In 1857, St. Mary's church was erected in the village of Tennessee. It is 25x40 feet in size, and has a seating capacity of 275. Upon the organization of the church it had a membership of 30, and has retained that number to the present time. Since the organization of St. Mary's church, there has been about 12 converts. They hold services once a month. Those who have served the church as priests since the organization, are as follows: Philip Albrecht, five years; John Larmer, 10 years; Father Manning, two years; J. G. Cogan, one year; James Tuohy, two years; John Allbright, two years; P. C. McGrath, one year; John Ryan, four years. The present priest resides at Macomb.

Rev. John Ryan, present pastor of the Catholic church at Macomb, Illinois, is a native of Ireland, and was born in the parish of Murroe, county Limerick, early in this century. He made his ecclesiastical studies principally in All Hallows college, Dublin, Ireland, which were supplemented, subsequently, by one year's study at the Diocesan seminary, Vincennes, Indiana, where, in due course, he was ordained priest, on the 5th day of July, 1846, by Right Rev. Celestine de la Helandiere, the Bishop of Vincennes. He served on the same one mission, in Northern Indiana for 18 years, when he came to the diocese of Chicago, and for four years was pastor of the Catholic congregation at Canton, Fulton county, Illinois, whence he was transferred to the pastorate of Kewanee, Henry county, Illinois, and after serving for 11 years and three months, then he was transferred to his present habitat--Macomb--where he has gained the respect of all.

History of McDonough County, Illinois, 1885, Continental Historical Co., Springfield, Illinois
Transcribed by Robin Petersen for McDonough County ILGenWeb

Copyright 1999, 2000 Robin L. W. Petersen; all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictly prohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appear with the information.

 
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