A HISTORY OF ST. PATRICK PARISH

From the parish website at https://www.stpatrickwadsworth.org/

St. Patrick’s of Wadsworth Parish is located in Wadsworth, Illinois, part of Vicariate IB of the Chicago Archdiocese.

Our parish, originally known as St. Andrew’s, began in a log church constructed in 1849 in Mill Creek. Fifteen years later a larger frame church was built and the name was changed to St. Patrick’s.

In 1911 land was purchased to build a new church in Wadsworth, this would become the white frame church that we fondly refer to as the “Old Church” today. Before it was completed the church in Mill Creek burned down, but in August 1912 the Wadsworth church was completed and dedicated.

This “new” church served the area well until the explosion of new housing began in the 1980s. The need for a larger church and a multipurpose building (now known as the Boehm Center) became apparent to the pastor at that time, Fr. George Dyer, and the long range planning group he had established.

It is a credit to the good people of St. Patrick’s (who were very satisfied with the Old Church) that they opened their hearts and pocketbooks to make the new facilities a reality for newcomers. After many meetings, architects Belli & Belli were chosen. Jerzy Kenar, a wood sculptor, was picked by the parish Art & Environment Committee to design the interior furnishings and sculptures. The architects, sculptor and committees proceeded with the new designs following guidelines found in Environment & Art in Catholic Worship, Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1978).

On Saturday, May 11, 1991 Fr. Dyer celebrated the first Mass in the New Church for 84 children who received their First Communion. The dedication took place a few months later on September 15, 1991. Father Dyer retired December 31, 1995 and was succeeded by Reverend Patrick Cecil the following March.

The final phase of construction, the completion of the school addition with its all-purpose hall, was begun in August 1997 and dedicated on February 15, 1998. As proud as we are of the New Church and school addition, we try never to lose sight of the fact that the most important part of any church is THE PEOPLE.

Father Cecil remained our faithful pastor for almost twenty years, until October, 2010, when he was succeeded by the next Pastor, Reverend Fred Pesek. Fr. Pesek served as the “shepherd” to our St. Pat’s flock from October 2010 until his transfer at the end of June, 2016. On July 1, 2016 Reverend James Merold became our Parish Administrator until a new pastor could be named.