Queen of the Holy Rosary Memorial Shrine
The Queen of the Holy Rosary Memorial Shrine is a
Bishop Jenky designated the Shrine as a Holy Door pilgrimage site for the Holy Year of Mercy from November 8, 2015, through November 20, 2016, as announced by Pope Francis.[3]
History
In 1904, Father Charles Zachini from the Diocese of Loreto, Italy arrived in La Salle and ministered to the Italian-American community for the Illinois towns of La Salle, Peru, and Oglesby. The first Masses were said in a private house on the corner of Third and Creve Coeur streets.[4] Two months later, a house was purchased on the corner of Fourth and Bucklin, converted into a small church and dedicated as the Church of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1905. Two years after the dedication, Zachini was recalled to Italy to be made a canon of the Basilica of Loreto and the church was closed.[5]
For 18 years the Italian-American community was without its own parish until Father Peter Delo arrived in 1925 and established the Queen of the Holy Rosary church with the permission of Bishop Edmund M. Dunne. The first Masses were said in the Knights of Columbus hall. On the first Sunday in October, 1925, the Queen of the Holy Rosary Church was dedicated in a converted house at 529 Fourth Street and had a membership of 35 families.[6] This is next to the site of the current structure.
In 1936, Father Simon D. Bernardi was appointed
Throughout the years various improvements were made. The rectory was completed in 1958. In the spring of 1958, the old church-rectory was demolished. On July 21, 1959, the parish became free of debt. In November 1965 an Italian-made mosaic was installed on the back walls of the main and side altars. In 1968 a Catechetical Center was completed. This required the purchase of the remaining half block of property west of the church and the demolition of the buildings.
Father Bernardi was elevated to
Building detail[5]
- The building has a steel structure with an exterior of Bedford stone with random ashlar.
- The capitals are of Corinthian style and the exterior doors are bronze.
- All floors are terrazzo.
- The interior contains 15 different marbles from Italy, France and North Africa.
- The railings were carved in Pietrasanta, Italy by the laboratory of Felice Bertozzi and installed personally by the artisans.
- There are numerous venetian mosaics, the most notable being the replica of Our Lady of Pomeii, Patroness of the Parish, above the center of the main altar. The largest surrounds the main altar in gold, and depicts vines reaching upwards with three coats of arms.
- The marble pulpit weighs about three tons yet can be moved by one man.
- The stained glass windows are of imported German and Belgian glass in the Italian Renaissance design and depict:
- The Nativity
- St. Anne
- St. Maria Goretti
- St. Frances Xavier (Mother) Cabrini
- St. Pius X
- The Holy Family
- The Resurrection
- Christ the King
- Guardian Angel
- Queen of the Holy Rosary
- The Sacred Heart
- The Good Shepard
- St. John the Baptist
- Two Virgin Mary.
- The choir loft contains a pipe organ and an electronic carillon with a library of 700 songs that can be played through the bell tower.
Memorial Dedication
It was decided at the time of dedication that the Queen of the holy rosary would memorialize seven parishioners who lost their lives while serving in World War II, John Marinangeli, Richard Marinangeli, Anthony Piraino, Joseph Piraino, John Torchia, Angelo Venturi and Barney Valesano.[5]
Gallery
References
- ^ Bibo, Terry (October 10, 2009), Parish suspensions hit hard in LaSalle area, Peoria, Illinois: Peoria Journal Star
- ^ "Services set in LaSalle, East Peoria for Deacon Rager", The Catholic Post, Peoria, Illinois: Diocese of Peoria, January 10, 2010, archived from the original on December 14, 2010
- ^ "Bishop Jenky's Festival Letter on "Divine Mercy" outlines Holy Year", The Catholic Post, Peoria, Illinois: Diocese of Peoria, December 6, 2015[dead link]
- ^ LaSalle Centennial Committee (1952). LaSalle Illinois: an historical sketch. LaSalle, Illinois: LaSalle Centennial Committee. pp. 53.
- ^ a b c d Bernardi, Simon D. (October 7, 1956). Dedication Book of Queen of the Holy Rosary Memorial Church and 50th Anniversary. La Salle, Illinois: Queen of the Holy Rosary Memorial Church. pp. 9–10, inside front cover.
- ^ Schiavo, Giovanni (1957). Four Centuries of Italian-American History (Fourth American ed.). New York City: The Vigo Press. pp. 372–374.
- ^ "Msgr. Bernardi dies minutes before Mass for 50th anniversary", News-Tribune, LaSalle, Illinois: Daily News Tribune, Inc., p. 1, October 6, 1975
- ^ "Home". lasallecatholic.org.