their apostolate.
Women at the Well hosts an annual evening of fellowship, food prepared by the men of the parish, and a speaker. The gathering has funded the purchase of fresh-water wells in Nigerian villages through the Dominican Sisters of Peace and Hope For The Village Child, with eighteen wells funded as of March 2020.
The Knights of Columbus, the parish's Catholic fraternal society, provides volunteer opportunities in service to the Church, communities, families, and young people.
The Seven Sisters Apostolate is a group of women who each offer a weekly holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament for the pastor and parochial vicar. The parish chapter is part of a nationwide network of more than 1,500 praying groups.
Divorce Care offers a thirteen-week support program for individuals who are divorced or separated, regardless of how long it has been. Topics include the relationship with God and the Church, anger, depression, loneliness, sexuality, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
The Welcome Committee reaches out to new parishioners, answers questions, and hosts an annual cinnamon roll and coffee event.
The Wellness Committee supports parishioners' health through walking programs, blood pressure screening, and Soul Core, a seated prayer and core exercise program.
The Building and Grounds Committee oversees the physical care of the parish campus, including the church, school, parish activity center, and grounds.
The Parish Council is an advisory body that assists the pastor in coordinating, studying, and promoting the pastoral life of the parish. The Education Commission serves as a fiduciary body for the Catholic community and provides long-range direction for the school.
Social Justice and Outreach
The Social Justice Committee works to help parishioners follow their call to be the hands and feet of Jesus by promoting human dignity, charity, justice, and peacemaking. It educates parishioners about Catholic Social Teaching, identifies needs in the parish and wider community, and helps parishioners get involved in meeting those needs. The committee also maintains a partnership with the Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry, which the parish joined in 1981. In 2013 the parish launched a Pantry Patron ministry called We'll Shop For You, with parishioners buying groceries on behalf of families in need.
Blessing Wheels is a volunteer-based ministry under the Social Justice Committee that provides safe, compassionate transportation for adult parishioners who are unable to drive. The parish also supports the Woman's Choice Center in the Quad Cities, Humility Homes and Services in the Quad Cities, and other regional agencies through the Diocese of Peoria. Since 2011 the parish has maintained a sister-parish relationship with Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Mission in Maynardville, Tennessee, sponsored by the Glenmary Missioners.
The parish also participates in the ecumenical Employment Hotline that the Ministerial Association initiated in 1982 to aid the jobless, and supports ecumenical efforts like Christmas in April, which began locally in 1995 to assist neighbors with home repairs and improvements.
Parish Leadership and Staff
Father Daniel P. Gifford serves as pastor and Father Chris Haake as parochial vicar. Permanent deacons assisting the parish are Thomas Wachtel (ordained 1991), Robert O'Rourke and Art Ries (both ordained 2007), Mike Sigwalt (ordained 2017), and Tom Mattan and Bob Thoene (both ordained 2022). The parish business manager is Jennifer Higgins, and the office manager is Dillon Sherbeyn. Sara Osborn directs Youth Ministry, Michelle Ganson coordinates CCD and Confirmation preparation, Shannon Carroll serves as Administrative Assistant for Faith Formation, and Zachary Johnson serves as Parish Music Director. Debbie Mattan is the parish secretary and Jeanne Ryan is the facilities manager.
The parish office is open at 595 East Ogden Avenue in Geneseo, and the school office shares the same campus. Mass is livestreamed each week on YouTube, the bulletin is available online, and online giving is available through ParishSoft. To join the parish family, the parish asks new members to complete a Current Census Form.