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Website last updated by Brian Drendel on
Parish History document provided by Jill Hansen and
Sister Marianne Nilges
We have two St. Catherine of Genoa History
Documents
St. Catherine of Genoa Parish History
From the humble beginnings in 1912 St.
Catherine of Genoa Parish has grown and prospered. Prior to
1912, Mass was offered only once a month in the town hall by the
pastor of Hampshire, Father C.J. Huth. In February of the year
1912, Father Thomas O’Brien of Sterling was asked by Bishop
Muldoon to take a census of the Genoa area to determine the
feasibility of establishing a parish. Fifty-two Catholic
families were identified and expressed a willingness to pledge
their support of a church. One generous benefactor from Chicago
gave one thousand dollars in memory of her mother, Catherine,
and thus the new church was named St. Catherine. This gift was
one-fifth of the total cost of the new church. Within a year a
rectory was constructed and land was purchased on Sycamore
street, south of the church, for a cemetery. By the year 1921
the parish grew rapidly and was out of debt. A mission church
was established in the neighboring town of Kirkland. The same
donor who contributed so generously to build the church in
Genoa, also gave a substantial donation to build the church in
Kirkland, named in memory of her father Peter. This mission
church of St. Peter in Kirkland was dedicated by Bishop Muldoon
with 24 active families comprising the founding congregation.
As the population declined and economic conditions deteriorated,
this mission church in Kirkland was closed.
Father Dan O’Connell, Ray Farragher, and
William Maguire served during the difficult years of the
depression. Many parishioners lost heavily in the bank failures
and the poor crop years. Many parishioners lost their farms and
moved away. The parish dwindled to less than 60 families. In
1937 Father Warner was appointed to St. Catherine of Genoa.
During his more than 20 years in Genoa the economy improved and
the area experienced significant growth. By 1957 there were
more than 125 active families and plans were underway to enlarge
the facilities. Upon the death of Father Warner, Father John
Dording came to Genoa and conducted a search for property on the
edge of town for the relocation of the parish. The church
seating less than 200 persons was not able to accommodate the
growing parish. The frame rectory needed extensive repairs.
The parish needed a social hall to gather the members as well as
space for the religious education program for children, youth,
and adults. There was little space available for building these
desired facilities at the Emmett Street location. The church
cemetery was located on the South edge of town on Sycamore
Street. It was logical that the parish be relocated near the
cemetery property. Father Dording negotiated for the property
adjoining the cemetery. In 1963 Father James Molloy came to
Genoa and completed arrangements to buy 40 acres, fifteen of
which would serve as the site of the new parish facilities, the
remainder subdivided and sold to help finance the church
complex. For more than three years parishioners met with Father
Molloy, advisors from the diocese, and the city to plan and
design the subdivision and the church complex. The subdivision
encircles the church with 37 residential lots. The cemetery was
extended to be incorporated into the church design. The
entrance of the church through which is viewed the cemetery
monument as the members leave the liturgical space, reminds all
of the purpose of eternal life.
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Figure 1: St.
Catherine of Genoa Church construction |
The church is unique in design and beauty.
As plans were being considered, the Second Vatican Council had
just completed its deliberations and sweeping changes in the
Liturgy were proposed. A careful study of the documents was
made to incorporate the principles of the renewed church. The
liturgical space of the new church was designed to seat 400.
Its circular design emphasizes the communal nature of the
assembly, the altar of sacrifice the center, and focal point,
reminding us that Christ in the Eucharist is the source of our
faith life. Natural lighting is provided by a dome over the
altar as well as a continuous skylight to bathe the outer brick
walls in a flood of light. The ceiling is covered with narrow
natural wood strips all converging and ascending heavenward to
the lighted dome over the altar, symbolizing our prayer rising
to the Father. The seating is curved to bring the worshipping
community in a close circle around the celebrant and the altar.
The roof rests upon twelve massive stone pillars which symbolize
the twelve apostles, the foundation of the early church. The
altar is placed upon a raised circular platform of colorful
checkered teakwood, further accenting the central area of
sacrifice. This blend of natural materials, wood, brick, stone,
bathed in natural light through the brilliant sky lighting, adds
simple beauty to this unique church. Visitors marvel as they
view it. In 1968 it won the award for outstanding religious
edifice. We are proud of this exceptional church; our house of
God in Genoa.
The building complex includes eight
classroom spaces for catechetical instruction, a spacious social
hall complete with kitchen, offices for parish administration,
as well as living quarters for the pastor. A hot water heating
system is equipped with mechanical ventilation with provisions
for future air conditioning. The parish complex will meet the
needs of St. Catherine’s parish community for many years to
come.
After nine years of service to St.
Catherine’s, Father Molloy was transferred, and Father James
McKitrick came to Genoa. For three years he served, building a
sense of parish community. Father William Morrissey arrived and
will always be remembered for his deep piety and devotion to
Mary. In 1977 Father James Larson arrived to administer our
parish family and succeeded in reducing the large parish debt.
In July of 1983 Father Harold Nilges, Dean of the DeKalb
Deanery, was appointed pastor with his sister, Sister Marianne,
O.S.F., accompanying him as pastoral associate. Father Al
Neumann became pastor in 1999 and retired in 2004. Father
Timothy Seigel was appointed pastor in November 2004.
Financing the St. Catherine of
Genoa Parish Complex
Written by Fr. Harold Nilges in 1998
St. Catherine of Genoa parish is
one of the many parishes of the diocese who will be forever
grateful to Bishop Arthur J. O’Neill, Bishop Doran and the
leadership of the diocese for establishing the Diocesan
Investment and Loan department of our diocese in the 1970’s.
DIAL assisted parishes in securing low interest loans at a time
when interest rates at commercial banks were close to 20
percent. DIAL works by diocesan parishes depositing surplus
funds into a central account managed by the Office of Finance
and Administration. Parishes with money on deposit are paid
interest comparable to that paid by banks and savings and loan
associations, while those needing to borrow are able to do so at
a reasonable rate.
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Figure 1: St.
Catherine of Genoa Church construction |
In 1967 the tiny St. Catherine of
Genoa parish constructed a huge parish complex; an award winning
contemporary church in the round, huge hall, classrooms, with an
attached rectory – all for approximately $1 million, a seemingly
impossible feat. Today that same complex would cost $4 million.
In 1967 there were 125 registered families in the parish, about
90 of whom were active and supporting the parish. An innovative
plan was designed to help pay for the complex. Forty acres of
land purchased by the parish under Father Dording was subdivided
by Father Molloy and the parish leadership, with streets and
utilities installed so that lots could be sold. A setback was
experienced when state inspectors ruled the sewer system did not
meet standards. That decision was appealed, but the litigation
held up the sale of the lots for three years. In the meantime,
interest had to be paid on the debt as well as on the $200,000
for lot improvement. For many years the parish could not meet
interest payments, much less retire any of the huge debt. It was
during these years that the parish experienced real crisis,
finding it impossible to borrow at a reasonable rate
To the rescue came DIAL. The
entire debt of close to $1 million was underwritten by DIAL and
the parish was billed for about five percent interest. If it
were not for this program, the 90 families of the parish would
never have been able to see the day when the debt was finally
paid. The priests serving St. Catherine’s used their talents and
pitched in to help the parishioners as they sacrificed to make
ends meet. Father Molloy, Father McKitrick, Father Morrissey,
Father Larson and Father Nilges, did janitor work, shoveled
snow, cut grass, relied on volunteer help, organized fund
raisers and did without for many years.
It was a challenge to keep focused
on the spiritual life of parishioners and to remember that
spiritual programs are far more important than bricks and
mortar, to forget about debt and trust in God. One parishioner
even said, “Don’t worry about the debt, it will be here long
after you and I are dead and gone.”
Several bequests along with
sacrificial giving prepared for the happy day in 1997 when the
estate of Jane and Kathleen Coffey bequeathed to the parish
$273,000 to retire the remaining debt incurred from the building
of the complex back in 1967. While it did take 30 years to pay
off the debt, had it not been for DIAL, generous benefactors and
sacrificing and tithing parishioners, this would never have been
accomplished.
God has blessed us all in so many
ways. We have a beautiful parish complex, and a spirit of
community, among people who work and sacrifice together to
accomplish almost insurmountable odds. We now say, “thanks”, to
God, and to all who have been so good to us here at St.
Catherine.
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