St. Charles Borromeo Catholic church

The growth of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish has mirrored the development of the Roman Catholic Church in Illinois. The changes in our Parish have reflected the movement from a frontier society to an urban one, and from a church of immigrants to a major denomination adjusting to alternate roles in the world community.


Following the settlement of Charleston and Coles County, the arrival of Irish and German immigrants seeking political and economic benefits signaled the beginning of Catholicism in Charleston. From 1854, when the first Mass was celebrated in the home of Mr. Mundley by Father Ryan, until 1873, the Catholics of the area were served as a missionary community from North Arm near Paris, Illinois. Religious services were held once a month in homes or in a room over I.B. Mitchell's grocery until 1865, when Father Tierney purchased a church on Madison Street between Ninth and Tenth Streets. This house of worship was destroyed by a violent storm three years later, and again the members of the Parish had to find various locations to gather, including the courthouse and a room above Jenkins Store. From 1868 to 1871, Father Mangan of Mattoon and Father Sullivan of Paris shared the tasks of aiding Charleston.


As the size of Parish increased, Bishop Baltes of the Alton Diocese canonically established Saint Charles Borromeo Church in 1873. Under the direction of Father Sylvester Wegener of Paris, a church was built on the storm-damaged location. The cornerstone was laid in 1872, and the priest was housed in a wooden rectory. The first pastor, Father Ferdinand Stick, ministered to the needs of the Catholic families which included names familiar to present-day members i.e. McMahon, Grant, Kane, Burns, Smith, Connor, Murphy, Driscoll, Regan, McCormick, McCarthy, and McCue. Few records have survived from the early parish, but these document do that the members of Saint Charles were also served by Fathers Diepenbrock and Kuhlman until 1894.


In 1894, the Charleston community greeted Father Snyder as their new pastor and labored with him and his successor to the successful completion of its largest construction project. Sixty-five families and their priests planned the creation of the present church in 1896. The following year Father Driscoll arrived and continued the project. Farmers, railroaders, and townspeople sweated together to drag large pieces of limestone for ten miles from Embarrass River cliffs to the site. The edifice was financed by special "subscriptions" to the building fund, a fair or "grand party," the auctioning of a diamond ring, and the raffle of Lady Skidmore, a race horse. The children contributed with penny collections. In addition, special fund raisers were held to furnish the church with religious articles. The Stations of the cross were purchased, in part, by the proceeds from an ice cream festival. In the spirit of pre-Vatican ecumenical effort, $345.00 was collected from non-Catholics. With so much financial strain, the parish had difficulty meeting its obligations and borrowed money from the Bishop to pay the bills. At the end of the year, even Father Driscoll's salary was in arrears by $156.95. On June 27, 1898, the cornerstone was laid by Bishop T. Hickey V.G. Finally, the Church, in the Early Small Town American style, was completed and dedicated on October 19, 1899, by Bishop James Ryan of Alton.


The construction projects continued into the tenure of the next pastor. In 1901, a brick parsonage and the church steeple with the bell, which had been purchased in 1888, were completed. With further sacrifice and with the arrival of Father Costello as the new leader of the parish in 1903, the furnishing of the facility was accomplished. In 1917, $1700 was contributed for the beautiful windows, and an additional $396 was provided for the altars and statuary. As the finishing touches decorated the building, the community regained its financial standing and repaid the loans from the Bishop's office. The monetary improvement permitted Father Costello, in 1918, to buy the Barton property. This purchase made Saint Charles the owner of the entire city block except for a house next to the church on Jefferson Street.


The following twenty-three years found the parish under the guidance of Father Connolly. The routine tasks of serving the faithful apparently occupied the Priest until 1923, the year of the Golden Jubilee. Large committees of the membership participated in the celebration. The spirit of thankfulness was highlighted by a "Mission." This religious and educational exercise included a series of lectures on the doctrines of faith and the Bible. The sense of unity was enhanced by the return of Fathers Driscoll and Costello. Within a year of the Jubilee, the Church added a new pipe organ, and the basement was redecorated for recreational use. The latter drew some complaints which described the use of the edifice as sacrilegious. As if the leader of the Catholic enclave in Charleston did not have enough to manage, anti-Catholic prejudice surfaced in the form of Ku Klux Klan activity. Reported cross-burnings and intimidation caused some alarm; however, the community not only survived, but thrived with the rest of the city.


As the Parish was building the church at the turn of the century, extra effort was required to deal with effects of creation of Eastern Illinois State Normal School. The college expected students to regularly attend the church of their choice or that which satisfied their parents. This addition to Charleston created new demands on the pastors of the Catholic Church. From the beginning they worked to aid the new residents in finding housing, as well as to help them in satisfying their religious needs. Father Costello, who held a Masters Degree in Education, was also invited to lecture to the students on campus. With an increase in the number of students, Father Connolly established Adult Education Clubs in the homes of parish members and included students in the program. The addition of these fellow catholics witnessed an expanded role for the Parish and merged its development with that of the college.


In 1940, illness restricted Father Connolly. To help him temporarily, Bishop Griffin assigned Father Daniel Moriarty to the Parish. That began the forty-three year tour of duty of a man whose name became synonymous with Saint Charles. Two years after his arrival the appointment was made permanent. From the first the new pastor worked to merge the townspeople with the student body through the work of the Church. That fall season also witnessed the beginning of the Newman Club with its own board and the approval of Eastern. Adult Education classes were also held on campus in Old Main and the Science Building. With the end of World War II and the birth of the G.I. Bill, the population of the college grew rapidly with the veterans. The seriousness and maturity which these older students demanded meant further efforts had to be made for their spiritual needs. Special services and Masses were started for them.


With the arrival of the ex-soldiers and, later more post-secondary students, the need for additional facilities and personnel became evident. In the early 1960's, Bishop William O'Connor purchased the Lutheran Church property at Ninth and Lincoln Streets to better serve the 2000 Catholic young adults. Pastor Moriarty was aided in his work at Eastern by Jesuits from Decatur's Saint Joseph's Hall. The workload increased to the point that another full-time priest was required. The coming of Father John Franklin as Assistant Pastor helped to solve the problem. His efforts were mainly directed at the Newman Community, but he also contributed to the service of Saint Charles. This arrangement was continued until 1986, with the help of Father Virgil Mank (1971-1975), Father Ken Venvertloh (1975-1981) and Father Dean Probst (1981-1986). In addition, the Community was enriched by the work of Sister Maria Regis who worked with adult education, liturgy, counseling, and public relations. Each of these individuals contributed in a positive way to the spirit and effectiveness of the Parish.


During those years which brought additional facilities and personnel, Father Moriarty continued to be the figure primarily responsible for Saint Charles Parish and the Newman Center. Having inherited an Altar and a Rosary Society and a Holy Name Society, the new pastor created a Women's Council in 1940. This group enhanced the work of the Parish with acts of charity, care of the sacristy, as well as social and educational programs. In 1954, on the one hundredth anniversary of the proclaiming of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, 250-300 parishioners participated in a pilgrimage to Mattoon which concluded a series of special devotions. Then, in 1955, in order to involve more men, Council 4024 of the Knights of Columbus was formed with sixty charter members to provide social functions, fund raising for parish projects, charitable projects, and most importantly, aid to the bishops and the Holy Father. This council had continued to be the official men's organization of the Parish.


The involvement and support of the adults was important to all phases of the Church, but it was especially so with the religious education of the youth. Under the direction of Father Moriarty, programs were created for all ages from pre-school to adult. Volunteers, as well as Dominican Sisters from Arcola, Illinois, instructed the very young through high school age. The adults were often invited to participate in study groups and classes to deepen their own knowledge of the faith.


Saint Charles Borromeo Parish and the rest of the Roman Catholic Church were called, in 1962, by Pope John XXIII to make some fundamental changes in order to bring some "fresh air" into the Church. In response to this call, the Pastor had to initiate innovations while balancing the feelings of the people uncomfortable with them. Within a year, the communion rail was removed, the services were conducted with the celebrant facing the congregation, and the Blessed Sacrament was placed on the side altar. Gradually the liturgy was changed to reflect the goals of the Council and the needs of the Parish.


Father Moriarty's ability to administer the Parish and his effectiveness in accomplishing the goals of the Church were well known throughout the Springfield Diocese. In 1963, he was confirmed by the Holy Father and Bishop O'Connor with the title of Right Reverend Monsignor. For the remaining twenty-two years as pastor, Father Dan received much recognition for his work. But, perhaps, his greatest achievements were the amazing number of converts who looked to Monsignor's guidance and the number of priests and religious who credit him with inspiring and encouraging their vocation.


In 1985, the forty-five year era of Father Dan ended. The community waited with anticipation to hear who Bishop Daniel L. Ryan appointed to fill the vacancy. The position was filled by a very capable and experienced priest who brought his own style, vitality, and agenda to Charleston. Father Robert Meyer acted decisively to create more parishioner participation in all areas of church life and to encourage more parishioner responsibility for the operation of the community.


In addition, the membership, following the lead of the pastor, was called to involve itself in a Christian manner in the issues of the day. While in some areas Father Bob continued the directions begun by his predecessor, such as the work of the Parish Council, he also initiated the work of committees on liturgy, education, hospitality, and maintenance. In 1986, with the exit of Father Probst, Father Meyer labored under the additional load of being the only priest for the parish and for Newman. The two had worked closely together to involve more actively the membership of both Catholic bodies, thereby developing a successful sense of being Church.


As the Catholic community of Charleston approaches the year 2000, many problems will have to be faced, judgments made, and goals developed. To Father Bob these challenges can be met with the parish working together and planning for the future. Already some planning is in the early stages, but decisions will have to be made through prayer and the cooperation of the whole membership. One major goal to be achieved is the need for the Parish Council to become fully active by including all parishioners as participants in the committee structure. In conjunction with this is the necessity to expand our educational program by clearly defining its goals, especially in the area of adult learning. With the number of families facing difficulties, perhaps classes in parenting and family life would be beneficial as well as those which develop a more mature understanding of the faith. However, these innovations necessitate more space and personnel.


Because the median age of priests in the diocese is mid-fifty, most Catholics understand the potential impact the shortage of priests can have on their religious lives. This community, in particular, may have on their religious personnel, questions concerning the organization of Newman and Saint Charles may have to be reviewed. If the two entities are to be merged, would a new building project have to be undertaken? If they remain separate, the parish committees will have to study the necessity of repairing and improving the present facilities. Whatever the next fifteen years require, the members of Saint Charles Borromeo Church can call on the strong tradition of faith, sacrifice, and courage that previous generations have provided. The images of pioneer services, of farmers hauling those huge foundation rocks, of children and adults working together to raise funds, and of the leadership of our pastors can serve the present congregation as guideposts to the future.
(Information from article by D.M. Coleman).