Saint Domitilla Catholic Church

Did you ever imagine a church rising from the ashes of a tornado? The Saint Domitilla Catholic Church, right here in Hillside, has such a story woven into its history. Saint Domitilla began as a humble mission in 1916, a small building on donated land. The mission served a growing community of Catholics in the Berkeley-Hillside area. Before then, records were kept at Sacred Heart in Melrose Park or Immaculate Conception in Elmhurst. In 1920, Saint Domitilla officially became a parish, a testament to the burgeoning Catholic community. That same year, a tornado destroyed Sacred Heart Church, taking with it early records of Saint Domitilla. The first pastor, Father Oscar Strehl, arrived to find a parish fund of only $1. He purchased the Schreiber farm and moved the church there. By 1921, the community sought to build a school. Imagine children using church pews as desks, learning inside the small frame church, and even outside under a tree on French’s farm while the school was built. The Sisters of St. Francis, who initially staffed the school, resided on Taft Avenue until the school and convent were finished in 1923. The Servite Fathers took charge that summer, and a new era began. The community continued to expand, and the church held various activities, from festivals to May Crownings. The Sorrowful Mother Novena filled the church during World War II. The church moved again in 1948 to a combined church-school on Hillside Avenue, where the basement served as the church space for twenty years. St. Domitilla Catholic Church finally got its own building in 1969, a circular structure designed to reflect the modern liturgical changes. The church stands here today as a symbol of resilience, a beacon of faith that has weathered storms both literal and metaphorical, serving the ever-evolving community of Hillside.