Welcome to St. Norbert, Northbrook, IL


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Parish History

St. Norbert Church
St. Norbert Parish began as a mission staffed by priests of the Society of the Divine Word of St. Mary’s Mission House in Techny, a rural district in northern Lake County “ten miles north of the Chicago limits on the main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad.” On Pentecost Sunday, May 21, 1899, the first Mass was celebrated in a rented building in the parish, which was then known as the Mission of the Holy Ghost. With the completion of the Mission House on Waukegan Road in Techny in 1900, the chapel served as the parish church for Catholics from the surrounding community.

During the pastorate of Rev. Frederich Reichelt, SVD (1914-1929), a combination church and school building was erected on the grounds at Techny and the name of the parish was changed to St. Norbert. The Missionary Sisters of the Holy Ghost who staffed the school commuted daily from their living quarters at the Convent of the Holy Spirit, located south of Willow Road near Waukegan Road.

Following World War II, the Catholic population of Northbrook, the community directly west of Techny, began to increase. Rev. Charles Haefner, SVD, pastor of St. Norbert Church from 1944-1953, saw the need for a more central location and he purchased five acres of property in the heart of Northbrook, opposite the village park and youth center. On Memorial Day, May 30, 1949, Samuel Cardinal Stritch traveled to Northbrook to dedicate the new school-chapel and rectory. On that day, members of St. Norbert Church celebrated the golden jubilee of their parish.

By 1953, St. Norbert could not be classified as a “mission” parish. Recognizing this, the Superiors of the Society of the Divine Word requested Cardinal Stritch to transfer the care of the parish to priests of the Archdiocese. On June 26, 1953, The New World announced that Rev. Vincent P. Casey had been appointed pastor of St. Norbert Parish “Formerly in charge of the Society of the Divine Word.”

Pastors of St. Norbert Church

Rev. John Peil, SVD	..............................................	1899-1900
Rev. Joseph Fischer, SVD	..............................................	1900-1901
Rev. Francis DeLange, SVD	..............................................	1901-1907
Rev. Adolph Burgmer, SVD	..............................................	1907-1914
Rev. Frederick Reichelt, SVD.	..............................................	1914-1929
Rev. Mathias Braun, SVD.	..............................................	1929-1931
Rev. Joseph Holken, SVD.	..............................................	1931-1935
Rev. George Schmeuling, SVD	..............................................	1935-1936
Rev. Peter Stoll, SVD	..............................................	1936-1941
Rev. William Benz, SVD	..............................................	1941-1944
Rev. Charles Haefner, SVD	..............................................	1945-1953
Rev. Vincent Casey	..............................................	1953-1956
Rev. Hugh T. O'Reilly, Administrator.	..............................................	1956-1958
Rev. Hugh T. O'Reilly	..............................................	1958-1976
Rev. Daniel J. Mallette, Interim Pastor	..............................................	1976-1977
Rev. Msgr. Robert J. Hagarty	..............................................	1977-1984
Rev. Robert J. Lutz.	..............................................	1984-1994
Rev. Richard J. Mueller	..............................................	1995-2007
Rev. Robert P. Heinz	..............................................	2007-

Associates

Rev. Thomas F. Sullivan.	.................................................................	1956-1964
Rev. John J. Quinn	.................................................................	1964-1970
Rev. Robert A. Carroll	.................................................................	1964-1968
Rev. Thomas Powers.	.................................................................	1968-1969
Rev. Thomas F. Sullivan	.................................................................	1968-1975
Rev. William G. Simon.	.................................................................	1969-1971
Rev. Richard Vanecko.	.................................................................	1972-1975
Rev. Daniel J. Mallette	.................................................................	1975-1976
Rev. David Baldwin	.................................................................	1977-1978
Rev. William Malloy.	.................................................................	1978-1985
Rev. George Rassas	.................................................................	1983-1988
Rev. Robert Motycka	.................................................................	1986-1989
Rev. John Lynch.	.................................................................	1992-1994
Rev. Richard J. Valker	.................................................................	1993-2001
Rev. Don Woznicki.	.................................................................	2002-2007