(Part 4)

The Dedication of the New Church

The Solemn Dedication took place on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1915, by Rt. Reverend Peter J. Muldoon, D.D., Bishop of Rockford, while the dedication sermon in the Bohemian language was delivered by the Rt. Reverend J. M. Koudelka, D. D., Bishop of Superior, Wisconsin. The mission had twenty six families with the trustees being Mr. John Holek and Mr. George Balesty.

Becoming a Mission Church

The Algonquin parish became a mission of Cary's parish, being attended first by Father Lonergan and later by Father Francis A. Kilderry. 30 families made up the parish in 1915, with that number remaining about the same over the years until the 40's, when its size was greatly increased by the building boom during and just after World War II. The parish was expanded by the creation of such subdivisions as Lake in the Hills, Haeger's Bend, Riverview, Camp Algonquin, Algonquin Shores, Merril's Sunnyside, Bonnie Rae, Oak Hills, Buffalo Park, Algonquin Heights, Chewing Addition, Indian Grove, and more recently, Janak's and Weck's additions to Algonquin.

On December 1, 1947, Bishop John J. Boylan, D. D., Bishop of Rockford, incorporated the church as "Saint Margaret's Mission of Algonquin". The mission gradually grew and levelled off at 88 families in 1950.