Ball held to celebrate West Dundee church’s centennial
Submitted by St. Catherine of Siena Church
Following a long tradition of historic events, St. Catherine of Siena Church in West Dundee will hold its Centennial Siena Ball at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 8, at the Holiday Inn, 800 S. Route 31, Crystal Lake.
The Siena Ball includes a dinner and cash bar, complimentary champagne, entertainment and dancing, and a complimentary commemorative gift. Parish members and guests are welcome to attend and enjoy this special occasion. Tickets are $50 per person. Reservations are requested by Friday, June 29. For information, call Cheryl Bowen at the Parish office at (847) 426-2217.
“Our church records and scrapbooks indicate that the Siena Ball began in 1959 by the Home and School Association of St. Catherine of Siena Church for the school building fund, with the support and blessing of Father John Vaughn, who was pastor of our parish at the time,” said Father Michael Lavan, parochial administrator of St. Catherine of Siena Church. “We look forward to a spirit of fellowship as we connect with members of our parish family, guests and familiar friends, including our former parish pastors and parishioners who no longer reside in the area.”
Prior to the Siena Ball, a special Centennial Mass will be celebrated at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 8 at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 845 W. Main St. in West Dundee. Current and former parish priests will concelebrate Mass.
“We are also offering our Siena Centennial Sweepstakes tickets,” said Christine Lullie, lifetime member of St. Catherine of Siena Church and chair of the Centennial Celebration committee. “Proceeds will be given back to our church and the community, including the St. Vincent DePaul Society and the FISH Food Pantry.”
Tickets for the Siena Centennial Sweepstakes are $50 each and the prizes include $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 cash prizes. Further details on the Siena Centennial Sweepstakes are available at the Parish office.
The Siena Ball was planned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of St. Catherine of Siena Church. The church was founded on July 8, 1912 at the current site of the Dundee Township Historical Society, 426 Highland Ave. in West Dundee. In 1927, St. Catherine’s first school building was constructed on Highland Avenue in West Dundee, consisting of four classrooms with an enrollment of 65 students. Over the years, additional rooms were added to accommodate increased enrollment. In 1965, a new school was completed at its present site. The Mass and sacraments were celebrated in the school gymnasium until the present St. Catherine of Siena Church was built in 1984.
The church was named in honor of St. Catherine of Siena, a Christian mystic, adviser to popes, nurse to the sick and author of “The Dialogue,” a collection of her letters and prayers. Catherine died at the age of 33. She was canonized a saint in 1461 and in 1970, she was declared a Doctor of the Church because of the influence of her mysticism and spiritual writings. She is honored in the parish with a statue in the narthex and a new exterior statue at the main entrance of the church which will unveiled this summer.