Quite possibly one of the smallest churches I have been to but one of the most charming. St Mary's is due northwest of Hooppole, IL ( no booming metropolis in its own right), and one would almost certainly miss it, if one were not looking for it. The Church dates to 1883. A victim, as many rural parishes in the area were, to demographics,attendance (never particularly large by urban standards) diminished after the 40s. In spite of this Masses were held regularly up to 2004. The last Paschal Candle in the Church is dated 2009, so masses were held with some frequency up until that date. The foundation was, I believe originally German farmers, but the place has a decidedly Belgian flair. The large rolle bolle rosary is a notable feature of the site. The game of rolle bolle being a mystery to me, here is a link or two to explain it
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vangampleare/rollebolle.htm
http://www.belgiancookieiron.com/rolle.htm
Although this church, now a shrine instead of a parish, has been previewed in some media sources, we received a tip about it while visiting the Church of St John in Bradford, IL. This church will be featured in a subsequent post. Given is small size and perseverance, based in no small part on the loyalty of its pastors and populace, the site is a site indeed beloved of the spirits of the past and some of the community of the present. Though its formal closure as a parish bespeaks that onslaught of time and "progress" against rural American culture and adds a melancholic twinge to our visit, the fact that the site is still a well maintained shrine bespeaks the fact that, referring back to our Belloc poem (from which this blog derives its name) there is someone to answer to the spirits that loved her. As is custom here are pictures from the inside. The church has been remodeled but it appears that much of the original statuary is preserved in a little museum of sort appended directly to the church proper.
https://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/91810StMaryOfTheFields#
