The German Catholics separated from St. Mary's in 1862 and history says that with the formation of St. Joseph's Church about 125 families left St. Mary's. This new congregation purchased the little original Baptist Church, which stood on the site of the present church. It was remodeled to meet the needs of a Catholic church and was used for about ten years, when the present large church with its magnificent steeple and cross was erected. It was constructed of red brick but later plaster coated to resemble stone.

It may perhaps seem strange that I should class the one Irish Church with the seven German ones which existed in Freeport when I was a small boy. But St. Mary's Irish Catholic Church was not always all Irish. The first Germans of that faith who came to Freeport also worshipped there and in 1854, the Bishop appointed Rev. Ferdinand Kalvelage, a German, to the pastorate of St. Mary's. I believe that he was an uncle to Rev. Clemens Kalvelage who later was pastor of the German Catholic Church for more than half a century. St. Mary's was established by Rev. John Cavanagh, who had been pastor of the little stone church at New Dublin, an Irish settlement about ten miles west of Freeport. His first masses in Freeport were in the home of his sister, Mrs. Thomas Egan. The Egan home stood about where the present Freeport Savings and Loan Association office is now located. It was during the pastorate of Rev. Kalvelage that St. Mary's built its brick church. This building was replaced by the large stone structure now there. I recall nothing of this brick church, but I well remember the sad day during the wrecking of it when the roof structure collapsed, killing one man and badly injuring several others. Just why I was there when the cornerstone of the new church was laid, I do not know. I can only ascribe it to the curiosity of a 14 year old boy to be where there was a crowd. I doubt that there is another person living who was also there that day. History recitses an interesting story of the beginning and the growth of the Catholic faith in our county and city.

It has always been quite generally known that the German people, in their own country, have not been predominately good church-goers. Yet, of the Germans who came and settled here, there seemed to have been a majority who were Christian Church people. When I was a boy there were seven, out of a total of sixteen of our churches, that held to the German language, and some of these also conducted parochial schools in that language. There were some Germans who were not at all inclined toward the church. If I remember rightly, most of these were prominent in the membership fo the old Germania societies.

By Leslie Fargher 1967