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 in our parish, including the municipalities of Pecatonica, Ridott (partially), Seward, and Winnebago.

CCD CLASSES WILL RESUME ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021. PARENTS MAY CHOOSE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP STUDENTS AT HOME AND WORK WITH THEM ON THEIR TEXTBOOKS.  PARENTS ARE ASKED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CATECHISTS TO COORDINATE ON PROGRESS IN THE TEXTBOOKS, SO EVERYONE CAN BE CAUGHT UP AND READY TO RETURN TO CLASS WHEN THEY ARE PREPARED TO DO SO.

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 anyone understood that separate Masses were going to be celebrated for the intentions they listed, please call the pastor, so we can make arrangements for that.  Normally, whatever intentions are requested on the All Souls Day envelopes join a group we refer to as the "Purgatorial Society" of that year, and whatever funds are collected are used as offerings for Masses for the Purgatorial Society of that year.  Separate Masses should be requested apart from the All Souls Day envelopes, so there is no confusion about how to apply any funds that are donated.  (If we misspelled any names, please let us know so we can correct them.)

The theme for the March for Life 2021 is: Together Strong: Life Unites!
For information about March for Life activities or for pro-life activities in general please go to:

Public weekend Masses have resumed, as have public daily Masses.  Starting September 1, 2020, daily Mass will be held at 8:15 A.M., Tuesdays through Fridays.  You do not need to sign up for daily Mass, but you will need to sign in so that we can contact you if anyone at that Mass later tests positive for the coronavirus.  With the later Mass time for daily Mass, we hope that more people will be able to attend daily Mass at least occasionally.  All those wishing to attend a weekend or holy day Mass must sign up for that Mass; walk-ins will only be permitted if not all the spaces have been signed up for.  Please carefully read Fr. Jaskierny's letter to the parishioners detailing the changes that come with reopening the parish. Also starting the weekend of 13-14 June, confessions will resume on Saturdays from 4:45 to 5:15 p.m. (Tuesday morning confessions are not available at this time).  Please bring your mask with you to Mass.  A limited number of masks will be available if you forget, but try to remember.

Sign Up for Mass

Fr. Jaskierny's Reopening Letter to Parishioners

Parish Reopening Executive Summary

Bishop Malloy has continued to dispense Catholics from the Sunday obligation to attend Mass at this time. While this dispensation continues, there is no sin for not fulfilling the obligation to attend Sunday Mass.  Vulnerable people (over 65 or with underlying health conditions) are encouraged to not come to Mass at this time since despite precautions there is still a risk of catching the coronavirus which could cause serious harm for vulnerable people.

In order to have public Masses, we need a team of volunteers to assist with greeting/ushering people and disinfecting the building after the Masses. Volunteers need to have no underlying health conditions and preferably be under 65 years old. With parental permission, high school students can volunteer in a more limited capacity (they could help disinfect but not greet/usher). Adult volunteers would be asked to do both the greeting and disinfecting roles at a Mass in order to more efficiently schedule the volunteers.  More volunteers are needed to build up our pool of volunteers, so please prayerfully consider volunteering for these important roles. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the parish at 815-239-1271 and someone will get back to you. There will be training for volunteers.  Thank you.

For those who do not attend Mass, it is good to be reminded of the age-old practice of spiritual communion. When one is not able to receive Holy Communion at Mass – whether because one is not able to attend Mass, because one is not properly disposed, or for some other reason – it is possible to make a spiritual communion, which can be described as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament [in Communion at Mass] and in lovingly embracing Him as if we had actually received Him.” To do this, here is a prayer of spiritual communion:

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy
Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You
into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You
sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace
You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Please read Fr. Jaskierny's message about the appeal here.  We have reached our target.  Anything now donated to the Diocesan Appeal (formerly called the Diocesan Stewardship Appeal) until sometime in April, will come back to the parish dollar-for-dollar.  If you have not yet donated, please consider doing so if you are able.  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.