The history of St. Petronille Catholic Church stretches back to April 19, 1925, when 60 Catholic families celebrated their first parish Mass in a third-floor room of the Glen Ellyn State Bank Building, the landmark that still stands on the corner of Crescent and Main. Today, parish facilities occupy nearly a full square block in downtown Glen Ellyn (from Glenwood to Prospect, between Hillside and Duane), and the steeple of the present church, erected in 1956, is the highest point in Glen Ellyn.

The ministries of the church extend into many areas including education. The St. Petronille School enrolls more than 500 students in grades kindergarten through eighth. Also, catechetical programs for children and spiritual enrichment programs for adults are available through St. Petronille Religious Education.