Chicago churches? (Oak Park, Villa Park, Lincoln: neighborhoods, wedding, public school)

[mikey jam]

Greetings, I'm from Baltimore MD where most urban churches have really seen a serious decline in attendance. There are only a handful of ethnic churches left. One large Polish church here can seat about 1600 and the avg. Mass is about 80. Even the eatablished Lutheran,Episcopal and Methodist same trend. How are the churches in Chicago doing. Anyone know about St John Cantius, I heard that has turned around and is doing very well? One main problem in Baltimore is the public school system is not too good and once children are schoolage, families flee to the suburbs leaving the churches mostly elderly.

[Intergalactic]

More of a patchwork in Chicago.

[surlycue]

Lots of people drive in to the city from the burbs to go to the churches from their childhood neighborhood or their parents churches. The European ethnic churches in particular bring in a large draw from former residents in Ukranian Village, Noble Square and many NW side neighborhoods. I doubt that any of the old folks return to the neighborhoods that have sharply declined though, like Austin, (Tom, are the churches from your youth still frequented by some whites over there?)

[Avengerfire]

I think you need to rename yourself "Overgeneralizing Gioobag."

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Gioobag

have a sense of humor!

Well you need to use something like this or this or this when joking. That way a mistake is not made.

[Lookout Kid]

Spanish masses are hugely popular in the city. Many Catholic churches have added additional masses to accomodate demand. Masses in Polish are still popular as well.

Black Baptist churches are all over the place, even in lilly white neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Andersonville (I'm not sure why).

And many old mainline protestant churches are still popular on the North Side. The resurgence of white families in gentrified areas has really boosted some old churches back from the brink.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by surlycue

I doubt that any of the old folks return to the neighborhoods that have sharply declined though, like Austin, (Tom, are the churches from your youth still frequented by some whites over there?)

Well I was baptized at Lady of Sorrows and it's still going. I went to grade school at Resurrection and the church isn't even there any more, just gone, a prarie. Later we were in St. Catherine of Siena which is evidently still going strong, much of the parish being in Oak Park.

I understand the Greek church at Harrison and Central is still going even though no Greeks are there, must be that return to the old church thing you were talking about. The Irish don't seem much into that, speaking English and all right off the boat and also fitting more easily into mainstream WASP culture.

A friend's daughter, who grew up in Villa Park, was married in a church down on Taylor Street, Notre Dame. I understand that Notre Dame and Our Lady of Pompei do quite a lucrative wedding business with young Italian-Americans.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

...Black Baptist churches are all over the place, even in lilly white neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Andersonville (I'm not sure why)...

Well because each used to have a decent number of Black residents for a few decades.

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Gioobag

I'd say the suburbs have better attendance, because that is where more families are.

In Chicago, people are either gay (they hate Christians), they are hipster (Sunday a.m. hangovers or "atheist/marxist" in orientation), or yuppie (they don't care enough to go, DINCs, hangovers, etc.).

That's true if they live in 4-5 of the city's 77 community areas, certainly not true for the other 85% of the city's population.


Not to mention how stereotypical that statement is. I'm gay and I certainly don't HATE Christians.

[wardniner]

St. John Cantius is my parish.
It's experiencing a revival of biblical proportions. (Ba dump bump.)
Don't know if you caught Storytel's documentary "On Assignment: Saving St. John Cantius", but it was amazing.
Here's a link: StoryTel's "On Assignment" Series Strikes Chord With Viewers
We average 500 confessions on a Sunday. 500. Confessions. Every. Sunday.
That tells you a bit about the vitality of the parish.
Tridentine High Mass, English Novus Ordo, Latin Novus Ordo: they're all packed.
I drive from Rogers Park, but I know people who drive from Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan to go to Mass at Cantius.
St. Mary of the Angels is another example of a parish slated for demolition which was saved and is now going gangbusters. (In addition, IMO, it's now the most beautiful parish in Chicago...)
(By the way, my late great grandfather was a daily communicant at St. Alphonsus in Baltimore.)