Our History

The Ministries

The CCD, forerunner of the present CCE, was started by Fr. Kennelly in 1958 with Wynn Blair, president. It was reorganized under Fr. Pekar with Alice and Jim Werner, president, and Margaret and Bob Parker, chairpersons of helpers. The Werners were succeeded by Fran and Bob Mannix, and the Parkers by Joan and Bill Bauer, who held office when Fr. Raye became pastor.

St. Cecilia's has amassed impressive statistics these past 40 years. Through the end of 1995, there have been 4,681 Baptisms, 4,606 First Communions, 3,647 Confirmations, 2,031 marriages, and 987 deaths. The first to be baptized was Sylvia Elaine Farris on August 5, 1956. The first marriage was between Benton H. Froehlich and Elise Horan on June 29, 1957. Our first vocation to religious life was Brother Dan Sheridan of the Congregation of the Passionists.

Our first Pastoral Council was started in 1963 as a result of Vatican II. A complete roster of initial membership (all men) is not available, but Joe Mitchell, Bert Griffin, George Pletcher, and Bill Bauer were among them. Today the Council has 13 members.

On August 28, 1956, the Women's Club (initially the Altar and Rosary Society) was formed to care for the altar and sacristy, to promote frequent Mass attendance, and to encourage participation in the lay apostolate. Ann Sudhoff was its first of 35 presidents. There are 339 members today.

The choir was formed in 1956, also, with Dorothy Warren, director, and Bob Hogan, organist. Until the school was completed in 1958, the choir practiced in members' homes. Since then, there have been nine directors and twelve organists. Today it boasts 60 voices with just an awful lot of talent. It has performed a variety of classical literature, performed in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican in 1988, toured Europe in 1994 singing in Paris, Cologne, Munich, and Vienna, and has issued two recordings. It has recently performed concerts in England and Ireland. Our youth choir, which existed under the direction of Marion Nesvadba in 1970, sang at Mass in the Vatican in 1995, and had an audience with the Pope.

Our Lectors started in the late 60's under Eddie Lang, chairman, the first of five. Eucharistic Ministers were organized in the late 1960’s also with Joan and Bill Bauer, chairpersons.

In 1961, Fr. Pekar inaugurated Perpetual Adoration in the parish with Ann and Cecil Boyce, chairpersons. The program was discontinued in 1970 when we were unable to fill the midnight to 2:00 a.m. hours.