Recently, while giving the parish financial report, I mentioned that our parish will celebrate its centennial in 2024.  The actual date to kick off the centennial year is Saturday, September 14, 2024. This date is exactly one hundred years after the first Mass was celebrated on the property that is now our parish.  It was less than a year after Pope Pius XI moved the see of the diocese from Alton to Springfield. Bishop James Griffin was installed as the new bishop in February 1924 and soon appointed Father Michael Tarrent as chancellor. In August of that year, it was announced that a new parish would be established in the southwest part of the city and on September 14, 1924, Bishop Griffin, Father Tarrent, and several thousand people attended a field Mass on the property where the church and school were to be built. In March 1925 construction began on the school and by the end of August, it opened with 284 students registered on the first day.  On the Sunday following the field Mass, Father Tarrent began celebrating Mass in a small temporary church that was erected near the corner of Laurel and Holmes.   This building was used until the present church was finished in 1930.  

We have already begun planning for our centennial. We have selected the date Saturday, September 14, 2024 to kickoff our centennial year. We hope to schedule several special events in the following year ending with the 100th anniversary of Blessed Sacrament School.  To prepare for the celebration, we would like to make some repairs to the church building. This would include the replacement of the slate roof which has been on the church since 1930. We also hope to restore the stain glass windows. This would include replacing any damaged or missing pieces of glass, fortifying the framing that hold the glass in place, along with cleaning and protecting the window.   Thirdly, we hope to repair and clean the limestone exterior of the church.  At the present time we are gathering information and preparing the bids.   

We will need to do a campaign to raise the money to do this work. Where the cost is really unknown at this point, a rough estimate might be from 2.5 to 3 million dollars. The beautiful Church of the Blessed Sacrament is a treasure we can all appreciate. Many made generous sacrifices to build and then maintain the structure.  If we are to continue this tradition, we must all be ready to make a commitment. I will keep you informed as our plans progress.   At this point, what I ask of you is support and your prayers.  May we be successful in our efforts  to have things ready for the centennial and to celebrate it with gratitude and joy.  

This is a great opportunity for our parish community to put into action our Lord's command to "love your neighbor" in a spirit of generosity, caring, and fun. 

See the sign up forms below.  Items may be dropped off the week of October 3.