St. Anne's Catholic Church Finds New Owner, But Will These Church Bells Chime In The Future?

CREST HILL, IL — For the past two years, the church bells have gone silent at the former St. Anne Catholic Church after former Diocese of Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks opted to close down St. Anne's and sell off the property.

The parishioners from St. Anne merged into Crest Hill's other long-time parish, St. Ambrose, and last October, the parish was renamed as the St. Carlo Acutis Parish in honor of the new millennial saint.

Now that spring is here, signs of life are evident at the former St. Anne's property, thanks to the work of Karges Realty and Realtor Brian Bessler. Karges, the listing agent for the Diocese of Joliet property, has found a new buyer for St. Anne's — Pastor Willie Mingo, who lives in Joliet, is moving his Spirit and Power Ministries to the vacant Catholic church.

Until now, Mingo's Spirit and Power Ministries has been holding its church services at the conference room space inside the Holiday Inn and Suites off Houbolt Road and I-55.

Bessler said that one of the great aspects of Spirit and Power Ministries moving into St. Anne's is that Pastor Mingo fully intends to restore the church's bells, which for decades chimed on the hour every hour, to the enjoyment of the neighborhood.

St. Anne's officially closed its doors on July 1, 2024. The address of the property is 1800 Dearborn St.

Bessler said that Karges Realty had multiple prospective buyers for the St. Anne's church, and ultimately, Pastor Mingo emerged as the new owner.

"The Diocese did a great job of maintaining the property," Bessler explained during a recent Joliet Patch interview. "The Diocese had some restrictions on the deed, one of which was no alcohol on the premises."

"I'm excited to see what he's going to do for the Crest Hill community as well as his congregation," Bessler remarked. "He's really committed to being a great neighbor."

Pastor Mingo told Joliet Patch he hopes to hold his first services inside the church this spring, in April or May, perhaps, and he wants to hold a ribbon-cutting celebration as well. The Catholic church's stained-glass windows, a hallmark of St. Anne's for decades, are also remaining.

"We want to have the city come in and if the mayor's available," he said of Mayor Ray Soliman. "And the neighbors have been absolutely wonderful.

When asked if he plans to restore the St. Anne bells to their former glory, Mingo responded, "Yes, sir. We definitely want to do the bells. And if anybody wants to do a wedding, we have a large banquet hall (downstairs)."

Mingo said that the downstairs banquet hall can easily accommodate 80 to 100 guests.

Mingo told Joliet Patch he graduated from college in North Carolina in 1984, and from there he moved to Crest Hill.

"We're not a large church, I would say 20 to 25 people attend on a regular basis on Sunday," Mingo told Patch. "Now that we're here, people from the community can know that they're welcome. "

Mingo said that Spirit and Power Ministries is a Pentecostal Christian church.

"When people ask me, 'Are you a Christian church?' I say absolutely," Mingo replied.

Mingo said he's in the process of making significant capital improvements to the property as the new owner of St. Anne's. One of his first priorities is improving the parking lot.

As for his background, Mingo said he obtained his degree in business administration and has two master's equivalents in Christian studies and urban ministry. He said he retired after 37 years of working in the insurance industry. His wife, Tanya, is a retired Will County Courthouse employee.

"We definitely believe in education and in educating the members of the congregation's children," Mingo remarked.

If people throughout the Joliet area are interested in renting out the downstairs banquet hall for events including birthdays, retirement parties or baby showers, Pastor Mingo said people can reach him at 815-351-6999 or by email at williemingo@sbcglobal.net