Father Peter was born on November 25, 1989, in Umucheke, a rural community in Southeastern Nigeria. His middle name, Okenna, is his Igbo name meaning "God’s share." Father Peter's parents, Nze Pius Chineke and Ezinne Virginia Chineke, both of blessed memory, were practicing Catholics until their deaths in 2020 and 2025 respectively. His mother, Virginia, was Anglican before her marriage and converted to Catholicism after marrying Father Peter's father, who became Catholic at the young age of eight. Although Father Peter has several stepbrothers and stepsisters, along with many close relatives, he has one younger sister and three older brothers, as well as six nieces and four nephews.

He attended Community Primary School in Umucheke (a public school) for his elementary education from 1996 to 2002. He then went on to St. Augustine’s Grammar School in Nkwerre (an Anglican mission school) for his secondary education from 2002 to 2008. After two years of post-secondary education, which were interrupted by his desire to pursue the priesthood, he entered a religious community in 2010 and began his missionary journey.

Two years later, this journey took him to the Philippines, where he continued his missionary activities with both the Anawim and the Sons of Mary Immaculate communities. While in the Philippines, Father Peter completed his college education at the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in Manila. He was also actively involved in his community’s youth apostolates, which allowed him to travel to various towns and provinces across the country.

In the summer of 2016, Father Peter joined the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois. Upon his arrival to the States, the Diocese sent him to St. Meinrad seminary and school of theology in southern Indiana to continue his seminary formation. After four years of formation and graduate studies in theology at St. Meinrad, Father Peter was ordained to the priesthood on June 19, 2020, alongside five of his classmates by Bishop Paprocki.

Before becoming our pastor at St. Jude in the summer of 2024, Father Peter served as a parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Springfield and as chaplain at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield during the first two years of his priesthood. In the summer of 2022, he was temporarily assigned as parochial administrator at Saints Simon and Jude in Gillespie, Saints Mary and Joseph in Carlinville, and St. Joseph in Benld. From 2022 to 2023, he served as the parochial administrator of St. Thomas Church in Decatur. Then, from 2023 to 2024, he was the parochial administrator of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Mount Zion. During his time in Decatur and Mount Zion, he also served as chaplain at both St. Teresa High School and Millikin University, both located in Decatur.

Father Peter has a deep love for the priesthood and takes great pleasure in his role as pastor. He does not have any particular hobbies, as they tend to change based on his location and what activities are available. However, some of the things he enjoys most include celebrating and praying the sacraments, hiking, playing soccer, biking, spending time with family and friends, studying, and traveling. He has visited many states and countries for missions, conferences, and pilgrimages. Currently, he organizes annual local pilgrimages for his parishioners, as well as international pilgrimages open to everyone almost every year. His last three international pilgrimages were to Italy in June 2019, Israel in May 2023, and Greece/Turkey in May 2025. His next pilgrimages are planned for Italy on August 2026; and France, Portugal, and Spain in May 2027.

Born on April 7, 1954, Deacon Thomas Walker was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on June 24, 2007. Since his ordination, he has faithfully served the Church of St. Jude in Rochester, where he continues his ministry to this day. Deacon Tom is devoted to serving the people of the parish through preaching, liturgical ministry, and pastoral care, and is a valued presence in the spiritual life of the community.

My wife, Sue, and I have been members of St. Jude for nearly 50 years, where we raised our two children, Eric and Kimberly. We are now blessed with four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. After six years in the Navy, we returned to Rochester and began attending St. Jude. My professional career was in construction and building trades, including teaching at Jacksonville Correctional Center and serving as Chief Engineer at Taylorville Correctional Center until my retirement in 2008.

Sue and I have always felt called to serve—through roles such as Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Sacristans, and by supporting RCIA, PSR, Parish Council, and the Liturgy Committee. In 2007, I was ordained a Permanent Deacon as part of the first class in the Diocese of Springfield. After 15 years serving several area parishes, I returned to St. Jude and entered retired deacon status in 2023. I continue to assist at Mass and serve the parish wherever I’m needed, and I look forward to many more years in this faith-filled community.

Sara was hired in August 2024 by Father Peter Chineke and came to this position after seeking a new job opportunity from her previous employment with the Social Security Administration for 4 years. Sara was excited to be chosen for this position as it has always been a position that she wanted. Sara truly loves the Church of St. Jude and all its parishioners as this church has always been her home church since she was a young child growing up in this Rochester community. Sara is currently the Parish Office Manager and is responsible for ensuring that all of the needs of the pastor, parish staff, and parishioners are met on a daily basis. Sara truly loves the job as it always keeps her busy with various tasks and there is always a new project to tackle and a new task to complete. Sara also enjoys sharing a smile to all her enter the Parish Office and is always there to welcome and assist anyone who comes into the office. Sara can be reached at (217) 498-9197 or at sgarcia@stjude.dio.org from 9am-4pm Monday through Thursday and 9am-3pm on Fridays.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1

Hello! My name is Alicia Harney, and I am so honored to be stepping into the role of PSR Coordinator here at St. Jude’s. This parish has truly become my spiritual home over the last several years, and it is where my faith has been renewed and deepened in ways I could have never imagined. My journey back to the Church has been filled with God’s gentle whispers, unexpected blessings, and the constant reminder of His grace, even in the hardest seasons of life.

What began as simply wanting to support my own children’s faith formation has grown into a deep desire to help all our parish children know how loved they are by God and how His grace is always available to them. I believe PSR is more than just learning about the Sacraments; it is about planting seeds of faith, walking alongside families, and building a lifelong relationship with Christ.

I am truly humbled to serve in this ministry, and I look forward to working together to help our children not only learn about their Catholic faith but also see it lived out in joy, hope, and love. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me by contacting the parish office. And please keep me, our catechists, and our PSR families in your prayers as we begin this new chapter together!

I began working part-time at St. Jude in July 2022. At the time, Fr. Chuck Edwards was seeking a Safe Environment Director, an assistant for the religious education program, and someone to design and create birthday and anniversary cards for parishioners. A mutual friend, knowing he needed the position filled, recommended me to Fr. Chuck, and he offered me the job. I’m deeply grateful for that introduction, as I have truly enjoyed and cherished my role at St. Jude from the very beginning.

Dean was hired by Father Dean Probst and was working 2 jobs at the time he was hired as he was still working Maintenance at New Berlin School when he was hired by Father Dean. After Dean retired from New Berlin, Dean said that he was grateful to still have the maintenance job at St. Jude's as it was during the COVID pandemic and jobs were few and far between, but at that time, Father Alford kept him working and managing all of the maintenance needs of the church, rectory, and parish. Dean stated that he truly enjoys this job as it always keeps him busy and there is always a change of pace, it is not always the same jobs needed every day and there is always a new project to tackle. Dean is currently the Plant Manager Director at the Church of St. Jude and is responsible for ensuring that all of the maintenance, janitorial, and event set-up/tear down is achieved. We are grateful for Dean and his expertise and for his many years of service to the Church of St. Jude as he is an asset to our parish office staff team.

Homebound Ministry is a compassionate outreach dedicated to bringing the presence of Christ and the warmth of our parish community to those who are unable to attend Mass due to illness, age, or physical limitations. Through regular visits, prayer, conversation, and the distribution of Holy Communion, our ministers serve as a vital connection between the homebound and the life of the Church.

A Springfield native, Sue Lutz attended St. Aloysius Grade School, Ursuline Academy, and Springfield College in Illinois before earning her Bachelor of Music Performance from Millikin University. With over 40 years of experience as Senior Director of Sales for Steinway pianos and Allen church organs, Sue brings a deep love for sacred music and liturgical excellence to her work.

She has served as Director of Music at several local parishes, most recently at St. Aloysius Church, before being led by the Holy Spirit to join the Church of St. Jude. Sue and her husband reside in Sherman and are proud parents of three adult children and grandparents to five wonderful grandchildren.

I was invited to join the parish team by Fr. Peter, who recognized the growing need for strongdigital outreach within our faith community. With a background in communications and a passion for creative ministry, I stepped into the role of Communications Coordinator to help share the life and mission of our parish in meaningful and accessible ways.

I manage our parish’s social media presence, oversee the development and upkeep of the website, and support communication efforts that keep our parishioners informed, inspired, and connected. It’s a joy to help tell the story of our parish and highlight the many ways Christ is at work in our community.

Stjudesocials@gmail.com