Parish History

• In 1794, the first Augustine arrives in the United States. He is Rev. John Rosseter, osa He left his native Ireland to begin his missionary work.
  
  
• On the 27^th day of August, 1796, a letter of foundation establishing the Augustinians in the New World was issued at Rome.
  
  
• In the twentieth century, through the invitation of the Archbishop of Chicago, Most Rev. James Edward Quigley, D.D., the Augustinians entered the Midwest. In the issue of June 24, 1905, THE CHICAGO RECORD HERALD described the first steps in the foundation of the present St. Rita Parish.:
  
  
• "With the permission and approval of Archbishop Quigley, another community of Priests, one of the most ancient in the Catholic Church, the Order of St. Augustine, commonly called Augustinian Friars, who have their Mother house at Villanova, Pa., have completed plans to establish their first community-house in the West in Chicago. For that purpose a tract of land consisting of five acres has been purchased on 63^rd Street between Oakley and Claremont Aves., and the work on the erection of the community buildings will begin today."
  
  
• The task of organizing the new venture was given to the Rev. James F. Green, O.S.A., who had been pastor of St. Joseph's parish in Greenwich, New York. He arrived on the 24^th of June 1905. He was instrumental in guiding the constructed of the school building, the monastery and the chapel which would be the first parish church of St. Rita.
  
  
• The work on the construction of the buildings progressed rapidly and they were dedicated by Bishop J.P. Muldoon on April 22, 1906.
• The first students entered in the fall of the same year.
• The school chapel was designated as the first parish church.
  
  
• The original parish boundaries:
• Robey St. now Damen marked the Eastern boundary
• The East side of California marked the Western boundary.
• 59^th Street marked the Northern Boundary. (This is still true today.)
• The Southern end remained indefinite for years.
  
  
• Original Number of families belonging to the parish was 700.
  
  
• 1908 the Chicago Lawn area was detached from the Parish of St. Gall and attached to St. Rita. In September of that same year, the entire parish of St. Gall was incorporated into the limits of St. Rita. Boundaries were now:
• Damen to Summit (East to West)
• 47^th (north) to still an indefinite southern boundary.
  
  
• December of 1908, the section of Auburn and Evergreen Park were placed under Fr. Green's jurisdiction at the request of Archbishop Quigley. The mission did not thrive and was closed three years later.
  
  
• 1909 was a year of tremendous progress. The Chicago Tribune records the following
  
  
• "On Sunday May 16, 1909, the blessing of grounds fro three new Catholic Churches took place in Chicago Lawn, Elsdon and Gage Park, respectively. This is an event which rarely happens in church circles - three buildings at one time - and is a matter of great interest to the Catholic population of the aforementioned places, as it means the erecting in the near future of places of worship, thus filling a long-felt want...."
• These new buildings are now the parishes of St. Clare of Montefalco, St. Gall and St. Nicholas of Tolentine.
  
  
• 1911 the purchase of a five acres of land so that St. Rita parish could become a separate entity from the High School which has been its home since 1905. The land was purchased in the Marquette Manor Subdivision located at 63^rd & Fairfield, and 62^nd and Washtenaw, the present day parish property.
  
  
• September 21, 1915: ground breaking for the erection of the church-school combination.. The cornerstone was laid on November 7, 1915. The first Mass was celebrate in the Church on August 18, 1918 by Fr. Green.
• Summer of 916 the Museum of Chicago awarded the new buildings of St. Rita its first prize at its Architectural Exhibit of that year. Joseph McCarthy was the designer of the complex.
  
  
• On May 27^th 1923, the cornerstone of the original parish church was laid. By Christmas of that year, the first mass was celebrated in the new Church.
  
  
• 1925: construction began on the convent.. They were completed by September of 1926. The Dominican Sisters were its first and only residents through out the years.
  
  
• 1927: Work began on the rectory. On July 27, 1928, Frs. Green, Meaney, McCabe and Murphy took up residency in the rectory.
  
  
• November 27, 1936: Fr. Patrick Kehoe succeeds Fr. Green as Pastor of St. Rita after Fr. Green's death. The whole southwest side of Chicago mourned the death of Farther Green.
  
  
• August of 1948: New Church Built around existing. Date of dedication was November 23, 1950.
  
  
• Fr. McHale replaces Fr. Kehoe as pastor, September 1958.
  
  
• Fr. Francis Fenton Succeds Fr. McHale as pastor, September 1968.
  
  
• Fr. Dudley Day succeeds Fr. Fenton as pastor, 1987.
  
  
• Fr. Pat Murphy is named as administrator of the Parish replacing Fr. Flynn, 1990.
  
  
• Fr. Murphy is replaced by Rev. Joseph Stobba as pastor, 1992.
  
  
• Fr. William Lego is named to replace Fr. Stobba as pastor, 1995.
  
  
• Fr. Chris Howe is named pastor, October 1, 2003

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