St. Francis Xavier Church - St. Francisville, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 35.484 W 087° 38.826
16S E 443645 N 4271633
The St. Xavier Catholic Church has been recognized by the Illinois Historical Society as being the oldest continuously operating religious organization in the State.
Waymark Code: WMZGXT
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 11/11/2018
Views: 0
County of first: Lawrence County
Location of first: 7th St. & Main St., St. Francisville
Historic Marker erected by: Illinois Daughters of the American Colonists
Date marker erected: March 10, 1985
Architectural Style: Italian Renaissance
"The new church of Brazil pressed brick and Bedford stone is a beautiful type of Italian Renaissance style architecture. The Alters in white and gold are charming in their simplicity. The stained glass windows representing: The Annunciation, the Nativity, The Presentation, The Find of the Child in the Temple, Chirst and the Rich-Young Man, "Suffer the Little Children Come Unto Me", The Baptism of Jesus, The Wedding at Cana, The Agony in the Garden, Christ Giving St. Peter the Keys, and The Apparition of the Sacred Heart, appeal to the eye and uplift the heart. ... " Lawrence County, IL, By Lawrence County Historical Society (Lawrence County, Ill.), page 107
Marker Text:
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCHIn memory of the early French missionaries and settlers who came to this area in the late 18th Century and the Catholic faith that they rooted in the lives of the people on the banks of the Wabash River.
1818-1819 The establishment and construction of the first log chapel
1836 Father John Courbe becomes the first resident pastor
1838 The dedication of the 2nd Church by Bishop Brute.
1842 The opening of the first Catholic School by the Sisters of Providence.
1887 The construction of the frame church.
1916 The erection of the present brick Church in Italian renaissance architecture.
Visit Instructions:Category Visiting Requirements
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