The church where Oak Park’s first Catholic parish was established announced this week it will close later this year.
St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Church, which is a part of the St. Giles Catholic Church parish, will have its final Mass in June at its nearly 100-year-old Tudor-Gothic style church at 38 N. Austin Blvd. in the west suburb. The exact date of closure wasn’t immediately clear.
Low attendance and “costly upkeep” of the “beautiful but aging building” were cited as factors for the church’s decision to close, the Rev. Carl Morello, pastor of the church, said in a letter to parishioners this week.
“While this is very sad news for the faithful community of St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy, we look to the Holy Spirit of God to guide us through this challenging time and to present us with new opportunities for building unity and a newfound sense of community,” Morello wrote.
The parish conducted a review of its buildings and finances in early 2024. After a town hall last October, it determined that “significant maintenance costs meant keeping St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Church open was not sustainable,” the Archdiocese of Chicago said in a statement.
“This action will strengthen the St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish community and mission,” read the Archdiocese of Chicago statement. “While this transition is not easy, we remain committed to supporting the community and honoring the church’s legacy through continued faith and service.”
The parish has not finalized a plan for the building, but the church’s school will stay open and other community organizations will continue to operate out of the former convent building and rectory. That includes SisterHouse, the Neighborhood Bridge, the Faith and Fellowship Ministry and Housing Forward.
St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy School, designed by Archdiocese architect Joseph McCarthy, was finished in 1931. The building features a baptismal chapel on the northeast side, a small chapel for daily Mass on the northwest side, a music room on the first floor and a large choir loft. The organ was installed in 1932.
John O’Neill/Sun-Times
According to its website, St. Catherine of Siena Parish was founded in 1889 as the first Catholic parish in Oak Park.
St. Catherine’s building, designed by Archdiocese architect Joseph McCarthy, was finished in 1931. The building features a baptismal chapel on the northeast side, a small chapel for daily Mass on the northwest side, a music room on the first floor and a large choir loft. The organ was installed in 1932.
St. Catherine of Siena merged with St. Lucy Parish of the Austin neighborhood in 1974. In 2022, the parish joined St. Giles Parish as part of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Renew My Church initiative. The unified parish has around 2,500 member households.
“I am grateful for the unique gifts, faithfulness, love of neighbor, and the spirit of worship and fellowship that has defined this community for so many years,” Morello continued in his letter. “As we move forward together, I hope and pray that we will do so with steadfast love, trusting that we will find new ways and places to experience and worship God.”
St. Giles, also in Oak Park, will remain open and other churches that are open in the area include Ascension Catholic Church, 808 S. East Ave., and St. Edmund Catholic Church, 188 S. Oak Park Ave.