Quigley Preparatory Seminary South was a
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
high school administered by the
Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. The Vatican erected it as a diocese in 1843 and elevated it to an ar ...
from 1961 through 1990. Quigley South was located at 7740 South Western Avenue on the South Side of
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
.
Quigley North and Quigley South were both named to honor
James Edward Quigley
James Edward Quigley (October 15, 1854 – July 10, 1915) was a Canadian-born American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Chicago from 1903 to 1915. He previously served as Bishop of Buffalo from 1897 to 1903.
Biography
Early life a ...
, Archbishop of Chicago from 1903 to 1915.
From concept to construction
In the 1950s, Cardinal
Samuel Stritch
Samuel Alphonsius Stritch (August 17, 1887 – May 27, 1958) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Chicago from 1940 to 1958 and as pro-prefect of the Congregation for Propagation of the Faith from March 1958 until hi ...
, then
Archbishop of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church located in Northeast Illinois, Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. The Vatican erected it as a diocese in 1843 and e ...
, began planning for the second Quigley seminary to relieve overcrowding at Quigley North, but he died in Rome on May 27, 1958. At the direction of his successor Cardinal
Albert Gregory Meyer
Albert Gregory Meyer (March 9, 1903 – April 9, 1965) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Chicago from 1958 until his death in 1965. He was appointed a cardinal in 1959. He previously served as Archbishop of Milwaukee ...
, a former seminary rector and Archbishop of Milwaukee (appointed Archbishop of Chicago on September 19, 1958), Quigley Preparatory Seminary South opened in 1961, with Msgr. Martin M. Howard named its first
rector.
The 1960s
Cardinal Meyer dedicated the Quigley South Chapel of the Sacred Heart (so named to hearken to the original Chicago minor seminary, Cathedral College of the Sacred Heart), its campus, and new facilities for its 869 students on September 13, 1962.
[ Harry C. Koenig, editor, ''Caritas Christi Urget Nos: A History of the Offices, Agencies, and Institutions of the Archdiocese of Chicago'', Vol. I, pg. 354] For a short period in the early 1960s, both Quigley campuses held joint events, including graduations, in order to instill among the students the spirit of sharing one school.
''Quigley: One Hundred Years of Memories, 1905-2005'', Taylor Publishing, Dallas, 2006, pg. 35
In 1966 Cardinal
John Cody instituted a Chicago seminary system-wide change abolishing the Thursday day off and Saturday school day, which had for decades separated Chicago seminarians and seminary faculty from participating in Saturday social activities, while Quigley faculty voted to alter their own dress code requiring a cassock, in place of other clerical attire. Seminary policies prohibiting seminarian participation in co-educational activities and organizations were also revised in that same year. In 1968, dress codes for both Quigley seminaries requiring a suit coat and tie for students were revised to fit the seasons of the year, and the Quigley seminaries made the necessary arrangements so that Quigley students could join the
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society (NHS) is one of the oldest, largest, and most widely recognized cocurricular student organizations in American high schools, with 1.4 million members.
The purpose of the NHS is to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to ...
.
The 1970s
After a year-long self-study of the entire Chicago archdiocesan seminary system in 1969 assisted by Arthur B. Little and Company of Boston, Cardinal Cody in 1970 announced a new admissions policy for the Quigley seminaries, which expanded beyond Cardinal Mundelein's original requirement in 1916 that Quigley students be "educated with those who only look forward to that same great work in life, the priestly field of labor." Boys from two categories would, as of 1971, be admitted to Quigley, "(a.) ... who have indicated a desire for the priesthood and who meet the requirements of admissions, and (b.) ... who, in the judgment of parish priests, have the kind of character, ability, and temperament which might lead to the personal discovery of a vocation in the priesthood." The new policy also indicated that Quigley North and South should "emphasize the fact that they are contemporary seminaries primarily concerned with the development and encouragement of vocations to the priesthood," and that "a vigorous campaign should be begun, especially on the part of priests, to enroll qualified students."
[ Harry C. Koenig, editor, ''Caritas Christi Urget Nos: A History of the Offices, Agencies, and Institutions of the Archdiocese of Chicago'', Vol. I, pg. 349-50]
However, Cardinal Cody's intent to maintain unity with Quigley North, as well as a focus on the development of more young men choosing the priesthood as a vocation, would be short-lived. Quigley South would go on to develop its own distinct identity on the South Side of Chicago. The two Quigleys would develop a rivalry of sorts during sporting events between the two schools, and very few, if any, joint social or ministry activities would be held between them as the years progressed. With a typical annual student body of more than 700 students, Quigley South dwarfed the enrollment of Quigley North whose own enrollment usually numbered less than 100. Reflective of the ethnic and racial diversity of Chicago, increasing numbers of Poles, African-Americans, Lithuanians, Hispanics and Irish students matriculated at Quigley South each fall.
Prayer and a rigorous curriculum remained a mainstay of Quigley, however the school would eventually offer an innovative approach to attracting and retaining its culturally diverse community. While many schools would maintain the strict dress code and policy of no facial hair and crew cuts during this period, Quigley would eschew many of these rules and allow students to sport full beards and shoulder-length hair. While formal proms were not allowed (they were called Spring Socials), many parties and concerts would indeed be hosted at Quigley. Chicago natives
Chuck Panozzo
Charles Salvatore "Chuck" Panozzo (born September 20, 1948) is an American musician best known as a co-founder of the rock band Styx. He is currently a part-time bass player in the band, sharing bass duties with Terry Gowan. Panozzo is living wit ...
, his brother
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
and
Dennis DeYoung
Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and keyboardist. He was a founding member of the rock band Styx and served as its primary lead vocalist and keyboardist from 1972 until 1999. DeYoung was the band's most ...
of
Styx
In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...
played at Quigley South's gym.
In 1978, after serving many years at Quigley as a faculty member, Father
Jerry Kicanas was asked by Cardinal Cody to become Quigley South's new rector to replace Father James P. Keleher (now retired Bishop of Kansas City) who was tapped to become rector at
Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary at Mundelein, Illinois.
Historic visit by Pope John Paul II
The reemergence of the seminary as a place for young men to explore their interest in priesthood was acknowledged when Pope John Paul II visited Quigley South on October 5, 1979. The Pope had lunch with bishops in the school's gym, and an exclusive audience with students and faculty. With thousands of people waiting to see the Pope outside the school, John Paul II, along with the school's principal and John Cardinal Cody, climbed to the school's roof to see the crowd.
Pope
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
gave three speeches in all that day—one to the bishops of the United States,
John Paul II, ''U.S.A. -- The Message of Justice, Peace, and Love'', Daughters of St. Paul, 1979, pp. 173-192 one to the sick,
John Paul II, ''U.S.A. -- The Message of Justice, Peace, and Love'', Daughters of St. Paul, 1979, pg. 194 and one to the minor seminarians of both Quigley schools.
The final years
The 1980s would bring many changes to Quigley South. A decision to integrate new technologies with the traditional academic rigors of Quigley led to the establishment of a computer lab in 1983, one of the first Chicago-area high schools to do so, complete with
Apple IIe
The Apple IIe (styled as Apple //e) is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Inc., Apple Computer. It was released in January 1983 as the successor to the Apple II Plus. The ''e'' in the name stands for ...
's. In 1984, faculty member Fr John Klein would replace Kicanas as the last rector of Quigley South as Kicanas moved on to become rector of the major seminary in Mundelein, and eventually seventh Bishop of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
The Diocese of Tucson ( – ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory – or diocese – of the Roman Catholic Church in southern Arizona in the United States. It is a suffragan see, suffragan diocese of the ecclesiastical province of the metro ...
.
By December 1989, due to numerous reasons, the archdiocese announced the controversial decision to close Quigley South as of June 1990 and combine it with Quigley North into
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for Single-sex education, young men considering the Priesthood (Catholic Church), priesthood. It closed ...
at the original downtown site for the 1990 Fall term. For several weeks in early 1990, Quigley students
"Students Deplore Plan to Shut Chicago Seminary," New York Times, 2/25/1990 and alumni from both institutions picketed the mansion
"Parishioners gather to fend off closing," Chicago Tribune, 1/29/1990 of Cardinal
Joseph Bernardin
Joseph Louis Bernardin (April 2, 1928 – November 14, 1996) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1972 until 1982, and as Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 until his death from pancreatic cancer. B ...
and published a full-page ad in the
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
.
"An Open Letter to Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Archbishop of Chicago " Chicago Sun-Times, 3/4/1990, pg. 38 While some protesters later joined in supporting the combined school, this site was also subsequently closed on June 22, 2007. Klein had been president of the school in 1990 until his death in 1999.
The Quigley South campus was purchased for the new location of
St. Rita of Cascia High School (originally located several miles north at 63rd Street and Claremont Avenue). The physical location of Quigley South appears largely the same, with some exterior modifications such as Quigley South's former varsity soccer field now the location of St. Rita's football stadium (Quigley South never had a football team).
Miscellaneous
* Team name:
Sparta
Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...
ns, named for the famed
Spartan Army
The Spartan army was the principal ground force of Sparta. It stood at the center of the ancient Greek city-state, consisting of citizens trained in the disciplines and honor of a warrior society.Connolly (2006), p. 38 Subjected to military ...
, known as the best disciplined, best trained, and most feared military forces in the ancient world. By far, the most delicious item on the menu at Quigley South's cafeteria was a double cheeseburger called the Spartan Burger.
* School motto: Ora et Labora, Latin for "pray and work".
* Yearbook name:
ΙΧΘΥΣ, an acronym formed from the first letters of several ancient Greek words meaning "
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
:
Messiah
In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; ,
; ,
; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...
,
Son of God
Historically, many rulers have assumed titles such as the son of God, the son of a god or the son of heaven.
The term "Son of God" is used in the Hebrew Bible as another way to refer to humans who have a special relationship with God. In Exo ...
,
Savior
Savior or saviour may refer to:
*A person who helps people achieve salvation, or saves them from something
Religion
* Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will rule for seven, nine or nineteen years
* Maitreya
* Messiah, a saviour or li ...
".
* Newspaper name: Profile
* The original team name was "Rebels". It was changed to avoid references to the Confederate States of America and a pro-slavery stance.
Notable alumni
Living bishops
*
Wilton D. Gregory, (QS '65) Archbishop of Washington, former president of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic C ...
*
Jerome Edward Listecki
Jerome Edward Listecki (born March 12, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the eleventh archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee from 2010 to 2025.
Listecki previously served as an auxiliar ...
, (QS '67) Archbishop of Milwaukee
*
Edward K. Braxton, (QS '62) Bishop Emeritus of Belleville
*
Thomas John Paprocki, (QS '70) Bishop of Springfield
*
Ronald A. Hicks (QS ‘85) Bishop of Joliet
Other alumni
* Don Bies, (QS, '79) Special Effects Veteran and R2-D2 Operator
*
Doug Bruno
Richard Douglas Bruno (born November 7, 1950) is the Special Assistant to the Vice President/Director of Athletics for Women’s Basketball and the former head coach of the DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team. In 2016, he completed his 30t ...
, head coach of
DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball
The DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate women's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. The team competes in the Big East Conference.
The Blue Demons play home games at Wintru ...
, assistant coach of 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic teams.
*
Mike Harper, ('76) NBA basketball player
*
Paul Hickey, (QS '79) author, ''Plight of the Bayou Coyote''
*
Rob Jeter
Robert DeLafayette Jeter III (born May 15, 1969) is an American college basketball coach and current head coach at Southern Utah.
Personal life
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jeter grew up in Chicago. His father, Bob (1937–2008), was a Ro ...
, (QS '87) head basketball coach at
Western Illinois
Forgottonia (), also spelled Forgotonia, is the name given to a 16-county region in Western Illinois in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This geographic region forms the distinctive western bulge of Illinois (area west of 90° Longitude West) t ...
*
Andrew Kloak, (QS '84) author, ''Working the Glass: A Novel''
*
Leo D. Lefebure, Matteo Ricci SJ chair of theology at Georgetown University
*
Harry Lennix
Harold Joseph Lennix III (born November 16, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Terrence "Dresser" Williams in the Robert Townsend film '' The Five Heartbeats'' (1991) and as Boyd Langton in the science-fiction series '' Do ...
, (QS '82) noted Actor
*
Antonio Munoz, (QS '82) Illinois State Senator
*
Martin Sandoval
Martin A. Sandoval (January 12, 1964 – December 5, 2020) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician and Illinois Senate, senator for Illinois who admitted guilt to corruption charges in 2020.. Contains PDF and tex ...
, (QS '82) Illinois State Senator
*
Elgie R. Sims Jr., (QS '88) Illinois State Senator
*
William F. Tate IV
William F. Tate IV is an American social scientist and higher education administrator currently serving as President of Rutgers University. He previously was the 28th president of Louisiana State University.
Career
Tate received a Bachelor of ...
, (QS '79) social scientist and university president
Athletics
The Quigley South Spartans wore blue-and-gold colors, and competed in baseball, basketball, soccer, cross-country, wrestling, track, swimming, tennis, and golf.
IHSA Season Summaries Chicago (Quigley South)) 1962-88
References
External links
Quigley South Alumniwebsite
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminarywebsite
Friends of The Windows at St. James Chapel at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
{{authority control
Defunct Catholic seminaries in the United States
Seminaries and theological colleges in Illinois
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
Defunct private schools in Chicago
Educational institutions established in 1961
Educational institutions disestablished in 1990
1961 establishments in Illinois
1990 disestablishments in Illinois
Defunct Catholic secondary schools in Illinois
Catholic schools in Chicago