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The
History of St. Mary's Parish
Back in
1835 there was a small group of Catholics in Edwardsville
who were worshiping in each other's homes. As their congregation
grew, they realized they needed a church. In 1841 an official
request was made for an official establishment of a Catholic
Congregation by the Bishop.
In January
of 1842, Mr. & Mrs. Buchmaster deeded to Bishop Joseph
Rosati of St. Louis a plot of land for this Congregation.
With the deed in hand, the Congregation began to construct
the first Catholic Church in Edwardsville, titled "THE
CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION (ST. MARY'S)." The
first Mass was celebrated in this new and very small church
of St. Mary's in early 1843. It was located slightly south
and east of the Wildey Theater, just off north Main Street.
Under
the direction of Rev. William Kuckenbuch, Pastor of St. Mary's
Church, in 1866 the German-speaking members of St. Mary's
desiring to have a German-speaking congregation, purchased
some property for the building of a German Church. St. Boniface
Church was completed in 1869, the first of two parishes to
grow from the mother Church, St. Mary's.
Then in
1888, St. Mary's Church had become too small for the growing
congregation. A land site on Park Street was purchased, and
Fr. John Daw, Pastor of St. Mary's, and the congregation began
construction of St. Mary's Church II. The Church was dedicated
in June 1889.
Rev. Charles
Meagher, assistant pastor of St. Mary's, established the mission
Church of St. Cecilia's in 1926. Soon after, the congregation
erected a Church in Glen Carbon, IL.
Under
the direction of Bishop William O'Connor Bishop of the Diocese
of Springfield, a study of population trends in Madison County
was done in the late 1950's. The conclusion of the study recommended
that a third -- and larger -- St. Mary's Church be built.
In the early 1960's, Bishop O'Connor purchased several acres
on the south side of Edwardsville (our present site), and
the construction of our present Church and School began.
On August
15, 1965, the first Masses were said in St. Mary's Church,
III. On September 6, 1966, the first classes opened in St.
Mary's School.
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