Father Andrew Croke was born in County Tipperary, Ireland in 1859. He immigrated to America after his ordination and landed at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. He was 35 years old when he took over the pastoral duties of Saint Andrew parish. He was congenial, tremendously friendly, and a perfect gentleman. Father Croke was a man of few words, but they were quality words and always provided strong counsel. He had a terrible dislike for the use of profanity and he believed that charity was the greatest of all virtues. He practiced this to the best of his ability.
There is ample reason to believe that the honorable father Croke had his doubts about the fledgling perish without so much as a church to assemble. The parish of Saint Andrew celebrated its 1st Mass on October 16th, 1894 in a Hall above Westphal’s Saloon located on the corner of Lincoln and Roscoe. The first collection came to $18.50. At the conclusion of the Mass, Father Croke exited the Hall and immediately began to show his worth, introducing himself and meeting with his new parish family. He stood outside emphatically shaking hands with everybody. It is a tradition that is still proudly displayed at Saint Andrew today after every mass on Sunday.
The following week’s collection dipped to $12.60, but on Christmas Day Father Croke was delighted to count $290.00 in the basket.
The following year, the Archdiocese had purchased a piece of land on the corner of Addison and Paulina streets which was the central location of the parish boundaries. This became the cornerstone on the corner on which the Saint Andrew church was to be built.
Map of Westphal's Saloon
The following year, the Archdiocese had purchased a piece of land on the corner of Addison and Paulina streets which was the central location of the parish boundaries. This became the cornerstone on the corner on which the Saint Andrew church was to be built.
The little wooden Church of Saint Andrew was erected on the Southwest corner of Addison and Paulina and given a coat of yellow paint. It was a two-story frame structure that had included a rectory. It was built at a cost of $8,000. The new parish couldn’t wait for the grand opening despite the fact that the church was not completed. On the frosty morning of Christmas, 1895, the parishioners entered the new church kneeling amid the plaster fragments and scraps of wood.
They sat on a makeshift pew made from wood planks and nail kegs the workers left behind. They even used picnic benches supplied by neighborhood Taverns. Donations from neighborhood taverns is a tradition at Saint Andrew to this day!
The church was filled with parishioners, promise, and enthusiasm as they listened to the first of thousands of sermons preached from here at Saint Andrew. The church was finally completed and dedicated on January 6, 1896.
