Our History

The construction of the Illinois Central Railroad in the mid-1850s was a primary impetus behind the creation of both the Church and Cemetery.  The railroad was located two miles west of Urbana, in a town called West Urbana (later changed to Champaign).  The labor-intensive project attracted approximately 8,000 to 10,000 workers, most of whom were Irish Catholics with a small German Catholic population as well.  To provide religious services for the workers, Father Thomas Ryan was appointed missionary priest and St. Mary’s parish was established in 1854.  The parish was under the umbrella of the Diocese of Chicago (also referred to as the Diocese of Illinois) and the first Catholic church in the area.  To spur the development of the railroad throughout Illinois, the Railroad received over 2.5 million acres via a government land grant.  Much of this land was eventually sold to individuals to farm the land surrounding the railroad. 

The Cemetery was first established in 1866, when Francis Kaffer and his wife deeded 5.67 acres to Father James Duggan, Bishop of Chicago, for $1.00.  The land was immediately adjacent to the railroad and was sold under the condition the parcel be used as a Catholic Cemetery forever.

In 1875, The Diocese of Peoria was established encompassing territory from the Mississippi River to the Indiana border (including St. Mary’s) and a couple of years later, Father John Lancaster Spalding was consecrated as the First Bishop of Peoria.  In 1897, Ross Mattis and his wife deeded about 5 acres to Bishop Spalding for $450 growing the Cemetery to 10.5 acres.

Today, the Cemetery has over 3,100 graves and is honored to be the final resting place for the Catholic community of Champaign-Urbana.  The Cemetery includes the graves of fifteen Catholic Priests, a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroic action during the Battle of Gettysburg, many veterans, including a survivor of the USS Indianapolis, and a former pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.

Memorial Day Mass

Memorial Day Mass: May 27th, 2024 – 9:00am (weather permitting)

St. Mary’s Cemetery and the Knights of Columbus are proud to offer Mass at the cemetery every Memorial Day. This Mass is open to the public, seating is limited, please bring your lawn chairs. Join us as we honor and remember.

For additional information please call the cemetery office at 217-351-8364, ext. 3.

Avenue of Flags

In 2019, the cemetery’s Avenue of Flags was started. The goal of this project is to line the all the streets of St. Mary’s Cemetery with US Flags to be displayed on patriotic holidays to honor our country and veterans. Donations by the Knights of Columbus, area business and individuals have funded this entire project and over 51 flags have been installed to date.

Flags are displayed on… Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and Veterans Day.

A donation of $175.00 will add one complete 10’ Flagpole and a 3’ x 5’ US Flag, installed on our Avenue of Flags. To donate, mail your check to Avenue of Flags, Twin City Council 891 Knights of Columbus, P.O. Box 3545, Champaign, IL 61826.

NOTE: Donations made to the Knights of Columbus are not tax deductible.