Diocese: Diocese of the Midwest
Deanery: Chicago Deanery
Address
18884 US Highway 150
Bloomington, Illinois 61705
Email:
Website: holyapostlesbn.org
Parish Contacts
Lay Leadership
Directions
From the West
Take I-74 east. Exit at 134B onto South Veteran’s Pkwy. Turn right at first stop light onto Hamilton Rd. and proceed for 2 1/2 miles. (Hamilton Rd. becomes Rhodes Lane at Bunn St.) Turn right onto US Hwy. 150 for four miles. Church is on the left side across from Corn Belt Electric.
From the North
Take I-55 South. Exit at 167 onto North Veteran’s Pkwy. Turn left (south) and proceed for 2 miles. Turn left onto Ft. Jesse Rd. for 2 1/2 miles. Turn right onto County Rd. 1900 E. (Towanda/Barnes Rd). Head south for 6 3/4 miles. Turn right onto US Hwy. 150. Church is on the right immediately past the Freedom Oil Station.
From the East
Take I-74 West. Exit at 142 at Downs, Illinois. Turn right (north) through town and then left onto US Hwy 150 for 2 miles. Church is on the right immediately past lighted intersection and Freedom Oil Station.
From the South
Take I-39/US 51 North. After the I-74 underpass, proceed north for 1 1/2 miles. Turn right at first stop light onto Hamilton Rd. and proceed east for 1 1/2 miles. (Hamilton Rd. becomes Rhodes Lane at Bunn St.) Turn right onto US Hwy. 150 for four miles. Church is on the left side across from Corn Belt Electric.
Schedule of Services
5:00 PM Great Vespers
Saturday Evening
10:00 AM Divine Liturgy
Sunday Morning
6:00 PM Adult Bible Study
Wednesday Evening (Does not meet every week, so please check the calendar)
Confessions before or after Church services or by appointment.
Call for Feast Day, Lenten, and Holy Week service schedule.
Parish Background
Holy Apostles began in 1997, when a small group of lay people met to discuss the possibility of establishing a local Orthodox church. That group was a mixture of “cradle” Orthodox and recent converts, but all prayed for an Orthodox witness in these cities where there was no Orthodox church of any jurisdiction.
Shortly thereafter, the group received the blessing of His Grace JOB, Bishop of Chicago and the Midwest, to be a mission station in the OCA. The first Divine Liturgy was served by Fr. Mark Stevens on the Eve of the Nativity in 1997, and became under the spiritual care of Fr. John Matusiak and St. Joseph’s Orthodox Church in Wheaton, Illinois.
In 2001, His Grace ordained John Dickson Brown to the priesthood and assigned him as priest-in-charge. Also in that year, property was purchased on Hovey Avenue, and extensive renovation work began on two buildings which eventually became the Church and a multi-functional community house. The first Divine Liturgy on the new property was celebrated on the Eve of the Nativity - exactly four years since first gathering for worship. Fr. John served until October of 2012, moving to the state of Georgia.
Shortly after, Fr. Danial Doss, began serving as a visiting priest, and was assigned as priest-in-charge on March 17, 2013. By the end of this year, Holy Apostles was elevated to “church status”, and on March 30, 2014, reader David Gresham, was ordained as deacon, by His Grace, Bishop Alexander.
We about 50-50 “cradle/convert”, with the riches of Greek, Serbian, Russian, Ethiopian, and Coptic heritages currently represented. Several of us have returned to active, regular practice of their Orthodox faith after years away. Our converts range from Roman Catholic to evangelical Protestant, Lutheran and other backgrounds. And, we have seen an influx of children and revitalization of an active Sunday school. However, our focus has not changed, and that is to be a witness of the beauty of Orthodoxy to central Illinois.
