Parish News & Events
Congratulations to the Restored Order Class of 2026
Congratulations to 26 of our youth who were Confirmed and received their First Holy Eucharist last Tuesday at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. We wish our candidates well as they begin the next phase of their journey, in living out their calling as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
A very special thank you to all those who contributed to the Mass in the various ministerial roles as well. We are blessed by your generosity and giving spirits. Our prayers and appreciation are with you all!
Anna Cecilia Burke
David Michael Calle
Julio Christopher Calle
Paula Aloysius Calle
Natalie Anne Croxton
Benjamin Luigi Dokey
Eloise Cecilia Flott
Ella Elizabeth Heffley
James Vincent de Paul Jakoby
Jillian Louise de Marillac Jakoby
Magnolia Lucy Kaufmann
Emily Elizabeth Kelly
Violet Veronica Kos
Madalyn Madeleine Sophie Barat Krager
Charles Anthony Mbakwe-Obi
Eric Joseph Moore
Ava Francis Morris
Michael Sebastian Murphy
Sochukwu Cyprian Nnaomah
Ella Genevieve Orsi
Joseph Michael Pavich
Jordynn Julie Billiart Poss
Emma Catherine Rich
Juliet Narcisa Schmidtke
Benjamin Sebastian Sinner
Sophia Maria Faustina Kowalska Verenski
Baptism Preparation Class
A baptism preparation class is being offered on Thursday, April 9 at 6:30pm in the Resource Room. Please contact the office at 217-483-3772 if you would like to sign up.
Baptism preparation classes are designed for parishioners that would like to have a child baptized in the future.
Two New Bible Studies after Easter
04.07.26 Bible 101: Part 1 - Overview of the Bible.
04.14.26 Bible 101: Part 2 - Book of Acts and Paul’s Travels. No cost.
04.21.26-05.26.26: 6:30PM – 8:00PM
Bible Study on Paul’s letters to Titus and 1 Timothy.
Cost: $5.00 – Copy fee only.
Sign up in the gathering space through Easter Sunday. 04.05.26. There is no limit to the number of participants. Contact/Text Randy at 217-899-9302 or email him at r.cates1735@gmail.com.
Important Information for Volunteers
All parishioners that volunteer/serve within the parish must have an active background check completed through Catholic Mutual Group (CMG). The parish secretary has mailed out notices to those that had active background checks that have expired. Please complete the form she mailed to you and complete the online portion of the background check for the Diocese. If your background check is not up to date, you will not be able to volunteer or serve until it is updated. Should you have questions or would like to check on the status of your background check, please contact the parish office at 217-483-3772.
Our next Afternoon of Games will be held on Wednesday, April 1, starting at 11:30am in Kollross Hall. We will offer cards, dice, and board games. You can bring a friend, learn a game, teach a game, or just sit, watch, and visit.
2026-2027 K-8 Faith Formation Registration Now Open
Registration for the 2026-2027 Faith Formation year is underway. Forms were emailed this past week to current Faith Formation families whose children have been participating in the program over this past year. However, we ask all families with children kindergarten through grade level 8 to register for Faith Formation. We look forward to working alongside your families in helping them grow strong in their faith. If you have a child ready to enter kindergarten or are new to the parish, please let us know so that we can be sure to get you on our registration list.
All children, grades K-8, may attend Faith Formation on Sunday mornings from 9:15-10:15am.
Tuition for Grades K-8 is $60 for one child and $100 for two or more. Fees are due by August 1st, 2026. Please note: no child will be denied participation in Faith Formation due to an inability to pay. We have multiple options to assist you if needed. Please contact the Parish Office with questions.
Save the Date!
The next OWLS gathering will be on Friday, April 10th at 5:30pm
in Kollross Hall. More details to follow.
Remember, if you are 55+ at SJW parish, you are automatically a member of OWLS!
Pandamania Vacation Bible School
Registration for Vacation Bible School, which will be held the week of June 22nd-26th; 9:00-11:30am each day, is now underway. This year’s theme is “Pandamania: Where God is Wild about You!” VBS is open to all children age 4 (by 9/1/26) to present grade level 4 (entering grade 5). Registration closes Friday, May 29th, 2026.
Registrations after May 29th, 2026 will be accepted as space allows.
VBS is $10.00 per family.
Forms can be found on our website: www.stjoschatham.org or in the Parish Office; Monday-Friday / 8:30-4pm.
Pandamania VBS Station Leaders Needed
Our Vacation Bible School program runs June 22-26th 9-11:30am each day. We are still in need of some adult leaders to head the following areas. Please prayerfully consider being apart of this extraordinary ministry and if called to participate, please contact Janice Anderson in the parish office with questions or more info. We’d love to have you join our amazing VBS team!
Crazy Crafts & Missions (2 Needed): Station leaders coordinate the lesson activities and materials for Crazy Crafts throughout the week. Leaders will help the kids take part in fun crafts that connect to the day’s Bible Story and Bible Point.
Treetop Treats (2 Needed): Station leaders create tasty treats that connect to the daily Bible Points, all of which are ready to go in the Treetop Treats Leader Manual.
Wild Bible Adventures (1 Needed): Station leaders guide small-group discussions where the children connect their unforgettable experiences from Sacred Scripture to real life.
*Please note: all groups are fully supported, assisted, and guided. No experience necessary, just a desire to share your faith with the youth of our parish!
Lenten Reminders
Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturdays from 3:15 – 4:00pm. Additionally, Fr. Joe will have confessions each Thursday evening through March 26th, from 5:00pm – 6:00pm. Fr. Joe can also meet with you by appointment.
Mass on Mondays for the remainder of Lent will be at 6:00pm, followed by Stations of the Cross.
On Fridays during Lent, there will be evening prayer at 5:00pm, followed by Stations of the Cross.
NOW HIRING
St. Joseph the Worker is looking to hire a part-time Director of Faith Formation for our youth, K-8th grades. Must be Catholic and in good standing with the Church. Responsibilities would include the coordination of Sunday morning Formation sessions, planning the curriculum, supervision of catechists, etc. If interested, please call Fr. Joe at 217-483-3772, or email him at: pastor@stjoschatham.org.
Congratulations!
CONGRATS to parishioner and GHS sophomore Finn Try on being an Eagle Scout for Chatham Troop 310. We are so proud of you, Finn! What a wonderful accomplishment for you and your Troop.
Parish Office Closed
Please be aware that the parish office will be closed on Friday, April 3 (Good Friday) and Monday, April 6. The office will resume with regular business hours on Tuesday, April 7 from 8:30am to 4:00pm.
Sew ‘n Sews
Please be aware that the Sew ‘n Sews have suspended meetings until Tuesday, April 7. Hope to see you there!
YOUTH
There will be weekly Youth sessions beginning at 11:45am on Sundays after Mass for all youth ages 7th grade through 12th grade. Please mark your calendars! Light snacks and drinks will be provided.
SCRIP Fundraising Program
Why not purchase gifts cards through SCRIP! Our preschool purchases gift cards from Great Lakes Scrip (a clearing house offering hundreds of different gift cards) at a discount of 1.5%-20%, depending on the business. Gift cards are sold to you at face value. In fact, you can purchase Visa Gift Cards without an additional fee! Gift cards are ordered on the first of the month or more often depending on the number of orders. You can find the order form HERE
Support St. Joseph the Worker Parish with time, talent, treasure and a Google review!
Your good review might be the vehicle to entice others to come and experience our friendly and welcoming worship environment. Discipleship is in action when we share our thoughts about why we choose to worship at St. Joseph the Worker Church. If you write reviews for your favorite restaurant or other service provider, why not write a review for your church. Spread the good word!
To write a review:
- Sign in to your Google Account.
- Search for St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church.
- Find the Reviews Section.
- Click “Write a Review.”
- Rate and Write: Choose your star rating (1-5 stars) and write your review in the text box. Be honest and specific.
Submit. Once you’re satisfied, click “post” to publish your review.
Please check-in at the office before entering the building during work hours. We need to know who is in the building in case of an emergency.
Knights of Columbus 4179 News
If you are interested in joining the Knights of Columbus, please contact Sean Fink at 217-415-1147.
Rosary Group
St. Joe’s Rosary Group Prayer Session is available to all parishioners who want to praise and worship God, to pray for St. Joseph the Worker Church, family, friends and loved ones or to intercede for others. We start praying the Rosary on Zoom at 4:15pm and finish all prayers around 5:10pm. You can join through the Zoom Meeting ID: 509 233 2302 Passcode: Prayer, or you can call Pam Branham at 217-652-0246 for more details.
Important News for Parents!
The Cry Room, or Quiet Room, in church is there for a very worthwhile purpose. It is for a child who may be restless, crying, etc. This space enables the child and parent to still be able to hear the Mass yet not disturb the people around them in the main church proper. But this space is limited in size and in the number of people able to be accommodated. Therefore, please do not use this space for any other purpose than stated above. It is not a space for multi-members of a family to reside during Mass. This limits other people from using the room. Thanks for understanding.
Memorials
One of the beautiful ways we can keep a deceased loved one’s memory alive is through having a memorial set up at the time of their death. A very nice example of such a memorial would be to have one for St. Joseph the Worker Parish. People would then have the opportunity to designate SJW for a memorial gift. At the time of a loved one’s passing, please consider having our parish as one of the memorial options.
Please Note
If you are over the age of 21, are still living with your parents, and are gainfully employed, you should register as a member of the parish instead of continuing to be a part of your parent’s household. This will make our records more accurate.
Would you like to add something to this list or bulletin?
All bulletin info is due on Fridays by 12:00pm to secretary@stjoschatham.org.