St. Pius X Parish sits on 29th Avenue in South Rock Island, Illinois, a few blocks west of the Mississippi River, and serves as one of three Catholic parishes in the city within the Diocese of Peoria. From its first Mass in a converted construction warehouse in 1955 to its current 1960s church built around Christ as the center of worship, the parish has shaped its identity around the Eucharist. The parish's motto, taken from St. Pius X himself, is "to restore all things in Christ," and the community is known locally for its 24-hour perpetual adoration chapel, a glass-walled sanctuary filled with windows from Chartres, France, and an unusually wide range of formation, outreach, and lay ministries that reach into the wider Quad Cities.
A South Rock Island Parish Born in the "Old Barn"
The idea for St. Pius X began in 1947, when Msgr. T. J. Jordan of Sacred Heart Church in Rock Island looked south across Eighteenth Avenue and saw where the city was growing. By 1948, Bishop Joseph H. Schlarman of Peoria, Msgr. P. H. Durkin, dean of the Rock Island Deanery, Msgr. J. B. Reidy, chancellor of Peoria, and Father Thomas J. Jordan had chosen the present 7½-acre site for a new parish. The property was a weed-covered lot with a dusty frame warehouse, soon affectionately known as the "old barn."
On June 8, 1955, Bishop William E. Cousins of Peoria formally erected St. Pius X Roman Catholic Parish, naming the Pope of the Eucharist as patron and appointing the Rev. Edward M. Farrell of St. Louis Church in Princeton, Illinois, as its first pastor. Father Farrell took possession on June 16, 1955, and celebrated the parish's first Mass in the old warehouse on Sunday, June 19, 1955. Worshipers endured a leaky roof and sparrows protesting their new neighbors, but 485 families from Sacred Heart, 180 from St. Joseph's, and members of St. Paul's and St. Mary's filled the barn that morning. Three babies - Samuel P. Durr, Michael D. Palmer, and Peter C. Spaeth - were baptized in the afternoon, becoming the parish's first sacraments.
Parishioners themselves wood-paneled the old barn's interior and built a new altar and communion rail. In the summer of 1957, the Sisters of the Humility of Mary arrived from Marycrest College to staff a twelve-room school designed by William Bernbrock, with Sister Eileen, M.A., serving as the first principal. A Mothers' Club and a Council of Catholic Men were formed the same year to coordinate the new parish's lay organizations, joined by St. Vincent de Paul, the Christian Family Movement, and the Legion of Mary.
Father Farrell suffered a series of heart attacks in 1957, and on December 4 of that year, Msgr. T. J. Jordan returned to succeed him. In 1959 four rooms and a basement hall were added to the school to serve as a temporary church. Finally, in the spring of 1962, a Rock Island newspaper reported that "one of the most unique buildings in the world has begun to rise in Rock Island on the St. Pius X Catholic Church site," with architect Ed Lerch designing a structure meant to keep the focus on Christ. Msgr. Jordan laid the cornerstone on April 22, 1963, and the new church was solemnly dedicated on February 18, 1964. The architect later returned to design a 1958 rectory with a basement meeting room and offices.
Mass, Confession, and a Schedule Built Around the Eucharist
St. Pius X offers Mass every day of the week. The Sunday schedule begins with a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m. and continues on Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. From the second weekend of September through the third weekend of May, an additional 6:00 p.m. Sunday Mass is celebrated. Weekday Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 7:00 a.m., with a Wednesday evening Mass at 5:30 p.m., and a Saturday morning Mass at 8:30 a.m.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard almost daily. Priests hear confessions Monday through Friday from 6:40 to 6:55 a.m., on Wednesdays from 5:10 to 5:25 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and again from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. before the Vigil Mass. During Advent and Lent, the parish gathers for a communal reconciliation service. All confessions are heard behind the screen.
A volunteer leads the Rosary each morning after the 7:00 a.m. Mass, a practice the parish has kept for more than fifteen years.
Perpetual Adoration: Twenty-Five Years and Counting
Perpetual Adoration has been a part of parish life for more than twenty-five years. Pope John Paul II asked priests in 1983 to begin Perpetual Adoration in their parishes, and in 1994, under then-pastor Msgr. Raymond Boyle and with Bob and Mary Carton coordinating, the chapel doors opened. Margaret Wadsworth later stepped in as co-coordinator. August 6, 2019, marked the chapel's twenty-fifth anniversary. The chapel sits on the 24th Street side of the church (the north entrance), and the parish uses the online We Adore Him system to schedule hours, send substitute requests, and track attendance. Substitute adorers receive a text request five days before their hour and can reply yes or no.
The parish also gathers for a Holy Hour of Divine Mercy every Sunday from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Adoration Chapel. The hour includes Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Rosary, the Litany of Divine Mercy, a short homily, and prayers for the unborn. The Holy Hour is livestreamed on the parish's Facebook page.
The Church Building: Stained Glass from Chartres
The church was designed to keep Christ at the center of worship, and its windows reflect that focus. The stained-glass windows come from Chartres, France, and the picture of St. Pius X at the entrance of the church, together with the two windows in the sanctuary, are formed from Art Glass. Eighteen chipped chunk glass windows line the outer wall of the church. The first four portray the life of Christ, beginning with the Nativity and the Good Shepherd. The next fourteen windows depict the Stations of the Cross. The series closes with Christ's triumph over death in the Resurrection and the Coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at Pentecost. A relic of St. Pius X rests in the altar.
Forming Disciples from the First Grade Through the Dinner Table
Religious education at St. Pius X is built around the home, the parish school, and the CCD program. Parents are recognized as the primary teachers of the faith, and the parish provides a curriculum to help families.
Children attending Jordan Catholic School receive their religious instruction as part of the regular school day. Children in public, private, or home schools, and those in the surrounding parishes, gather for the Religious Education Program (CCD) on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in Farrell Hall or Jordan Catholic School. The program serves children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from St. Pius X, Sacred Heart, and St. Mary's in Rock Island, as well as St. Teresa of Calcutta in Milan and Andalusia. The annual fee is $60 for the first child and $40 for each additional child, with a maximum of four paying children per family. To receive First Communion and Confirmation, students must complete two consecutive years of religious instruction, whether through CCD, family formation, or Jordan Catholic School.
Sacrament preparation follows a clear path. Baptism preparation classes for parents meet on the third Wednesday of January, March, May, July, September, and November at 7:00 p.m. in McCarthy Hall, with baptisms celebrated on Sundays after the 10:30 a.m. Mass. (No baptisms are held during Lent.) Children in second grade or age seven and older who have been baptized and have completed two years of instruction are prepared for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Confirmation is offered to eighth graders and older who are baptized, have received First Communion, have completed Confirmation service hours, attended the January retreat, written a Saint report, and met with their sponsor.
Vacation Bible School is held one week each summer, Monday through Friday, for children in kindergarten through fourth grade. The week features a new faith-themed adventure with snacks, art, music, and games, capped at 100 children.
For teens, the St. Pius Teen Study Group welcomes seventh graders through high school seniors twice a month on Friday evenings in the church library for guided study, Eucharistic Adoration, and social activities. Adult volunteers are welcome; no special skills are needed.
For adults curious about the Catholic faith, the parish offers Alpha each fall - a free, eleven-week series of Monday evening sessions with dinner included, held in McCarthy Hall. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) meets Tuesday evenings in McCarthy Hall from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. for those who wish to become Catholic, complete their sacraments, or simply learn more about the faith. There is also a year-long, one-chapter-per-month book study of Matthew Kelly's "Perfectly Yourself," a virtual discussion that walks participants through applying the book's lessons.
Faith formation extends to other corners of parish life. The Servants of Christ Prayer Group, a Catholic charismatic prayer group, meets every Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the main vestibule near the baptismal font for prayer, praise, scripture, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The Quad City Men's Group gathers on the second Saturday of each month after the 7:00 a.m. Mass in McCarthy Hall for breakfast, fellowship, and conversation led by Deacon Joe Dockery-Jackson. A St. Pius Father's Group welcomes fathers of school-aged children for discussion of faith and family, and a St. Pius Young Women's Group meets for events announced in the bulletin. A Young Adults Group serves parishioners in their twenties and thirties. A monthly Vocation Station kiosk stands just outside the Adoration Chapel with discernment resources, and a total consecration to Jesus through Mary, based on St. Louis de Montfort's preparation, is offered each Advent leading up to December 8.
Lay Action: Ministries That Serve Parish and City
St. Pius X describes itself as a stewardship parish, and lay ministry runs deep. The parish handbook lays out the call to share time, talent, and treasure with one another and with the local and universal Church.
At Mass, parishioners serve as greeters, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and altar servers. Altar servers, both boys and girls from Jordan Catholic School and the CCD program, are trained after their First Communion and encouraged to continue serving through high school graduation. The choir and cantors are led by Music Director Stephen Steely and Shelley Walljasper; no music-reading experience is required.
The Altar and Rosary Society, the parish's oldest lay organization, has met continuously since its first gathering in September 1955. The Society cares for the altar and altar candles, funds liturgical vessels, and organizes funeral luncheons. All women of the parish are welcome; annual dues are $5.
The Legion of Mary meets every Wednesday morning in McCarthy Hall from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The Knights of Columbus Council welcomes all men of the parish for charitable outreach, pancake breakfasts, and the traveling Ultrasound bus. The Rosary Makers craft rosaries for the missions each May and October. The Faith in Action Committee oversees the parish's Redistribution Box collection, which gathers food, clothing, and personal items for those in need.
Feeding the Quad Cities: The St. Joseph Evening Meal and Food Pantry
The St. Joseph Evening Meal, a ministry of St. Pius X, keeps the spirit of the former St. Joseph's Parish alive by coordinating nightly meals served to those experiencing hunger in the Quad Cities. Meals are served at Lund Hall, the Rock Island Township Hall, Monday through Friday at 5:30 p.m. Thousands of local residents are fed each year through this effort, which is one of the largest ecumenical outreaches in the area. Parishioners, other churches, organizations, government agencies, and businesses all take turns cooking and serving.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in Farrell Hall, runs a food pantry open on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. and organizes the annual Angel Tree, a parish tradition begun in 1983 that has provided Christmas food, gifts, and personal care items to local families in need for more than forty years.
Catholic Schools: Jordan, Alleman, and Two Parish Scholarship Funds
St. Pius X has long supported Catholic education. The parish works closely with Jordan Catholic School, a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school that forms students of strong moral character and deep faith, and Alleman Catholic High School, the local Catholic high school. Parishioners can apply for tuition assistance through the John Lancaster Spalding Fund of the Diocese of Peoria, the Jordan and Alleman tuition assistance funds, the Richard W. McCarthy Endowed Scholarship (established in 2018 for residents of Rock Island attending St. Ambrose University or Augustana College, with preference for law or pre-law students), and the Father Edward Bader Memorial Scholarship Fund, established upon Father Bader's death in 1980 to ensure that no child of the parish is unable to attend Catholic school for lack of funds.
Library, Art Show, and Pilgrimages
The St. Pius Lending Library, located in the church basement below the sacristy, holds thousands of books and media on the Catholic faith and is open during Mass times and whenever the church is open. A mobile mini-library near the sanctuary offers a curated selection that changes weekly. The parish hosts the annual Art of Faith Juried Sacred Art Show and Sale each February, drawing poets, potters, illustrators, photographers, painters, sculptors, iconographers, designers, weavers, jewelers, and musicians from across the area. The parish has also organized a pilgrimage to the tomb of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria.
Devotions, Novenas, and the FORMED Library
St. Pius X is a parish steeped in devotion. Parishioners pray the Novena to the Holy Spirit each year between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday, the novena to St. Pius X himself, and the Family Prayer for Vocations. The parish maintains a Prayer Chain, started in June 2000, that now reaches more than fifty members. The Annual WATCH weekend, a Friday-through-Sunday retreat held in Farrell Hall, is offered as a time of spiritual renewal, fellowship, and reflection. Every parishioner is invited to sign up for a free FORMED account, which provides Catholic movies, audio talks, and study programs on demand. The parish's daily Mass readings, drawn from the New American Bible, Revised Edition, are available online.
Pastoral Leadership and the Parish Council
The parish is led by Father Witold Adamczyk as pastor, with Father Mieczyslaw Wit and Father Peter Sarnicki serving as associate priests. Four deacons - Joseph Dockery-Jackson, Timothy Granet, Paul Martin, and Russ Swim - assist with liturgy, faith formation, and outreach. The lay staff includes Shaunnessy Shaw as Director of Liturgy and Faith Formation, Kathy Schluter as Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization, Stephen Steely as Music Director, Karen Gibbs as Finance Director, Katherine Moens as Parish Secretary, and Rosemary Montez as Parish Nurse. Sandy West leads the Prayer Chain, and Charlene Vogele oversees the parish library. The Parish Council, chaired by Louis Granato with Jacqueline Houtekier as vice-chair and Bev Askeland as secretary, meets seven times a year to advise the pastor on the spiritual and material needs of the parish.
St. Pius X Parish, the Pope of the Eucharist, has spent seven decades restoring all things in Christ in South Rock Island. From the sparrows of the old barn to the stained glass of Chartres to a Perpetual Adoration chapel that never closes, the parish continues to center itself on the Eucharist and to extend that encounter into the wider Quad Cities through prayer, formation, and service.