Saint Michael's Catholic Church (Galena, Illinois)

Saint Michael's Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford. The church is located in Galena, Illinois, United States, at 227 South Bench Street in Galena.

Saint Michael's Catholic Church
42°24′55.1″N 90°25′49.2″W
Location227 South Bench Street,
Galena, Illinois
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic
WebsiteSaint Michael's Web site
History
StatusParish church
FoundedAugust 22, 1832 (August 22, 1832)
Founder(s)Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli
Architecture
StyleRomanesque Revival
Specifications
Length135 feet
Width60 feet
Height35 feet
Administration
ArchdioceseChicago
DioceseRockford
Clergy
ArchbishopFrancis George
Bishop(s)David John Malloy

The parish is named after the Archangel Michael, and is seated on a hill overlooking downtown Galena.

History

The parish was founded by the pioneer priest, Father Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, who served as pastor of the parish from 1835 to 1843, and during this time directed the building of a church. This building served until it was destroyed by a fire which had consumed a good portion of downtown Galena.[1]

Father Mazzuchelli began working with St. Michael's parish to build a new building to replace the one lost in the fire. Designed in the Romanesque Revival style, this is the largest church designed by Father Mazzuchelli. The new building has a truss formation to hold the weight of the roof, which helped eliminate the need for pillars within the church.[2] This building still stands today, and continues to serve as a place of worship.

The current rectory was built in 1896.

See also

References
  1. "Builder of the Church", Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa
  2. "Faith Based Itinerary", Galena County Tourism, December 26, 2018
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