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Our Lady of Lourdes Priests |
1860-1875: No official Pastor, no official Parish,
but Mass was said in private homes by Father John
Fanning, coming from Fairbury, about once a month.
1875-1880: Father John Fanning. Property acquired by
donation at northeast corner of Church and 5th St. on
April 29, 1875. Fund drives held for building a
wood-frame Church on the property, which was completed
within a few months at a cost of $1,100. The Church was
dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, in honor of the
apparitions of Mary at Lourdes, France, less than 20
years earlier.
1880-1881: Father Thomas Cahill (1880), succeeded by
Father Martin Kelly (1880-1881). both of Loda.
Jurisdiction of Our Lady of Lourdes passed from Fairbury
to Loda, in 1880.
1882: Father F. Recouvreur, living in Loda,
arranged for Mass to be said and the Sacraments to be
administered in Gibson City by Fransican from
Bloomington.
1883-1890: Father Louis Heideman. Continued the
arrangement with Bloomington Franciscans. The debt of
$1,100 on the Church was paid off.
1891-1894: Father John Barry, first resident Pastor.
Built first rectory, with horse and buggy stable, on
north Wood St., lot #1, Block 39, of First Addition to
Gibson City. Original frame church was moved from Church
& 5th St. location to new Wood St. location lot #2, next
to the Rectory. Cost of the 2 lots was $850. Melvin,
Roberts, and Farmer City designated as missions of
Gibson City. 47 Baptisms were recorded in these years.
1894-1898: Father Joseph Kelly. 85 Baptisms recorded,
with 22 marriages and only 4 funerals - a record to be
envied today.
1898-1901: Father John H. Cannon. Continued growth of
Catholic population, with 67 Baptisms and 76
Confirmations recorded.
10901-1908: Father Martin Gleason. Frame church
severely damaged by fire, renovated and redecorated.
1908-1917: Father James Fitzgerald. Replace old frame
Church with present brick Church at a cost of $12,000,
furnishings included. The cornerstone was laid in 1913,
and the completed church was dedicated in 1914 by Bishop
Edmund Dunne of Peoria.
1917-1926: Father John McMullen. St. Rose in Strawn
added to the list of
Gibson City missions in 1922. 72 Baptisms recorded & 22
marriages.
1926-1942: Father Michael Coffey. St Joseph's in
Colfax added to
Gibson City's mission parishes in 1932. Built St. Rose
Church in Strawn
mission in 1940. Established Altar & Rosary Society in
Gibson City in
1940.
1942-1948: Father Charles Bourke Motsett. Custom of
Sunday Ice-Cream Socials on Rectory lawn begun.
Ecumenism actively promoted. New Organ, still in use,
replaced old
pump organ in the Church.
1948-1955: Fr. Edmund O'Neill. Diocese of Joliet
established in 1949,
with Gibson City part of it, along all Ford and Iroquois
Counties. Missions in McLean and Livingston County
dropped, remaining with the Peoria Diocese. Franciscan
nuns from Chatsworth teaching Catechism classes.
1955-1959: Father Joseph Jurkovich. C.C.D. Board
established. Summer school of religion begun. A small,
seldom used bell in the bell-tower was replaced by the
bell still in use today, brought here from Loda in 1958,
when
 the bell-tower there was demolished.
1959-1965:
Father William Kirk. Built the present parish hall and
catechetical center at a cost of $41,000, on donated
land adjacent to the church and rectory lots. The Hall
was named in his name after his death in 1967. Holy Name
Society organized. Council of Catholic Women locally
organized.
 1966-1967: Father James Duffy. Began some still
on-going events, such as theannual Turkey Dinner, and
"after Mass" coffee and rolls. Council of Catholic Women
affiliated with the Diocesan organization. First nun
from parish, Alice Wisthuff, professed.
1967-1972: Father Vytas Memenas. Replaced original
rectory of the 1890's with the present one at a cost of
$47,000, furnishing
included, in 1968. Church renovated & redecorated.
Parish Council started. Summer school for
Spanish-speaking children.
1972-1978: Father Dominic Morissette. Spanish Mass
for the migrants introduced.Statue of Our Lady of
Lourdes set on the front lawn. Church air-conditioned.
C.C.D. program under supervision of
nuns from Ashkum.
1978-1982: Father Denis White. Church and the Hall
redecorated and roof replaced. Knights of Columbus
organized. First priest from parish, Fr. Dennis
Kollross, ordained in 1981.
1982-2003: Father William Smith. Longest serving
Pastor in the history of our parish. Redecorated the
Rectory and painted entire interior
himself. Parish Hall air-conditioned, windows replaced
and the heating system upgraded. Replaced the roofs of
the Church and the Rectory. Redecorated the Church and
put new carpet. The parking lot enlarged and resurfaced.
The Church and Parish Hall made handicap accessible.
Created Lourdes Grotto between the Church and Rectory.
Designed and installed Marian stained glass on the front
doors of the Church. Initiated various ministries in the
Church. Redecorated CCD class rooms with new carpet. The
125th Anniversary of the Parish was celebrated in 2000.
His Golden Jubilee as a Priest was celebrated in 2002.
Father Smith died on March 31, 2003.
2003-2008: Father Joseph Mundakal
C.M.I. Father Joe came to Our Lady of Lourdes in DATE.
He performed X Baptisms, X Marriages and X Adult
Confirmations. In 2008 he was relocated to Tennessee to
continue his service to God there.
2008-Today: Father Dennis Spies. Father Dennis,
originally from the small town of Ashkum, IL is our
current Priest. He is doing great things for our parish
and has a passion for spreading the Word and Love of
God.
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In addition to the afore-named pastors, mention should
be made of the many other priests who, in one capacity
or other, have served Our Lady of Lourdes parish over
the years, most notably:
The Franciscans of Bloomington (Frs. Bruno, Theodore
Stephen, Charles Schoeppner, Leo Molengraft)
Fr. Charles Williams
Fr. B.J. Thomaszewski
Fr. Paul Kuszinski
Fr. Omer Fulton
Fr. J.W. Schumacher
Fr. A. Mankowski
Fr. Anthony Taschetta
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