Parish Staff

Our Pastor: Father Mark J. Merdian

Born in Peoria, November 13, 1966 to Melvin and Mary (Roth) Merdian of Chillicothe. He received his BA from Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota with a major in philosophy and a minor in psychology. He attended Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland and graduated with an Masters in Arts in moral theology and a Masters in Divinity in 1993. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 1993.

He was an assistant, St. Matthew's Champaign, 1993. During his tenure in Champaign, he was a member of the Covenant Hospital Ethics Board providing consultation to the hospital on medical-moral questions.

He was named Administrative assistant to Bishop Myers and vice-chancellor in 1997. While remaining an administrative assistant to bishop and vice-chancellor, administrator, St. Peter's Peoria, 1998. Pastor, St. Peter's Peoria, while remaining administrative assistant to the bishop and vice chancellor, 1999. During his tenure as the Administrative Assistant to the Bishop, he was named to the Governing Board of Catholic Social Service of Peoria, serving as Board member for three years. In 2001, he was appointed an ex-officio member of the Diocesan Ethics Committee to assist with promoting Medical-Moral Issues to our Catholic Hospitals and Medical Facilities.

In June of 2001 he was assigned as the Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Metamora and St. Elizabeth Mission in Washburn, Illinois until November of 2001.  In November of 2001, He was also assigned to be the Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Roanoke, Illinois and St. John Parish, Benson, Illinois.

In June of 2003, Bishop Daniel Jenky, CSC appointed Fr. Mark Merdian as the 8th pastor of St. Matthew Parish in Champaign, Illinois.  He currently serves on the Diocesan Personnel Board, the High School of St. Thomas More Pastors Board, the Diocesan Education Committee and the Clergyman s Aid Board.  He is also on the Liturgical Commission of the Diocese, the Art and Architecture Commission and a member of the Diocesan Healthcare Committee. back to top

Parochial Vicar: Father Anthony W. Co

Fr. Anthony Co was born in St. Charles (IL) on December 31, 1977, and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago (West Chicago). His father immigrated from the Philippines in the late 1960's and his mother was raised in rural southern, IL (near Effingham). He has three sisters: Cheri Scripter, Trinette Sanders, and Besty Meyers.

While completing his studies of philosophy and eastern religions at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, Fr. Anthony received his calling to the priesthood.

Immediately after graduating from U of I, Fr. Anthony entered Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary (Emmitsburg, MD) and for the next five years he prepared for Holy Orders for the Diocese of Peoria, IL.

Fr. Anthony was ordained to the transitional diaconate with his brother seminarians on May 15, 2004 at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Emmitsburg, MD). He was ordained to the priesthood at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception on May 28, 2005 and offered his Mass of Thanksgiving on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

He was an assistant at Imm. Conception Catholic Church (Monmouth), St. Theresa Catholic Church (Alexis), and St. Andrew Catholic Church (Oquawka) from June 2005-2006. There he worked with the college students at Monmouth College as a Newman chaplain as well as assisted his pastor, Fr. Michael Monclova, with his parish ministry.

In June of 2006, Fr. Anthony was reassigned to assist at St. Matthew Catholic Church and the Latino community of Champaign-Urbana at St. John’s Catholic Chapel.  In September of 2007, Fr. Anthony was relieved of his Latino ministry and now serves his pastor, Fr. Mark Merdian, and St. Matthew Catholic Church fulltime.

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Parochial Vicar: Fr. Mark Miller

Born in Davenport, Iowa, August 9, 1963 to Richard and Joan (Dahlquist) Miller. He received a BS from Iowa State University in Ames, IA in 1986 and an MS from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987. In 1998 he began seminary studies at St Ambrose University in Davenport, IA. In 2000 he attended Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland and graduated with a Masters in Divinity in 2004. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 28, 2005. Has three sisters: Amy Pappas, Kathleen George and Julie Marley.

He was an assistant at St. Vincent de Paul (Peoria), from 2005 to 2006; Sacred Heart (Moline), from 2006 to 2007; and St. Patrick (Washington) and St. Luke's (Eureka), from 2007 to 2008.

Fr. Miller has been assigned to various parishes before ordination to the priesthood, including 5 months at St Matthew's in 1999 with Fr Anthony Trosley. Other shorter summer assignments as a seminarian include Immaculate Conception (Monmouth), Sacred Heart (Annawan), and Holy Cross (Champaign). He spent 1 year at Immaculate Conception (Mendota) as a transitional deacon.