St. Columba Catholic Church in Ottawa, Illinois, is a living testament to the perseverance and faith of several generations. Its history begins long before any stone was laid, reaching back to the 17th century when Jesuit missionary Fr. Jacques Marquette explored the Illinois Valley in hopes of spreading the Catholic faith.

 

Catholic canal workers arrived in Ottawa with the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in the early 1800s, and what is now St. Columba was established in 1838. Holy Mass was first celebrated in humble settings, including county courthouses and a carpenter’s shop.

 

The first church building, located in the 300 block of W. Jefferson Street, was erected in 1841, though no plans or drawings survive. In 1844, Fr. Thomas O’Donnell arrived as the first resident pastor, sent by the Archdiocese of Chicago. He secured the land where the parish now stands and led the construction of a brick church, completed in 1851. Tragically, that first structure was destroyed by fire within the same year. Undeterred, the parish began rebuilding. Fr. O’Donnell’s successor, Fr. Dunn, built a new frame church that served the community for years.

 

A turning point came in 1859 with the arrival of Fr. Patrick Terry. Fr. Terry invited the Sisters of Mercy to Ottawa that same year, beginning a long and fruitful tradition of education and service. With the hope that Ottawa might become the seat of a new diocese, Fr. Terry initiated plans for a grand church – what the local newspaper called “the finest church in the state.” Ground was broken in 1877, and the foundation laid with the ambition of constructing a cathedral.

However, hopes were dashed in 1878 when Peoria, not Ottawa, was chosen as the diocesan see city. Disheartened, Fr. Terry halted construction. It was Fr. Ryan who later resumed the effort, using the original foundation where possible, though the completed church would be more modest in scale. A new era began in 1888 with the arrival of Fr. Thomas Keating. Under his leadership, the parish flourished. After Fr. Keating’s death in 1910, Dean Quinn oversaw extensive church renovations, including a new stone veneer, stained-glass windows, and the beloved “Keating altars.” The church was rededicated in 1912.

 

Throughout the 20th century, the parish continued to grow under dedicated pastors like Fr. Madden, Dean Sullivan (who oversaw the construction of a church hall dug by hand), Msgr. Shields, and Msgr. Francis Cleary. Fr. Stephen Gould led a campaign that resulted in a new school building in 1963. The 1970s brought change and challenge. Under Fr. James Fay and co-pastor Fr. Tom Kelly, the church underwent a controversial renovation that removed cherished altars and statues. While difficult for many, it was also a time of renewal.

 

In 1997, Fr. David Kipfer became pastor and initiated a major capital campaign in 2011. By 2013, the church’s exterior had been fully restored: the brickwork renewed, the century-old roof replaced with new slate, and stained-glass windows repaired. Becoming pastor in 2022, Msgr. Mark Merdian has overseen a capital campaign to restore and beautify the interior of St. Columba. From humble beginnings in a carpenter’s shop to a church known across Illinois, St. Columba remains a pillar of Catholic life in Ottawa – supported by the past and building for the future.