CHICAGO — The Archdiocese of Chicago on Friday night announced its latest round of Catholic church and school closures and consolidations, an announcement that impacts parishes from the Northwest Side to the Far Southeast Side.
To save money, schools and churches will close and merge in Hegewisch, Lincoln Square, Norwood Park and Little Village. Suburban Lemont is also impacted.
The decisions were announced at the churches Friday, and in a press release from the archdiocese. The closures are part of the archdiocese’s “Renew My Church” program, and come after months of study and meetings that included parishioners, the archdiocese said.
Here is the archdiocese’s announcement:
Hegewisch and Burnham
The Hegewisch and Burnham Renew My Church grouping includes the following parishes:
- St. Columba Parish (Chicago)
- St. Florian Parish (Chicago)
- Mother of God Parish (Burnham, Ill.)
The parishes will unite to form a new parish, effective April 13, 2020. The leaders and parishioners of the new parish will discern possibilities for the new parish’s name within guidelines provided by the archdiocese and will submit their candidates to Cardinal Cupich for his decision on the permanent name.
St. Florian will serve as the parish church for the newly formed parish, where the pastor’s office and parish records will be kept.
Lincoln Square
The Lincoln Square Renew My Church grouping includes the following parishes and schools, all of which are in Chicago:
- St. Hilary Parish and School
- St. Matthias Parish and School
- Queen of Angels Parish and School
- Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish
St. Hilary and Transfiguration of our Lord Parishes will unite to form a new parish, effective July 1, 2020. St. Hilary Church will be designated the parish church, where the pastor’s office and parish records will be kept.
Queen of Angels and St. Matthias Parishes will unite to form a new parish. Queen of Angels Church will be the parish church, where the pastor’s office and parish records will be kept.
The leaders and parishioners of each newly formed parish, will discern possibilities for the name of the new parish within guidelines provided by the archdiocese, and will submit their candidates to Cardinal Cupich for his decision on the permanent names.
St. Hilary, St. Matthias, and Queen of Angels Schools will remain in their current programs, subject to each school remaining financially independent. St. Hilary will be the parish school of the new parish formed by St. Hilary and Transfiguration Parishes. Queen of Angels School will be the parish school of the new parish formed by St. Matthias and Queen of Angels Parishes.
St. Matthias School will be governed as an archdiocesan school, not directly affiliated with a parish. The archdiocese will work closely with St. Matthias leadership and school board to define support needs moving forward.
Milwaukee Avenue North
The Milwaukee Avenue North Renew My Church grouping includes the following parishes and schools, all of which are in Chicago:
- St. Cornelius Parish
- St. Tarcissus Parish
- St. Thecla Parish and School
- Pope Francis Global Academy’s North campus (located on the campus of St. Tarcissus Parish)
St. Cornelius, St. Tarcissus and St. Thecla Parishes will unite to form a new parish and school, effective July 1, 2020. The new parish and school will have a new name. The leadership and parishioners of the new parish and school will discern possibilities for the new parish and school permanent name within guidelines provided by the archdiocese and will submit their candidates to Cardinal Cupich for his decision.
St. Tarcissus Church will be designated the parish church, where the pastor’s office and parish records will be kept.
Effective July 1, 2020, St. Thecla School and Pope Francis Global Academy’s North campus will unite as a newly named parish school at the St. Tarcissus campus for the 2020/21 school year.
Little Village
The East Little Village Renew My Church grouping includes the following parishes and schools, all of which are in Chicago:
- Assumption B.V.M. Parish
- Our Lady of Tepeyac Parish and School
- St. Roman Parish
The three parishes will unite to form a new parish, effective July 1, 2020. The leadership and parishioners of the new parish will discern possibilities for the new parish’s name within guidelines provided by the archdiocese and will submit their candidates to Cardinal Cupich for his decision on the permanent name.
Our Lady of Tepeyac will be designated the parish church for the new parish, where the pastor’s office and parish records will be kept.
Ministry activities, including Kolbe House and Taller de José, will continue on the Assumption B.V.M. campus. The pastor of the new parish, in consultation with parish leadership, will determine how frequently the united parish’s ministries will use the campus.
There are no changes to Our Lady of Tepeyac Elementary School or High School.