St. Mary of the Fields Catholic Church east of Grand Ridge is celebrating 150 years. Parishioner Monica Leskanich says to celebrate; the church is having an indoor mass on Sunday, September 4th at 1pm. A chicken dinner will follow after starting at 2:30. But you have to RSVP for it. Text Cheryl Durdan at 815-488-3003. Leskanich says there is a lot of history that she’s learned about since the church’s founding in 1872. She says the church founded in 1872 was the first one south of the Illinois River in LaSalle County. That was important to residents in the Streator area because they had to take the ferry to go to Ottawa before.
She also says there is a lot the church still does after existing for this long.
She says the church is still very active with eighty-two families still attending regularly. The church is literally located between several cornfields at the intersection of E. 21st Rd and County Highway 15 east of Grand Ridge.
Correction: The mass has been moved indoors since we ran this story. Also we apologize for the misspelling of Leskanich.