Our Centennial History

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Our Centennial History

• CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF
• FAITH , FAMILY
• SACRAMENTS SERVICE

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Local farming communities Lodi,
Sycamore, Virgil and Blackberry
The names back in the mid 1800s in some cases
were different. Blackberry Townships 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.
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Traveling to Church before the early 1850s
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!
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1851 the first Catholic church in Blackberry
Township
1851 Fr. William Feeley
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, Barneys 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 ODwyer. Only a partial cemetery
survives there today as the tiny church was moved
to DeKalb.
1853 Fr. Patrick ODwyer
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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.

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1875 Church debt is cleared

• -
• 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
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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 Ls.
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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
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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.
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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 Elburns 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 todays dollars that would be at least
700,000 which still seems like a bargain!
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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. Troys leadership that the parish purchased
the 2nd rectory the two story white house next
to the old post office.
1924 - Fr. Robert Troy
First Mass is celebrated in new church on
Christmas Eve 1925.
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The original interior
The original interior looks quite a bit different
than today. Notice the stained glass windows are
already in place.
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1929 Fr. Edward OBrien

• Early Depression

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
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Late 1920s 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 Johnsons 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.
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Johnsons 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.
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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
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• 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.
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St GallLatin Mass
1960 - Fr. Edward Fanning He becomes new
pastor, but only stays for 1 year.
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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.

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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.
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New Parish Hall 1970
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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.
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New Shepherd

• 1974
• Fr. Thomas
• Dempsey

He then directs renovation of facilities.
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Bishop ONeill re-dedicates the church in 1975
You can also find Fr Thomas Dempsey to the Bishop
right (center).
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50th Anniversary of the Church building
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1978 Fr. Walter Roberts
Priests of our Parish
1986 Fr. Albert Rennell He served only until
1987
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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

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• 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.
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Great outreach and Fundraiser Turkey Dinner
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Fr. Paddocks 40th anniversary in 1999
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Fr. Richard Paddocks Retirement
2003
Fr. Paddock retires in 2003 after 16 years as St.
Gall pastor the 2nd longest in our history.
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2003 Fr. Karl Ganss
Our Current Pastor
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Fr. Karls 40th Anniversary 2008
He looks just the same, doesnt he?
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Photos taken during Fr. Karls 40th Ordination
celebration.
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Sons of St Gall Elburn
FAITH

• Rev. John MOORE, OSM
• Rev. Robert SCHNEIDER
• Rev. Howard LEUER, OP
• Rev. Richard LEUER, OP
• Rev. Randy
• FRONEK

• Rev. Daniel J. CONWAY
• Rev. Francis J. KEENAN
• Rev. Thomas G. FLYNN
• Msgr. Leo M. KEENAN
• Rev. Kenneth
• THEISON

What an awesome heritage
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Daughters of St Gall Elburn
FAITH

• Sr. Mary Margaret FARRELL
• Sr. Mary Ellen PITZ
• Sr. Madelyn GOULD

A continuing tradition
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FAMILY
Family centered activities enrich our parish life.
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FAMILY
Blessing the bicycles and more
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SACRAMENTS
Celebrating the sacraments together is a golden
thread connecting all of our history.
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SACRAMENTS
What a beautiful Easter
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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.
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SERVICE
Not least of which is our 128 year history of St.
Patricks Day Turkey Dinners.
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Our Solid Ground
From yesterday
To today To tomorrow
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Our Solid Ground
Our FAITH, FAMILIES, SACRAMENTS, and SERVICE all
combine to create our SOLID GROUND.