By: Ashmar Mandou

The Archdiocese of Chicago is headed in a new direction. As part of their revitalization program, Renew My Church, the leadership of parishes in West Humboldt Park have been meeting in a grouping to discuss their future structure. The West Humboldt Park parishes, St. Philomena Parish, Maternity B.V.M. Parish and St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Kostner Ave.), will become one parish with one pastor. All locations will remain open as worship sites. No churches in the West Humboldt Park grouping will close. Our Lady of the Angels Mission will remain in its current structure serving the neighborhood. Maternity B.V.M. School will be the parish school for all three worship sites. “We are grateful to the dedicated West Humboldt Park clergy and parishioners who worked together to achieve this outcome,” said Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago. “They have answered the call to Renew the Church of Chicago with open hearts and hopefulness.”

Through the new parish structure, the churches will unite their resources to create a vibrant, life-giving parish with three worship sites, one strong parish school and one thriving mission. With this viable structure in place, the parish can now work on new ways to implement the Renew My Church vision: to make disciples, build communities and inspire witness. Over the next few months, the Archdiocese will work with all involved to ensure an orderly and smooth transition to the new parish structure. The Archdiocese’s Priest Placement Board will work with the community to identify a pastor to lead the new parish. “We thank the West Humboldt Park community for their work and look forward to continuing the process of revitalizing the Church in the West Humboldt Park community with a keen focus on evangelization,” said Fr. Jason Malave, Cardinal’s Delegate for Renew My Church. “We must remember Jesus Christ calls us to constantly renew His Church and this is just one step in that process.”