St. Polycarp Catholic Church in Carmi, Illinois
Fr. Gregory Ogbenika – Parish Administrator
209 Fourth Street, Carmi, Illinois 62821
Phone: 618-380-2262
email: wccatholic@gmail.com
Mass Schedule:
Sunday Mass – 10:00am
Thursday Mass – 5:00pm
Friday Mass – 5:00pm
Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick:
End of Mass on the 3rd Sunday
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament:
1st Friday of every month after Mass
St. Polycarp Parish’s roots can be traced to the first Mass at a farmhouse north of Carmi in 1847. Beginning with that first Mass celebrated by Father Elisha Durbin, the famous circuit-riding priest of St. Vincent’s in Kentucky, services were held at various locations in and around Carmi until St. Polycarp Church was dedicated in 1880. St. Polycarp was a Bishop/martyr of Ismir, Turkey, and a disciple of St. John the Evangelist, but it is not known why he was chosen as the patron saint of the parish. The parish remained a mission until a rectory was built in 1881. On January 14, 1882, the first resident pastor arrived and built a parochial school. By 1887, however, the parish had dwindled, the school had closed, the priest had moved, and St. Polycarp was again a mission until 1895. The school reopened in 1899 and remained in use until 1910. After 1910 it was used just for religious education and as the parish hall.
The present church was built in 1961 where the old church had stood. Plans were then made for a new rectory. The large white house across the street from the church was purchased, and the priest lived there until 1962. At that time the School Sisters of Notre Dame arrived and established a convent at this home. The priest rented a nearby apartment until the new rectory was completed. Since the new rectory included a lower level meeting room for parish gatherings, the old school/hall was torn down. More classrooms were soon needed for religious education, so the center across the street was exchanged for the house at 308 Oak Street. This house was then converted to an educational facility. Plans were made in 1973 to build the present parish hall, which was completed and dedicated on February 27, 1977.
As a mission, the spiritual leadership of the priests of Shawneetown, Cairo, Enfield, Piopolis, Equality, and Teutopolis guided the parish until 1882. Thre priest from Enfield conducted services from 1887 to 1895. We have had 22 resident priests and 7 bishops in our diocese.