St. James at Sag, Lemont Illinois

St. James at Sag, Lemont, Cook County, Illinois
	St. James is located atop a bold promontory at the confluence of the Sag and Des Plaines Valleys. It is also known as "The Shrine of the Poor Souls." The exact date of its founding is unclear. A capstone at the church entrance says 1833 which was probably inscribed at or after the church's cornerstone was laid in 1852. It this is the oldest church in Lemont and, if the 1833 date is correct, it is perhaps the oldest church mission parish in the Chicago area. The mission served many of the Irish I&M Canal workers and who were buried on its grounds. The cemetery is one of the oldest in the Chicago Archdiocese. The earliest burial dates from 1816 well before its formal organization in 1858. See also St James' website.
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Rev. Brummer, Confirmation, 1914 on front steps of rectory.
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St. James at Sag, Lemont, Cook County, Illinois