Transcript family - St. Gall Catholic Church

Our Centennial History
CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF:
FAITH , FAMILY
SACRAMENTS & SERVICE
Local farming communities …
Lodi, Sycamore, Virgil and Blackberry
The names back in
the mid 1800’s in
some cases were
different. Blackberry
Township’s largest
community of
Blackberry (or
Blackberry Station as
it is noted on this
early plat map),
destined to be called
Elburn. Our other
neighbor, Maple
Park, was then called
Lodi.
Traveling to Church before the early 1850’s
Elburn area Catholics
were totally
dependent on
missionary priests
from Elgin and
Chicago OR they
were forced to walk
10 miles to St.
Charles – the closest
church!
1851 – the first Catholic church
in Blackberry Township
1853 –
Fr. Patrick
O’Dwyer
The first Catholic church in Blackberry
Township was just off Keslinger Road on
land donated by the Barney Milnamow
family. The site was halfway between
Elburn (then called Blackberry) and
Maple Park (then called Lodi) and
included members from both. The small
wood frame church was called at various
times Milnamow Chapel, Barney’s Hill,
and, most often, simply the Hill Church.
The official name was St. Mary.
Construction began with Fr. William
Feely, pastor of St. Mary, Elgin, in 1851.
The church was completed in 1853 by Fr.
Patrick O’Dwyer. Only a partial cemetery
survives there today as the tiny church
was moved to DeKalb.
1851 –
Fr. William
Feeley
1870 - The first St. Gal Church is built.
1870 –
Fr. O'Leary,
Missionary
1872 –
Fr. McGuire
The first Catholic Church in
Elburn was located on the
southeast side of town near
the end of First and Swain
Streets. It was called St.
Gal (with just one “L”, taken
from the ancient Gaelic
spelling). The church was
built of pale colored cut
stone.
1875 – Church debt
is cleared
1872 Fr. James Maloney
Lodi (Maple Park)
A bell tower and a new steel roof
are added to the young church,
now a mission of St. Mary in Lodi
(Maple Park). Fr. Maloney pays
off the church debt of $1700 – a
huge sum in those days – by
establishing a Building Fund and
working tirelessly to raise the
needed funds through
contributions.
1875 - Fr. Paul
Halbmeier
Local young man ordained
In mid 1894 – Fr.
Daniel J. Conway
was ordained in the
Chicago Archdiocese
and celebrated his
First Mass in Elburn.
He was the first of
the sons of our
parish to become a
priest. The name of
the parish had
evidently changed by
then to the current
spelling – St. Gall
with two “L”s.
1911 - St. Gall named an independent
parish and resident pastor assigned
In 1911, just three years
after Rockford Diocese was
created out of the
Archdiocese of Chicago, the
small St. Gall Church, by
now a mission of Holy
Cross in Batavia, was
assigned its first resident
pastor. St. Gall was now
an independent parish for
the first time! Fr. Daniel
Drennan, the first pastor,
had been the Assistant
pastor at our parent parish
of Batavia before this
assignment.
1911 - Fr. Daniel
Drennan,
1st pastor / St. Gall
The 1st rectory …
Prior to his arrival… the parish
bought a home across First street
from the stone church as a rectory
for Fr Drennan. His mother and
sister lived with him. This house is
still standing in south Elburn – it is
yellow and blue.
The parish relocates to Shannon Street
This excerpt came from an unidentified
newspaper clipping – August 1925:
“During the past several years plans were
formulated for a modern and up to date edifice.
These plans have been perfected under the
supervision of the present pastor, Fr. Robert C.
[Troy] … The new church, of Romanesque
design, because of its central location at the
corner of Main and Shannon Streets will add not
a little to the beauty of Elburn’s main
thoroughfare … Buff colored pressed brick is to
be used in the construction of the church and a
Spanish belfry will top it as a fitting and pleasing
ornament. This new church will be completed
and furnished at a cost of $28,000.”
In today’s dollars that would be at least
$700,000 – which still seems like a bargain!
1924 – 1925 Present church constructed
1921 - Fr. Daniel
McCaffrey
In this photograph we see the very recently finished current church.
Notice the surrounding ground is still all bare dirt.
It was also under Fr. Troy’s leadership that the parish purchased the 2nd
rectory – the two story white house next to the old post office.
First Mass is celebrated in new church on Christmas Eve 1925.
1924 - Fr. Robert
Troy
The original interior …
The original interior looks quite a bit different than today.
Notice the stained glass windows are already in place.
Early Depression
1929 –
Fr. Edward
O’Brien
With the impact of the financial hardships of the
Depression, the 31 remaining families (an all
time low membership) could not afford to keep a
resident pastor.
Fr. James Friedrich was the chaplain of the
Illinois School for Boys and St. Gall became a
mission under his care. He served the needs of
the parish faithfully and well for ten years, until
his death in 1940. He never took a dime as pay
and even paid some of the parish bills.
1929 –
Fr. James
Friedrich
Late 1920’s – the old stone
church is dismantled
Elburn Forest Preserve
The stone and timber from the original St. Gal is
later used in the construction of shelters at both
Johnson’s Mound and Elburn Forest Preserve
Parks. Parts of the story behind this happening
are still a mystery under investigation – including
the exact date. Tillie Henderson, a 93 yr. old
lifelong resident, has a distinct memory of
watching the old stone church being torn down
through the windows of the old elementary
school on south First Street. She was between
3rd and 5th grades, placing the date as between
1927 and 1929.
Johnson’s Mound
The stone was at some later point
donated to the Forest Preserve to be
used in the shelter construction.
According to legend the men of St. Gall
parish also donated much of the labor.
St Gall receives
their longest serving pastor …
After rapid growth in the late ’30s, Fr. Leonard
Guzzardo is appointed resident pastor.
Sisters of St. Francis from Virgil begin religious
instruction classes.
Fr. Guzzardo served the longest period of time
as pastor … 20 years.
1940 –
Fr. Leonard Guzzardo
1952 - Rectory is built next to the church.
By 1958 the parish has
110 families on the
membership roster and
that number continues to
climb steadily.
St Gall
Latin Mass
1960 Fr. Edward Fanning
He becomes new pastor, but only
stays for 1 year.
Priests of our Parish …
1961 –
Fr Joseph Driscoll
He takes over as pastor. He remains
until 1967 when ill health forces him
to resign.
1967 –
Fr. Harold Nilges
He is appointed pastor for three
years.
Construction and Changes …
1970 –
Fr. Robert Devine appointed pastor.
The new Parish hall, begun by Fr. Nilges, is completed.
By 1970 the parish has
nearly doubled in size from
the previous decade –
reaching 202 families
enrolled. At the end of this
decade there were even
more, 275 families.
New Parish Hall
1970
Ties to the Old church reconnected …
The stone lintel and keystone on the 1870 St. Gal Church
AND in its current place of honor on the side of the parish hall near the current entrance.
New Shepherd
1974 –
Fr. Thomas
Dempsey
He then directs
renovation of facilities.
Bishop O’Neill re-dedicates
the church in 1975
You can also find Fr Thomas Dempsey to the Bishop right (center).
50th Anniversary of the Church building
1978 –
Priests
of
our
Parish
…
Fr. Walter Roberts
1986 –
Fr. Albert Rennell
He served only until 1987
A Growing Parish …
From 300 families
in 1987, when Fr.
Paddock joined
the parish, the
Elburn area
undergoes a
population and
building boom.
By 2003, when he
retired, the
membership had
mushroomed to
700 families!
1987 –
Fr. Richard Paddock
1990 – Church interior is renovated again
Paneling removed and many other changes made. During
the time the scaffolding was up parishioners were peeking
through the doors trying to see what it looked like. The
church ended looking much as it does today.
Great outreach and
Fundraiser … Turkey Dinner
FR. PADDOCK’S 40TH
ANNIVERSARY IN 1999
Fr. Richard Paddock’s Retirement
2003
Fr. Paddock retires in 2003 after 16 years as St. Gall pastor – the 2nd longest in our history.
2003 –
Our
Pastor …
Fr. KarlCurrent
Ganss
Fr. Karl’s 40th Anniversary – 2008
He looks just the same, doesn’t he?
Photos taken during Fr. Karl’s 40th Ordination celebration.
Sons of St Gall … Elburn
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Rev. Daniel J.
CONWAY
Rev. Francis J.
KEENAN
Rev. Thomas G.
FLYNN
Msgr. Leo M.
KEENAN
Rev. Kenneth
THEISON
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FAITH
Rev. John MOORE,
OSM
Rev. Robert
SCHNEIDER
Rev. Howard
LEUER, OP
Rev. Richard
LEUER, OP
Rev. Randy
FRONEK
What an awesome heritage
FAITH
Daughters of St Gall … Elburn
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Sr. Mary Margaret
FARRELL
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Sr. Mary Ellen PITZ
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Sr. Madelyn GOULD
A continuing tradition …
FAMILY
Family centered activities enrich our parish life.
FAMILY
Blessing the bicycles and more …
SACRAMENTS
Celebrating the sacraments together is a golden thread connecting all of our history.
SACRAMENTS
What a beautiful Easter
SERVICE
Serving the parish and the
wider community is
something for which St. Gall
has a well-deserved
reputation for caring and
going the extra mile.
SERVICE
Not least of which is our 128 year history of St. Patrick’s Day Turkey Dinners.
Our Solid Ground
From yesterday …
To today …
To tomorrow …
Our Solid Ground
Our FAITH, FAMILIES, SACRAMENTS, and SERVICE all combine to create our SOLID GROUND.