St. Paul’s Church - La Salle
344 Joliet Street LaSalle, Illinois 61301
(815) 220-0238
Welcome to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Holy Eucharist 10:30 a.m. Sundays
Followed by Coffee Hour September – May
Children's Church 10:30 a.m. September – May
Jane Hart playing St Paul's newly recommissioned Organ
Rex Hansen at St Paul's January 6, 2019
Life at St. Paul’s centers upon the Sunday Eucharist, an appropriate, reverent worship service with meaningful readings, prayers, sermons, and uplifting, inspirational music. The congregation loves to sing. Brass instruments may be added for special services, and the donation of a grand piano from the estate of a faithful member has increased the range of music offered. Additionally, the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Matrimony, Healing, and Burial are very important parts of the life of the church. Special services are also held on holy days throughout the year. Please see the Calendar or the News/Good News Bulletin pages listed on the LaSalle County Episcopal Ministry (LCEM) home page of this website.
People of all ages at St. Paul’s genuinely care for each other and spend time ministering to each other’s needs by praying, listening, visiting, giving rides to church, or helping in other ways. Visitors and new members are always welcome, and any baptized Christian may received Communion.
Both the church and adjacent parish hall are handicapped accessible.
Holy Baptism welcomes a new member into the church
Holy Matrimony is celebrated
at St. Paul’s.
Children's Church
Children at St. Paul’s attend class during the first part of the Sunday service. Lessons are based upon the scheduled Bible readings for the day. The class prays regularly for children and all others at San Andrés Apóstol Episcopal Church and School in El Salvador and in our companion dioceses of Southeast Mexico and Renk, South Sudan. They have exchanged letters and small handmade gifts with children at San Andrés and have also written letters to children in the Diocese of Southeast Mexico. Other recent activities include painting El Salvadoran crosses, making cards for homebound parishioners, participating in the international Letters for Peace project, and collecting money for hurricane, typhoon, and tornado victims.
Children's church members learning about El Salvadoran crosses, then creating their own design.
Wooden crosses painted by the children's church in the style of El Salvadoran folk artists, showing images of things that give people hope and faith in troubled times, including the sun, water, a rainbow, home, family, and love.
Ways We Serve
Church members read the Lessons, host coffee hours, and serve at the altar, on the altar guild, or on the Bishop’s Committee or LCEM Board.
Outreach
The people of St. Paul’s support various local, national, and international charities, including the Illinois Valley Food Pantry, Episcopal Relief and Development, United Thank Offering, American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association, TELA Women (telawomen.org), and the school and children of San Andrés Apóstol in El Salvador.
Cops 4 Cancer Parade
Along with other LCEM churches, St. Paul’s helped sponsor Pool Day for children in El Salvador.
Traditions
A Ladies’ Lunch is held once a month. All women of the LCEM are invited. St. Paul’s Soup ’n’ Sandwich Lunch has been an annual tradition since the 1950s. Parishioners work together to prepare and serve a delicious lunch in the historic Parish Hall, and it is well attended by members of the community.
A Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent and/or for Christmas is held in December, and the whole community is invited. A recent display of Nativity sets from around the world may become St. Paul’s newest tradition.
Combined Services with members of other LCEM churches are held four or more times a year. Parishioners enjoy worshipping with members of the other churches and getting to know them better during fellowship following each service.
History
St. Paul’s was founded in 1907 and grew to a congregation of 200 communicants in 1946. The present church was built in 1953. With changes in the Illinois Valley in the seventies and eighties, the congregation became more transitional.
A new chapter in the life of the church began in 1993 when St. Paul’s joined with the other Episcopal churches in LaSalle County (Christ Church, Ottawa, Christ Church, Streator, and St. Andrew’s, Grand Ridge) to form the LaSalle County Episcopal Ministry, an alliance that shares clergy, programs, and administrative services. Participation in LCEM combined services throughout the year gives people the feeing of power and support that comes from worshipping with a larger group of Episcopalians.
Parish Hall
Coffee hours, meetings, meals, displays, and other gatherings are held in St. Paul’s historic Parish Hall. Beautiful old woodwork and a fireplace plus a well-equipped kitchen make it a perfect setting for a variety of church and community functions. Both the hall and its modern bathroom are handicapped accessible.
The hall is available for use by the public. Please contact the church office at lcem.office@gmail.com or 815 220 0238 for more information.
St. Paul's, LaSalle
344 Joliet Street
LaSalle, Illinois 61301-2128
815-223-3614
