St. Andrews the Apostle Church was established by the decree of Bishop Charles H. Helmsing on July 1, 1964. He appointed Fr. Walter j. Pelecki to pastor the original 46 families who formed the parish. Lacking a building, the new community worshipped at the Melody-McGilley-Eylar Funeral Home on Vivion Road. Daily Masses were at the first rectory on N. Brighton Road.
Worship continued in this way until the Rectory Chapel (the current rectory) was completed two years later. Liturgies were held in the basement until the present Church was finished and dedicated in 1974.
Fr. Pilecki, the founding pastor, was replaced in 1975 by Msgr. John Huhmann who served as pastor until accepting an assignment outside the Diocese in July 1977. The parish's third pastor, Fr. Linus Link, took up his duties and guided the parish for the next 16 years.
During his pastorate, the Link Center, a religious education and multipurpose building, was completed in 1992. In September, 1997, St. Andrews began an Early Childhood Learning Center using the facility.
In July 1993, Fr. Thomas Wiederholt, replaced Fr. Link who retired from active ministry. He remained pastor until June of 1998.
Fr. Joseph Mancuso became our fifth pastor June 17, 1998. Fr. Mancuso was ordained on June 6, 1964, the same year that Saint Andrew's parish was founded. Since assuming the pastorate of St. Andrew's parish, the parish has begun a Catholic school - the first one in our diocese in over 30 years. In the new school year 2001 -2002, we will be opening a new school building that will boast eight classrooms and an Administrative center.
Our prayer life has deepened with the opening of the adoration chapel on August 16, 1999. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.. What a joy it is to see so many of us spending a Holy Hour before our Lord. I am sure many graces have come to our parish because of it. We thank Bishop Boland for naming our chapel as a place of pilgrimage where the Holy Year, Jubilee indulgences could be obtained.
In its first thirty-four years of existence, St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church has grown from the original 46 families to over 700 families and is still growing. |
