More Church Closings, Mergers For Diocese of Joliet Revealed

JOLIET — The Diocese of Joliet and Bishop Ronald Hicks on Thursday afternoon issued a four-page press release announcing that more parishes and Catholic churches outside of Joliet are being merged or closed. The latest round of Catholic church closings and mergers impacts southern Will County, Grundy County and DuPage County parishes.

The following information is contained in the press release:

"Ultimately, the Phase 3 Targeted Restructuring process affected 22 sites, which included 20 parishes and two additional worship sites. As of July 1, 2025, those 22 sites are being consolidated into 11 parishes and 6 worship sites.

"Significant changes, as the ones I am announcing today, will also necessitate some reassignments of priests within our Diocese. Those decisions have not yet been made. Priest assignments require additional discernment, discussion and decisions by our priests, the priest personnel board, and me. Changes in assignments and responsibilities will be announced by June 1, 2025.

"Allow me to share more about our path forward. This third phase of restructuring for our diocese is our final phase for now. However, that does not mean we remain static or complacent. My obligation as your bishop is to remain attentive to our pastoral needs and to the shifting needs of our faithful and surrounding demographics. We will continue to monitor the health and viability of our parishes, schools and ministries to make sure we are a vibrant, thriving Catholic Church that is dedicated to passing on our faith to the next generations.

"Effective July 1, 2025, the following parish restructurings will take place:

• St. Boniface in Monee and St. Mary in Park Forest will amalgamate into St. Liborius in Steger.
St. Mary’s church and buildings will close. At this time, the St. Boniface church and
buildings will remain open, to be used at the discretion of the pastor of St. Liborius. St.
Liborius will be asked to evaluate quickly the use and status of its former convent and
former school building, given the available facilities at Mother Teresa Catholic Academy.
• St. Paul the Apostle in Peotone will remain open as an independent parish.
• St. Patrick of Wilton Center in Manhattan will amalgamate into St. Joseph, Manhattan.
St. Patrick’s church will close.
• Immaculate Conception in Braidwood will amalgamate into St. Rose of Lima in Wilmington.
Immaculate Conception church in Braidwood will remain open as a worship site.
• Sacred Heart in Kinsman will amalgamate into Assumption in Coal City.
Sacred Heart church in Kinsman will remain open as a worship site.
• St. Mary in Reddick will be amalgamated into and remain affiliated with St. Lawrence Parish
in South Wilmington.
• The St. Mary site will serve as a worship site.
• St. Lawrence O’Toole Chapel in Essex will close.
• St. Luke in Carol Stream will amalgamate into Corpus Christi in Carol Stream.
The church and buildings of St. Luke in Carol Stream will close.

• St. Mark in Wheaton will amalgamate into St. Michael in Wheaton. St. Mark church will remain open as a worship site.
• Christ the Servant in Woodridge will remain open as an independent parish.
• St. John the Apostle in Villa Park will amalgamate into St. Alexander in Villa Park.
St. John the Apostle will close its church and buildings.
• Ascension of our Lord in Oakbrook Terrace will merge with Christ the King in Lombard.
Christ the King will become the designated parish.
Ascension of our Lord will remain open as a worship site. Temporarily the name of the
merged parish will be “Christ the King and Ascension of Our Lord Parish” and, after July 1,
2025, the parishioners and pastor of the newly merged parish will decide on a new name for
the parish.

As a result of consolidations, the following eight amalgamated parishes will exist as of July 1, 2025:

• St. Liborius in Steger
• St. Rose of Lima in Wilmington
• Assumption in Coal City
• St. Lawrence in South Wilmington
• St. Alexander in Villa Park
• Corpus Christi in Carol Stream
• St. Michael in Wheaton
• St. Joseph in Manhattan
Two parishes will continue to exist as independent parishes:
• St. Paul the Apostle in Peotone
• Christ the Servant in Woodridge
One parish will exist as a result of the merger of two parishes, and will be temporarily named as:
• “Christ the King and Ascension of our Lord.”
Six former parishes will now become worship sites as of July 1, 2025:
• St. Boniface in Monee
• Immaculate Conception in Braidwood
• Sacred Heart in Kinsman
• St. Mary in Reddick
• St. Mark in Wheaton
• Ascension of our Lord in Oakbrook Terrace

Finally, these four parish churches and one chapel will close effective July 1, 2025:

St. Mary in Park Forest
• St. Patrick (Wilton Center) in Manhattan
• St. Luke in Carol Stream
• St. John the Apostle in Villa Park
• St. Lawrence O’Toole Chapel in Essex