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.
Holy Name of Mary: Second church established by Black Catholics In 1897, Servant of God Father Augustus Tolton established St. Monica Parish as the first parish for Black Catholics in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Lake Zurich parish sends supplies to Tampa, Asheville On two consecutive weekends in October, members of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lake Zurich loaded supplies for victims of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, shipping over 40 pallets of water, diapers, garbage bags and other nonperishable items.
Churches in South Chicago unite to pray for peace in community Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Immaculate Conception Parish in the South Chicago neighborhood regularly held peace marches to pray for its community. With its march on the evening of Oct. 5, the now united Immaculate Conception-St. Michael Parish joined with nearby Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish to revive the event.