Archdiocese Updates Southeast Suburbs Renew My Church Grouping

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — Catholic churches across Chicagoland will reunite as one parish under the Archdiocese of Chicago's "Renew My Church" grouping. According to a news release, effective July 1, St. Ann, St. James and St. John will unite to form a new parish with two worship sites, a new name, one pastor and one pastoral team.

"Based on its meetings and discussions with the larger parish communities, the team submitted feedback reports to the Archdiocesan Standards and Recommendations Commission, which includes representatives from across the archdiocese," the Archdiocese said.

The Southeast Suburbs grouping includes:

• St. Agnes Parish and School (Chicago Heights)
• St. Ann Parish and School (Lansing)
• St. Irenaeus Parish (Park Forest)
• St. James Parish (Sauk Village)
• St. John Parish (Glenwood)
• St. Kieran Parish (Chicago Heights)
• St. Lawrence O’Toole Parish (Matteson)
• St. Paul Parish (Chicago Heights)

Representatives from each of the parishes, mission and schools have been meeting with archdiocese officials to review and discern the future parish, school and church structures.

The following changes at St. Ann, St. James and St. John will be implemented, according to a release from the archdiocese:

• St. Ann and St. James will both be worship sites for the newly formed parish, with a Mass schedule to be determined by the pastor in consultation with parish leadership; this schedule may differ from the current schedules.
• St. Ann will be designated the parish church where the united parish’s sacramental records are kept.
• Fr. Mark Kalema will be pastor of the newly united parish.
• The specific timeline to transition Masses fully to St. Ann and St. James will be determined by parish leadership in the coming months.
• The local community will discern possibilities for the new name, within guidelines provided by the archdiocese, and submit three to five options to Cardinal Cupich.
• Additionally, the Commission recommends an annual review beginning in 2024 on the sustainability of two campuses. This way, the united parish’s pastor and leadership team can focus on unification for the next three years, prior to the start of the annual review.

The archdiocese also said that come July, St. Agnes, St. Kieran and St. Paul will also unite to form a new parish with two worship sites, a new name, one pastor and one pastoral team. The following changes will be implemented, according to the release:

• St. Kieran and St. Agnes will both be worship sites for the newly formed parish, with a Mass schedule to be determined by the pastor in consultation with parish leadership; this schedule may differ from the current schedules.
• St. Kieran will be designated the parish church where the united parish’s sacramental records are kept.
• Fr. Gary Graf, currently pastor of San Jose Sanchez del Rio Parish in Chicago, will be pastor of the newly united parish.
• The specific timeline to fully transition Masses to St. Kieran and St. Agnes will be determined by parish leadership from the local community who will discern possibilities in the coming months.
• The local community will submit three to five options for a new name that falls within the guidelines provided by the archdiocese to Cardinal Cupich.

According to the release, St. Irenaeus and St. Lawrence O’Toole will continue their discernment with the grouping of parishes in Flossmoor, Country Club Hills, Homewood, and Hazel Crest.

Over the next few months, the archdiocese and the pastors of the current parishes will support the communities in their transition to the new parish and school structures. The archdiocese's Renew My Church Accompaniment Team will work with local leaders to ensure the uniting faith communities and staff are supported through this time of change.