St. Joseph the Worker

Parish Giving

MISSION STATEMENT

VIBRANT & ACTIVE
We are a Roman Catholic faith family in Chatham Illinois committed to proclaiming the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We live our faith with our words and through our actions.  Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, we seek to become a place of mercy and hope where everyone is welcomed, loved and respected.

Parish Pastoral Council

The role of the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Pastoral Council members is to serve the pastor, provide channels of communication and cooperation to the pastor, staff and members of the parish, and provide support to the pastoral work of the parish.   By working together in community we grow in faith and fellowship.

If you have questions, concerns or requests about St. Joseph the Worker Church, your parish stewardship or activity committee, or as a parishioner, you are encouraged to contact the Pastoral Council Chairperson, or Vice-Chairperson.   

Chairperson, Pat Kornfeld,  kornfeld.pat@comcast.net

Vice-Chairperson, Debbie Shawgo,  debbieshawgo@gmail.com

BULLETINS

Living Stations

Thank you to all of our youth and choir members who shared this beautiful re-enactment of the Living Stations with our parish family. We would also like to recognize and thank Cindy Essex and Meredith Koerper for their guidance and organization of this performance for the past 18 years. We are truly blessed by their involvement and loving hearts, and grateful to the youth who participated!

Restored Order Mass

Please join us in praying for our Restored Order Class of 2026. 24 of our youth will be Confirmed in the Holy Spirit and receive their First Holy Communion Tuesday night, March 24th, at 7:00pm at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Please keep our candidates, sponsors and families in your prayers. We will welcome them into our parish family at SJW the following weekend on Sunday, March 29th at the 10:30am Mass.

Plants for Purchase to Benefit the Preschool

The preschool will be selling 10” hanging flower baskets and ferns after mass on March 21st and 22nd. Cost is $25. Pickup will be at the end of April.

Join the Preschool Board

The preschool board is looking for additional board members. If interested or you have questions, please email sjtwpreschoolboard@gmail.com.

Our next gathering will be on Wednesday, March 25th at 11:30am. We will meet for lunch at

The Village Tea Room - 3301 Robbins Road - Springfield, IL 62704

If you plan on joining us, please sign up in the Gathering Space by Sunday, March 22nd. If you have signed up and find you cannot come, please contact Jodi Kos at 217-622-3715 or Mary Lynn Yates at 618-315-2975 in order to give the restaurant an accurate reservation count.

Thank you!

Additional Reconciliation Times During Lent

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.

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.

Evening Prayer & Stations of the Cross

There will be Evening Prayer on Fridays at 5:00pm followed by Stations of the Cross for the duration of Lent.

The March TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) meeting has been cancelled.

Pandamania VBS Station Leaders Needed

Our Vacation Bible School program runs June 22nd—26th, 9-11:30am each day. We are in need of some adult leaders to head a variety of areas (Crazy Crafts, Treetop Treats, Bamboo Blast Games, and Wild Bible Adventures). 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 team!

*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!

Blood Pressure Checks

Beginning the weekend of March 14 and 15, our parish nurses are available before and after all Masses to do blood pressure checks! Going forward, blood pressure checks will be on the second full weekend of each month.

Did you know that Pope St. John Paul II made the phrase "Be Not Afraid" the defining message of his papacy?

Be Not Afraid is the theme at the Day of WATCH (We Are The Church) on March 21, 2026. Elena Tejeda will be a guest speaker. The day includes lunch, snacks and drinks. If you have any questions or plan to attend, please contact Peggy Billhartz (483-2833) or Carol Gustafson (899-6330).

God Bless.

Entering the Parish During the Week

The work on the doors next to the parish office is complete! The office doors will now remain locked throughout the week. When visiting the office or church, please enter through the parish office doors. You will need to ring the doorbell, and, when greeted, please state your name and purpose for visiting. Staff will remotely unlock the doors for visitors. Thank you for your patience as we make our parish safer for everyone!

Our next Afternoon of Games will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 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.

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.

Save the Date for VBS 2026

June 22nd—26th!

SCRIP Fundraising Program

As Mother’s Day and the end of the school year approaches, consider using SCRIP for your gift card needs. There is no additional cost to you, and the preschool receives a percentage of each gift card purchased. Questions about SCRIP? Board members will be available after masses on 3/21-22. 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:

1. Sign in to your Google Account.
2. Search for St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church.
3. Find the Reviews Section.
4. Click “Write a Review.”
5. Rate and Write: Choose your star rating (1-5 stars) and write your review in the text box.  Be honest and specific.
6. 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. 

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.

St. Joseph the Worker Preschool offers a 4/5 year old class that meets on M/W/F from 9:00am - 11:30am and a 3 year old class that meets on T/Th from 9:00am - 11:30am. Mrs.Jackie Viste is the Preschool teacher and provides fun, faith-based enriching activities to all of our students. She is assisted by her aides, parish members  Mrs. Melody Clark and Mrs. Dana Moomey.

More information and all forms can be found HERE