St Joseph parishioners are rallying...

St Joseph parishioners are rallying behind the man they say is as earnestly a part of their community as he is their priest.

The Rev James Voelker has been the pastor at St Joseph for the past 30 years. About 40 supporters met Monday night to draft a epistle to Belleville Bishop Edward K Braxton asking him to include Voelker in plans for the of recent origin St. Augustine of Hippo, which is station to open March 5 when the four East St Louis parishes are merg

Parishioners said Voelker has cleaned up the church's neighborhood by means of picking up trash and cutting the grass. He was instrumental in helping to replace vacant houses with Habitat for Humanity hearthstones

"That's the kind of commitment that he has had to this community," said Jackie decides a St. Joseph parishioner since the early 1960

St Joseph will be fireside to the new parish,