Our History

In 1959, a group of Episcopalians living in Streamwood, Illinois, petitioned the Bishop, the Rt. Rev. G.P. Burrill, for the establishment of a Mission. The Rev. John F. Plummer began conducting services on September 13, 1959. As he wrote in his book “Looking Forward”: “The first service was held in the office of the construction company. We had no altar, and adjusted ourselves to the cramped quarters. The children adopted an office room while the Holy Eucharist was celebrated using the counter for an altar. My pulpit was a revolving seat, which had the habit of revolving at the wrong time, a new type of church architecture. We managed for a few Sundays and finally moved to a vacant house nearby. Here there were more rooms. The living room was the central part of worship with a small table used for an altar. The Elgin Redeemer Church’s Men’s Club helped us get prayer books. We had no hymnals or organ. But the services were hearty. The people in the back rows of seats would rise to let others enter by the front door. The kitchen was used for the overflow, mostly for standing room. As was my custom, I began calling on church people and found children to be baptized. On October 18, 1959, before the Holy Eucharist was celebrated, I baptized four children. The place was so crowded (74) that I had difficulty in not stepping on children sitting on the floor and witnessing for the Baptism, with adults crowding the room.” As time went on, however, other duties demanded Fr. Plummer’s attention, and Fr. Hawkins and Fr. Boushard supplied in his stead. Many of the early services were held in homes, as was usual in the early church, recalled early Christians, and sometimes in construction offices. Eventually, the congregation rented a model home on Sunday mornings, and services were held in the living room, with church school classes meeting in the bedrooms. One of the first social events was a parish potluck supper, marking the first of the annual parish meetings. Next came a progressive dinner, and other such events followed, bringing the parish together as a family.

The following year, the Rev. Don Shaw took over supply duties, and services were held in the Woodland Heights School. As many other churches were then organizing and using the school, quarters were cramped and scheduling conflicts arose until the church progressed to having its own classroom. In 1962, the Rev. Stuart Frane became the first resident Priest, and the rectory in Streamwood was purchased. In 1963, Bishop Montgomery blessed the land on Irving Park Road, in Hanover Park, which had been purchased by the Diocese for locating the permanent church building. The following March, the Rev. John R.K. Stieper became Vicar, and funds were raised to build a church on the land. Construction began in July, and the dedication was held for the newly completed church, on Thanksgiving, 1964. The church land was later annexed into the Village of Hanover Park, and over the years the congregation continued to grow in size, so much so that, in 1968, a school building with six classrooms was added to the church building. Over the years the congregation added stained glass windows, redecorated the interior of the church and community areas, and improved the grounds to provide a pleasant place to gather and worship God. By 1985, the congregation had grown in size, stability and economic well being, that it was granted parish status.

Fr. Stieper retired as Rector in early 2000. Since that time the church has been served by supply Priests and Interim Rectors: Fr. Michael Rasicci, Fr. Richard Lundberg, Fr. Ted E. Durst, Mother Deborah Seles and Dr. Mathew P. Idicula.  Our current priest Rev. Roberto Pamatmat was appointed as vicar in September 2018.