PIONEERING IN SUNDAY SCHOOL

It is very striking to note that Pastor Lussky organized a Sunday School in the Sterling parish soon after he located here. It was conducted in Mrs. Grossmann's home behind the Swedish Church on Kilgour Road (now Locust Street). Mrs. Grossmann was the moving spirit in the Sunday School for many years. The significance of this early school becomes more apparent when it is remembered that as late as 1887 there were only eight other Sunday Schools reported in the entire Illinois District, which at that time embraced 193 Pastors. "Christenlehre" (Christian instruction) was not conducted in addition to Sunday School. Children of all ages were welcomed into the Sunday School and it was maintained the year round.

Oddly enough, this Sunday School, like the Parochial School organized later on, served the double purpose of teaching the children German as well as religion. "German instruction for the children was their initial aim," was Pastor Lussky's comment in 1940. Some of the men in the parish taught the classes, which lasted about an hour and were held the year-round. Later on most of the teachers were ladies. The German primer and the Catechism were the books used.

These classes were first held in the basement of "Mutter" Grossmann's large home. It seems that Sunday School picnics got started almost as soon as the school. Some of the older members used to reflect on her deep love for children and were certain that it was she also who saw to it that the youngsters had a real summer outing to remember every year.