A BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR PARISH COMMUNITY
St. Andrew the Apostle Parish was officially established on January 2, 1959, by a canonical decree issued by Bishop Martin D. McNamara, first Bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. On January 9th, Rev. Joseph Jurkovich was appointed first pastor, followed by eight others since then. Also, fifteen associates, several transitional and permanent Deacons and many seminarians have served the parish over the years.
In actuality, the parish began to take shape in the summer of 1958 when Alexander Construction Company offered land to the Diocese in their new subdivision in Romeoville called Hampton Park. Construction began on a church and 8-grade classroom building in the spring of 1959. Meanwhile, parishioners attended Mass at Lewis College (now Lewis University). An addition was added to the school in 1963-64.
The first Mass was said in the new church at Midnight December 24, 1959. At that time, 99 families were registered. Over the years the parish has grown, shrunk and grown again. The first Spanish Mass was celebrated on December 12, 1969 for the growing Hispanic Community. The first Polish Mass was celebrated in March, 2002 to meet the needs of a new and growing Polish Community here in Romeoville.
St. Andrew the Apostle School opened its door September 9, 1959, under the guidance of the Sisters of St. Francis. Sr. Mary Carol, O.S.F., was the first principal. The enrollment then was 84 students in grades 1-6. The 7th and 8th grades were added later. The first graduation took place in My, 1966. At least 45 Sisters and nearly 100 lay teachers and staff personnel have been involved in the school. Mrs. Carol Albreski is the current principal and it boasts an enrollment of 163 students.
In the fall of 1959, the first Religious Education Classes were held for parish children in the public schools. Sr. M. Goretti and Sr. M. Carmel taught these classes. Today, Annmarie Ott is the Director of Religious Education.
Many changes have happened over the years. The former convent was converted into the Parish Office, and the former rectory is now the Priests’ Residence. Also, modular classrooms were added to provide space for the School and Religious Education program. Today, the mobile classrooms are used as meeting spaces, before and after school care, and one classroom was renovated into a library.
Our parish is quite diverse, celebrating heritage and ministry with Masses in English, Spanish, and Polish. All parishioners are encouraged to join any of these ministries. We work and learn together and have done so for 60 years.
Our parish has grown considerably, and we look to the future of St. Andrew the Apostle as a faith community, nourished through the work of all parishioners reaching out to the future and serving God through love and friendship.