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.

Religious education ("CCD") classes have finished for the school year.  We hope to have the use of the nearby school in the fall as we have in past years.  Pray that the pandemic ends soon and stay safe out there!

The members of the 2020 Purgatorial Society are now listed under a tab under "Liturgy."  These were the intentions noted on the All Souls Day envelopes, as well as on the envelopes for Christmas flowers. (If we misspelled any names, please let us know so we can correct them.)

The Easter season lasts for 50 days, starting with the Easter Vigil and concluding on Pentecost.  It is a time for appreciating and living more deeply the new life we have as disciples of the risen Lord.  May all Christians know the joy of salvation won for us by our Lord and share that joy with all!

The Illinois Catholic Conference (the public policy and lobbying arm of the Catholic bishops of Illinois) asks us to contact our Illinois legislators and to express opposition to bills in the Illinois General Assembly (House and Senate) which would repeal the one remaining, major pro-life law in Illinois, i.e. the law that requires parents of minors to be notified that their child is seeking an abortion.  That law already includes various ways to legally avoid notifying parents (e.g., cases of parental abuse, allowing another relative to be notified instead of a parent, or by petitioning a judge to bypass the notification).  Repealing that law will allow anyone (including those who perpetrate sexual assaults on minors) to take the minor to get an abortion, without that minor's parents even being told that their daughter is pregnant.  Please visit the ICC website for more information and to send emails to your state representatives:

                                          www.ilcatholic.org/take-action/action-center

Please contribute to the 2021 Diocesan Annual Appeal (sometimes called the Diocesan Appeal or the Diocesan Stewardship Appeal).  Our target this appeal year (May through the following April) is $13,000.  This is a reduction from our target last appeal year, which was over $15,000.  This money goes to meet the financial needs of the diocese, including the diocesan administration, seminarian education, religious education support, programs for the poor, and other programs.  The target is actually a requirement that the parish must reach, but any funds raised in excess of the target come back to the parish.  So, reaching or exceeding the target helps the diocese and helps the parish.  Please respond to the diocesan mailing for this appeal, either by dropping off or sending your donation to the parish, or sending it directly to the diocese.  If you send it directly to the diocese, please make sure you indicate that you want our parish credited with your contribution. Thank you for your generosity.

Thank you to everyone who has continued to send in envelopes. Feel free to continue to do so. The diocese will be ending the ability to use their online giving system to donate to the parish.  We will be getting an online giving solution accessible from our website, but that might not be up and running until sometime in 2021.  Thank you for your patience in this matter. 

Thank you for your generosity, which has allowed our parish to be financially sound despite the pandemic and its restrictions.