St. Dominic Hall
Capital Campaign
St. Dominic Hall Rendering
“We must sow the seed, not hoard it”
– St. Dominic
“Our mission is to make the saving and transformative grace of Jesus Christ present in our parish boundaries by dedicating ourselves to celebrating the sacraments, devotion to prayer, fostering the faith handed on by the apostles, and building authentic community through fellowship and the works of mercy.”
On December 6 , 2026, St. Malachy Church will celebrate its 125 anniversary of dedication. It is an occasion to look back to the families who first made this church building possible, and to those who have built up our tradition of faith (especially the Dominican Sisters of Springfield). It is also an important moment to look forward to the future. Bishop Lou Tylka has called us to “Grow Disciples,” and to look to our mission and not just maintenance.
This new building will help to make our parish church more accessible, to provide much improved restroom facilities, to improve our capacity to welcome those who celebrate our regular Masses, as well as special events like baptisms, weddings, Quinceaneras, and funerals.
It will give a space for easier fellowship after Mass and to grow the sense of community at Mass. This project is not just to improve our comfort, but to better be able to invite others to encounter Christ here, and to grow the seed of faith for the future. Like those who have gone before us, the sacrifices of the present provide for the needs of tomorrow. Thank you for your generosity in faith!
The parish is the presence of the Church in a given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in the Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration… It’s a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey, and a centre of constant missionary outreach.
Pope Francis
Built on Faith
St. Dominic Hall will include:
- Easier access to the building and an improved parking lot
- Modern restroom facilities – a men’s and women’s room with multiple stalls and a changing table
- An entrance breezeway that provides secondary service as a cryroom during services.
- A gathering space for easily accessible fellowship or discipleship opportunities after Mass. This could also be a space to host simple visitations before a funeral.
- Easily accessible storage space for the adornments of the church.
We ask that you prayerfully consider making your pledge by the end of this year. Our goal is to begin construction this Spring and to celebrate the dedication of the hall in conjunction with the 125th anniversary of St. Malachy Church on December 6th, 2026.
We ask that you prayerfully consider making your pledge by the end of this year. Our goal is to begin construction this Spring, and to celebrate the dedication of the hall in conjunction with the 125th anniversary of St. Malachy Church on December 6th, 2026.
“Those who are unequal in their capacity to give can be equal in the love within their hearts”
– St. Leo the Great
St. Dominic Hall
Campaign Goal:
$1.5 Million
A 24-Month Period Giving Plan
Please make your check to St. Dominic Hall Capital Campaign. Your commitment can be fulfilled with an initial payment plus installments as follows:
| Pledge | Initial Pay | Annual | Qtr. | Month | Weekly |
| $50,000 | $5,000 | $22,500 | $5,625 | $1,875 | $433 |
| $25,000 | $2,500 | $11,250 | $2,813 | $938 | $216 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 | $4,500 | $1,125 | $375 | $87 |
| $7,200 | $720 | $3,240 | $810 | $270 | $62 |
| $5,400 | $540 | $2,430 | $608 | $203 | $47 |
| $5,000 | $500 | $2,250 | $563 | $188 | $43 |
| $3,600 | $360 | $1,620 | $405 | $135 | $31 |
| $1,800 | $180 | $810 | $203 | $68 | $16 |
| $1000 | $100 | $450 | $113 | $38 | $9 |
Recognition Tiers and Memorial Plaques
Special memorial plaques will be displayed in the hall around an image of St. Dominic according to the tiers below. However, each and every gift is greatly appreciated, even if you are not able to reach one of the recognition tiers. We know that the level of giving is distinct from the level of sacrifice.
Dominican Legacy
$100,000+
Crowning Growth
$75,000-$99,000
Widening Branches
$50,000-$74,999
Laying Roots
$25,000-$49,999
Seeds of Love
$10,000-$24,999
Seeds of Hope
$5,000-$9,999
Seeds of Faith
$1,000-$4,999
If you have questions about gifts or payment plans, please contact Fr. Joel Phelps or the St. Malachy Parish Office. Remember that this contribution is tax-deductible and can reduce your overall tax liability.
Why St. Dominic
& Why now?
The choice to name this building “St. Dominic Hall” comes from both his history and ours.
St. Dominic was a major catalyst for renewal in the Church during his own time. He founded a new religious order in 1217 AD, naming it the “Order of Preachers” (the members later came to be known as “Dominicans” in honor of their founder). He began with a small group who dwelt together in the same house. When their common life was disrupted by conflict in that city, they faced a choice: try to continue as they had been living, or adapt? St. Dominic’s answer was recorded in a simple statement of faith: “We must sow the seed, not hoard it.” Drawing upon the parable of Luke 12:16-21, he saw that it was time for them to expand their mission in a new phase, and share what they had received.
The members of the Dominican Order began to go out into the world, lighting the fire of faith and planting seeds of growth. This in fact fulfilled a dream that Dominic’s mother had had during her pregnancy, of a hound carrying a torch in its mouth throughout the world. Eventually, this generosity of spirit led to the establishment of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, and their service through Donovan Memorial/St. Malachy School in Rantoul and St. Lawrence Academy in Penfield.
The name of “St. Dominic Hall” honors this legacy. We likewise are using as the tagline for our capital campaign his instruction “we must sow the seed, not hoard it.” Now is the time to continue this tradition of generosity by laying a foundation to prepare for the future needs of our parish.
While the last two capital campaigns have focused on needed upgrades for St. Malachy School (building the cafeteria, gym, and related renovations), this campaign will provide much needed improvements to our church facilities. Bishop Lou Tylka has asked us to look at how we can provide stronger centers of parish life in our rural areas through the Diocesan planning process of Growing Disciples. Through the collaboration of St. Malachy in Rantoul, St. Elizabeth in Thomasboro, and St. Lawrence in Penfield, we have the mission to serve all of the faithful in this region.
We need places where people can come together to encounter Jesus and His grace through prayer, the sacraments, faith formation, and fellowship. Here, like St. Dominic, we can let our personal gifts be nourished so that we can go out into the world and transform it through our particular vocation. St. Dominic Hall will provide improved accessibility, restroom facilities, meeting space, and other upgrades that will allow the classic beauty of our church (dedicated in 1901) to continue to better serve the needs today.
History of St. Malachy Church
The first Catholics in the Rantoul area were served by priests from St. Mary’s in Champaign from 1859 to 1871. In 1872, the original Catholic church in Rantoul was built on the corner of Tanner & Champaign Streets. The present church on the corner of Route 45 and Grove was built in 1901. It was constructed for a cost of $20,000. A dedication ceremony took place on December 6, 1901 with the Bishop and priests joining the ninety-five parish families in celebration.
Many of the appointments were made possible through the generosity of individual donors. The bell in the bell tower was donated by John Joseph Fitton. Patrick and Mary Markey donated the cross on the steeple. Names on the original stained glass windows are still visible, reminders of those early parishioners – Francis Walsh, Patrick Murray, Robert and Henry Lordan, Thomas Christy, Edward Quirk, Michael Quinlan, John, Leonard, Patrick, Connor, and P & W Conlin. The Cecilia window in the choir loft is inscribed as a gift of Mary Connor.
Major church renovations took place in the 1940s under the leadership of Fr. Charles Williams. During the 1970s under the leadership of Fr. Stanley Malinowski, the interior and exterior of the church were updated in accordance with the changes after the Second Vatican Council. The interior was repainted
to its existing form in 1994. As part of the Opening New Doors campaign (which constructed the new gymnasium at St. Malachy School), parish offices were added to the school building. The old parish rectory and administrative building were removed, creating the open space to the east of the
Church.
Today we face a similar challenge to our predecessors: how do we provide for the needs of our parish today? While much work has been done, the accessibility of St. Malachy Church remains similar to its original construction 125 years ago. There is a need for improved restroom facilities and space for fellowship. St. Dominic Hall will provide an opportunity to let the classical beauty of our church meet the needs of our parishioners, and provide a seedbed for growth through strengthened community.
Dominican Sisters of Springfield
A key part of our parish history has been the presence of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield. In 1873, six Dominican sisters were sent from Siena, Kentucky to Jacksonville, Illinois in order to assume responsibility for teaching a large population of Irish immigrant children whose fathers were building the railroad. They arrived to find a tiny, deteriorating cottage and a four room school building that needed to be adapted to serve 400 students. Originally, they thought this mission would only last for two years. However, when the time came, they were instead asked to consider starting a new congregation separate from the Sisters in Kentucky. They dedicated themselves to a day of prayer, and then made their decision. As described in a history written in 1973 by Sr. Thomas Aquinas: “…fear had been lost in the magnitude of the commitment to which they were being called… Like the Apostles, they felt drawn to witness Christ as He was asking them to do. One by one, each affixed her name to the document that sealed their acceptance of the trust of founding the congregation.” Thus began the Dominican Sisters of Springfield.
Less than forty years after this decision, a group of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield arrived in Rantoul. Land had been purchased at the bequest of Catherine Donovan to start a Catholic school. On September 8, 1914, Donovan Memorial School was dedicated. It was staffed by the Dominican Sisters, who lived in the upper floor of the building. Due to increasing need, in the early 1960s the land adjacent to Donovan Memorial was purchased, and a new school building was constructed. The school was renamed as St Malachy School, and was dedicated on September 8, 1962. This was only one of their foundations in the area. In 1916, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield arrived to serve at St Lawrence Academy in Penfield, IL. This school continued in operation until 1966.
The Dominican Sisters continued to serve at St Malachy School, as well as serving in the office of Parish Life for St Malachy Church. They coordinated parish religious education for children and adults, as well as organizing the parish outreach to homebound and nursing home populations. The Sisters served in the choir and helped with the youth group. With the arrival of many Spanish-speaking Catholics after the closure of the Chanute Air Force Base, Sr. Paulita Philippe took the initiative to begin a Spanish Liturgy of the Word/Bible study at the parish in the early 2000s. This has grown into the vibrant Hispanic ministry we have today.
In all of these ways and more, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield have brought the spirit of St. Dominic to northern Champaign County and western Vermilion County – the area covered by our parishes now. The name of “St. Dominic Hall” highlights this ongoing legacy as we seek to foster our ability to live our mission in the years to come.