Chicago Archdiocese says it will merge 2 sets of parishes
Churches to join in Alsip, Crestwood, and Evergreen Park
Two Catholic parishes in Evergreen Park will be united this summer, with use of one campus to be discontinued after two years, and parishes in Alsip and Crestwood are to merge while retaining both church buildings.
Those were Renew My Church decisions handed down this week by the Chicago Archdiocese.
The Evergreen grouping is made up of Queen of Martyrs Parish and School, St. Bernadette Parish, and Most Holy Redeemer Parish and School. Most Holy Redeemer will remain untouched, while Queen of Martyrs and St. Bernadette are to unite as one parish, with one pastor and one pastoral team starting July 1. Queen of Martyrs’ building will remain as the sole parish church, while St. Bernadette is to be phased out over the course of two years.
The archdiocese is already considering the sale of at least a portion of the St. Bernadette property to the adjacent OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center.
St. Bernadette parishioners came together to watch as the decision was announced. The Rev. Benedykt Pazdan from St. Bernadette, who was named pastor of the unified parish, issued a statement saying he is “humbled and honored” and prays that the two faith families can come together to build a strong community of Catholics.
“The decision to close St. Bernadette church within the next two years is very hard to face, not only for me as the pastor, especially since it has been my first pastorate, but for the parishioners of St. Bernadette, many of whom have called this parish their spiritual home for a number of years,” he wrote.
Pazdan said St. Bernadette has served the community for 75 years.
The Rev. Jason Malave, liaison to Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, told a gathering for the virtual announcement there was “spirited discussion” about scenarios that could result in two parishes or all three in the grouping united as one.
“Through the discernment process, there was recognition that continuing three parishes would not be sustainable into the future,” Malave said.
Malave said the Renew My Church Commission has given the new parish up to two years to transition the full schedule of Masses to Queen of Martyrs “to allow a significant transition time, while recognizing the united parish’s human and financial resources will be most effectively stewarded by focusing all activity on one campus, not on two, over the next couple of years.”
The archdiocese is to provide guidance to the parish community for possibilities regarding a new, permanent name for the united parish. Until then, the united parish is to be called Queen of Martyrs and St. Bernadette Parish.
Queen of Martyrs School will be the parish school and retain its name, according to the archdiocese. Principal M. Jacob “Doc” Mathius said he was not surprised by the decision.
“It just seemed the most likely, most logical unification. It was clear that the archdiocese was determined to unify parishes,” Mathius said. “Our heart breaks for our friends and colleagues over at St. Bernadette. They’re losing their church.”
From an operations standpoint, Mathius said he is not expecting any immediate changes. As St. Bernadette’s school closed years ago, those students have already been relocated, making the biggest change for the school that Pazdan will be the pastor of the unified parish.
“In the short term, it’s really not going to affect how we conduct our business here in school,” Mathius said. “In the long term, really the only thing that would remain to be seen is father’s impact on the school itself — his presence in and around the building.”
Malave said selling the St. Bernadette school property to the hospital has been “in the works for a long time.”
“We’ve been in conversation with the hospital, even before OSF took over Little Company of Mary, the prior administration, probably coming on three years now,” Pazdan said. “They saw an opportunity to expand and utilize the empty lot. I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to help one another.”
Pazdan said that a deal has not yet been signed, but any proceeds from the sale would be used for the future ministry of the parish. Malave said the archdiocese had not yet decided what would happen to the rest of the property.
“We’ll know more in the next couple years as St. Bernadette makes its transition,” Malave said.
The Rev. Martin Marren, pastor of Queen of Martyrs, said he is not sure what his next assignment will be, but he thinks the archdiocese made the right decision.
“There is a sense of hope that the united parish communities of Queen of Martyrs and St. Bernadette will be stronger disciples of Christ and be able to perhaps pursue greater evangelization,” Marren said. “It’s difficult, and there’s some grieving with some of the people at St. Bernadette, but hopefully they can make even a stronger parish together.”
The Rev. James Hyland, pastor at Holy Redeemer, said he knew the grouping would see some sort of combining.
“I really feel bad that we’re having to go through this whole process,” Hyland said. “It does speak to me of the larger goal of Renew My Church that we do need to renew our faith, we need to start living it out more, we need to try to spread our faith to others and evangelize.”
Hyland, a priest of 41 years, said the next phase of Renew My Church is going to be a shift for “a vast majority of priests” who were trained to keep parishes running more so than evangelization. Doing that is going to take cooperation with neighboring parishes, he said.
“Even though we’re not changing structurally at Holy Redeemer doesn’t mean changes don’t have to take place,” Hyland said. “There is going to be a change in mission, a change in direction.”
Alsip and Crestwood
The archdiocese announced Wednesday Incarnation Parish in Crestwood and St. Terrence Parish in Alsip are to unite starting July 1, with one pastor and one pastoral team but two worship sites. Both church buildings will continue to host regular Masses.
The interim name of the united parish will be Incarnation and St. Terrence Parish, with the communities to examine possibilities for new names. Bishop Andrew Peter Wypych said the combined name also is a possibility as the permanent moniker. Each church building will retain its individual name.
Incarnation Pastor the Rev. Arek Falana was named pastor of the unified parish.
“I am confident that with God’s help and with the help of all the people from Incarnation and St. Terrence, we will continue to be spiritually strong and faithful to God,” Falana said during a virtual gathering when the decision was announced.
The Rev. Tomy Abraham, pastor of St. Terrence, said he expects to find out where he will be reassigned by the end of April. He told those gathered that he knows Falana and is excited for the people of the unified parish.
“He is a very faithful, devout and committed priest,” Abraham said. “He is very fit to serve and unite two parishes. … I have no doubt he is going to be for the best of both parishes.”
Malave said the grouping team found one parish would be more cohesive for evangelism efforts in the area while also addressing the declining number of pastors available. Leaving two worship sites allows for continued physical presence in both communities and gives the pastoral team flexibility, he said.
St. Alexander Parish and School in Palos Heights, also part of this grouping, will continue in its current structure. But its pastor, the Rev. Martin Michniewicz, said it will join the evangelization efforts with the unified parish.
“Once things are worked out there, we’ll all be working together,” Michniewicz said. “We’re all a community. We’re one large archdiocese, and this is our corner. We’re going to work together and make this southwest area hopping again. The churches will be filled, and we’re going to make disciples of Christ.”
On Monday, the archdiocese announced changes in its 294 South Corridor grouping, reducing six Southland churches to two in the Homewood-Flossmoor area. Five more discernment decisions were expected late this week, including a decision on the Oak Forest-Midlothian-Posen grouping, which is St. Christopher, St. Damian and St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr parishes. That announcement is to be made during a web meeting at 6:30 p.m. Friday.