Chicago archdiocese to consolidate parishes in Little Village, west ’burbs

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced Friday they would be consolidating two more parishes in the western suburbs following a series of similar consolidations in the Chicago area.

St. Bernardine Parish in Forest Park and St. Luke Parish in River Forest will be united “as one parish with two worship sites, a new name, one pastor and one pastoral team,” the archdiocese said in a statement.

Father Stan Kuca will serve as pastor of the newly combined parish, which has not yet been named, the archdiocese said.

The St. Luke site will serve as the parish’s home base, and there will be no changes to the St. Luke school, the archdiocese said.

On Thursday, the archdiocese said the

Good Shepherd and Epiphany parishes in Little Village would be united, building on several other consolidations on the South Side and in the south suburbs.

The new parish, effective July 1, will be led by Rev. Orlando Flores Orea, the current pastor at St. Paul Parish in Chicago Heights, and be known as the Good Shepherd and Epiphany Parish until a permanent name is decided, the archdiocese said in a statement.

Both churches will still be used for Mass, the archdiocese said.

St. Agnes of Bohemia Parish, which was under consideration for consolidation as part of the West Little Village Renew My Church grouping, will remain a separate entity, the archdiocese said.

There are no changes to any of the schools involved with the parishes, the archdiocese said.