Chicago-born priest helped develop suburban parishes

The Rev. Francis J. Cerniglia ~ 1926 -- 2007

The Rev. Francis J. Cerniglia grew up on Chicago's near North side, but it was in the Northwest suburbs where he played a vital role in the development of two Catholic parishes.

The pastor emeritus of Queen of the Rosary Parish in Elk Grove Village, passed away Thursday. The Rev. Cerniglia was 80.

The Rev. Ronald Folger, who served as an associate pastor with the Rev. Cerniglia for five years in Elk Grove, said he was a consensus-builder who worked closely with his associates and staff, and was well liked by his parishioners.

"He was opening to listening to people," Folger said. "He was very much a pastor in collaboration with Vatican II, in terms of working in collaboration with lay people in running the church."

Fr. Cerniglia's easygoing management style developed as the result of his years working as an associate pastor at several churches within the Chicago archdiocese. But his biggest challenges came at his very first assignment, at St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish in Des Plaines.

Shortly after he was ordained in 1953, Fr. Cerniglia was dispatched to help the Rev. Thomas Hanley, who was in the midst of developing a new parish community, while overseeing the building of its new church and school. What started with 300 members in 1952, grew quickly with the number of young families moving into the area.

Fr. Cerniglia helped with everything from saying Mass and performing the sacraments -- including baptisms, marriages and funerals -- to starting parish organizations, and all before 1954, when Cardinal Samuel Stritch arrived to dedicate both new buildings.

The Rev. Cerniglia would minister to families in Des Plaines for 13 years before being reassigned to St. Simeon Parish in Bellwood, St. John Bosco Church on Chicago's Northwest side, and St. Isaac Jogues in Niles, through 1979.

In 1980, Fr. Cerniglia was named the new pastor of Queen of the Rosary Church in Elk Grove, which was an established parish with approximately 2,500 families, and a thriving school.

"He was on the scene a lot and very visible," Folger said. "He was very supportive of the school and the active teen club there, but with all of his pastoral duties he couldn't spend as much time with them as he would have liked."

Near the end of his term, Fr. Cerniglia oversaw the conversion of the parish convent into meeting rooms and offices, as well as an apartment on the west wing of the building for himself.

When he retired in 1996, Fr. Cerniglia moved into that apartment, allowing him to remain active in the parish, saying Mass and assisting as needed, while freeing him up to visit family in the area.

He is survived by his two sisters, Mildred Mangialardi and Constance Cleghorn, four nieces and nephews and a grandniece.

Cardinal Francis George is expected to preside at Fr. Cerniglia's funeral Mass at 10 a.m. today at Queen of the Rosary Church, 680 W. Elk Grove Blvd. in Elk Grove Village.