In the early 1850's, the community of Mendota, Illinois was a bustling railroad and farm center.  There were, however, no Catholic churches in town to serve the faithful.  Priests came occasionally from LaSalle and other suburban Chicago towns to offer Mass in the home of one or more of the local families.  The English speaking community was served by English speaking priests and German speaking priests served the German community.

The first resident pastor was assigned in 1858 to serve Catholics in the Mendota area.  Upon his arrival, he immediately began plans to construct a church building.  St. Mary's was built in 1859 and occupied that same year.  The frame church was erected on 6th Avenue.  St. Mary's Parochial School was built between the years 1876 - 1888 one block north of the church.  The Sisters of Mercy from Ottawa, Illinois were put in charge of the school.



It was hoped that the German Catholics would attend services at St. Mary's, but they preferred to continue with visiting priests who spoke their language.  With a rapidly increasing German population, the desire to continue services in German and the wish to establish a church on the west side of town, in 1859, the German Catholics purchased a long narrow frame building, originally a public school, and moved it to the present church site.  They named the parish Holy Cross.

The first resident pastor for the German speaking congregation was Father T. Westkamp who came to Mendota in 1861.  To accomodate the fast growing parish, Father Westkamp set about building a larger church constructed of brick.  As the Civil War was being waged at this time, construction of the new church was slowed when several valued employees were recruited by the Union Army.  The church was sufficiently completed for occupation and dedicated in 1864.  Interior finishes were completed in 1868.



The first Holy Cross parochial school was established in the late 1850's and was located in a brick building at what is now 1002 North Main Street.  Classes were taught by a schoolmaster and continued at this location until around 1864.

When the Holy Cross brick church was completed, the old frame church was made into a school with the Sisters of St. Francis of Joliet placed in charge.  About 1870 - 1871, the building was moved to the site of the present school to make room for an addition to the church.

After a succession of several priests, Father Edward Jacobs became pastor of Holy Cross Church in the autumn of 1911, continuing to serve the parish until May of 1921.  In 1913, during his pastorate, a brick school building was constructed on the present site of Holy Cross School.  The Dominican Sisters of Springfield were put in charge.  This original structure still stands and has had three additions built in 1938, 1951, and 1960.  In 1970, the Monsignor Wissing Parish Activity Center (pictured below) was added.



By 1931, Most Reverend Joseph H. Schlarman, Bishop of the Diocese of Peoria, decided that the Catholic population of Mendota would best be served by combining the two parishes in Mendota at the time, St. Mary's and Holy Cross.  Since Holy Cross Church was more centrally located and because the school was located next to the church, its site was chosen for the new church which would unite the two Catholic congregations.

On May 7, 1931, the unification of the two parishes became reality with the appointment of Father Leo J. Wissing as pastor.  A need for a new church to serve the combined parishes was evident, and Father Wissing set out to build one.  The old church was dismantled.  The parsonage was moved to the northwest corner of the property, formerly occupied by old Holy Cross Church, and became the residence for the Sisters teaching at the school.

In the summer of 1932, actual construction of the new church was begun, and the concrete foundation was completed by autumn.  Construction experienced a year and a half delay while the Great Depression gripped the country (1929 - 1933).  Brick work commenced in 1934 and on May 27 of that year, the cornerstone of the new Tudor Gothic style church was laid and the church blessed by Bishop Schlarman of the Diocese of Peoria.  On June 19, 1935, the bishop celebrated a solemn high Mass at the dedication of the new church (pictured below).



The Holy Cross Rectory which stands beside the church was added in 1956.

Today, approximately 920 families are registered parishioners of Holy Cross Parish and Holy Cross School provides a Catholic education to approximately 155 students.

Each photo in this Holy Cross History (including the Msgr. Wissing photo and biography that follows) is courtesy of the 1935 Holy Cross Church Dedication Booklet or the 1985 Holy Cross Church 50th Anniversary Booklet.