Saint Michael's Church (Galena)

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St. Michael's Catholic Church, Galena, Illinois.
St. Michael's Catholic Church, Galena, Illinois.

Saint Michael's Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church located in Galena, Illinois. Located at 227 South Bench Street in Galena, the church is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rockford.

The parish is named after the Archangel Michael, and is seated on a hill overlooking downtown Galena.

[edit] History

The parish traces its history back to 1832, when it was founded by the pioneer priest Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli. Father Mazzuchelli served as pastor of the parish from 1835 to 1843, and during this time directed the building of a church. This parish served until it was destroyed by a fire which had consumed a good portion of downtown Galena.

Father Mazzuchelli began working with St. Michael's parish to build a new building to replace the one lost in the fire. This new building had a truss formation to hold the weight of the roof, which helped eliminate the need for pillars within the church. This building still stands today, and continues to serve as a place of worship.