“Cathedral of the Country”, St. Mary’s Church - Beaverville, Illinois

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"Cathedral of the Country", St. Mary’s Church - Beaverville, Illinois
Completed in 1910, St. Mary’s Church is the only Catholic Church in Beaverville, Illinois. In fact, it is the only church in town.

The church is rich in French Canadian heritage and have an interesting past. The legend of the founding of St. Marie says that thirty-two families from the area of Montreal, Canada, mostly newlywed or single came up the St. Lawrence River in search of farmland on the prairie. They traveled across the Great Lakes and stopped at Fort Dearborn (Chicago). Then they pushed south through the swamps and frontier until they reached what is now Beaverville. The group consisted of families with names such as Fortin, Dionne, Boudreau, Benoit, Nourie, LaFond, and at least six Arseneau families. They settled here because of the good land and the many creeks.

About the architect…
St. Mary’s was the second of eight churches designed by Chicago architect Joseph Molitor. Molitor’s career in Chicago was brief for there is currently no evidence of any other commissions after 1915. Speculation is he died during the flu epidemic. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that Molitor is among the best Catholic church architects Chicago had to offer in the early 20th century. He used a blend of Romanesque and Renaissance Revival styles with trace elements by Byzantine and Baroque, representing late 19th century and early 20th century American religious architecture. Moreover, it appears that the St. Mary’s commission sparked the greatest "creative burst" of Molitor’s career which left an indelible mark on Chicago’s great religious architecture.

About the window’s of St. Mary’s…
St. Mary’s Church contains an exceptional set of stained glass windows which depict the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. An uncommon feature of these windows is their elaborate use of opalescent glass. This glass is masterfully matched for color and texture. The high level of compositional skill using the opalescent glass and the paintings depicted in St. Mary’s windows is rare in the Midwest. They are a hybrid between the Munich style made famous by Mayer, Zettle and TGA and the finest of American craftsmanship represented by Tiffany Studios of New York. These windows are so very important because only a small number of this hybrid have survived in this quality and quantity.

Location: 308 St. Charles St, Beaverville (the only church in town) Not all maps have Beaverville on them, but the church is located about 100 miles south of Chicago. It is located 4 miles north of Illinois Route 52; 8 miles west of the Indiana / Illinois state line and 16 miles east of Interstate 57 exist 293 at Ashkum.

Masses
Saturday evening… 5:30 p.m.
Sunday morning …. 8:00 a.m.

Tues., Wed., Fri. …8:00 a.m.
Weekday Mass is held in the
chapel.

Phone: (815) 435-2432