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Hagan, James W., Reverend

Catholics attended their first Mass in La Grange on November 1, 1890, at the home of Dr. George M. Fox. Reverend James W. Hagan celebrated the Mass. Two weeks before, he had received a letter from the Archbishop of Chicago appointing him pastor and ordering him to form a congregation in "that place." No Catholic church, school, or parish house existed in La Grange at the time and the new parish had no name.  The Archbishop simply referred to it as "that place."  The church became the Saint Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, La Grange. 

Reverend Hagan served the church until his death in 1903.  The entire village of La Grange closed for the funeral of this beloved church leader.

Numerous sources were used in the compilation of these entries including but not limited to:

• Images of America -- La Grange and La Grange Park, Illinois by RoseAnna and Robert Mueller, Arcadia Publishing
• La Grange Centennial History 1879-1979, William J Cromie, Editor, La Grange Area Historical Society, 1979

Last Modified:  01/20/2003