Celebrating 100 Years with Great Hope!
Renewing our Commitment as Missionary Disciples
in a Culture of Christian Stewardship.
View Fr. Jim's video invitation to renew
(or initiate) your stewardship commitment
for the year ahead.
FROM THE
PASTOR'S CORNER
Dear Fellow Parishioners,
These past several months of the Coronavirus pandemic have cast a shadow over the plans we had for celebrating the 100th anniversary of our parish. And yet as I have looked back over our parish history, I have noticed that strife and flexibility have been hallmarks of our parish all along. For example, St. Isidore Parish was founded on March 5, 1920. That was less than a year following the Flu Pandemic of 1919. We were less than 10 years old when the Stock Market crashed in October 1929 ushering in the Great Depression. Unemployment soared. Since then we faced the Second World War and numerous additional wars. We have seen periods of growth and prosperity as well as economic downturns leading to our present pandemic.
As I followed the patterns in our 100-year history, I realized that through it all – in good times and in bad – God has been with us. God has blessed us with everything that we needed from year to year. Our ancestors in faith, who built our chapel and church, trusted in that faithful presence of God. We stand on the shoulders of the giants who have gone before us. Their example inspires us today who face similar obstacles and fears to truly acknowledge that everything we have is God’s gift to us and that God will see us through our present trials. This gives us hope.
Our call to be faithful stewards of the gifts which God has blessed us is the same call that those who have gone before us responded to. They not only provided the buildings that we gather in, they also gave us an example of gratefully receiving God’s gifts and sharing them with others.
As we strive to find our “new normal,” whatever that may be, I invite you to join with me in being faithful stewards as we gratefully receive God’s generous gifts to us and then share them with others. As those who have gone before us have taught us, God will see us through our present difficulties and lead us to new beginnings.
If you are not comfortable joining with us in person, please join us through our live-streamed Masses on Facebook. If you have not been receiving our news notices, and have an email address, please send it to us so that we can keep in touch in the most economical ways.
Today and always, may God continue to bless us with all that we need, and more.
Father Jim Murphy, Pastor
Survey team on the donated acreage from the Stark Family farm.
Cornerstone laid on Oct. 10, 1920 in a ceremony led by Archbishop Mundelein.
Rev. John Wester, formerly parochial vicar of St. John the Baptist Parish in Winfield, was named by Archbishop Mundelein as our first pastor.
Archbishop Mundelein returned for the formal dedication of the church in 1921. The first Mass was celebrated on Easter Sunday that year. The parish began with 45 families.
A look east down Grand Road, which eventually became Army Trail Road.
Celebrating 100 years of planting seeds of faith,
growing as disciples, and sharing the Gospel!
If you are able, please join us by renewing or initiating
your support of our continuing parish mission
to plant • to grow • to share
as we enter our second 100 years!
Prayerfully use this giving guide
and complete the pledge form below.
Thank you!
Learn more HERE about the spirituality (theology) and the practice of Stewardship
as a personal way of life and a parish culture at St. Isidore.
To change your commitment for
Online Giving, you must go to our
Online Giving site and make the
changes yourself. Our staff does not have
access to your personal account.
To make your pledge, complete this form and click SUBMIT when finished.