History
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Immaculate Conception HistoryPeople of the Roman Catholic faith arrived early and in great numbers soon after the discovery of coal in this area of Illinois. Their religious needs were first served by clergy and religious sisters at Saint Rose of Lima Church in Wilmington, the seat of the first Catholic parish in Southwestern Will County. In 1869, Braidwood was made an out-mission of the Wilmington Parish, served by Reverend John McMullen. He supervised the erection of the first Catholic Church in the community, in what was then called Stewart's Grove on Fifth Street (now Cermak) and Walker Street. There was no rectory or priest's house, so the mission priests made their headquarters in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Mulroney. In 1875 the rectory or priest’s house was built adjoining the church. On March 2nd, 1876 Braidwood was appointed it’s first resident priest, Reverend Richard H. McGuire. Fire destroyed the pioneer church in March, 1887.
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Because the center of population had shifted from Lower Braidwood a new site was purchased in June of 1888, at the Southwest corner of Main and School Streets. The old rectory was moved from Lower Braidwood to the new Church, a modern structure, 50 by 123 feet, built and dedicated November 3rd, 1888, at a total cost of $14,000.00.
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At 3:00 A.M., September 18, 1911, lightning struck the high steeple, causing a fire that completely destroyed the edifice. Services were held on the ground floor of The Free Gardners Hall, while a new church was built and dedicated Sunday, December 8, 1912. The old rectory, which escaped the fire that destroyed the nearby church in 1911, was itself destroyed by fire, following a boiler explosion in 1947. A new ranch-type home was built in 1949, at a cost of about $30,000. A parish hall was built on Main Street, West of the church in 1953, at an estimated cost of $25,000.00.
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There were a great number of people who gave of their time, talent, and treasure to make the parish what it was when it was first opened in 1869. The immigrants that came from Europe hardly had a dime in their pockets but together they, with their faith and the grace of God within them, built this parish with their prayers and good works dedicated to Almighty God.
