St. James Catholic Church
Reverend J. G. Allemann came to Rock Island, Illinois, in 1850, started
to organize a church and began building in the Summer of 1851 a stone
church, the size being forty by sixty-six feet, and dedicated it St. James
Church, it being the first Catholic Church in Rock Island, and Reverend J.
G. Allemann being the first pastor.
Reverend J. G. Allemann getting advanced in years, in May, 1856, was
succeeded by Reverend John P. Donelan, he remaining as assistant to
Reverend John P. Donelan until 1859, when Reverend John P. Donelan was
transferred to Rockford, Illinois. Reverend P. J. R.. Murphy taking
Reverend John P. Donelan's parish here and remained pastor until the
Summer of 1861, when he was appointed chaplain of the Fifty-eighth
Illinois Regiment. Next came Reverend P. J. McElherne, who succeeded
Reverend P. J. R. Murphy.
St. James' congregation grew so large that Reverend P. J. McElherne began
the building of the present St. Mary's Church, now occupied by the German
Catholics. The building was begun in 1863 and completed in 1865. Reverend
P. T. McElherne remained as pastor until 1870, when Reverend J. P. Roles
was appointed pastor.
In 1874 Reverend J. P. Roles transferred St. Mary's Church to the German
Catholic and bought the Presbyterian Church, corner Fourteenth Street and
Second Avenue, and dedicated it St. Joseph's Church. In 1877 Reverend J.
P. Roles was transferred to Chicago, Illinois, and Reverend Thomas Mackin
was appointed to fill the vacancy of Reverend J. P. Roles.
He remained here until his death, which occurred February 22, 1904, when
Reverend J. Roach came here as temporary pastor until October, 1905, when
Dean J. J. Quinn, from Chatsworth, Illinois, was appointed the present
pastor.
Churches of Rock Island County
Source: Historic Rock Island County, pub. Kramer & Company, Rock Island, Illinois, 1908