Holy Family Parish History

Our History

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Date	Event	Notes and Pictures
April 1962	Bishop Loras T. Lane founds a new parish at Highcrest and North Alpine.	The site is twenty-three acres on the southwest corner. It is designated to be the new Diocesan Cathedral and called Cathedral Parish. PHOTO
May 1962	Monsignor Meilinger and associates, Fathers David Beauvais and Al Harte, move into the two small private homes at the far end of the property.	PHOTOS of priests
March 1963	Groundbreaking for sixteen-room school.	PHOTO of groundbreaking ceremony.
September 1963	School opens.	Sister Lucia and Sister Alphonse share the position of principal for the next seven years. School colors are gold and white.
October 1963	School Sisters of St. Frances move into the new convent.	The gymnasium/recreation center begins to take shape.
May 1964	Convent and gym are completed.	Cathedral Parish is in full operation with Monsignor Meilinger, Rev. Al Harte, and Rev. David Beauvais at the helm. School Sisters of St. Francis staff the school and live in the convent. PHOTO
May 1964	First Class of First Communicants
May 1964	First eighth grade graduation from Cathedral School takes place.
June 1964	Church-gymnasium is dedicated.	Final break from St. James parish. PHOTO of the inside of the church.
July 5, 1964	First baptism	Patrick David Smith
July 8, 1964	First funeral	Viola Coleman
August 29, 1964	First wedding	Patricia Patch and George Hendy
September 1964	First fund drive
September 1964	Home and School Association formed.	Home and School remains active today.
February 1965	Men's Club formed.
April 1965	First Confirmation Class
August 1965	Father David Beauvais leaves and Father William Wilhite arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. Wilhite
October 1965	Altar and Rosary Society is organized.
October 1965	Athletic Committee of the Men's Club organized.	Men's Club starts an annual fundraiser to support the athletic program. The program started with two football teams, one boys' baseball team, and four girls' softball teams. The fund raiser is currently known as the Golf Outing.
October 1965	Drawings for Rockford's Cathedral are made public.	Designed in New York by Brother Cajetan Bauman, O.F.M. PHOTO of proposed church building.
September 1966	Father Harte leaves and Father Thomas Considine arrives.
Spring 1967	Monsignor Meilinger celebrates 40 years of priesthood.
April 1968	First Board of Education appointed.	A new board will be elected the following June.
June 1968	Bishop Lane dies	All building plans are suspended.
June 1968	Father Wilhite leaves and Father Leo Bartel arrives
October 1968	Monsignor Arthur J. O'Neill is ordained Bishop	Monsignor O'Neill decides to make St. Peter's the Cathedral. Cathedral parish in now nameless and the schools gold and white colors must be relinquished to St. Peter's.
Spring 1969	Fathers Considine and Bartel leave and Fathers Thomas Risley and Daniel Hermes arrive.	PHOTO of Fr. Hermes
August 1969	At the first parish picnic, the first Parish Council is announced.	First parish in the diocese with such a governing body. PHOTO of parish picnic.
Fall 1969	First full-time Director of Religious Education, Thomas Emmett, is hired.
June 1970	Saturday Masses are started and the parish adopts Christ the King parish in Fulton, Mississippi. Mike Bozym, a layman, is hired as principal of Holy Family School.
August 1970	Bishop O'Neill gives the go-ahead to build a "real" church and names it Holy Family.	Holy Family's colors become light blue and dark blue and their nickname is the Crusaders.
January 1971	The Building and Grounds Commission of the Council begins extensive research into our needs.	PHOTO of
June 1971	Father Hermes leaves and Father Michael Binsfeld arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. Binsfeld
April 1972	Father Risley leaves and Father Robert Balog arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. Balog
August 1972	Charles Stade of Park Ridge is commissioned to design our new structure.	PHOTO of early church design
September 1972	Thomas Centowski replaces Mike Bozym as principal of Holy Family School.	School now has an enrollment of up to 471 students with a faculty of 21. PHOTO of Thomas Centowski
June 1973	Jack McKenna becomes second Director of Religious Education	Thomas Emmett resigned in August of 1972.
August 5, 1973	Groundbreaking for the new church.	Bishop O'Neill and Msgr. Meilinger lead ground breaking cermonies for Holy Family Church. PHOTO
April 1974	McKenna leaves as Director of Religious Education and Loretta Reif takes his place.	There are 53 volunteer CCD teachers serving 850 youth from age four through high school seniors.
December 1974	The school, gymnasium, and convent are paid off in full.
April 1975	First Recycle Ramble, a major fund-raiser and community "event".	Ann Hasset, invented it; Nancy Kunnert, named it; Terry and Lois Fisher, Home and School President Couple, said, "Go for it!" The sale was held annually for many years.
August 30, 1975	New church officially opens at the 5:30pm Mass.	The church, built for nearly $1 million, took 18 months to complete. It will seat almost 1,000 in a fan-shaped arrangement, with no one being more than 75 feet from the altar. PHOTO of new church outside and inside.
June 13, 1976	Holy Family Church is dedicated to the Holy Family--Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.	Rockford Register Star article about the dedication.
August 1976	Father Al Harte returns.	PHOTO
September 1977	Father Al Harte becomes Pastor	When Father Al Harte became pastor in 1977, statues of the Holy Family were moved to the church's east front wall, and a crucifix was added to the west wall. PHOTO of crucifix.
February 1978	Father Ronald Jones arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. Jones
June 1978	First "Happening", a major entertaining and socializing fund-raising vehicle for the Parish.
July 1978	Father Balog leaves and Father Stephen Potter arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. Potter
June 1979	Second "Happening"
August 1979	The former convent is transformed into the Holy Family Parish Center.	The center provided meeting rooms, counciling areas, a chapel, and living quarters for the parish priests.
September 1979	Father Jones starts BASIC.	BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ), was a parish organization designed to meet the religious and social needs of Holy Family's teens.
June 1981	First Finance Board
June 1981	The Happening	Happening PHOTOS
July 1981	Father Potter leaves and Father George Didier arrives	PHOTO of Fr. Didier
April 1982	Whitehouse at 1310 Alpine Road is dismantled.	This home served as the parish office and was home to Msgr. Meilinger and later Fr. Harte. Fr. Harte suggested that the land be used for a Catholic Home for the aged. PHOTO
June 1982	Brother Allen Simmons becomes principal of Holy Family Catholic School.	PHOTO of Brother Allen.
June 1982	The Happening	PHOTO
September 1982	Father Jones leaves and Father James Tranel arrives.
July 1983	Father Tranel leaves and Father Thomas Bales arrives.	PHOTO of Father Thomas Bales
September 1984	Sister Denise organizes the first RENEW program for Holy Family.
August 1985	Father Didier leaves and Father Stephen St. Jules arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. St. Jules
July 1986	Father Bales leaves and Father James Swarthout arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. Swarthout
March 1987	Church building is paid off in full.
March 1987	First Volunteer Appreciation Party at Clock Tower
June 1988	Monsignor Meilinger passes away.	Born February 14, 1901; ordained on April 16, 1927, in Rome, Italy; died June 8, 1988. PHOTO of memorial card.
July 1988	Father St. Jules leaves and Father Matthew VanderBleek arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. VanderBleek
September 1988	Social Service Ministry begins.
May 1989	Father Harte celebrates 25 years of priesthood.
June 1989	The Parish celebrates its 25th anniversary with Mass and an ice cream social.	We have grown to 2856 families belong, 517 children enrolled in grades 1-8, and 71 more in kindergarten.
June 1989	Father Swarthout leaves.
July 1989	Worship Ministry begins.
July 1989	Father Harte leaves and Father Daniel Hermes arrives as pastor.	PHOTO Fr. Hermes
August 1989	Father Thomas Burr arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. Burr
June 1990	First Appreciation Picnic.
August 1990	Priests move out of the Parish Center.	This allows for more office space for the ever-increasing Parish Ministries.
July 1990	The Family Life Ministry begins.
October 1990	The Evangelization Ministry (SINE) holds its first retreat.	SINE is later replaced by the Light of the World retreats centered in Rockford. Parishioners traveled to Sioux Falls, SD, to establish the Light of the World program in the sioux Falls Diocese.
July 1991	Father VanderBleek and Father Burr leave and Father Mark Campobello arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. Campobello. Fr. VanderBleek dies within the next year in a single car accident.
September 1991	The Evangelization Ministry begins.
June 1992	Memorial Liturgy for Father Matthew VanderBleek.
	Three endowment programs are started.
February 1996	Addition to school is started.	PHOTO of groundbreaking ceremony.
March 1996	Construction on the addition progresses	PHOTOS of the construction.
June 1996	Church parking lot is remodeled.	PHOTOS of the parking lot.
September 1996	Addition opens for classes.
November 1996	The new school addition is dedicated.	PHOTO of the dedication and blessing ceremony.
June 1994	Fr. Mark Campobello leaves. Fr. Marty Heinz and Fr. Tim Seigel arrive.	PHOTO of Fr. Heinz and Fr. Seigel
June 1995	Fr. Tim Seigel leaves and Fr. Donald DeSalvo arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. DeSalvo
June 1996	Fr. Marty Heinz leaves.
July 1996	Fr. Donald DeSalvo leaves and Fr. Max Striedl, Jr. arrives.
November 1996	Fr. John Hanrahan, S.J., arrives
January 2000	The Parish Nurse Ministry is established.
June 2000	Fr. Max Striedl, Jr. leaves	Fr. Max becomes Principal & Superintendent at St. Edward High School
June 2000	Fr. Stephen Folorunso arrives	PHOTO of Fr. Folorunso
November 2000	Fr. John Hanrahan leaves and Fr. Mike Morrissey arrives.	Fr. John assigned as Pastor, St. Mary Parish, Polo. PHOTO of Fr. Morrissey
March 2001	Dedication of the Adoration Chapel	PHOTO
June 2001	Msgr. Daniel Hermes leaves Holy Family	Msgr. Dan becomes the pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle in Crystal Lake, IL.
June 2001	Father Tom Bales returns to Holy Family to assume the position of pastor.	PHOTOS
September 30, 2001	Dedication of new pipe organ by Bishop Doran	The new organ has 3, 199 pipes ranging in size from 2 inches to 32 feet. The pipe work was all made by hand in England, Germany, Holland, and the United States.
May 1, 2002	The Knights of Columbus were chartered with 37 members.	Authur King served as the first Grand Knight.
May 2003	Basement of church is vandalized.	What a mess! Thousands of dollars worth of damage.
June 2003	Fr. Stephen Folorunso & Fr. Michael Morrissey leave.	Fr. Stephen assigned as Associate at SS. Peter & Paul, Cary. Fr. Mike assigned as Parochial Administrator, St. Anne, Dixon.
June 2003	Fr. Grady and Fr. Atto arrive at Holy Family.	PHOTOS
Spring 2003	Adoration Chapel is closed for repair after extensive damage from a car accident.
August 2003	Ministry Fair moved outside under tents.	Parishioners are encouraged to learn about the multitude of ministries available at Holy Family.
December2004	Basement is reopened.	PHOTOS of the mural on the Family Room
February 2005	Pat DiRaimondo is honored as Holy Family’s Woman of the Year.
April 4, 2005	Fr. Brian Grady leaves.	Assigned Parochial Administrator for St. Joseph, Lena; St. Joseph, Apple River; St. Ann, Warren
June 2005	Fr. Ronelo Muede arrives.	PHOTO of Fr. Muede
September 2005	Toddler Time is established.
February 2006	Amy Russell was honored as Holy Family’s Woman of the Year.	Amy served as the chairperson of the funeral luncheon committee and also volunteers in the Harte Center Offices on a weekly basis.
May 2006	Dedication of the Holy Family wall plaque displayed in the basement of the church.	Wall plaque was donated to the parish by the Women’s Guild.

July 2006	Fr. Dennis Atto leaves.	Father Atto becomes the associate at St. Catherine's parish in Dundee.
July 2006	Fr. Andrew Hougan arrives.	Father Hougan returns to his home parish having graduated from Holy Family School and Boylan High School.
December 2006	Votive candles added to the church.	Three stands of votive candles were donated to the parish by the Women’s Guild.
February 2007	Florence Schultz is honored as Holy Family’s Woman of the Year.	Florence is an active member of the Women’s Guild, in charge of the Holy Dusters, is a member of the funeral luncheon committee, takes the Eucharist to the sick in area nursing homes, and is a member of the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary.
Spring 2007	Remodeling to accommodate new preschool program begins.	PHOTOS
August 2007	First 3-yr.- and 4-yr.-old Preschool classes begin.
Fall 2007	Fr. Ronelo Meude leaves.
November 2007	Family of Pauline Pirages donates art work of Our Lady of Perpetual Help above votive candles in her memory.
February 2008	Mary Jo Keffer is honored as Holy Family's Woman of the Year .
February 2009	Diane Heidemann is honored as Holy Family's Woman of the Year.
July 2008	Fr. Randy Fronek arrives
July 1, 2009	Fr. Andrew Hougan leaves	Fr. Hougan is assigned as Parochial Administrator to St. Paul's Church in Sandwich, Illinois
November 2009	Fr. David Vogel arrives
February 2010	Alice McNeany is honored as Holy Family's Woman of the Year.

Our History

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Event

Notes and Pictures