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History of Saint Andrew Parish, Fairbury

St. Andrew Parish was established on July 1, 2013, with Father Scott Archer as the founding pastor. The new parish was formed as a result of the merger of SS Peter and Paul, Chatsworth; St. Rose, Strawn; St. James, Forrest; and St. John the Baptist, Fairbury. On June 13, 2018, Chatsworth was removed from the parish boundaries of St. Andrew Parish. The church, rectory, and hall for St. Andrew Parish are located in Fairbury.

Strawn was made a mission of Fairbury in 1882, and the first St. Rose Church was built in 1895. It was subsequently taken care by Our Lady of Lourdes, Gibson City, 1922; St. Joseph, Colfax, 1954; and St. John the Baptist, Fairbury, 2001. The present limestone Gothic church was designed by Arthur Moratz, the youngest sibling of Paul Moratz, the architect who designed the parish church in Fairbury. The church was dedicated on October 15, 1940. St. Rose Church is an additional worship site of St. Andrew Parish.

St. James in Forrest was founded in 1886. The first church was built in 1889. This church was partially destroyed by fire, 1942, prompting a remodeling of the interior. A new church was built and dedicated in 1972. It was a mission of Fairbury until 2001, when it became a mission of Chatsworth. After its closure, the church building was donated to the Village of Forrest.

In 1857, St. John the Baptist in Fairbury was established as the first Catholic parish in Livingston County. Father John A. Fanning was the first resident pastor, and he built the original St. John the Baptist Church on Hickory Street, dedicated June 24, 1868. In 1901, Father James Francis purchased land at the corner of Ash and Fourth streets for the building of a new church. Designed by Paul Moratz, the present Romanesque church which serves as the St. Andrew Parish church in Fairbury is constructed of bright red Danville brick with stone trimmings. Interiorly, the ceiling is made of a single vault and the sanctuary features a traditional Romanesque apse. The church was dedicated November 9, 1902.

Vocations from the parish include Sister Mary Aquinas Freehill, V.H.M., Mother Perpetua Marie of the Immaculate Conception, O.C.D., and Mother Marie Benedicta of the Cross, O.C.D.