Diocese of Joliet announces closings, mergers for area Catholic churches

Bishop Ronald Hicks, head of the Diocese of Joliet, announced Thursday the closing of four churches–including two in our area. The closures are part of the third phase of the diocese’s restructuring.
St. Lawrence O’Toole Chapel in Essex and St. Patrick in Manhattan, will close effective July 1. St. Patrick will be merged into St. Joseph of Manhattan.
In December 2024, Hicks expressed his thoughts and concerns about the restructuring.
“I wish the reality and data were different,” Hicks said. “I wish we didn’t have to make a lot of these hard decisions.”
Hicks outlined the decisions during a statement that detailed the future of 22 sites across DuPage, Grundy, and southern Will Counties, as part of Phase 3 of the diocese’s plan.
The initiative was spurred by declining Mass attendance, financial challenges and the need to address the availability of clergy.
“Change is hard,” Bishop Hicks acknowledged. “These decisions may affect where you worship, how far you need to drive to attend Mass, and what you consider to be your intimate faith community.”
For residents of Wilmington, Braidwood, Coal City, South Wilmington, Essex, and Wilton Center, these changes represent a significant shift in how local Catholic communities will operate.
In addition to the closing of the parishes in Essex and Manhattan, the restructuring, the following parishes will participate in the third and final phase of targeted restructuring:
• St. Rose of Lima, Wilmington
• Assumption, Coal City
• St. Lawrence, South Wilmington
• St. Joseph, Manhattan
The following changes will be effective as of July 1:
Immaculate Conception Parish in Braidwood will remain as a worship site, but be extinguished as a separate parish and be united with St. Rose of Lima Parish in Wilmington.
Sacred Heart in Kinsman will amalgamate into Assumption Parish in Coal City, with Sacred Heart retaining worship site status as part of Assumption.
St. Mary in Reddick will merge  with St. Lawrence Parish in South Wilmington, but retain status as a worship site.
“I don't want to be the bishop who buried his head in the sand and kicked the can down the road,” Bishop Hicks said. “We have to make some of these hard and unpopular decision for the good of the wider church.”
Bishop Hicks emphasized that the restructuring process was deliberate and inclusive, involving clergy, lay leaders, and parishioners.
The restructuring decisions were made based on demographic trends, financial data, Mass attendance, and input from Catholic Leadership Institute consultants and the Diocese’s Targeted Restructuring Committee (TRC).
“That means you will no longer have pastors who are asked to lead two or more parishes,” Bishop Hicks said. “My hope is to support a local church that is thriving and growing. “
The restructuring process will also involve reassignments of priests within the diocese, with those decisions to be announced by June 1, 2025.
Bishop Hicks urged parishioners to embrace the changes with an open heart and to welcome members from other parishes into their communities.
“My obligation as your bishop is to remain attentive to our pastoral needs and the shifting needs of our faithful and surrounding demographics,” he said.
Additional details may be found on the Diocese of Joliet’s website under the “Targeted Restructuring for Parishes and Schools” under the News, Events, & Multimedia tab.