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Archdiocese of Chicago Provides Update on the Lakeshore Drive Renew My Church Grouping

December 4, 2018

The Archdiocese of Chicago has provided the following update on the Lakeshore Drive Renew My Church grouping, which includes St. Ita Parish, St. Mary of the Lake Parish and School, and St. Thomas of Canterbury Parish and School, all located in Chicago.

The Lakeshore Drive grouping began the Renew My Church review and discernment process in the spring of 2018. The Grouping Feedback and Discernment Team, made up of representatives from each of the parishes, met to review and discern the future church, parish and school structures for the Edgewater and Uptown areas. Based on their meetings and discussions with their respective parish communities, they submitted a report to the Archdiocesan Standards and Recommendations Commission, which includes representatives from across the archdiocese.

The Commission met to review the feedback report and other materials and information, including demographic data, financial summaries, and parish and grouping trends.

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, and the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council were scheduled to discuss the Commission’s recommendation and other considerations last week but postponed the decision. The topic will be brought to the January 15, 2019 meeting of the Presbyteral Council for further discussion, which will inform the final decision by Cardinal Cupich.

The recommendation to be proposed in January is as follows: St. Ita and St. Thomas of Canterbury unite to form a new parish, effective May 31, 2019. Both churches remain active worship sites. St. Thomas of Canterbury School (at St. Ita campus) continues with its current programming – no changes – as a ministry of the new, unified parish.

Throughout the discernment process, it became clear that the faith community of St. Mary of the Lake Parish will be better served as part of an alternate grouping. St. Mary of the Lake School will continue with its current programming.

Upon completion of the January Presbyteral Council meeting, Cardinal Cupich will make a final decision, which will be communicated to the communities of St. Ita, St. Thomas of Canterbury and St. Mary of the Lake at that time.