Chicago Archdiocese Announces Plans To Close Or Merge South Side Catholic Churches And Schools
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago announced Wednesday night they will be closing and merging several schools on the South Side, as part of what church officials called a "revitalization initiative."
At a community meeting Wednesday night in Bridgeport, archdiocese officials announced a number of closings and consolidations for parishes and schools in Bridgeport, Armour Square, Chinatown, and Canaryville.
- Therese Chinese School will take control of St. Barbara School, operating schools at both campuses under the current St. Therese principal. Both campuses will have expanded pre-K programs at the St. Barbara campus, and pre-K through 8th grade at both sites. Faculty and staff at St. Barbara will be given priority for open positions at the expanded St. Therese Chinese School.
- Jerome Croatian Parish and School and Santa Lucia-Santa Maria Incoronata Parish and School will be merged into a single parish as of July 1, 2019. The new parish will be housed at St. Jerome Croatian Church, and Santa Lucia-Santa Maria Incoronata Church will close by June 2020. The new school will be housed at St. Jerome Croatian School, ansd Santa Lucia School will close at the end of June 2019.
- Nativity of Our Lord Parish and St. Gabriel Parish will merge into a new parish under one pastor, with both buildings serving as active worship sites. Bridgeport Catholic Academy and ST. Gabriel School also will merge as one school with two campuses with one principal starting next school year.
Cardinal Blase Cupich also delayed final decisions on potential closings or consolidations for several other parishes in the same area, including All Saints-St. Anthony, St. Barbara, St. Mary of Perpetual Help, St. Therese Chinese, and the Archdiocesan Center for Chinese Apostolate. Decisions on those parishes won't be made until January 2019 at the earliest.
