The History of St. Catherine of Siena Church

The first Mass in Dundee was said in the Hunt Building on the northeast corner of Main and Second Street on July 8, 1912 by Father Lonergan with 35 people present. A table with cigar boxes, covered with linen handkerchiefs, served as the altar. Masses were later said in the Library Hall in Carpentersville for a short time.

The first Church was built on Highland Avenue in West Dundee in 1914. This building is the present home of the Dundee Historical Society. On May 30, 1914, the new church was dedicated. Knights of Columbus came by train to the East Dundee Station and marched in full dress to the new church along with Bishop Muldoon and Father Lonergan. Part of the Mass was said in Italian. Father Keenan, appointed pastor in 1917, lived at St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin until the Rectory was purchased in 1920. It is said that he rode both on horseback and streetcar to say Mass in Dundee. Between the years 1940 and 1950, the parish expanded rapidly and it became necessary to add extra masses. In 1953, the sudden increase of members in the new development called Meadowdale, created the need for a Mission Chapel. Members of St. Catherine’s Parish helped Siena Chapel (now St. Monica’s Church) get its start.

St. Catherine of Siena Church
As the parish and school continued to grow, there was a need to move to roomier surroundings. In 1963, a Building Fund Program was established and in 1965 the cornerstone for the new St. Catherine of Siena was laid. This building, located on Route 72, would house the permanent school facilities, Siena Hall and lunchroom combination, and temporary church facilities in the section that would later become a gymnasium. On Sunday, September 9, 1984, a new church was dedicated by Bishop O’Neill of Rockford, the result of the faith and sacrifice of parish members. Father Bruno Daukas, the pastor at that time, saw the fulfillment of many years of planning. The parish family has grown from 5 families in 1912 to over 2,300 today. The parish school has grown from 65 students to 280.