Saint Ita Church History
St. Ita Parish was founded in Edgewater in 1900. On October 23, 1923, His Eminence George Cardinal Mundelein commissioned Architect Henry J. Schlacks to design and build a new church specifically in French Gothic design for St. Ita Parish. The current church, which opened in 1927, was the capstone of Henry Schlacks’ distinguished career as an ecclesiastical architect. St. Ita's became Schlack's last full-scale masterpiece, the climax of building 12 great churches in the Chicago area.The open tower appears airy and delicate, yet it contains 1,800 tons of Bedford limestone and rises to 120 feet in height. Elaborate Gothic detailing marks the altar, but the medallion windows containing more than 200,000 pieces of stained glass, designed by Schlacks, are the real highlight of the interior.
Take a virtual tour of Saint Ita Church
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Patroness
St. Ita, baptized Deidre, was born of a Christian family about 475 A.D. near the present city of Waterford, Ireland. She was the daughter of the chieftain Confhaola and of Necta who claimed royal descent from Feighlim Reachtmhar, King of Tara.
From an early age, Deirdre was said to embody the six virtues of Irish womanhood — wisdom, purity, beauty, music, sweet speech and embroidery. She was described as “sweet and winning in her address, prudent in word and work and constant in mind and firm of purpose.” This last virtue of “being firm of purpose” stood to her when it came to making decisions about her life’s work.
Her parents hoped she would marry a nobleman of another clan; Deidre wanted to serve God in religious life. To overcome her parents' resistance to her chosen path, she fasted and prayed for three days and three nights, and on the third night, God revealed a message to her father in his sleep. The next morning, Conflhaola gave Deidre his blessing to follow her calling. At the age of sixteen, Deidre received the monastic habit of a nun and took the name of Ita. The name Ita is said to come from the Irish word iota, meaning thirst for holiness.
Ita then set out for Limerick, possibly in the company of her sister Fiona, who was later to become a nun in the community at Killeedy. Ita settled at Cluain Credall where there was a spring well - now a holy well - on the site of what later became a church. She turned down offers by the people and king of Ui Chonaill to take over all the lands of the area and settled instead for four small divisions of land to provide her small community with food.
The initial settlement later became known as Cill Ide or Killeedy (Ita's cell) and prospered as a center of learning and spiritual formation, drawing men and women from as far away as the Midlands. Children came, too, for this was still the age of fosterage in the old Gaelic tradition. One of the most famous of her pupils is said to be St. Brendan, the Navigator or Voyager of Clonfert. Among many others, the great Saint Columban came to Ita for counsel and guidance in the problems of his apostolate. It is thought that Ita was a contemporary of Saint Patrick as well.
Legend has it that Brendan asked Ita the three things which she thought God loved most. She said: "True faith in God with a pure heart, a simple life with a grateful spirit, and openhandedness to the poor inspired by charity." The three things that most displease God are: "a mouth that hates people, a heart harboring resentments and confidence in wealth."
Ita's life was spent mainly at Cill Ide, and, according to Sr. Declan Power, hers was a life based on penance, asceticism, vigils, fast and prayer. She was said to have special devotion to the infant Jesus and to have sung the Irish lullaby, Losagan, to mark that special love.
St. Ita, sometimes called "the white sun of the women of Munster" or the "Brigid of Munster," died on January 15, 570 A.D. and was laid to rest in her own Pobal Ide, where countless generations have come to pray.
Today, the convent is marked only by broken walls and rocks worn smooth by wind and rain of centuries. Her memory remains a real force in the religious fervor of Limerick and of our parish. We celebrate her Feast Day on January 15th.
Today, a hospital in Portrane, County Dublin, Ireland, a Catholic parish in Drouin, Australia and our church, the only one, as far as we know in North America, share her name. In fact, the cornerstone of this very church (on the corner of Catalpa and Broadway) contains a stone from the Monastery at Killeedy. St. Ita is revered still today as one of the great saints of Ireland.
From an early age, Deirdre was said to embody the six virtues of Irish womanhood — wisdom, purity, beauty, music, sweet speech and embroidery. She was described as “sweet and winning in her address, prudent in word and work and constant in mind and firm of purpose.” This last virtue of “being firm of purpose” stood to her when it came to making decisions about her life’s work.
Her parents hoped she would marry a nobleman of another clan; Deidre wanted to serve God in religious life. To overcome her parents' resistance to her chosen path, she fasted and prayed for three days and three nights, and on the third night, God revealed a message to her father in his sleep. The next morning, Conflhaola gave Deidre his blessing to follow her calling. At the age of sixteen, Deidre received the monastic habit of a nun and took the name of Ita. The name Ita is said to come from the Irish word iota, meaning thirst for holiness.
Ita then set out for Limerick, possibly in the company of her sister Fiona, who was later to become a nun in the community at Killeedy. Ita settled at Cluain Credall where there was a spring well - now a holy well - on the site of what later became a church. She turned down offers by the people and king of Ui Chonaill to take over all the lands of the area and settled instead for four small divisions of land to provide her small community with food.
The initial settlement later became known as Cill Ide or Killeedy (Ita's cell) and prospered as a center of learning and spiritual formation, drawing men and women from as far away as the Midlands. Children came, too, for this was still the age of fosterage in the old Gaelic tradition. One of the most famous of her pupils is said to be St. Brendan, the Navigator or Voyager of Clonfert. Among many others, the great Saint Columban came to Ita for counsel and guidance in the problems of his apostolate. It is thought that Ita was a contemporary of Saint Patrick as well.
Legend has it that Brendan asked Ita the three things which she thought God loved most. She said: "True faith in God with a pure heart, a simple life with a grateful spirit, and openhandedness to the poor inspired by charity." The three things that most displease God are: "a mouth that hates people, a heart harboring resentments and confidence in wealth."
Ita's life was spent mainly at Cill Ide, and, according to Sr. Declan Power, hers was a life based on penance, asceticism, vigils, fast and prayer. She was said to have special devotion to the infant Jesus and to have sung the Irish lullaby, Losagan, to mark that special love.
St. Ita, sometimes called "the white sun of the women of Munster" or the "Brigid of Munster," died on January 15, 570 A.D. and was laid to rest in her own Pobal Ide, where countless generations have come to pray.
Today, the convent is marked only by broken walls and rocks worn smooth by wind and rain of centuries. Her memory remains a real force in the religious fervor of Limerick and of our parish. We celebrate her Feast Day on January 15th.
Today, a hospital in Portrane, County Dublin, Ireland, a Catholic parish in Drouin, Australia and our church, the only one, as far as we know in North America, share her name. In fact, the cornerstone of this very church (on the corner of Catalpa and Broadway) contains a stone from the Monastery at Killeedy. St. Ita is revered still today as one of the great saints of Ireland.
Dates in Saint Ita Church's History
06/25/1900 Father Crowe is appointed to establish a new congregation in Edgewater. St. Ita Parish is founded.
07/01/1900 Father Crowe celebrates the First Mass for the parish of St. Ita in the old Guild Hall.
12/25/1900 The first Mass is celebrated in the frame building of St. Ita Church.
06/09/1901 The frame Church is dedicated by Archbishop Feehan.
09/12/1901 Father Crowe moves into the frame rectory which had been built at 1220 W. Catalpa.
09/06/1904 St. Ita School opens in the basement of the Church.
04/02/1906 Ground at 5519 N. Magnolia is broken for a new school.
01/01/1909 The Sisters of Mercy, who staff the school, move into new convent next to the school building.
09/1909 All three stories of the brick school building are completed.
04/07/1924 Ground is broken for the Church of St. Ita. Architect Henry J. Schlacks's French Gothic masterpiece.
09/14/1924 The cornerstone for the new Church is laid after the old frame Church is razed.
04/17/1927 The first Mass is celebrated in the present Church.
10/09/1927 St. Ita Church is dedicated by George Cardinal Mundelein.
09/02/1930 Monsignor C.J. Quille is named pastor of St. Ita Parish.
05/02/1942 Father Gerard C. Picard is named pastor of St. Ita.
11/18/1951 Samuel Cardinal Stritch presides at the Golden Jubilee of the construction of the first Church of St. Ita Parish.
05/1968 Father Raymond J. Morrison is named pastor of St. Ita Parish.
09/21/1969 The 50th Anniversary of Monsignor Picard's Ordination is celebrated in the new Jubilee Hall.
10/12/1975 A Mass of Thanksgiving is celebrated to mark the 75th Anniversary of St. Ita Parish.
02/11/1976 Father Richard J. Feller is appointed pastor of St. Ita Parish.
09/01/1988 Father Laurence F. Maddock is appointed pastor of St. Ita Parish.
10/13/1990 St. Ita Parish celebrates its 90th Anniversary.
01/15/2000 The Centennial Year for St. Ita Parish begins with the celebration of the Feast of Saint Ita.
11/19/2000 Francis Cardinal George presides at the Centennial Mass. The new altar is dedicated and the Church is rededicated.
06/2001 Father Steven W. Patte is appointed pastor of St. Ita Parish.
02/2006 Father David P. Pavlik is appointed pastor of St. Ita Parish.
07/2012 Father JoAndre B. Beltran is appointed pastor of St. Ita Parish.
07/2016 Archdiocese entrusts parish to Conventual Franciscan Friars. Father Bob Cook, OFM Conv., is appointed first Franciscan pastor of Saint Ita Parish.
05/31/2019 St. Ita and St. Thomas of Canterbury merge and become Ss. Ita and Thomas of Canterbury Parish on the Feast of the Visitation.
09/03/2020 St. Gregory the Great is added to the parish, which is renamed Mary Mother of God, on the Feast of St. Gregory the Great.
06/25/1900 Father Crowe is appointed to establish a new congregation in Edgewater. St. Ita Parish is founded.
07/01/1900 Father Crowe celebrates the First Mass for the parish of St. Ita in the old Guild Hall.
12/25/1900 The first Mass is celebrated in the frame building of St. Ita Church.
06/09/1901 The frame Church is dedicated by Archbishop Feehan.
09/12/1901 Father Crowe moves into the frame rectory which had been built at 1220 W. Catalpa.
09/06/1904 St. Ita School opens in the basement of the Church.
04/02/1906 Ground at 5519 N. Magnolia is broken for a new school.
01/01/1909 The Sisters of Mercy, who staff the school, move into new convent next to the school building.
09/1909 All three stories of the brick school building are completed.
04/07/1924 Ground is broken for the Church of St. Ita. Architect Henry J. Schlacks's French Gothic masterpiece.
09/14/1924 The cornerstone for the new Church is laid after the old frame Church is razed.
04/17/1927 The first Mass is celebrated in the present Church.
10/09/1927 St. Ita Church is dedicated by George Cardinal Mundelein.
09/02/1930 Monsignor C.J. Quille is named pastor of St. Ita Parish.
05/02/1942 Father Gerard C. Picard is named pastor of St. Ita.
11/18/1951 Samuel Cardinal Stritch presides at the Golden Jubilee of the construction of the first Church of St. Ita Parish.
05/1968 Father Raymond J. Morrison is named pastor of St. Ita Parish.
09/21/1969 The 50th Anniversary of Monsignor Picard's Ordination is celebrated in the new Jubilee Hall.
10/12/1975 A Mass of Thanksgiving is celebrated to mark the 75th Anniversary of St. Ita Parish.
02/11/1976 Father Richard J. Feller is appointed pastor of St. Ita Parish.
09/01/1988 Father Laurence F. Maddock is appointed pastor of St. Ita Parish.
10/13/1990 St. Ita Parish celebrates its 90th Anniversary.
01/15/2000 The Centennial Year for St. Ita Parish begins with the celebration of the Feast of Saint Ita.
11/19/2000 Francis Cardinal George presides at the Centennial Mass. The new altar is dedicated and the Church is rededicated.
06/2001 Father Steven W. Patte is appointed pastor of St. Ita Parish.
02/2006 Father David P. Pavlik is appointed pastor of St. Ita Parish.
07/2012 Father JoAndre B. Beltran is appointed pastor of St. Ita Parish.
07/2016 Archdiocese entrusts parish to Conventual Franciscan Friars. Father Bob Cook, OFM Conv., is appointed first Franciscan pastor of Saint Ita Parish.
05/31/2019 St. Ita and St. Thomas of Canterbury merge and become Ss. Ita and Thomas of Canterbury Parish on the Feast of the Visitation.
09/03/2020 St. Gregory the Great is added to the parish, which is renamed Mary Mother of God, on the Feast of St. Gregory the Great.