St. Patrick Church Information

Schedule

Masses

Saturday: 4:30 PM

Sunday: 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 AM

Confessions

Saturday: 3:00 to 4:00 PM

History of St. Patrick Church

Toward the end of the nineteenth century, a continuous influx of Irish Catholics necessitated the creation of a second Irish parish in the city of Ottawa. In March of 1893 the Most Reverend John Lancaster Spalding, first Bishop of the Peoria Diocese, decided to divide the parish of St. Columba and fixed the boundaries of the new parish, to be known as St. Patrick Parish, to include all of West Ottawa and Ottawa Township, west of the city limits. He appointed as the priest in charge, the 32 year old Father M. A. Quirk, a clergyman of unusual ability and influence, who lost no time in getting to the task that awaited him.

By July of 1893 he had purchased the land at the corner of Jefferson and Pine Street for the price of $5,200. A contract to commence the construction of the stone church, as it stands today, over 100 years later, was set for $22,892 - the style to be English Gothic, 118 feet long by 92 feel wide. This width includes the chapel just east of the main church. The entire edifice is built of Berea sandstone from Cleveland, Ohio.

On September 24, 1893 the cornerstone was laid by Father James Ryan, Bishop of Alton, who was previously the pastor of St. Columba Church. Until the chapel on the east side of the church proper (St. Hilda's Chapel) was opened for services on Sunday, May 21, 1894, the people of the parish attended services at St. Francis' German Catholic Church. The main church was not completed until five years later.

An old ravine situated near the new church, the unpaved streets, along with very few sidewalks, gave the church a rough appearance. Father Quirk, as a park commissioner of the city, was largely responsible for getting the ugly ravine in the neighborhood filled, and the attractive Shabbona Park (now known as Rigden Park) established and pushed for the paving of the west side, taking it out of the sand and mud.

Generous parishioners donated funds to completely furnish the church, but one thing it sorely needed was an organ. Efforts were made to solicit funds for the building of a new pipe organ and, ten years later, on October 3, 1909, this dream was realized with the dedication of the new organ.

Less than twenty years after the laying of the cornerstone, the church property was paid for at the then great sum of $5,200 for the ground and $50,000 for the church.

From the First Plenary Council of Baltimore came the decree that whenever it was possible to do so, a parochial school should be established at every parish plant throughout the country. Father Quirk, realizing the wisdom behind such an admonition, announced his plans to build a school for the children of the parish. The idea was warmly received by the parish community and in 1913 three new schools were opened simultaneously for St. Patrick, St. Columba and St. Francis parishes. The Apostolic Delegate of the Holy Father to the United States was resent.

The lower floor of the school contained restrooms, play rooms, and a boiler room. The second floor housed four large classrooms which would accommodate 8 classes. The third floor offered a small theatre where assemblies and entertainment of a general nature could be held; school plays and, at one time, parish bingo games every week. Total outlay for the school upon completion was $35,000 with most of this conscripted prior to the opening date. Since its beginning and continuing to the present day the school has been served by Dominican Sisters from Sinsinawa, Wisconsin

No priest could more literally live for his people and spend himself for them than did our first pastor, Father Quirk. At barely fifty-seven years of age he had worn himself out and amidst universal mourning of the entire community he passed to his eternal reward on 29 October 1917, just one year short of his Silver Jubilee as pastor and in the thirty-fifth year of his priesthood.

Bishop Edmund M. Duane appointed our second pastor, Father Lawrence Hackett who served St. Patrick Parish from 1917 until 1931. Father Hackett provided the spiritual leadership for the parish during the First World War and the stock market crash, which began the Great Depression. Seventy-four parishioners served in the armed forces during WWI. From 1927 until 1931 the pastor was assisted by Father Thomas Kelly. From the founding of the parish, the priests lived in a small frame house on the west side of Pine Street. As a suitable home for the clergy assigned to the parish was direly needed, Father Hackett undertook this project. As there was ample room on the west side of the church for the building of the rectory, Father Hackett built a stately manson-type home for the clergy. It is said that it was the first rectory in the Peoria Diocese where each resident priest had complete private living quarters; a sitting room, bedroom and bath. The rectory was completed in 1928.

Bishop Joseph H. Schlarman appointed our third pastor, Father James Dollard who served briefly from 1931 until 1932. He was followed by Father Charles Medcalf who served until 1945. Father Medcalf was the shepherd of the flock during the Second World War. From 1941 to 1942 the pastor was assisted by Father Michael VanRaes.

The parish was served by Monsignor John Sheedy from 1946 until 1960. as many as six curates served under Monsignor Sheedy: Father E. F. Duke (1946-1950), Father John Hecht (1950-1951), Father John Ryan (1951-1953), Father Joseph Zube (1953-1954), Father Eugene Kane (1954-1960), Father William Isermann (1958-1959), and Father Harold Schmitt (1959-1963). in 1957, a new gymnasium was added to the south side of the original school building. The new gym was to serve also as a cafeteria. With the completion of the gym, an athletic program and hot lunch program were inaugurated. Also during this period two buttresses were attached to the west side of the church to curtail a setting of the building and spreading of attic timbers. Monsignor Sheedy was pastor during this entire reign of Bishop William E. Cousins.

Father John Gordon came to the parish in 1960, having been appointed by Bishop John B. Franz. Father Gordon, who served until 1972, guided the parish throughout the days of the Second Vatican Council. Father Harold Schmitt was here when Father Gordon arrived as pastor. Father Donald Schladen (1963-1968) and Father Thomas Maloney (1968-1972) also served as curates under Father Gordon. Father Gordon undertook his first major renovation to the church by removing the first high altar and installing a mosaic on the north wall of the church. A similar mosaic was installed on the wall in the chapel.

Father Robert Creagor served our parish from 1983 until 1998, and did so without a curate. Father Creagor undertook the tremendous task of rebracing the attic trusses of the church to offer greater support of the roof which was close to being lost through the weakness brought on by old age. The renovation of the church was extended from the attic to the interior and exterior of the church building. The interior of the church was completely gutted in August of 1984, redecorated and refurnished. The new altar and baptistry, where possible, were made from marble salvaged from the original interior of the church. Though some delay was experienced before the work was completed, new pews were installed in January of 1985, bringing the first phase of the parish renovation to its completion.

In the spring of 1986, a major remodeling, redecorating and refurnishing of the rectory began. A new roof, replacing the original roof, was laid. The beautiful white oak woodwork was stripped and refinished. The renovation covered each of the seventeen rooms of the house.

Father Philip D. Halfacre, who was appointed Pastor by Bishop John J. Myers, presently serves St. Patrick Parish. Father Lourduraj Ignatius is currently his assistant. Prior to Father Ignatius's appointment to St. Patrick Parish in 2007, Father Halfacre was assisted by Father Daniel J. Wilder from 1998 to 2000. When Father Wilder was transferred to the Newman Center in Macomb, Father Creagor came out of retirement and greatly assisted in the pastoral care of the faithful. In 2001 Father Thomas Akpen resided and assisted in the parish as he completed his doctoral work. When Father Akpen left in 2002, Father Christopher Layden served the parish until 2003. In 2004 Father Steven Loftus assisted Father Halfacre until his transfer to Rapids City, IL in 2007.

The St. Patrick School Early Education Building opened in 2007. The total cost for this project was $1,415,567.