The Archdiocese of Chicago has 357 parishes. Some of them carry patron saints’ names that are either tongue-twisters or just make you scratch your head. (We have plenty of parishes named for the Blessed Mother, and we’ll spotlight those in the next issue.) Here are a holy dozen whose saints caught our fancy (and artwork from the parishes depicting them). We wanted to know more about them. We hope you do too. St. Ansgar 2040 Laurel Ave., Hanover Park A missionary and archbishop, called the “apostle of the North.” In 831, King Louis the Pious of France appointed Ansgar archbishop of Hamburg, Germany, where he spent 14 years of his life working. In 845, Danes invaded Hamburg, enforcing a return to paganism. Ansgar rebuilt Hamburg and was placed in charge of Bremen as well. He was noted for his personal austerity and for his holiness. He is the patron saint of Hamburg and Bremen. Father Jerome Riordan said the first Mass on July 7, 1968, in a high school. In August of 1968, members of the congregation were asked to take part in selecting a name for their new parish. One of their choices was St. Ansgar. In October of that year, they moved into a temporary building. On June 11, 1978, a permanent worship center was dedicated by Cardinal John Cody. St. Tarcissus (Tar-SIS-sus) 6030 W. Ardmore Ave. Tarcissus, also called Tarcisius, was a 12-year-old acolyte during the Roman persecutions of the third century. One day, while carrying the Eucharist to those Christians condemned to die, he was attacked by a mob of boys who wanted to see the Christian “Mysteries.” It is believed that a fellow Christian drove off the mob and carried his mangled body back to the catacombs, but the boy died on the way. He is a patron saint of altar servers, and his feast day is Aug. 15 St. Tarcissus Parish was founded on April 3, 1926. St. Dismas 2600 Sunset Ave. Waukegan St. Dismas is believed to be the “good thief,” one of two criminals crucified with Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel, the good thief rebukes the other for mocking the Lord, and Jesus promises him salvation. He is the patron of condemned prisoners, reformed thieves and undertakers, among others. St. Dismas Parish was founded in 1963. St. Ita (EAT-a) 1220 W. Catalpa Ave. Ita was reportedly of royal lineage, born at Drum in Waterford, Ireland. She refused to marry and received her father’s permission to live in County Limerick, where she founded a community of women at Hy Conaill and opened a school for boys, among whom was St. Brendan. Legends concern her miraculous interventions, including healing a man who had been decapitated and subsisting entirely on food from heaven. Also known as Dierdre. She is the patron of County Limerick and her feast day is Jan. 15. St. Ita Parish was founded on June 25, 1900. St. Eulalia (YOU-lay-lee-a) 1851 S. 9th Ave., Maywood Eulalia, virgin and martyr, was born in Spain near the end of the third century. There are two St. Eulalia traditions, which may be two people or one person. In both traditions, she was born in Spain around 290 and martyred during the persecutions conducted by Emperor Diocletian in 304. According to the tradition of St. Eulalia of Merida, the judge Dacian ordered that her body be torn by iron hooks and had fire applied to her wounds to increase her suffering. In the process her hair caught fire and she was asphyxiated by the smoke and flames. The feast day of St. Eulalia of Merida is Dec. 10, and she is the patron of Merida and Olviedo, Spain, runaways, torture victims and widows. St. Eulalia of Barcelona was martyred in that city and her remains are interred in the cathedral there. Her feast day is Feb. 12 and she is the patron of the cathedral and city of Barcelona, as well as sailors. Cardinal Mundelein established St. Eulalia Parish on June 13, 1927 to serve Catholic families living in south Maywood and the adjoining village of Broadview. St. Odilo (O-dill-o) 2244 East Ave., Berwyn Odilo was a member of a noble family in Auvergne, France, and received election as abbot in 994. He was beloved and respected throughout Europe for his deep austerities and his concern for the poor. He helped bring about the Truce of God (which established rules of military conduct) and the feast of All Souls’ Day. St. Odilo has several memorial days, including Jan. 1, the date of his death in 1049. He is the patron against jaundice and for souls in purgatory. In April 1927, Cardinal Mundelein commissioned Father William Roberts to form a new parish in order to meet the needs of the fast growing city of Berwyn, and granted him the unique privilege of selecting the name for this new parish. At his request, the parish was dedicated to St. Odilo, the Abbot of Cluny, France, who began the great solemnity known as All Souls Day. St. Linus (Ly-nus) 10300 S. Lawler Ave. Linus was a native of Tuscany, Italy. He is revered as the immediate successor of St. Peter as Bishop of Rome, although sources say St. Clement was Peter’s successor. His name is included in the First Eucharistic Prayer and he was once revered as a martyr. Tradition says he reigned for 12 years, roughly 67 to 79. According to St. Irenaeus, he is the Linus mentioned by St. Paul (2 Tim 4). His feast day is Sept. 23 St. Linus Parish was established in October 1955. St. Symphorosa (SIM-for-OH-sa) 6135 S. Austin Ave. Symphorosa was martyred with seven companions, reportedly her sons, during the persecutions of Emperor Hadrian. She supposedly was the widow of the martyred St. Getulius. She was thrown into the river Anio with a heavy rock tied around her neck; each of her sons was martyred by a different method. Her feast day is July 2. On June 2, 1927, Cardinal Mundelein appointed Father John Leo Sharp to form a parish for English-speaking Catholics who lived in the Clearing area on the Southwest Side of Chicago. Father Sharp celebrated Mass for his congregation on June 19, 1927, in the Clearing town hall until the permanent church was built and opened on Sept. 23, 1928. St. Turibius (Tur-I-BEE-us) 5646 S. Karlov Ave. Turibius, also known as Toribio, was born in 1538 in Mayorga, Spain, where he studied law and became a lawyer, receiving an appointment as chief judge of the court of Inquisition at Granada under King Philip II. The king appointed him as archbishop of Lima, Peru. He arrived in Peru in 1581 and showed passion toward reforming the archdiocese and to aid the poor and defend the rights of the Peruvians, who were then suffering under Spanish occupation. He founded the first seminary in the New World and confirmed St. Rose of Lima and possibly St. Martin de Porres. He died of natural causes in 1606. He is the patron of Peru, Latin American bishops and native rights. St. Turibius Parish was founded in 1927 by Cardinal Mundelein to serve the growing number of Catholic families who settled in the area. St. Ailbe (Al-bee) 9015 S. Harper Ave. Ailbe was known as a disciple of Patrick, as well as a missionary in Ireland, possibly sponsored by King Aengus of Munster. He was the first bishop of Emily in Munster, Ireland. One legend claims that he was left in the woods as an infant and nurtured by a wolf. In his later life, it was said that an old she-wolf came to Ailbe for protection from a hunting party, resting her head upon his chest. He was noted for his charity and kindness, as well as his eloquent sermons. St. Ailbe Parish was founded in 1889 as a mission of St. Laurence Church in Grand Crossing. Father W.S. Hennessy renamed the parish St. Ailbe in honor of the Irish saint. On Sept. 9, 1894, Archbishop Patrick Feehan formally dedicated St. Ailbe Church. St. Kieran (KEER-an) 724 W. 195th St., Chicago Heights St. Kieran was born early in the sixth century in Connacht, Ireland. The son of a carpenter, he studied at St. Finnian’s school at Clonard and became a monk. He later was forced to leave a monastery at Isel because the other monks thought he would bankrupt the monastery with his charity. He spent time as a hermit, then founded the famous Clonmacnois monastery, renowned as the great center of Irish learning. He died at about age 40 of natural causes. There are stories of Kieran as a miracle worker, and he is one of the 12 apostles of Ireland. His feast day is Sept. 9. St. Kieran Parish was founded in 1960. St. Gall 5500 S. Kedzie Gall was born in Ireland and, according to tradition, was one of the 12 companions of St. Columbanus on his mission from Ireland to the continent of Europe. The group established themselves at Luxeuil in Gaul. He was a noted Scripture scholar. In 610, Gall accompanied Columbanus up the Rhine to what is now Switzerland. He remained there living the life of a hermit in the forests southwest of Lake Constance. He died around 646-650, and his feast day is Oct. 16. He is the patron saint of Switzerland. Many fantastic stories about St. Gall began to circulate as early as the ninth century, including one in which he delivered Fridiburga, betrothed to Siegbert II, King of the Franks, from a demon that possessed her and fled her body in the form of blackbirds. Another story said that a bear brought wood to feed the fire which Gall and his companions had kindled. St. Gall Parish was established in 1890 as a mission of St. Agnes Church in Brighton Park. In May 1899, Father Michael Sullivan was appointed the first pastor of the new parish, where he served 132 parishioners, the first members of St. Gall. St. Pancratius (Pan-CRAY-shus) 2957 S. Sacramento Ave. St. Pancratius, also known as Pancras, was a native of Phrygia or Syria, according to tradition. He was orphaned at an early age, brought to Rome at age 14 by his uncle, St. Dionysius, and converted to Christianity. It is believed that he was beheaded on the Via Aurelia during the persecutions under Emperor Diocletian. Pope Saint Vitalian sent his relics from the cemetery of Calepodius in Rome to the British Isles as part of the evangelization of England, so they would have relics to install in altars in new churches. He is the patron saint of children receiving their First Communion, as well as against cramps, headaches and perjury and for oaths and treaties. St. Pancratius Parish was established in March 1924 to serve Polish families in Brighton Park who formerly belonged to Five Holy Martyrs Parish.