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Archdiocese of Chicago Provides Update on Schiller Park Parishes

Chicago - (Aug. 8, 2020) The Archdiocese of Chicago today announced an update on its Schiller Park parishes, St. Beatrice and St. Maria Goretti following their Renew My Church discernment process.

The Pastoral and Finance Councils of both parishes have met over the past two months to review and discern the future parish structure for the area. Based on their meetings and input gathered from the larger parish community, they submitted feedback to the archdiocese. The Archdiocesan Standards and Recommendations Commission, which includes representatives from across the Archdiocese of Chicago reviewed the feedback and other information, including financial summaries, capital needs and parish trends, and made a recommendation to Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago.  

Earlier this month, Cardinal Cupich, the archdiocese’s auxiliary bishops, and the archdiocese’s Presbyteral Council met to discuss the commission’s recommendation. Based on those discussions and prayerful consideration, Cardinal Cupich made the following decisions on the parish structure in Schiller Park:  

Effective Oct. 1, 2020, St. Beatrice and St. Maria Goretti will unite to form one, new parish, which will be named at a later date.  

St. Beatrice will be designated the parish church, where the business office and sacramental records are kept.  

The Renew My Church Commission recommended the new parish’s regularly scheduled Masses transition to St. Beatrice no later than Nov. 28-29, 2020 (First Sunday of Advent). Local leadership will set a specific timeline for this transition.

Next Steps

In the coming weeks, parish leadership and parishioners will discern possibilities for the name of the new parish, within guidelines provided by the archdiocese and submit their considerations to Cardinal Cupich for his decision on the permanent name of the new parish.

The united parish community will embark on the next phase of the renewal process to become a stronger, more sustainable presence for the future, capable of reaching more people in their work of making disciples of Jesus Christ, building communities and inspiring witness in the world around us.