The Origins of St Andrews is an interesting story.
St Andrew's began its glorious history in 1894. Five years prior the Lakeview Township had been swallowed up by Chicago's city limits. It was a wild and desolated area with a scatter of small farms popuated by Irish, German and Polish farmers. The economy was in a sorry state and streets were populated with many hungry and homeless souls. Jobs created by the chicago Fire of 1871 werelong since depleted.
It was about this time that a determined group of about 35 predominantly Irish families got together in the hope of organising a new parish of their own. Mount Carmel and Our Lady of Lourdes seemed a great distance afoot, and nearby St Alphonsuis was strictly a German speaking parish.
Out of these limitations grew an extrordinary will to worship a bit closer to home and that brought them to Archbishop Patrick A. Feehan, armed with a petition signed by 100 future parishoners. It was not a promising prospect and seemed unlikely that the Archbishop would take such a risk .
However, the delegation made a big impression on the Archbishop and he granted their request.
But they weren't finished with their requisitions. They also wanted to handpick their first pastor, a Rev Andrew Croke who was an assistant at Our Lady of Mt Carmel. ( Fr Croke was born in County Tipperary in 1859. He emigrated to America after his ordination and was appointed to Our Lady of Mt Carmel. He was 35 years old when he took over duties in St Andrew' Parish)
Without objection Archbishop Feehan named the new parish St Andrew in honour of Fr Croke whose namesake, andrew the Apostle, was the first to be called by Jesus.
Without objection Archbishop Feehan named the new parish St Andrew in honour of Fr Croke whose namesake, andrew the Apostle, was the first to be called by Jesus.
(Extract from St Andrew Parish Centennial Book 1894-1994)
Being part of the story:
http://www.standrew.org/bulletin/may-19-2019/
