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Information on
Mount Prospect Churches
This section holds information on a number of
influential local churches. We do not intend to imply that these churches were
the most important in Mount Prospect's history, that we are endorsing the
products, services, or views of these organizations, or that this list is a
complete listing of churches that have been important in Mount Prospect.
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
Northwest Covenant Church
Saint Cecilia's Catholic Church
Saint Emily's Catholic Church
Saint John's Episcopal Church
Saint John Lutheran Church
Saint Mark Lutheran Church
Saint Paul Lutheran Church
Saint Raymond's Catholic Church
Saint Thomas Becket Catholic Church
South Church
Name of church Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
When was it founded 1960
Where is it located 1624 East Euclid Avenue
Has it moved No
Notable Members Gloria Rees Hansen, Dolores Haugh
First Pastor or Priest Albert Weidlich
History and interesting stories
about the church:
In early 1959, Albert Weidlich came
to Mount Prospect as a mission developer intending to capture the interest of
the local community. Finding their curiosities piqued, interested individuals
assembled to attend the first worship service of Grace Evangelical Lutheran
Church on June 21, 1959. However, it was not until six months later on January
29, 1960 that the church was legally recognized. In its early years, Grace
Lutheran experienced much growth, its congregation exponentially increasing with
new members. It continued to develop at such a frantic pace that from 1966 to
1967, a second building was added to comfortably accommodate the church and its
parishioners. Five years later in 1972, it appeared to be the end of an era as
Grace Lutheran witnessed the departure of Pastor Weidlich and the arrival of
Reverend Kenneth Granquist. Under the guidance of the new religious leader,
there seemed to be a rebirth in the church's focus. Rather than concentrating on
the internal, the church itself, Grace Lutheran shifted its attention to the
external, the outlying community. Through the creation of community need-based
programs addressing alcoholism, drug abuse, and social groups, the church
succeeded and is still succeeding in reaching out to their neighbors.
The congregation's loyalty and faith
to Grace Lutheran can be witnessed at every worship service. However,
parishioner Gloria Rees Hansen had furthered this devotion by creating a cross
inspired by Bible verses: John 1:14, Matthew 26:14-16. Residing prominently on
a wall behind the alter, the cross is studded with 63 pieces of brazed bronze:
33 symbolizing a year in Jesus's life, 30 symbolizing the silver pieces paid to
Judas for his betrayal of Jesus. The cross still serves as a vivid reminder to
the parishioners of their commitment to both God and church.
Name of church Northwest Covenant Church
When was it founded October 1955
Where is it located 300 North Elmhurst Avenue
Has it moved No
Notable Members
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.
Name of church Saint Cecilia's Catholic Church
When was it founded 1945
Where is it located 700 South Meier Road
Has it moved No
Notable Members
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 squared feet to incorporate multi-purpose rooms,
restrooms, and music rooms. Also, plans were drawn to expand the parish hall by
8100 squared 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.
Name of church Saint Emily's Catholic Church
When was it founded May 1960
Where is it located 1400 East Central Road
Has it moved No
Notable Members
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.
Name of church Saint John's Episcopal Church
When was it founded 1937-1938
Where is it located 200 North Main Street
Has it moved Yes
Notable Members
First Pastor or Priest Father Hubbard (?)
History and interesting
stories about the church:
The first service for Saint John's Episcopal Church was held on April
24, 1938 with the blessing of then-Bishop Stewart of Chicago. For the twenty
people who received communion that day, a drinking glass served as the chalice,
a cream pitcher as the cruet, and a saucer as the paten. In 1939 with the gift
of two lots by realtors Krause and Kehe, Saint John's was able to purchase the
Central School property and hold services there. Despite having financial
difficulties, the church managed to survive through the community's collective
efforts and support.
In 1946, following the end of World
War II and amid the suburban living boom, Saint John's welcomed Father Dean
Howard Ganster. Three years later, Thomas Chaffee was received into the church
as its first resident Priest-in-Charge. However, it was not until 1953 that
Saint John's was formally recognized and invited into the Diocese as a parish.
In that same year, a new place of worship was built and dedicated by Bishop
Burrill. In 1955, following Father Chaffee's resignation, the church
experienced a "revolving-door" issue with its clergy. Robert Manning arrived in
1956 and left a year later; while, his replacement, Father Ehrgott remained a
mere four years until 1962.
Between 1953
and 1961, Saint John's lost and regained its status as a self-supporting parish
church. This seems to have been due, in part, to being over extended
financially with the construction of the new church and founding of the Sunday
School and in part because of divisions within the congregation. These divisions
seem to have come from Father Manning taking a high-church approach and parts of
the congregation finding this too rigid and leaving to found St. Simon's
Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights.
Name of church Saint John Lutheran Church
When was it founded 1848
Where is it located 1100 Linneman Road
Has it moved No
Notable Members All the early German Lutheran founders
First Pastor or Priest Clements Klein
History and interesting
stories about the church:
In 1848, Pastor Francis A. Hoffman, a German immigrant from
Schaumburg, came to what-was-then the Elk Grove area to preach in the native
tongue of the Lutheran Germans who had settled the area. By establishing a
parish based on a common language, Pastor Hoffman believed the conservative
religious traditions vital to the German culture would be easier to adhere to.
Some founding members of the congregation were also prominent members of Mount
Prospect: Frederich Busse, Christian Heinrich, Christian Linnemann, and Conrad
Moehling.
As with other churches started in the Mount Prospect area, a
community effort was made to both build and fund the congregation's new home.
Money was collected, construction was completed, and eventually, a church was
dedicated on December 26, 1848. Immediately following the dedication, Pastor
Hoffman installed Pastor Clements Klein to the church. However, his stay as
pastor was brief, lasting only a year; so, in 1850, the congregation was forced
to welcome Pastor John G. Kuntz. During his term of service to the church,
Pastor Kuntz established a cemetery and was involved in Saint John's decision to
affiliate with the Missouri Synod in 1852. The year after the affiliation
served to be a year of "new," as a new pastor was installed, Karl Sallmann, and
a new church building was constructed. Although the church experienced
hardships in the form of a parsonage fire and the subsequent destruction of
congregational records in 1859, Saint John, under the guidance of Pastor William
Bartling, enjoyed relative peace during the Civil War years. This peace
continued for the church following Pastor Bartling's departure and Pastor Henry
Schmidt's installation. Under the leadership of Pastor Schmidt, Saint John
gained not only a new school facility in 1864, but an expanded congregation as
well. It was because of the latter achievement that Pastor Schmidt was
nicknamed "the Missionary."
Following Pastor Schmidt in the pulpit were men who brought with
them leadership, guidance, and significant changes to the church and its
surrounding community. Pastor William Dorn influenced and witnessed Saint
John's first bell and steeple in 1874; while, Pastor Herman Ramelow preached to
the congregation during the church's support of an Addison orphanage, Kinderheim,
in 1879. He also helped to form a congregational band in 1881. Affectionately
called "the Builder" by parishioners, Pastor J. Henry Haake was responsible for
the rebuilding of the church in 1892, the schoolhouse in 1901, and the
parsonage's north wing in 1904. Further under his leadership, Saint John became
incorporated and celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 1907, perhaps a
sign of the changing times, the church's wood walls and ceilings were fortified
with metalworkings under Pastor Julius Drexler. Pastor Louis Millies witnessed
and perhaps instigated the departure of thirteen parishioners who eventually
founded another church and parish school: Saint Paul Lutheran Church.
Since its initiation in 1848, Saint John has been plagued with the
"revolving door" syndrome concerning its pastors. Few if any have lasted long
enough to sit down and leisurely enjoy a cup of tea. However, Pastor Ferdinand
Gehrs managed to escape from the revolving door's glass prison and become Saint
John's longest-serving pastor. Throughout his forty-three year term, he has
both observed and supervised various changes at Saint John. Some of those
changes were physical and inconsequential, such as the installation of a new
altar and Jesus statue in 1921, while, others were not as tangible and yet
highly significant--the offering of English-speaking services in 1922. It can
be inferred that the shift from German to English-speaking services was Saint
John's attempt at establishing a relationship with the non-German populace as
well as to distance itself from the unpopular image of Germans following World
War I. This gradual self-destruction of German heritage continued, reaching its
climax in 1940 following the Allies' declaration of war on Hitler's Germany,
when German was dropped from the parish school's curriculum and English was more
intensely incorporated. The World Wars also adversely impacted Saint John's
congregation, permanently taking away five men including Adolph Busse Jr. In
1948, the church valiantly celebrated its Centennial amid the public's still
fresh anti-German sentiments. Eventually, those negative feelings subsided and
Saint John was once again a pride of the community. In 1954, still under the
direction of Pastor Gehrs, a new parsonage was constructed. Unfortunately, he
was only able to occupy the parsonage for two years before resigning in 1956.
Following Pastor Gehr's departure was the installation of Pastor
Waldemar Streufert. Although he did not achieve the former's record in
longevity, Pastor Streufert certainly was a catalyst for considerable changes at
Saint John. As the congregation grew yearly, it became increasingly difficult
to keep all of the congregates informed about the church. So, in response to
this glaring failing, Pastor Streufert began to print an informative church
newsletter, "The Herald," highlighting Saint John's various undertakings. In
1958, to reflect the post-war baby boom, a new school was built to house the
upper-level grades. Fourteen years later in 1972, a new school building was
constructed in response to the new residences sprouting up around Saint John.
The era of suburban living had begun.
Amid the suburban population boom, Saint John celebrated its 125th
anniversary in 1973 and its annexation to Mount Prospect three years prior. A
year after the anniversary, Pastor Theodore Staudacher took over the church's
leadership from Pastor Streufert. Under his guidance, Bible school and youth
groups were started; while, Pastor Streufert's newsletter was continued with a
different name, "The Contact."
Unbeknownst to Saint John, strife within the Missouri Synod surfaced
as conservatives and liberals clashed over various issues. A permanent schism
had been formed and widened between the two parties, eventually leading to a
split in the Synod. As a result of this division, conservative people from
liberal Synod churches flocked to the established conservative congregation of
Saint John.
In 1978, the parsonage built in 1954 was demolished; while, a year
later, tragedy struck as the 87-year-old steeple collapsed. However, with
Pastor Robert Kass at the helm, a new church steeple was installed and the
church itself refurbished. Also, under Pastor Kass's supervision, the Bethesda
Group Home--designed to assist developmentally disabled adults--was built and
dedicated in 1984. Nearly a decade later, in 1992, Pastor Jeff Gavin took over
for Pastor Kass and made it his mission to increase the severely stunted
membership at Saint John. A few years earlier, low student enrollment at Saint
John's school forced the discontinuation of grades 3 through 8. With
congregation and student enrollment numbers down, Pastor Gavin hoped the
addition of variety to the worship service would reverse the sliding trend. Yet
despite those problems, in 1998, Saint John Lutheran Church celebrated 150 years
in the community.
Name of church Saint Mark Lutheran Church
When was it founded 1946
Where is it located 200 South Wille Street
Has it moved Yes
Notable Members
First Pastor or Priest B. T. Anderson
History and interesting
stories about the church:
Originally called Mount Prospect Evangelical Lutheran Church,
services were first held in the Borgen home on South Edward Street, but were
then moved to the basement of Central School. Following the church's move, the
congregation desired new religious leadership in the form of Reverend B. T.
Anderson. With Reverend Anderson presiding, the first official service took
place in 1946. By the time a permanent building was completed and dedicated in
1954, the church's name had been changed to its current Saint Mark Lutheran
Church. Throughout its years, Saint Mark has endured both change and growth.
In 1957, change came in the form of a new pipe organ and a parish school; while,
growth came in the form of building expansions in 1963 and 1969.
Name of church Saint Paul Lutheran Church
When was it founded 1913
Where is it located 100 South School Street
Has it moved Yes
Notable Members Many 20TH century leaders and members of the Busse family
First Pastor or Priest J. E. A. Mueller
History and interesting
stories about the church:
On July 7, 1912, various members of the Mount Prospect community
assembled to sign a charter for the creation of a Lutheran church, specifically
Saint Paul Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Mount Prospect. Nine months
after the historic signing, in March 1913, the first church building was
dedicated; however, it was not until the following January that Reverend J. E.
A. Mueller became the church's first resident pastor. A mere eight days
following his installment, Reverend Mueller organized and taught at the Saint
Paul Lutheran School. He continued to be the sole teacher until 1917 when the
school hired its first full-time instructor, Martin Hasz.
Name of church Saint Raymond's Catholic Church
When was it founded 1949
Where is it located 301 South I-Oka
Has it moved Yes
Notable Members
First Pastor or Priest Thomas O'Brien
History and interesting stories
about the church:
In 1949, the foundations for Saint Raymond's Catholic Church were
set; a house at 222 South Hi-Lusi was acquired to serve as rectory and chapel,
while Central School's basement served as the temporary house of worship. With
the first mass conducted and the first baptism celebrated, Saint Raymond's was
launched. Father Thomas O'Brien, assigned to the church, started a choir in
1950 and four years later, opened a school. The school's increasing enrollment
called for the employment of more nuns, and as a result, a new convent was
opened. However, the social and political atmosphere of the 1960s persuaded few
women to join, and in 1976, the last sister departed from the convent.
Under the direction of Father Coggins, who served Saint Raymond's
from 1963 to 1970, a memorial park was created behind the church in honor of
Father O'Brien. In addition to the creation of the park, Father Coggins
supervised the construction of a rectory, the expansion of the auditorium, and
the renovations to the church according to the standards of Vatican II. In
1971, also in accordance to the Vatican standards, Father Buhrfeind established
the Parish Council, which helped to coordinate the activities of the parish
committees--finance, religious education, school board, etc. Following the
leadership of Father Buhrfeind was Father Loftus who served Saint Raymond's from
1979 to 1996. During his term, he was responsible for assembling a committee to
study how environment affects worship services. The study found that most
parishioners felt the church's interior decorations distracted from worship. As
a result of those findings, Saint Raymond's interior was renovated, and the
church rededicated in 1988 by Cardinal Bernardin. In 1996, the arrival of
Father Bernard J. Pietrzak brought much community attention to Saint Raymond's
in part to his work with bi-theist couples and single Catholics.
Name of church Saint Thomas Becket Catholic Church
When was it founded 1968
Where is it located 1321 Burning Bush Lane
Has it moved Yes
Notable Members
First Pastor or Priest
History and interesting stories
about the church:
On May 15, 1968, Father Frank E. Wachowski was appointed to establish a
new parish. Despite having some initial difficulties in finding an appropriate
site for a church, Father Wachowski eventually acquired some land and proceeded
to organize a parish. Within the first month, over 247 families were registered
as members. Because of the congregation's high concentration of families, the
church's first organization was a CCD program--a religious education course for
children. In December of that year, Cardinal Cody approved the name of "Saint
Thomas Becket" for the church.
Although the garage of the parish
center--purchased in 1970--had been converted into a chapel, the developing
congregation experienced growing pains and needed more room to stretch. As a
result, in 1975, plans were finalized for the construction of a new church,
meeting hall, and rectory. Even though construction was not completed until
1979, the church held services as early as December 1978. Father Wachowski was
fortunate enough to live to see the completion of Saint Thomas Becket's
expansion as well as the official dedication ceremony in 1980. Later that year,
the Father passed away and was replaced by Father Ralph Mollan.
Name of church South Church
When was it founded 1937
Where is it located 501 South Emerson Street
Has it moved Yes
Notable Members
First Pastor or Priest Edwin Stevens
History and interesting
stories about the church:
In 1935, a group of thirteen Mount Prospect citizens gathered in the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Johnson with wild aspirations of organizing a new
church. They hoped to establish a community church that would serve every
denomination and be affiliated with the Chicago Baptist Association. Despite
initial doubts, disagreements, and a "temporary disbandment," the first service
was held in the lounge of the Mount Prospect Country Club in 1937. In September
of that year, the ground was broken for the church on previously purchased lots
of land. A mere three months later, on December 19, the first services were
held inside the newly built church. In that same busy year, a Bible School was
founded, a constitution was written, a new pastor (Reverend Edwin Stevens) was
welcomed, and a name for the church was chosen--"South Church" with the
sub-title "Community-Baptist" affixed to it.
In 1942, with the United States propelled into war following the
Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Reverend Stevens felt he would be better
serving God and his country by enlisting in the army as a chaplain. During his
absence and until his safe return in 1945, his position was temporarily filled
by two other pastors.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, South Church experienced an
ever-expanding congregation and numerous building additions. For instance, in
1957, a Christian Education addition was built and dedicated a year later to
accommodate all church children from ages 3 to 12. In those times of seemingly
expansion chaos, Marion Stevens began a Memorial Cross display in 1955 in hopes
of re-emphasizing the church's original theme of community. In this display,
roughly 125 crosses from across the country and the world were assembled and
exhibited. Following her death in 1962, her family graciously donated the
entire collection to the church. A decade later, Reverend Stevens retired from
the ministry and was replaced by Reverend John Clements in 1974.