St Tarcissus Church History

History

On April 2, 1926, Cardinal Mundelein answered the many prayers and petitions of the Catholic families that lived in the Gladstone of Chicago's far northwest side by forming St. Tarcissus Parish. He purchased property at Ardmore and Moody for $200,000 and appointed Father Martin Hayden pastor. Prior to that time people living in this area had to attend mass and receive the sacraments at the neighboring parish of Our Lady of Victory. The boundaries of the parish were established as Devon on the north, Central Avenue on the east, Bryn Mawr Avenue and Northwest Highway on the south and Nagle Avenue on the west.

One of Fr. Hayden's first accomplishments was the renting of a two-flat at 5838 Moody to serve as a rectory. A small temporay wooden church building was then constructed with the help of parishners on the site of the current social center.

Fr. Hayden offered two masses each Sunday, with the first one in the parish history taking place on Pentecost Sunday of 1926, just eight weeks after he was named pastor of the newly formed parish. By the summer, however, mass attendance increased to such an extent that two more masses were added each Sunday. It was at this time that the parish began to receive the assistance of the Vincentian priests of DePaul University. By 1930 two additional masses were added per Sunday.

In the fall of 1926, the Holy Name Society, the Altar and Rosary Society and the Social Club were formed. The Social Club consisted of men and women and concentrated on various fund raising activities. All of these meetings in the portable church building. It was partitioned off in order to accommodate the various organization meetings. Even though they had a place to meet there were still hardships since the building was neither heated nor did it have plumbing.

Late in 1926 ground was broken for a two-story combination chruch/school building. It was completed and opened in 1927. The first mass was celebrated in the new church on July 23, 1927. This mass took place just fifteen months after the parish had been established. The church seated 625 people. This chuch is now the site of the present school auditorium.

The original school had eight classrooms, two of which were used as living quarters for the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary who ran the school. From the very beginning the school offered special facilities for the study of music, education, physical culture and art. In 1928 a third floor was added to the school and in April of 1934 Fr. Hayden purchased a two-flat at 5738 Meade to serve as a convent. He was able to do this despite the fact that the entire country was undergoing horrible financial difficulties. Even though collections during these years dwindled to near nothring Fr. Hayden never refused any requests for financial assistance from his parishioners.

In 1939 the Cardinal suggested to Fr. Hayden that he construct a new rectory. Fr. Hayden felt that the needs of this people should come first. He was especially concerned with their social needs. As a result in 1940 the original temporary church was torn town so that the present social center could be built.

A new rectory was finnally complete in November of 1948 and the new convent was ready to be occupied in August of 1951. Fr. Hayden was named Monsignor in 1950 and died in December of 1951, after serving for almost twenty-six years as the only pastor St. Tarcissus ever had.

In March of 1952 Cardinal Stritch appointed Father Edward T. Kush as pastor. His first priority was to build a new chuch to serve the needs of the increasing size of the parish. The cornerstone of the present church was laid on May 23, 1953. Fr. Kush wanted the new church building to serve as a fitting memorial to Msgr. Hayden. The first mass was celebrated in the new church on Easter Sunday of 1954. The church was formally dedicated by Cardinal Stritch on July 25, 1954.