The Archdiocese of Chicago ( la, Archidiœcesis Chicagiensis) is a

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

located in

Northeastern Illinois Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public university in Chicago, Illinois. NEIU serves approximately 9,000 students in the region and is a Hispanic-serving institution. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park wi ...

, in the United States. It was established as a

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

in 1843 and elevated to an archdiocese in 1880. It serves the more than 2.2 million Catholics in Cook and

Lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

counties in the state of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, an area of . The archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries.

Blase Joseph Cupich Blase Joseph Cupich ( ; March 19, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, a cardinal who serves as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Cupich was ordained a priest there in 1975. He was named ...

was appointed Archbishop of Chicago in 2014 (and Cardinal in 2016) by

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

, and is assisted by six episcopal vicars, who are each responsible for a vicariate (region). The

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

parish for the archdiocese, Holy Name Cathedral, is in the Near North Side area of the see city for the diocese,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. The Archdiocese of Chicago is the

metropolitan see Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a ...

of the Province of Chicago. Its suffragan dioceses are the other Catholic dioceses in

: Belleville, Joliet, Peoria, Rockford, and Springfield. Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 to 1996, was arguably one of the most prominent figures in the Church in the United States in the post-

Vatican II The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

era, rallying progressives with his "seamless garment ethic" and his ecumenical initiatives.

Diocesan history

Arrival of missionaries

A French Jesuit

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

, the Rev.

Jacques Marquette Jacques Marquette S.J. (June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675), sometimes known as Père Marquette or James Marquette, was a French Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Sainte Marie, and later founded Saint Ign ...

, SJ, first explored the area that is now Chicago in the mid-17th century. On December 4, 1674, Father Marquette arrived at the mouth of the

Chicago River The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). Though not especially long, the river is notable because it is one of the reasons for ...

where he built a cabin to recuperate from his travels. His cabin became 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 The Treaty of Greenville, formally titled Treaty with the Wyandots, etc., was a 1795 treaty between the United States and indigenous nations of the Northwest Territory (now Midwestern United States), including the Wyandot and Delaware peoples ...

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 the Most Rev.

Joseph Rosati Joseph Rosati (30 January 1789 – 25 September 1843) was an Italian-born Catholic missionary to the United States who served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Saint Louis between 1826 and 1843. A member of the Congregation of the Mission, ...

, 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, the 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 at what is now the intersection of

and State Streets and constructed a church building of . It was dedicated in October 1833. The following year, Bishop Simon Bruté of

Vincennes Vincennes (, ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is next to but does not include the Château de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes, which are attache ...

visited Chicago, where he found over 400 Catholics with only one priest to serve them. The bishop asked permission from Bishop Rosati to send Fathers Fischer, Shaefer, Saint Palais, Dupontavice, and Joliet from

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, the 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 demolished 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 of an episcopal see of its own. With the consent of

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He ...

, the Diocese of Chicago was canonically erected on November 28, 1843. In 1844,

William Quarter William J. Quarter (January 21, 1806 – April 10, 1848) was an Irish American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Chicago (1844–1848). Biography Early years William Quarter was born in Killurin, King's County, Ireland ...

of Ireland was appointed as the first Bishop of Chicago. Upon his arrival, Quarter summoned a synod of 32 Chicago priests to begin the organization of the diocese. One of Quarter's most important achievements was his successful petitioning for the passage of an Illinois law in 1845 that declared the Bishop of Chicago an incorporated entity, a

corporation sole A corporation sole is a legal entity consisting of a single ("sole") incorporated office, occupied by a single ("sole") natural person.

, with power to hold real and other property in trust for religious purposes. This allowed the bishop to pursue large-scale 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 The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 1 ...

, leading to administrative instability for decades.

Archdiocese establishment

The southern section of the state of Illinois split from Chicago diocese in 1853, becoming the Diocese of Quincy. The Quincy diocese was renamed the Diocese of Alton in 1857, and eventually became the Diocese of Springfield. The

Diocese of Peoria The Diocese of Peoria ( la, Diœcesis Peoriensis, Peoria, Illinois) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the central Illinois region of the United States. The Diocese of Peoria is a suffragan diocese w ...

was established in 1877 from another territorial split from the Chicago diocese. From 1844 to 1879, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Chicago held the title Bishop of Chicago. With the elevation of the diocese to an archdiocese in 1880, the diocesan bishop held the title Archbishop of Chicago. Since 1915, all Archbishops of Chicago have been honored in

consistory Consistory is the anglicized form of the consistorium, a council of the closest advisors of the Roman emperors. It can also refer to: *A papal consistory, a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church * Consistor ...

with the title of

Cardinal Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

and membership in the

College of Cardinals The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are app ...

. The archbishops also have responsibilities in the dicasteries of the Roman Curia. All but two diocesan bishops were diocesan priests before assuming the

episcopacy A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

in Chicago. Two came from religious institutes: the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

(James Van de Velde) and the

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, ...

(Francis George).

28th International Eucharistic Congress

In 1926, the archdiocese hosted the

28th International Eucharistic Congress The 28th International Eucharistic Congress was held in Chicago, Illinois, United States from June 20 to 24, 1926. The event, held by the Catholic Church, was a eucharistic congress, which is a large scale gathering of Catholics that foc ...

Our Lady of the Angels fire

A fire occurred at Our Lady of Angels School on December 1, 1958, in the Humboldt Park area of western Chicago. The school, operated by the Archdiocese, lost 92 students and three nuns in five classrooms on the second floor. In 1959 the National Fire Protection Association's report on the blaze blamed civic authorities and the Archdiocese of Chicago for "housing their children in fire traps" – their words – such as Our Lady of the Angels School. The report noted that both the Chicago School Board and the Archdiocese continued to allow some schools to be legally operated despite having inadequate fire safety standards.

Churches

Archbishop's Residence

The Archbishop's Residence at 1555 North State Parkway is the official home of the Archbishop of Chicago and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1885 by the Most Rev. Patrick Feehan, first Archbishop of Chicago, it is a three-story, red brick building and is one of the oldest structures in the Astor Street District, according to the Landmarks Preservation Council. When

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

visited Chicago in 1979, he became the first Pontiff to stay at the residence, though two previous popes had stayed there as cardinals: Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, who became Pope Pius XII; and Giovanni Cardinal Montini, who became

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

. Before the establishment of the Archbishop's Residence, the Bishops of Chicago were in residence at a home on LaSalle Street and North Avenue. All archbishops of Chicago lived at the mansion until the appointment of the ninth and current archbishop, Blase Cupich, who chose to live at the Holy Name Cathedral rectory.

Bishops

Bishops of Chicago

# William J. Quarter (1844–1848) # James Oliver Van de Velde, S.J. (1848–1853), appointed Bishop of Natchez # Anthony O'Regan (1854–1858) # James Duggan (1859–1880) Our-Lady-Queen-of-Heaven

Archbishops of Chicago

# Patrick Augustine Feehan (1880–1902) # James Edward Quigley (1903–1915) # Cardinal George Mundelein (1915–1939) # Cardinal Samuel Stritch (1939–1958), appointed Pro-Prefect of the

Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

# Cardinal Albert Gregory Meyer (1958–1965) # Cardinal

John Cody John Patrick Cody (December 24, 1907 – April 25, 1982) was an American bishop and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. A native of St. Louis, he served as Bishop of Kansas City–Saint Joseph (1956–1961), Archbishop of New Orleans (196 ...

(1965–1982) # Cardinal

Joseph Bernardin Joseph Louis Bernardin (April 2, 1928 – November 14, 1996) was an American Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1972 until 1982, and as Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 until his death in 1996 from ...

(1982–1996) # Cardinal

Francis George Francis Eugene George (January 16, 1937 – April 17, 2015) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the eighth Archbishop of Chicago in Illinois (1997–2014) and previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Yakima and A ...

, OMI (1997–2014) # Cardinal Blase J. Cupich (2014–present)

Current auxiliary bishops

Joseph N. Perry Joseph Nathaniel Perry (born April 18, 1948) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago since 1998 Perry is a past vice-president of the board of the Natio ...

(1998–present) *

Andrew Peter Wypych Andrew Peter Wypych (born December 5, 1954) is a Polish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has served as an auxiliary bishop and episcopal vicar of the Archdiocese of Chicago since 2011. Biography Early life and education Wypych wa ...

(2011–present) * Mark Andrew Bartosic (2018–present) * Robert Gerald Casey (2018–present) * Jeffrey S. Grob (2020–present) * Kevin M. Birmingham (2020–present) * Robert J. Lombardo (2020–present)

Former auxiliary bishops

Gerald Farinas Our Lady of Mount Carmel Chicago

* Alexander Joseph McGavick (1899–1921), appointed Bishop of La Crosse * Peter Muldoon (1901–1908), appointed Bishop of Rockford * Paul Peter Rhode (1908–1915), appointed Bishop of Green Bay *

Edward Francis Hoban Edward Francis Hoban (June 27, 1878 – September 22, 1966) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland in Ohio from 1945 to 1966. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Roc ...

(1922–1928), appointed Bishop of Rockford and later Bishop of Cleveland *

Bernard James Sheil Bernard James Sheil (February 18, 1888 – September 13, 1969) was an Auxiliary Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago. Biography Born and raised in Chicago, Sheil was ordained a priest on May 3, 1910. He was named auxiliary Bishop of Chicago in 1 ...

(1928–1969), appointed Archbishop ''ad personam'' in 1959 * William David O'Brien (1934–1962) * William Edward Cousins (1948–1952), appointed Bishop of Peoria and later Archbishop of Milwaukee * Raymond Peter Hillinger (1956–1971), appointed Bishop of Rockford * Cletus F. O'Donnell (1960–1967), appointed Bishop of Madison * Aloysius John Wycislo (1960–1968), appointed Bishop of Green Bay *

Romeo Roy Blanchette Romeo Roy Blanchette (January 6, 1913 – January 10, 1982) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois from 1966 to 1979. Biography Early life Romeo Blanchette was born ...

(1965–1966), appointed Bishop of Joliet * John L. May (1967–1969), appointed Bishop of Mobile and later Archbishop of St. Louis * Thomas Joseph Grady (1967–1974), appointed Bishop of Orlando * William Edward McManus (1967–1976), appointed Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend * Michael Dempsey (1968–1974) * Alfred Leo Abramowicz (1968–1995) * Nevin William Hayes, O. Carm. (1971–1988) *

Plácido Rodriguez Plácido Rodríguez C.M.F. (born October 11, 1940) is a Mexican-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Lubbock in Texas from 1994 to 2015 and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Anton ...

, C.M.F. (1983–1994), appointed Bishop of Lubbock * Wilton D. Gregory (1983–1994), appointed Bishop of Belleville and later Archbishop of Atlanta and Archbishop of Washington * Timothy Joseph Lyne (1983–2013) * John R. Gorman (1988–2003) * Thad J. Jakubowski (1988–2003) * Raymond E. Goedert (1991–2003) * Gerald Frederick Kicanas (1995–2002), appointed Bishop of Tucson * Edwin Michael Conway (1995–2004) * George V. Murry, SJ (1995–1998), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of St. Thomas and subsequently succeeded to that see * John R. Manz (1996–2021) *

Jerome Edward Listecki Jerome Edward Listecki (born March 12, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has served as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since 2010. Previously Listecki served as an auxiliary bishop of the Arc ...

(2000–2004), appointed Bishop of La Crosse and later Archbishop of Milwaukee * Thomas J. Paprocki (2003–2010), appointed Bishop of Springfield in Illinois * Francis J. Kane (2003–2018) * George J. Rassas (2006–2018) *

Alberto Rojas Alberto Rojas (born January 5, 1965) is a Mexican prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino in Southern California since 2020. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archd ...

(2011–2019), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of San Bernardino and subsequently succeeded to that see * Ronald Aldon Hicks (2018–2020), appointed Bishop of Joliet

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* Peter Joseph Baltes, appointed Bishop of Alton in 1869 * John McMullen, appointed Bishop of Davenport in 1881 * Maurice Francis Burke, appointed Bishop of Cheyenne in 1887 * Edward Joseph Dunne, appointed Bishop of Dallas in 1893 * Thaddeus Joseph Butler, appointed Bishop of Concordia in 1897 (died before consecration) * Edmund Michael Dunne, appointed Bishop of Peoria in 1909 * Stanislaus Vincent Bona, appointed Bishop of Grand Island in 1931 * Moses Elias Kiley, appointed Bishop of Trenton in 1934 * Francis Joseph Magner, appointed Bishop of Marquette in 1940 *

Patrick Thomas Brennan Monsignor Patrick Brennan (1901–1950), was an American born, Catholic missionary priest, killed by North Korean forces in 1950. Patrick Brennan, was born March 13, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, to Irish parents. He was educated in St Rita's High S ...

, S.S.C.M.E. (priest here, 1928–1936), appointed Prefect of Kwoszu, Korea (South) in 1948 * Martin Dewey McNamara, appointed Bishop of Joliet in Illinois in 1948 * William Aloysius O'Connor, appointed Bishop of Springfield in Illinois in 1948 * Donald Martin Carroll, appointed Bishop of Rockford in 1956 (did not take effect) * Ernest John Primeau, appointed Bishop of Manchester in 1959 *

, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Joliet in Illinois in 1965 * Raymond James Vonesh, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Joliet in Illinois in 1968 * Paul Casimir Marcinkus, appointed titular Archbishop in 1968 * Thomas Joseph Murphy, appointed Bishop of Great Falls in 1978 * John Richard Keating, appointed Bishop of Arlington in 1983 * James Patrick Keleher, appointed Bishop of Belleville in 1984 * Edward Michael Egan, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of New York in 1985; future Cardinal *

Edward James Slattery Edward James Slattery (born August 11, 1940) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa in Oklahoma from 1993 to 2016. Biography Early life The second of seven children, Edward Slatt ...

, appointed Bishop of Tulsa in 1993 * Edward Kenneth Braxton. appointed Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis in 1995 * Robert Emmet Barron, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles in 2015 * Michael G. McGovern, appointed Bishop of Belleville in 2020 * Louis Tylka, appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Peoria in 2020

Structure of the archdiocese

Administration The Archdiocese Pastoral Centers are Archbishop Quigley Center, 835 North Rush Street and Cardinal Meyer Center, 3525 South Lake Park Avenue, both in Chicago. Administrative Council to the Archbishop Most Reverend Robert Casey, Vicar General
Stephen Kanonik, Moderator of the Curia
Daniel Welter, Chancellor
Jeffrey S. Grob, Auxiliary Bishop, Episcopal Vicar, Vicariate I
Mark A. Bartosic, Auxiliary Bishop, Episcopal Vicar, Vicariate II
Robert J. Lombardo, CFR, Auxiliary Bishop, Episcopal Vicar, Vicariate III
Kevin M. Birmingham, Auxiliary Bishop, Episcopal Vicar, Vicariate IV
Andrew P. Wypych, Auxiliary Bishop, Episcopal Vicar, Vicariate V
Joseph N. Perry, Auxiliary Bishop, Episcopal Vicar, Vicariate VI
Thomas A. Baima, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, University of St. Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary
Michael M. Boland, Director, Catholic Charities
Betsy Bohlen, Chief Financial Officer
George Puszka, Director, Finance
Christopher J. Cannova, Department of Personnel Services
Peter de Keartry, Interim-Director, Department of Human Services
Peter Wojik, Director, Department of Parish Vitality and Mission
Jim Rigg, Superintendent, Archdiocesan Board of Catholic Education

Departments

Departments, agencies and offices include: *Amate House *Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women *Archives and Records, Assistance Ministry * 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 *Family Ministries *Financial Services *Food Service Professionals *Formation, Lay Ecclesial Ministry *Legal Services * Liturgy Training Publications *Metropolitan Tribunal *Ministerial Evaluation *Ministry in Higher Education *Office of Catholic Schools
Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
*Office for Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship *Office of Information Technology
Office for Peace and Justice
*Office for Persons with Disabilities *Office of Professional Responsibility *Ongoing Formation in Ministry *Parish Life and Formation *The Protection of Children and Youth *Racial Justice *Research and Planning *Respect Life *Stewardship and Development *Vocations *Young Adult Ministry *Youth Ministry Office.

Office of Catholic Schools

Gerald Farinas Archbishop Quigley Seminary Chicago

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 , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in C ...

Czechs The Czechs ( cs, Češi, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common ancestry, ...

and Bohemians, French, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Puerto Rican Americans,

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...

, and Mexicans. Many local nuns living in convents established and operated Catholic schools. The school construction boom ended when Cardinal

, 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. Between 1984 and 2004, the Office of Catholic Schools closed 148 schools and 10 school sites. An August 27, 2015, article in the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'' refers to the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic Schools as the largest private school system in the United States. At the outset of the 2020/21 academic year, the archdiocese ran 160 elementary schools and three high schools. An additional eight Catholic elementary schools and 28 Catholic high schools that are not archdiocesan-run are located within the Archdiocese of Chicago. , the Superintendent of Catholic Schools is Jim Rigg, Ph.D. In January 2018, the Archdiocese announced the closure of five of its schools. In January 2020, the Archdiocese announced the permanent closure of five of its other schools. As of 2022, there are 33 Catholic high schools currently operating in Cook and Lake counties, seven all-girl high schools, seven all-boys high schools and 19 co-ed high schools.

Respect Life Office

Cardinal

established the Respect Life Office within the archdiocese. "It promotes the cause of life through advocacy and prayer. It has available educational resources, a speakers bureau and sponsors annual conferences, retreats and rallies for adults and youth. The Office also maintains Project Rachel, a program of reconciliation for those who participated in an abortion; and the Chastity Education Initiative, which serves youth and young adults of the Archdiocese, inspiring them to make positive choices about the gift of human sexuality." The Respect Life Office has coordinated several anti-abortion initiatives in the Chicago area. These include the local 40 Days for Life campaign, annual trip to the March for Life in both

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

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, for college and high school students.

Seminaries

* University of Saint Mary of the Lake (Mundelein Seminary) – major seminary * St. Joseph College Seminary – undergraduate seminary program of the Archdiocese of Chicago (affiliated with Loyola University Chicago) ((closed 2019)) *

Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood. Located in downtown Chicago at 103 East Chestnut Street, a ...

– high-school seminary (closed 2007)

Province of Chicago

* Diocese of Belleville * Diocese of Joliet in Illinois *

Diocese of Rockford The Diocese of Rockford ( la, Diœcesis Rockfordiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern Illinois region of the United States. The prelate is a bishop serving as the pastor of the Moth ...

* Diocese of Springfield in Illinois

References

External links

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago Official Site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Chicago

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Christianity in Chicago Religious organizations established in 1843

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Religious organizations based in Chicago 1843 establishments in Illinois

Diocesan history

Arrival of missionaries

First priest

First parish

Diocesan establishment

Fire of 1871

Archdiocese establishment

28th International Eucharistic Congress

Our Lady of the Angels fire

Churches

Archbishop's Residence

Bishops

Bishops of Chicago

Archbishops of Chicago

Current auxiliary bishops

Former auxiliary bishops

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

Structure of the archdiocese

Departments

Office of Catholic Schools

Respect Life Office

Seminaries

Province of Chicago

See also

References

Further reading

External links