While churches throughout the Chicago area were encouraged to hold anti-violence marches on Memorial Day weekend, Holy Cross-Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in the city’s Back of the Yards neighborhood had specific reason: to mourn the death of 16- year-old Angel Cano, who was gunned down May 21, 2013. The march took place May 24. Earlier, Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Parish sent a letter to pastors in the Archdiocese of Chicago encouraging them to participate in Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s “Faith In Action” effort, which called on members of churches, synagogues and mosques to be outside their houses of worship from 7 to 9 p.m. on May 23, the Friday evening of Memorial Day weekend. The weekend, the traditional start of summer, was a violent one in Chicago the last two years, Pfleger noted in his letter. At Pfleger’s parish, St. Sabina, hundreds of people gathered for an antiviolence block party. This year, there were no shootings reported in Chicago for a 42-hour stretch, from the evening of May 22 to the afternoon of May 24. But on May 24, Saturday, two people were killed and 10 more were shot in the afternoon and evening.
St. Anthony Parish celebrates patron, jubilee year Under large mosaics depicting the miracles of their patron saint, St. Anthony of Padua parishioners gathered to celebrate their patron’s feast on June 8, Pentecost, with a bilingual Mass and fiesta in the parking lot.
St. Julie Billiart Parish uses art to engage students with their faith For the past five months, young people at St. Julie Billiart Parish in Tinley Park have grown closer to God while creating art for the parish and the community.
Well-wishers, the curious flock to Pope Leo’s home parish During the papal conclave, Cardinal Robert Prevost was on the radar of people at Christ Our Savior Parish in South Holland because he was one of them.