Archives for July 2012

When was it founded: May 1960

Where is it located: 1400 East Central Road

Has it moved: No

First Pastor or Priest: John A. McLoraine

History and interesting stories about the church:

In 1960, Father John McLoraine organized a new parish in an area of Cook County that later became incorporated into Mount Prospect. Initially, 900 families joined St. Emily’s and celebrated Mass in the auditorium of Maryville Academy. Although without a permanent place of worship, the church supported the families’ pleas for a parish school, which opened in 1961. As if in direct correlation, as the church’s popularity increased, so did school enrollment and congregation size. Eventually, St. Emily’s officials recognized the need for the existence of permanent facilities. So in 1964, an activities hall was built, while construction on the main building began in 1969. After using various locations to perform Mass, St. Emily’s finally had a permanent one to accommodate each of its 1600 families with the building’s dedication on Mother’s Day in 1971. By 1988, more than seven thousand people attended a single Sunday Mass; while, the parish school boasted a higher academic rating than any other school in the area.

In addition to the traditional church services, St. Emily’s has been a haven for parish organizations. From the School Board and Athletic Association to the Women’s Club and various Scouting groups, organizations have found warmth and friendship inside the walls of St. Emily’s. The church has also made strides in reaching out to its outlying community through the initiation of anti-narcotic, anti-vandalism programs and Spanish-language Mass. In the case of the latter, in 1997, St. Emily’s was one of five parishes to introduce Spanish-language Mass to accommodate the nearly eleven thousand Hispanic Roman Catholics in Mount Prospect.

When was it founded: 1945

Where is it located: 700 South Meier Road

Has it moved: No

First Pastor or Priest: James Prendergast

History and interesting stories about the church:

Established in 1945, Saint Cecilia’s was not fortunate enough to have its own house of worship. As a result, Sunday masses were held at Forest View High School; while, the Rectory chapel at 2009 West Scott Terrace observed daily masses, confessions, and baptisms. The first priest assigned to the church was Father James Prendergast who, as the church grew in June 1968, received assistance from Father William Barry. A church was eventually built to house Saint Cecilia’s congregation and it was dedicated for use on November 22, 1970. While the building was sufficient for the church at that time, as the years passed, as the congregation grew, it was no longer able to fulfill the church’s various needs. Recognizing this fact in 1996, Father Daniel Brady, Saint Cecilia’s third priest, spearheaded the campaign to expand the church building by roughly 6000 square feet to incorporate multi-purpose rooms, restrooms, and music rooms. Also, plans were drawn to expand the parish hall by 8100 square feet in order to provide more space for the church’s 1600 families. The expansion plans were approved, and a year later construction had stopped, the extensions were complete. Around that same time, in 1997, Fathers Sonny Rivera and Sam Cunningham began to lead weekly masses in Spanish in an effort to reach the growing Hispanic community in Mount Prospect as well as to develop a relationship with Hispanic Roman Catholics.

When was it founded: October 1955

Where is it located: 300 North Elmhurst Avenue

Has it moved: No

First Pastor or Priest: David Noreen

History and interesting stories about the church:

Without a formal organization, official pastor, or building of its own, The Covenant Fellowship of Mount Prospect nevertheless held its first worship service June 5, 1955 at Fairview School with Student Pastor David Noreen presiding. The church continued to exist independently until October 30, when the formal organization of Northwest Covenant Church took place with over 52 charter members. Although the church was officially recognized, it was still without its own house of worship. However, the purchase and April 12, 1959 dedication of a building by Northwest Covenant ended the church’s search for a permanent worship site. The next recorded pastor after Student Pastor Noreen is Clarence Agard who finished his service to Northwest Covenant in March 1967.