1303 North Walnut Street • Danville, Illinois 61832 • Telephone 217-442-5313 • Fax 217-442-5356

Our History

St. Paul’s Parish dates its humble beginning back to when Father Francis J. O’Reilly, pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Danville, founded the church in 1910. In October of 1911, the property for the church and parish house was purchased for nearly seven thousand dollars and construction began the following year. The church was completed and dedicated on May 7, 1913 and the Bishop appointed Father T. F. Monaghan as their first pastor on June 12, 1915. Father Monaghan remained the pastor of St. Paul’s until his passing on December 12, 1939. During Father’s tweenty-four years of service, he added to the Parish property by purchasing St. Paul’s community house in June 1937.

On January 20, 1940 Rt. Rev. Msgr. W. J. Drummy became the second pastor of St. Paul’s Parish. Three years after becoming pastor, Msgr. Drummy and the parish of St. Paul’s pledged eighty-four thousand dollars towards the construction of Schlarman Catholic High School. When Msgr. Drummy announced his retirement in 1946, it was decided that Father John P. Farrell would succeed Msgr. Drummy and become the third pastor of St. Paul’s parish. Father Farrell died of a heart attack in 1948 and Father C.B. Motsett became the fourth pastor of St. Paul’s and would remain so for the next twenty-six years.

In 1956 a grade school was built with six classrooms and a gymnasium and a convent was added to the parish property with the purchase of a former residence. In 1960, five additional classrooms were added to the school and in 1965 an upstairs addition was that included five classrooms and a teacher’s lounge was built onto the school. In 1970, two houses behind the Parish were purchased and converted into eight apartments for the elderly and retired.

When Father C. B. Motsett transferred to Farmer City in 1974 Father O’Toole became the fifth pastor of St. Paul’s parish. From 1978 to 1988 Father Thomas Shea guided the parish into a new level of lay involvement and organization. This involvement continued with the sixth pastor, Father Don Henderson who was succeeded by the seventh pastor, Father Doug Hennessy in 1991. In 1992 the parish offices were moved to the rectory and the former convent was converted into living spaces for the priests and areas for parish meetings. In 2000, the parish acquired property one block from the church and remodeled it to become The Motsett Center, a parish hall to complement the community space available in the school and parish house.

St. Paul’s Grade School has a current enrolment of more than 275 students and is a strong supporter of Schlarman High School. Parish programs and activities include the parish picnic and Freedom Years Luncheon, an outreach food pantry and Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few.