Welcome!

Originally part of St. Dominic Parish as a “Worship Center,” St. Francis was created to accommodate ongoing growth and new boundaries in the Bolingbrook community. It was decided that the new parish would be named after St. Francis of Assisi, a close friend and contemporary of St. Dominic.

St. Francis of Assisi Parish of Bolingbrook was established by the Most Reverend Joseph L. Imesch on July 1, 1980. Reverend James Dougherty was assigned to be the founding Pastor.

At that time there were approximately 312 registered families and 1,000 children from grades K-12 in the Religious Education Program. The site of the original church was at Whitewater Drive and Boughton Road, which is now St. Francis Park.

The church interior was designed so the structure could be used as a parish center as well as a house of worship. Consequently, there were no permanent pews installed. Parishioners sat on folding chairs during Mass and devotions. Both sides of the church could be partitioned off to form smaller rooms. The rooms were utilized for the Religious Education Program, Nursery and Parish meetings.

Over the years, our Faith Community has come together to plan a number of social events. Our members have enjoyed themselves at events such as the St. Francis of Assisi Corn Roast, Spaghetti Dinners, Pancake Breakfasts, Bingo, St. Francis Fest, the annual Easter Egg Hunt, Flea Market and various dances.

The church facility served the parish well for 26 years. However, due to the growth of the parish and community it became clear that a larger church with classroom/meeting facilities was needed. By October 2004, plans from the architectural firm of Healy, Snyder, Bender & Associates, Inc. were chosen. With the sale of the first church and the new building fundraising campaign, the necessary funds were collected.

Groundbreaking was celebrated with the Most Reverend Roger L. Kaffer on September 19, 2004. Construction began in February 2005. The new church building was finished in time for the Mass of Dedication on March 11, 2006 with the Most Reverend Joseph L. Imesch and Reverend David J. Hankus, Pastor. A number of community dignitaries, including Mayor Roger C. Claar, Deputy Mayor Leroy Brown and Village Trustees attended, along with many of the Parish’s former Pastors, Parochial Vicars, Permanent Deacons and founding families. As of 2020, the parishioners of St. Francis will celebrate 40 Years as a Parish Family in Bolingbrook! Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, pray for us!