St. Mary's Church of Pecatonica

Welcome to the website for St. Mary's Church of Pecatonica, the Roman Catholic church located in Pecatonica, Illinois, and covering portions of Winnebago and Stephenson Counties, including the municipalities of Pecatonica, Ridott (partially), Seward, and Winnebago.

We thank God that the U.S. Supreme Court has overruled the Roe and Casey decisions that prevented states from protecting unborn children and their mothers from the horror of abortion.  We realize that we are entering an uncertain era where it is more important than ever that women with unexpected pregnancies are helped to care for their babies during and after pregnancy.  May we all come to cherish human life more and more, and do what we can to protect and assist the most vulnerable.  Please continue to pray and work, especially to change the pro-abortion mindset and laws in Illinois.

After the 11:15 AM Mass on Sunday, July 10th, we held an introductory meeting on the parish's building needs and issues.  We thank the 24 people who came to that meeting and the interest shown by others who were not able to attend that meeting.  The purpose of the meeting was to give some history of the old rectory and proposals to renovate and expand it.  The meeting was also meant to let members of the parish know about the state of the old rectory, the high costs to renovate it, and some ideas for a new building that might replace it.  We have no definite plans as of yet, but we would like parishioners to consider and suggest any ideas for features that any new building should have.  If there are any church buildings they know of that might have features we would like, we would like to know more about them.  We discussed some examples of church structures that included classrooms and large meeting rooms.  We will need to get information and guidance from the diocese before proceeding, especially as to costs of work we might be considering.

Once we get more information, we hope to have another meeting which will include a tour of the old rectory and discussion of any information the diocese has given to us since the meeting we had on July 10th.  The project may take several years to complete, but we need to start now to consider and to plan.

Stay tuned and keep praying!

A mailing went out on December 2, 2021, to all the parishioners for whom we had an address.  If you received the mailing, please fill out the parish registration form that was included in that mailing, and return it to us in the envelope that was also included in that mailing, either in the box marked for that near the back of church or by mail.  This will help us keep our database up to date so that we can serve you better.  If someone in your household is Catholic and you live within the boundaries of this parish (which you can determine by going on the website for the diocese (www.rockforddiocese.org) and looking under "Parishes" and "Search by Boundary" and typing in your street address), and you did not receive this mailing, please print out the parish registration form from the link below, and fill it out and send it to us either when you come to church here or by mail to: St. Mary's Church, P.O. Box 656, Pecatonica, IL  61063.

Starting for calendar year 2022 we will send acknowledgement letters in January to all parishioners who donate to the parish at least $250 in the prior calendar year.  Such letters will also itemize any individual donations of $250 or more, to meet the IRS requirements of documentation of such donations. We will also send letters to those who have asked for them in the past.  (Other parishioners may request such acknowledgement letters.)  If you do not get a letter acknowledging your donations to the parish, and would like one, please contact us at the office (815-239-1271) or send us an email (stmary-pecatonica@rockforddiocese.org) and we will mail you such a letter.  Please note that the Diocese of Rockford sends its own letter acknowledging your donations to the Diocesan Appeal or any of the “combined” appeals (International, Mission, and National), as donations to those are not noted on any donation acknowledgement letter you will receive from the parish.  Thank you for your generosity to our parish, the diocese, and the causes supported by the "combined" appeals.

Based on new guidelines from the Diocese of Rockford and the State of Illinois, we are moving to a "mask-optional" policy at St. Mary's for Masses, other sacramental and liturgical events, religious education, and other events in our facilities.  We will still have certain pews in the church taped off to separate some open pews for those who wish to maintain social distancing.  We will also provide masks for those who wish to wear a mask and did not bring their own.  We will continue to provide hand sanitizer for those who would like to use that, which we recommend, especially for anyone receiving Holy Communion.

As we know from experience, this disease can come roaring back at any time, especially with new variant viruses constantly appearing.  Also, we know that some people have medical conditions that make them vulnerable to this disease, especially if they are unable to tolerate any of the vaccines currently available.  So, we ask for continued vigilance as well as consideration for other people as to their choice to wear a mask or not.

We still ask that if anyone is sick, coughing, sneezing, or has a fever, to stay home until he or she recovers.  The obligation to attend Mass on Sunday and on holy days of obligation is excused for those Catholics who are actually showing signs of illness (whether or not due to COVID-19).

Thank you for your patience in this pandemic, which has caused much suffering for over two years now.  May God give us lasting relief from the pandemic, so that we can thank God always.

For some links on life matters, see the links below.

As of July 31st we have exceeded our target of $13,531 in pledges by a little less than $240.  So, if everyone is able to meet their pledges, we will get a little refund next May.  There is still time for people to make pledges if they have not already done so, and we would ask them to consider that.  Any money donated above the target comes back to the parish.  One might ask, "Why not just donate to the parish directly?"  Two reasons, at least: (1) It is not just a matter of money. By prayerful support of the Diocesan Annual Appeal, one is participating in and supporting the various ministries of the diocese, including the formation of seminarians who will be our future priests, as well as other charitable and administrative activities of the diocese; and (2) Donations to the Diocesan Appeal do not "count" as ordinary parish income on which next year's target will be based.  The target will not change that much from year to year, but there is a little extra benefit to the parish that comes from donating a given amount to the Diocesan Annual Appeal (as long as the parish is identified and gets credit for the donation) rather than directly to the parish. This might not be what one would expect, but that is how this works.  The main point is that every little bit helps  Thank you and may God bless you for your generosity in donating to the Diocesan Annual Appeal, which helps the diocese and the parish.