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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The Archdiocese of Chicago is one of the largest dioceses in the nation by population and comprises Cook and Lake counties, covering of Illinois. The original Diocese of Chicago was created on November 28, 1842, and was elevated to the status of an archdiocese on September 10, 1880. On September 27, 1908, the Diocese of Rockford was broken off from the Archdiocese, and to create the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois on December 11, 1948, territory was taken from Peoria, Rockford and Chicago diocese.

The Archbishop of Chicago concurrently serves as metropolitan bishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Chicago, whose suffragan bishops are the bishops of Belleville, Joliet, Peoria, Rockford, and Springfield. It has become customary for each successive Archbishop of Chicago to be raised to the rank of Cardinal by the Pope in consistory, but the offices are not formally linked. His Eminence, Francis Eugene Cardinal George, OMI is the current Archbishop of Chicago.

There are 2,363,000 Catholics living in the Cook and Lake counties of Illinois, or 39% of the population. Of these, 1,210,000 (51%) are white, 939,000 (39.8%) are Hispanic, 93,000 (3.9%) are African-American, 105,000 (4.4%) are Asian or other and the remaining 15,000 (0.6%) are multi-racial. There are 378 parishes in the Archdiocese and 1,752 scheduled weekend Masses, including 246 in Spanish and 87 in Polish. There are also 217 elementary schools, 40 secondary schools, 217 seminary students at the Archdiocesan seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake, also known as Mundelein Seminary, 263 students in high school or college seminary formation programs, including Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary (to close in 2007), 5 Catholic colleges and universities, 47 cemeteries, and 21 hospitals. The diocese is staffed by 842 active and retired diocesan priests, 836 religious priests, 321 religious brothers, 2,503 religious sisters, 611 permanent deacons (the most of any Roman Catholic diocese worldwide) and 272 certified pastoral associates and pastoral ministers.

Holy Name Cathedral in downtown Chicago is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The Archdiocese also has three minor basilicas, the most of any diocese in the United States: Basilica of Saint Hyacinth administered by the Congregation of the Resurrection, Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica administered by the Servite Order, Queen of All Saints Basilica administered by the archdiocese.

Diocesan history

Arrival of missionaries

French Jesuit missionary Rev. Jacques Marquette, SJ first explored the area that is now Chicago in the mid-1600s. On December 4, 1674, Father Marquette arrived at the mouth of the Chicago River where he built a cabin to recuperate from his travels. His cabin would become the first European settlement in the area now known as Chicago. Marquette published his survey of the new territories, and soon, more French missionaries and settlers arrived.

First priest

In 1795, the Potawatomi tribe signed the Treaty of Greenville that ceded to the United States a tract of land at the mouth of the Chicago River. There in 1804, Fort Dearborn was erected and protected newly arrived Catholic pioneers. In 1822, Alexander Beaubien became the first person to be baptized in Chicago. In 1833, Jesuit missionaries wrote a letter to Most Rev. Joseph Rosati, Bishop of Saint Louis and Vicar General of Bardstown, pleading for the appointment of a resident pastor to serve over one hundred professing Roman Catholics living in Chicago. Rosati appointed a diocesan priest, Rev. John Mary Irenaeus Saint Cyr. Fr. Saint Cyr celebrated his first mass in a log cabin owned by the Beaubien family on Lake Street, near Market Street, in 1833.

First parish

At the cost of four hundred dollars, Father Saint Cyr purchased a plot of land on what is now the intersection of Lake and State Streets and constructed a church building of twenty-five by thirty-five feet (8 by 11 m). It was dedicated in October 1833. The following year, the Bishop of Vincennes visited Chicago. There he found over four hundred Catholics with only one priest to serve them all. The bishop asked permission from Bishop Rosati to send Fathers Fischer, Shaefer, Saint Palais, Dupontavice and Joliet from Vincennes to tend to the needs of the Chicago region. In 1837, Fr. Saint Cyr was allowed to retire and was replaced by Chicago's first English-speaking priest, Rev. James Timothy O'Meara. Father O'Meara moved the church built by Fr. Saint Cyr to what is now the intersection of Wabash Avenue and Madison Street. When Fr. O'Meara left Chicago, Saint Palais tore down the church and replaced it with a new brick structure.

Diocesan establishment

The First Plenary Council of Baltimore concluded that the Roman Catholic population of Chicago was growing exponentially and was in dire need for an episcopal see of its own. With the consent of Pope Gregory XVI, the Diocese of Chicago was canonically erected on November 28, 1842. In 1844, William Quarter of Ireland was appointed as the first Bishop of Chicago. Upon his arrival, Quarter summoned a synod of thirty-two Chicago priests to begin the organization of the diocese.One of Quarter's most important achievements was his successful petitioning the passage of an Illinois state law in 1845 that declared the Bishop of Chicago an incorporated entity, a corporation sole, with power to hold real and other property in trust for religious purposes. This allowed the bishop to pursue mass construction of new churches, colleges and universities to serve the needs of Chicago's Roman Catholic faithful. After four years of service as Bishop of Chicago, Bishop Quarter died on April 10, 1848.

Fire of 1871

The church lost nearly a million dollars in church property in the Chicago fire of 1871, helping to cause administrative instability for decades to come.

Archdiocese establishment

The southern section of the state of Illinois split from Chicago diocese, becoming the Diocese of Quincy in 1853, then Alton diocese (later Springfield) in 1857, and the Diocse of Peoria in 1877.

From 1844 to 1879, the residential bishop of the Diocese of Chicago held the title Bishop of Chicago. With the elevation of the diocese to an archdiocese in 1880, the residential bishop held the title Archbishop of Chicago. Since 1915, all Archbishops of Chicago have so far been honored in consistory with the title of Cardinal Priest and membership in the College of Cardinals. The archbishops also have responsibilities in the dicasteries of the Roman Curia. All but two residential bishops were diocesan priests before assuming the episcopacy in Chicago. Two came from religious orders: the Society of Jesus and the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

Our Lady of the Angels fire

Main article: Our Lady of the Angels School Fire

The Our Lady of the Angels School Fire occurred at the Our Lady of Angels School on December 1, 1958 in the Humboldt Park area of western Chicago. The school, which was operated by the Archdiocese, lost 92 students and three nuns in five classrooms on the second floor.

Archbishop's Residence

The Archbishop's Residence at 1555 North State Parkway, a mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the official home of the Archbishop of Chicago. Built in 1885 by Patrick Augustine Feehan, first Archbishop of Chicago, the Archbishop's Residence has received various men who were later elected pope as overnight guests — Pope Pius XII, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt also was an overnight guest at the Archbishop's Residence. Before the establishment of the Archbishop's Residence, the Bishops of Chicago were in residence at a home on LaSalle Street and North Avenue.

The Archbishop's Residence is Victorian with nineteen chimneys, designed by James H. Willett who designed the whole residence as well. The first floor consists of sitting rooms and rooms for resident priests and guests. It also houses a chapel, kitchen and dining room. The second and third floors compose the private residence of the Archbishop of Chicago, including his library and office. The building features two entry facades — designed for pedestrians and carriages. A coach house is also on the grounds.

Structure of the Archdiocese

Prelature

The Office of the Archbishop of Chicago is located at the Pastoral Center at 155 East Superior Street in downtown Chicago near the Loyola University Chicago Water Tower Campus. It is from the Pastoral Center that the Archbishop of Chicago exercises his administrative duties as leader of the archdiocesan prelature.

Vicariates

The prelature of the Archdiocese of Chicago, also called its curia, is the body of administration and governance under the authority of the Archbishop of Chicago. It is led by the Vicar General, currently Father John Canary, who serves in a similar capacity of a prime minister. The Vicar General is a diocesan priest who has been given the ordinary executive power normally reserved for a diocesan bishop. He acts in concert with six episcopal vicars administering smaller territories of the archdiocese called vicariates.

The episcopal vicars are six auxiliary bishops in service to the Archbishop of Chicago. They are titular bishops ordained to titular sees. Currently, they are:

Auxiliary bishops

John R. Manz
Joseph N. Perry
Francis J. Kane
Thomas J. Paprocki
Gustavo Garcia-Siller
George J. Rassas

Also, there are four retired auxiliary bishops: John R. Gorman, Thad J. Jakubowski, Timothy Lyne, and Raymond E. Goedert. Each of the six active auxiliary bishops is responsible for the governance of parishes and other institutions within the six individual vicariates.

Departments

The Archbishop of Chicago has final authority over all the departments, agencies, and the educational institutions of the archdiocese, including Saint Joseph College Seminary, and the University of Saint Mary of the Lake or Mundelein Seminary. He appoints auxiliary bishops, priests and religious brothers and sisters to oversee the departments.

The departments and agencies include:

Amate House

Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women

Archives and Records, Assistance Ministry

Big Shoulders Fund

Catechesis

Catholic Cemeteries

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Catholic Chaplaincy at O'Hare

Catholic Schools

Chancellor

Communications and Public Relations

Conciliation

Diaconate

Divine Worship

Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

Evangelization and Catechesis

Family Ministries

Financial Services

Food Service Professionals

Lay Ecclesial Ministry

Formation,

Legal Services

Liturgy Training Publications

Metropolitan Tribunal,

Ministerial Evaluation,

Ministry in Higher Education,

Office of Catholic Schools

Office of Professional Responsibility

Office for Persons with Disabilities

On Going Formation in Ministry

Peace and Justice

Racial Justice

Research and Planning

Respect Life

Stewardship and Development

Vocations

Young Adult Ministry

Youth Ministry Office.

Office of Catholic Schools

The Office of Catholic Schools operates, manages, and supports diocesan and Catholic primary and secondary schools. Catholic education in the Chicago area began on June 3, 1844 with the opening of a boys' school.Chicago parochial schools served various ethnic groups, including Irish, Germans, Poles, Czechs and Bohemians, French, Slovaks, Lithuanians, African Americans, Italians, and Mexicans. Many local nuns living in convents established and operated Catholic schools.

The school construction boom ended when John Cardinal Cody, the archbishop at the time, decided to limit construction of Catholic schools in Lake County and suburban areas in Cook County. Due to changes in demographics, the archdiocese has since closed more than half of its urban schools since 1966.

From 1984 to 2004, the Office of Catholic Schools has closed 148 schools and an additional 10 school sites. An August 17, 2000 article by the Chicago Sun-Times refers to the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic Schools as the largest private school system in the United States.