From one of the 1st Masses at the new St. Pius X Church taken in 1956

            St. Pius Church bears the name of the saintly pope, Pius X, who was a pope for the people of the Church, dedicated to their spiritual strength.  St. Pius X Church of Aurora has always been firm in her namesake’s footsteps.
 
            On June 14, 1954 the church began her now 65th-year existence.  The first pastor, Fr. Frank Syrianey, quickly won the hearts of his new parishioners.  As the church was not yet built, Sunday Masses were held at the Town House Supper Club, at Colfax and Peoria.
 
            On Dec. 31, 1954, 60 families were registered; primarily young with children, these energetic parishioners quickly organized into groups that deepened their own prayer life, sought out new members in the neighborhood, served the community, did charitable work and sponsored an amazing number of fun social events.   St. Pius, from the start, was a strong community.
 
            Fr. Syrianey, a strong and able leader, was also a visionary for the spiritual and liturgical life of the parish.  In only two years, the church was completed and dedicated on June 16, 1956. 

The Altar area of St. Pius X Church as it looked in 2014.

 
     This mural located in Narthex is just one example of art made & donated by parish members  

           A great deal of the beautiful furniture, fixtures and ornamentation in the church was produced by parishioner and area artists, and the tradition of dignified, uplifting and participatory liturgical celebration was established from the first.          

           A testament to the vibrancy of the new parish is the story of the school.  In 1960, grades 4 through 8 were taught in the church basement (with “classrooms” separated by curtains sewn by women of the parish), and in September of 1961, 360 students in eight grades began their first year in the brand-new St. Pius X School building.  All this, in only seven short years after the parish began!

Front of St. Pius X School building constructed in 1961

             In 1969, Fr. Robert Freudenstein became the second pastor, upon Fr. Syrianey’s reassignment.  The parish at the time was implementing changes in the church brought about by the Second Vatican Council, so the new pastor was soon engaged in refurbishing the church, the liturgy, and spending time with parishioners, notably in celebrating the then-popuar Home Masses. 
 
            The Council had sparked new interest in Scripture studies and renewed interest in all aspects of faith understanding, so St. Pius, charactisterically, soon had classes for adults in many areas, which were enthusiastically received.  When a program of Spiritual Renewal for the whole parish began, parishioners did what they have always done: soon groups led by active members were operating throughout the parish and prayer, discussion and study was alive and well in St. Pius X.

            In 1978, Fr. Freudenstein was replaced by Fr. Daniel Bohte as pastor.  He soon found himself celebrating the 25^th anniversary of St. Pius X parish, with many events spread out throughout the year. 

       Fr. Bohte’s short period as pastor is remembered as a time of deeply moving homilies which moved and inspired the parish.

Fr. James Kane replaced Fr. Bohte in 1982, and oversaw the three-year RENEW program, which brought together huge numbers of parishioners in a new vision of prayer and parish 
involvement.  During his time here, the Narthex (Greek for portico) was added to the front of the church.  It provides a beautiful gathering place.

Fr. Angelo Ossino became pastor in 1988, and started his Pastorate by initiating an overall parish assessment.  Soon the church was refurbished, and beautiful new stained glass
windows were installed as well as a striking new baptistry. 

Our Patron St. Pius X presides over the Narthex

                                                  Front view of the Narthex Exterior - built in 1982


                             Interior of Narthex showing Greek Portico above mural- constructed in 1982 

       

                One example of the new stained glass images added in the 1st years of Fr. Angelo's Pastorate 

            A larger project was soon in the works, resulting in the construction of the Father Syrianey Family Life Center, housing the long-anticipated gymnasium and four meeting rooms, with a full kitchen.  This beautiful addition to the parish was dedicated on March 27, 1994, by Bishop J. Francis Stafford. 

                              Interior of Family Life Center - constructed in 1994 - contains beautiful gym

            In 2002, Fr. Stephen Adams replaced Fr. Angelo upon his retirement.  Great changes were in store for St. Pius, for over the prior years, the demographic of the parish had been in transition.  The advent of a large Spanish-speaking population in the area meant a most significant increase of Catholics in the parish.  Father Steve, who spoke fluent Spanish, welcomed this new membership, and quickly began the challenge of integrating the community which now spoke two main languages.
 

                
  Shows baptistry added in 1990's with image of Our Lady of Guadalupe added in 2001           

            Before long, the vibrant community of Spanish/bilingual Catholics were celebrating liturgies and engaging in prayer, spiritual formation and community outreach programs with a dynamism reminiscent of the parish founders decades before.  Father Steve dedicated much of his leadership to helping this new community gain acceptance.  By the time he left, St. Pius X had become a community where many members participated in ministries involving both language and cultural communities.

 
            When Fr. Jorge Aguera became pastor in 2014, he assumed leadership of a parish which is multi-racial and multi-cultural.  St. Pius now has parishioners representing the Americas, Africa and Asia.  The parish remains committed to "restore all things in Christ".