The Archdiocese of Chicago announced Friday another round of church and school consolidations because of declining attendance, rising financial costs and the decreasing number of priests.
Thirteen churches and five schools in Rogers Park, Edgewater, Jefferson Park, Portage Park, Addison and Old Irving Park will be affected.
These consolidations is part of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Renew My Church plan that will determine the future of 344 parishes across the Chicago area. More closures are expected to come.
The decision comes after several months of “feedback and discernment” by teams made up of representatives from each parish and school.
In Rogers Park and Edgewater, St. Ignatius Catholic Church, 6559 N. Glenwood Ave., will close and be divided between the St. Gertrude parish and St. Jerome Roman parish. Both will be able to keep their names.
In Jefferson Park, St. Constance Catholic Church, 5843 W. Strong St., and St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Parish, 4646 N. Austin Ave., will unite as a new parish with two Sunday worship centers.
In Addison, St. Bartholomew Church, Our Lady of Victory and St. Pascal Catholic Church will come together for two Sunday services at either St. Bartholomew Church, 3601 N. Lavergne Ave., or at Our Lady of Victory, 5212 W. Agatite Ave.
In Old Irving, St. Viator Catholic Church, 4170 W. Addison St., and St. Wenceslaus Roman Catholic Church, 3400 N. Monticello Ave., will become a new parish with two worship sites.
Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church, 118 N. Noble St.; St. John Cantius Church, 825 N. Carpenter St.; and St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, 1351 W. Evergreen Ave. will have only minimal administrative changes.
Most of the changes announced Friday are expected to happen by July 1, 2020.
Five of the schools will either be grouped together or administratively governed by the archdiocese rather than a single parish.
Visit renewmychurch.org to see how other churches and schools will be grouped.
