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Archdiocese of Chicago Provides Update on Two Renew My Church Groupings

January 26, 2022

The Archdiocese of Chicago today announced an update on the Alsip-Crestwood-Palos and Northwest Side-Harwood Heights-Norridge Renew My Church groupings.

Over the past several months, both groupings’ Feedback and Discernment Teams, made up of representatives from each parish, met to review and discern the future parish, school and church structures. Based on their meetings and discussions with the larger parish communities, they submitted feedback reports to the Archdiocesan Standards and Recommendations Commission, which includes representatives from across the archdiocese. The commission reviewed the feedback reports and other materials and information, including demographic data, financial summaries, and parish and grouping trends.

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, the archdiocese’s auxiliary bishops and Presbyteral Council have discussed the commission’s recommendations. Based on those discussions and prayerful consideration, the following decisions have been made:

The Alsip-Crestwood-Palos Renew My Church grouping includes the following parishes and school:

  • Incarnation Parish (Crestwood)
  • St. Alexander Parish and School (Palos Heights)
  • St. Terrence Parish (Alsip)

The new structure will be:

  • Incarnation and St. Terrence will unite as a new parish with two worship sites, one pastor and one pastoral team, effective July 1, 2022.  
    • Both churches will continue to host regular Masses and the pastor will determine Mass schedules in consultation with parish leadership.
    • Incarnation will serve as the parish church where the united parish’s sacramental records will be kept.   
    • The interim name of the united parish will be Incarnation and St. Terrence Parish. The local community will discern possibilities for a new permanent parish name, within guidelines provided by the archdiocese.
    • Rev. Arek Falana will be pastor of the united parish.
  • St. Alexander Parish and School will continue in its current structure.

The Northwest Side-Harwood Heights-Norridge Renew My Church grouping includes the following parishes and schools:

  • St. Eugene Parish and School (Chicago)
  • St. Monica Parish and School (Chicago)
  • Divine Savior Parish (Norridge)
  • Our Lady Mother of the Church Parish (Chicago)
  • St. Rosalie Parish (Harwood Heights)

The new structure will be:

  • St. Monica and St. Rosalie will unite as one parish with two worship sites, one pastor and one pastoral team, effective July 1, 2022.
    • Both churches will continue to host regular Masses. The pastor will determine Mass schedules in consultation with parish leadership.
    • St. Monica will serve as the parish church where the united parish’s sacramental records will be kept.
    • The local community will discern possibilities for the new permanent parish name, within guidelines provided by the archdiocese.
    • Rev. Greg Lorens will serve as pastor of the newly unified parish.
    • St. Monica Academy will remain as the parish-governed school.
  • St. Eugene, Divine Savior and Our Lady Mother of the Church will unite to form one parish, with one pastor and one pastoral team, effective July 1, 2022.
    • St. Eugene and Our Lady Mother of the Church will continue to host regular Masses. The pastor will determine Mass schedules in consultation with parish leadership.
    • St. Eugene will serve as the parish church where the united parish’s sacramental records will be kept.
    • The RMC Commission has recommended concluding regularly scheduled Masses at Divine Savior Church between August 1 and September 5 (Labor Day weekend) 2022.
    • The local community will discern possibilities for a new permanent parish name, within guidelines provided by the archdiocese.
    • The Archdiocese of Chicago’s Priest Placement Board will continue its discernment to recommend a pastor for the newly unified parish and will share more information when it is available.
    • St. Eugene School will continue in its current governance and financial structure. It will be pastorally supported by the united parish formed by St. Eugene, Divine Savior, and Our Lady Mother of the Church. 
  • The viability of continuing two church sites in each united parish will be reviewed on an ongoing basis as part of the regular review process between parish leadership and the episcopal vicar and his team.


Next Steps

The archdiocese and the current parish pastors, together with the archdiocese Renew My Church Accompaniment Team, will work with local leaders to ensure uniting faith communities and staff are supported through this time of change. All parishes will embark on the next phase of renewal to become stronger, more sustainable and capable of reaching more people in their work of making disciples of Jesus Christ, building communities and inspiring witness.

About Renew My Church
Renew My Church is the Archdiocese of Chicago’s response to Christ’s call and our invitation for renewal. The Renew My Church process will transform the archdiocese over the next several years by working with groupings of parishes to determine how they will achieve the goal of having vibrant, life-giving faith communities accessible to all Catholics. To learn more about Renew My Church, visit renewmychurch.org.