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.

With sadness we report that Deacon Warren LaMont passed away on Friday, September 15, 2023.  With faith and hope in eternal life, we commend him to God.  We will miss him.  May God grant him eternal rest.

For more information about our religious education program (also known as "CCD"), please follow the tab referring to that under "Faith Formation."

The Annual Turkey or Ham Dinner is right around the corner! This year we will be feasting on October 15th. As always we are in need of your help! First and foremost we need you to block off that day on your calendar and come join us for lunch. Bring your friends and family. Consider picking up takeout if you can not dine in. Spread the word, we would like to return our attendance numbers to our pre-covid sales. 

Second- Many hands make light work. We have lots of small jobs that need to be completed prior to the event that are perfect for the person who wants to help, but maybe can not make specific times or group volunteer.  

First,  we need someone with a Cricut Vinyl cutting machine who can cut out the new date and attach it to our large banners. 

Second,  we need someone who is comfortable with Canva or a similar design program to update our flyers and social media posts. 

Third, we need someone or a small group of people who would like to assemble the ticket envelopes for us. 

Longer term, the sign-ups for volunteers for the week prior and day of will be going up soon. We are putting a high priority on finding a few additional kitchen cooks who can monitor the roasters and gravy that morning. We love help, but having people who pop through the kitchen and turn up and down roasters and stoves means that some things get burned when the next person makes their adjustment.  If you are comfortable in the kitchen please consider helping us out! It is really having a specific person monitoring roasters/gravy/ stuffing and corn to keep us flowing. 

Starting June 11, 2023, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, and continuing until Corpus Christi next year, the Catholic Church in the United States will emphasize our belief that Jesus Christ, while present to us in many ways, is uniquely, mysteriously, and miraculously present to us, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in the Blessed Sacrament, in Holy Eucharist. 

Like some of the other foundational beliefs of the Catholic faith, the Eucharist is a mystery whose meaning can never be fully comprehended or exhausted.  That Jesus wants us to receive him in reverence in truly Holy Communion with him, is an amazing thing, since in the grand scheme of things we are nothing and nobody except as loved into being by God, and sustained by God.  Our Lord comes to us so that we might have life and have it more abundantly in this life and in the life to come.

Please make use of the opportunities of the coming year to draw closer to our Lord, especially by worthy reception of him in Holy Communion and by knowing the peace of his forgiveness of our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Allow him to transform and transfigure us to become other Christs, showing his goodness and mercy toward all those we can interact with in our little corners of space, time, and relationships.  Let us be happy and help others to be happy, knowing the love of God poured out for us and into us, living in that love, and shining that love on everyone we meet.

The parish financial statement for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, as been posted under the "About" tab above.  Thanks to all those who have donated so generously to our parish.

To help us keep our database up to date so that we can serve you better, if you are someone who comes to church here at least once in awhile and have not already done so, please print out the parish registration form from the link below, fill it out, and either drop it off in the box designated for such forms under the table in the vestibule when you come to church here, mail it to St. Mary's Church, P.O. Box 656, Pecatonica, IL  61063, or scan it and email it to [email protected].  You can also do this if you are already registered, but some information has changed.  God bless!

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