Content starts here
CLOSE ×
Search
AARP Local
Welcome to

Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve

35W076 Villa Marie Rd.
Saint Charles, IL 60174

847-741-8350

This 65-acre site at the big bend of the Fox River is rich in natural and cultural history.  An oak tree at Tekakwitha dates to 1864 and links us to its ancestors’ past on the edge of the prairie.  On the lee side of the Fox River, the area now known as Tekakwitha Woods was protected from the heat of the prairie fires and was likely forested for thousands of years.  Today, the natural features of Tekakwitha Woods include an oak-maple forest on the uplands, floodplain forest along the river, and restored prairie in former farm fields.

 In the early 1900s, Father Hugh McGuire of St. James Parish in Chicago purchased a plot of land in the countryside, now St. Charles. Before he passed away, he bequeathed the land to the Sisters of Mercy.  The Sisters owned and managed the property for eight decades, using it as a spiritual retreat center and a place to minister to people in need.

 The Forest Preserve District purchased the land from the order in 1992. The sisters requested that the site be named in honor of 17th century Mohawk Indian Kateri Tekakwitha, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012.

Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors.
Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide

AARP Events for Saint Charles

View All AARP Events

image of two AARP membership cards
Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal
  • Immediate access to your member benefits
  • Discounts on travel and everyday savings
  • Subscription to AARP The Magazine
  • FREE second membership
Join AARP
Already a member? Renew or Print Card

Contact AARP
Illinois