Founding of St. Peter the Apostle Parish

The parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Itasca was founded by Bishop McNamara on June 11, 1956. It was centered between the west end of Holy Ghost parish in Wood Dale and the east end of St. Walter’s parish in Roselle.

Organizing the new parish was assigned to Father Sylvester Mulloy, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Addison. Father Mulloy decided to use North School, at North and Linden streets, as the parish’s first place of worship. The school had a large gymnasium that was available on Sunday mornings. Father Mulloy had a portable confessional set up in a corner of the gym and folding chairs brought in. The formation of the new parish was announced in local newspapers and in Catholic churches nearby. At 8:00 am on Sunday, June 11, 1956 the first Mass in Itasca was said for an overflow attendance of about 200 new parishioners. A church choir was organized by Mrs. Wilbur Bernard.

Later that first year, St. Peter’s acquired a rectory, which was furnished with the help of the women of the parish. Both a tree and a manger scene were part of the first Christmas Eve midnight Mass. Alter boys for the occasion were Bob Bordignon, Albert LeVezzie and Billy White.

Groundbreaking for the church building took place in 1957. Construction took two years, and was financed by family pledges and a successful bazaar held by the parish women at the village hall. A mortgage of $157,000 was taken on by the parish, which now consisted of approximately 600 families.

The first pastor of St. Peter’s was Father Paul Benson, who arrived on October 2, 1958. The first assistant pastor was Father John Antczack, who came on June 15, 1963. Organizations affiliated with the church included the Altar and Rosary Society (first headed by Mrs. Bernard), a Teen Club (begun under the guidance of Mrs. Gertrude Wojtalik), and the Council of Catholic Women (first presided over by Mrs. John Sonin). An annual fashion show was a major fundraising activity. In 1978, two parishioners, Raymond Siwek and Robert Anchor, were ordained Deacons to serve the parish.

The first Mass at the new sanctuary at 519 Rush Street was said on July 19, 1959. In May 1961, ground was broken for a school building at 500 Cherry Street; classes opened in September 1963. By that time, a convent at 524 Rush Street had also been built. To finance this construction, an additional mortgage of $275,000 was necessary.

St. Peter’s School opened in September 1963 with four grades and a teaching staff of four nuns from the Franciscan Order of Christ the King, and one lay teacher, Miss Gertrude Filwett. By 1975, there were eight grades with 280 students, and the faculty consisted of four teaching nuns, including the principal, Sister Stella, and five lay teachers. In addition to the regular school a CCD program to instruct Catholic public school children was established in 1958. A preschool class was established in 1982.