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\ AUGUST 6, 1975 ' PLAINDEALER CENTENNIAL EDITION PAGE 3 (Continued from page 2) contributed much to the religious and social l ife of the parish. During the pastorate of Monsignor Nix, Fathers William Dommermuth, Frank J. Miller, Paul Tuchlinsky, p]ugene Baumhofer, John Reuland, Donald Schuler, Albert Rennell and Harold Nilges assisted in the work of the parish. Monsignor Nix died Oct. 4, I960. His remains, along with those of Father Royer, rest in the priest 's area of St. Mary's parish cemetery. Father Harold Nilges had been administrator of the parish in the ln«=t months of Monsginor ' Nix's l ife. Presently, he is pastor of St. Mary's, DeKalb. Bishop Loras T. Lane named Father Eugene C. Baumhofer to succeed Monsignor Nix on Nov. 20, '1960. Assisting Feather Baumhofer since that t ime have been Fathers Harold Nilges, Albert Rennell , Raymond Holmgren, Matthew T. Rudden, Lawrence Urbaniak and, at the present t ime, Joseph Kulak For at least thirty years, the parish has enjoyed the help for weekend services of the Benedictines of Marmion abbey. Father Hugh, O.S.B., and his confreres have given much needed assistance on weekends. Holy days and at the holiday seasons. In the parish organization, lay consultants play an im­ portant role. Over the years the following have served in that capacity: Stephen H. Freund, Matt Steffes, Joe W. Freund, Jacob Freund, John Thennes, Nick Weingart, Charles Her- drich, Peter M. Justen, Parish Organized 135 Years Ago St. Patrick Catholic Church on Court street, which served the congregation until the new church was erected in 1922.*° \ The parish of St. Patrick, McHenry, one of the pioneer parishes of northern Ill inois, was organized in 1840. I ts first pastor was Father de St. Palais, one of the four priests sent on missions in this part of the territory by Bishop Simon Brute, of Vincennes, of whose diocese McHenry was then a part. Father de St. Palais ' first visit to McHenry took place when Bishop de la Hilandiere had succeeded Bishop Brute. Here he found a few Irish and German settlers to whom he ministered as often as he could until he was recalled to Vin- Maurice F. Clark, Arnold J. Rauen and Joseph Gausden. Parish Councils also have assisted in the work of the parish. Present members of the council are Ralph Smith, William O'Brien, David A. Bolger, Walter J . Freund, Jr. , E. Joseph Gausden and Arnold Rauen. Parishioners who enter the priesthood are a mark of pride ior any parish. Sons of St. Mary's who are in the service of the church are Monsignor Robert C. Freund, Fathers Clarence J. Thennes, Adolf Weideman, Richard Paddock, James Weber and Eliot Nitz. St. Mary's celebrated its diamond jubilee of the founding of the parish Sunday, Sept. 21, 1969. TVlasses of Thanksgiving, and afternoon reception and a 'ubilee dinner were held in observance of seventy-five years of service to the Catholic community of McHenry. To mark the jubilee, ex­ tensive renovation of the church and Marv Chapel was carried out under the super vision of Walter Freund, Jr. At the present t ime, ap­ proximately 1,030 families and 4,425 souls, claim membership in the parish. FATHER EDMUND PETIT St. Patrick Catholic cennes, ultimately to succeed as Bishop of that diocese. \ Mass was celebrated in the homes of John and Michael Sutton, George Frisby, James Wall and Mrs. Mary Behan. Michael Sutton was the one who always alerted the others to the priest 's coming; since he spoke no German and the Johnsburg people were unable to un­ derstand English, his way ,of communicating was by making the Sign of the Cross or ringing a bell . Hartland was the nearest parish in those days. Weddings and funerals took place here between visits of a priest to the ~v\ McHenry vicinity. John Frisby was the first parishioner in­ terred in the present St. Patrick Our unique history began in 1944 as one of the first manufacturing firms in McHenry. Time has changed us from a manufacturer of ladies cotton dresses to a retailer of ladies apparel. What hasn't changed is our desire to serve the people of the McHenry area. Pictured in the original group o< the Riverside Mfg. Co., which opened its doors at 129 N. Riverside Drive, later site of Nye Drugs, on March 13, 1944. The product manufactured was ladies cotton dresses. Owners were Sam and Madeline Nathanson. Our history in McHenry began in 1944 when we opened a ladies dress manufacturing firm at 129 N. Riverside Drive. This is the present location of Nye Drugs. Our present location, 1402 N. Riverside Drive, was used to manufacture tents for the United States Army during World War II. After the war ended in 1945 the building was then vacated. We moved our dress manufacturing operation to this location in 1952. In 1953 we discontinued our manufacturing operations and engaged in our current business; the retailing of womens apparel. Riverside Retail Outlet "Hard To Find Sizes Our Speciality" • SPORTSWEAR «V*H ' • DRESSES £ mm 1 YESTERYEAR Pictured above as Riverside Manufacturing Co. in 1944 and below as Riverside Retail Outlet. THIS YEAR 1 BLOUSES • SLIPS « TO SIZES 52 PANT SUITS HOSIERY SLEEPWEAR 1 ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC 3500 W. Washington Street McHenry cemetery; he died in 1851 Previous to that there was a burial ground a li t t le farther north in what is riTrw known as August burg. 1 / In succeeding years there were more Irish immigrants from the Kilkenny district , and it became necessary to plan for a future parish. Land was donated by James Gibbs and the first church was built here in 1853 at a cost of $3,000. This served until 1872. Names of priests who celebrated Mass here are Fathers John Guiguen, Bernard McGorisk, Patrick McMahon, John Hampston, Hugh Brady, Gaffney, James Moran, An­ dre^ Eustace (who built the -ftfst rectory, although he was transferred to Elgin before it was completed), James Meagher, P. Smith, G. Pren- dergast, Peter Birch (who enlarged the church in 1872), John Kilkenny, John Wayes, Peter Gormley and Michael Wei by. In 1876, Father P.M. O'Neill was appointed pastor. For thirty years he ministered to the needs of four parishes: McHenry, Fox Lake, Richmond and Wauconda. In 1883, he made another addition to the church, and in 1899, the first ' parochial residence, built by Father Eustace, was replaced. Father O'Neill died in April , 1906. ) Father Paul Bourke took charge on April 21, the church having been looked after in the intervening eleven cays by Father Francis O'Brien. He/ was succeeded in 1910 by- Father Daniel Lehane; hi^ most noteworthy contribution was the introduction and fostering t^e custom of dail\) Commun/on. When Fatheil^ Lehane was transferred i/i 1914, his place was taken for six months by Father Henry Hagen. Father Charles Quinn followed him and remained for one year; during this t ime he established a parish library. Father Quinn was succeeded by Father Joseph Lynch, an ap­ pointment of three months. Father Martin McEvoy was appointed the next pastor at St Patrick in July, 1915. He began soliciting funds for a new church \in 1921, and in August, 1922, the cornerstone was laid by Bishop Muldoon, who returned on the feast of St. Patrick, 1923, to dedicate the new church. Father McEvoy died of pneumonia on Feb. 1. 1926. and is buried in St. Patrick cemetery. For the few,weeks before the appointment of a new pastor. Father Claude Freund had charge of the parish. Then Father William O'Rourke succeeded Father McEvoy in February, 1926. Among his many achievements was a substantial reduction ot the parish debt, buying an organ in 1931. decoration of the interior in 1937 and joining with Mon­ signor Nix in building the St. Patrick-St. Mary school in 1937. In his last years. Father O'Rourke was nearly in­ capacitated by serious il lness. He was pastor until 1947 and pastor emeritus until his death in 1950 Father James Yan- derpool was .administrator tor nine months during Father O'Rourke's i l lness. » He was succeeded by Father Edward Coakley, who came in April ol 1948. In 1951. under Father Coakley. a parochial school was built , making possible a separation from the school that served both parishes in McHenry since 1937. During that year a con­ vent was also secured Four new classrooms were added to the school, and the convent uu> doubled in capacity The school was stalled by the Sisters ot Mercy. During Father Coaklev's pastorate, the parish was served by four assistant pastors. Father William Regnier from 1948 to 1952, Father John .J, McGowan from 1952 to 1955, J Father William Collins from J956 to 1959, and Father Eugiyie Parker from 1959 to 196?/ Father Coakley was succeeded as pastor by Father Leonard Guzzardo in August of 1965. From that t ime until August, 190^ ftrit+ier David Beauvais was assistant pastor. j In 1965. under Father Guz­ zardo. the church u(as enlarged by opening the wal£ separating the winter chapel\from the main church The church hall and rectory were remodeled, a new garage was added for the assistant, and all parking area was resurfaced. In 1966 land was purchased for a new cemetery south of McHenry on Barreville road. In 1967 a new central heating system for church, school and rectory was installed. Father Michael Tierney was appointed assistant pastor in 1967. Father Guzzardo died in March, 1969, and was suc­ ceeded in June by the present pastor, Father Edmund P. Petit In October oV 1969 a fire gutted the kitchen in the church basement and caused extensive smoke and heat damage in the hall and church. A substantial replacement and remodeling program included the alteration of the church interior to conform with the norms of Vatican Council II InXDecember. 1969, a com­ mit teescomposed of pastors and members of both St. Patrick's and St.!Mary's parishes began study wig the feasibili ty of combining the two parish schools. Eventually the decision was made with the approval of Bishop O'Neill , and in the school year 1970-71 Mont mi Catholic school, named for Pope Paul VI. was formed. A school board was established, faculties were combined and a common budget was approved. St. Mary's building was to house the Middle school and St. Patrick's the Primary center: An advisory committee of lay persons had been appointed by Father Petit in 1969 to assist and advise him in decisions of parish administration. In April of 1971 t ins group served as a steering committee in the formation and election of a parish council , as directed by the bishop In the meantime. Father john W. Cahill was appointed as associate pastor in 1970, and he was succeeded by the present associate. Father Michael W. Douglas, in 1972. Congregation Of Presbytery Starts In 1958 In February of 1958 the Presbytery of Freeport 'United Presbyterian church in the U.S.A.) sent John O. Mclntyre to McHenry as the organizing pastor of a new congregation in the Presbytery .The small group began worship services and church school in the Eastwood Manor community barn and in March of 1959 they moved to a "house-church" which they rented at 1511 N. Eastwood lane. This building is now owned and used by the McHenry Christian Science society In July of 1959 the Presbytery officially chartered a new congregation with seventy-five communicant members. At that t ime Mr. Mclntyre was called by the new congregation as their first installed pastor. The congregation grew (Continued on page4)