Province News

History of the Chicago Province in Pilsen from Fr. Chuck Niehaus, SJ
Thursday, June 06, 2002

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Pilsen
On April 23, 2002, the Pilsen Project (Jesuit ministry here in Pilsen) hosted a beautiful celebration to remember and give thanks to God for 10 years of recent pastoral and educational ministry here in Pilsen.

Oftentimes, however, we are people of short memory. Let us begin years ago. First of all, Pere Jacques Marquette, S.J. “wintered” (1674-75) on the banks of the south branch of the Chicago River near present day Damen Avenue in Pilsen. From there, he went further west and south with early French explorers of Illinois, the Midwest and the South. In 1973, Chuck McEnery (formerly a member of the Chicago Province) participated in the reenactment of the Marquette journeys of 1675 over the time span of several months as he took the role of Pere Marquette.

Arnold Damen, S.J., first came to Chicago in 1856 to preach a mission in Chicago. He returned in 1857 to establish Holy Family Parish among the poor Irish of the near West Side. An extensive Catholic school system was established through the succeeding years under Damen’s leadership (including St. Ignatius College in 1870). About 1872, there were six parish grade schools and one high school (St. Ignatius) under the auspices of Holy Family Parish. One of these grammar schools was named St. Veronica, located at 18th Place and Paulina (Pilsen). Approximately 1874, this parish school became a part of a full ministry parish, changed its name to St. Pius (serving the poor Irish of the central part of Pilsen) and was turned over to the Archdiocese of Chicago for its administration and pastoral care. Much later, in 1922, St. Pius became a Dominican parish and is that to this day.

Another primary school was founded by Fr. Damen several years earlier in 1865, St. Stanislaus School, at one point located at Evans Street (now 18th) and Newberry. This parish school of Holy Family later became a full ministry parish as well and changed its name to Sacred Heart about 1873. Several Jesuits ministered to the people of St. Stanislaus/Sacred Heart when it was still a mission of Holy Family. Sometime around 1873 as well, the parish church and school were re-located to new brick buildings at Peoria and Johnson (later 19th) Streets, on the southwest corner. Before its development into a full ministry parish, Fathers Michael J. Corbett, S.J., Dominic Niederkorn, S.J., Michael Van Argt, S.J., and John Schultz, S.J. served the people of Sacred Heart Mission of Holy family Church. Arnold Damen served the people of Sacred Heart in his declining years from 1879 to 1884. In all there were 15 Jesuit pastors of Sacred Heart Parish. Like St. Pius Parish, Sacred Heart mainly sought to serve the Irish Catholics of the Pilsen area. In the 1890’s, there was a parish high school for girls. This school may have been established from the early days of St. Stanislaus School in 1865. Records are unclear on the dating of this high school. Sacred Heart was an active parish until a fire (presumably electrical) destroyed the church/school building in January 1959. Edward W. Schmidt, S.J., remembers seeing (from the top floor of St. Ignatius High School) the Sacred Heart church building burn when he was a senior at St. Ignatius. After the fire, the original plan was to re-build the church and school. That never happened. Due to financial considerations, Sacred Heart parishioners and students became a part of Providence of God “Lithuanian” Church three blocks away at 18th and Union.

The Jesuits of the Chicago Province “came back” to Pilsen in 1972. One or two Jesuit communities existed in Pilsen at one time or another during the 1970’s. The Twomey Residence or the Padre Pro Jesuit communities were located at various times at 1626 S. Throop, 1844-46 W. 17th Street or 1818 S. Paulina. During the eight years (1973-1980) of these two Jesuit communities, over 24 Jesuit priests, brothers, or scholastics lived in one of the two communities or worked in the area, mainly as community organizers. These Jesuits came from 12 provinces: Chicago, Detroit, California, Missouri, Wisconsin, Oregon, California, Maryland, Honduras, Germany, Antilles or New England. Jim Schulz, John Baumann (CFN), Jerry Helfrich (CFN), Ron Wolf (CFN), Tom Michel (MIS), Tom Sweetser (WIS), Joe Mulligan (DET), and John A. Donahue (CAM) continue as Jesuits.

Brad Schaeffer, SJ, Chicago Provincial who initiated Pilsen Project, Bishop Raymond Goedert, Vicar General of Archdiocese of Chicago, Rosemary Croghan, Cristo Rey Board Chairwoman, Bishop Jesus Martinez, Maribel Ayala, CRJHS '02, and John P. Foley, SJ
During these eight years, the Jesuits were very interested in serving the local (mainly Mexican) church in the context of the social message of the church via community organizing. Some present Pilsen parishioners still speak with fondness of all that the Jesuits taught them about the social mission of the church throughout those tumultuous years of the 1970’s. Then finally in 1992, the Chicago Province Jesuits “came back” for the second time.

With the vision of Brad Schaeffer, S.J., the province took over the administration of St. Procopius Parish. There was the (realizable) hope that the Chicago Province could start an educational component of Jesuit ministerial presence in Pilsen—one that would become later Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and the Poder Learning Center (formerly the Loyola Center). Jim Schulz (as pastor of St. Procopius Parish) and Dick Murphy (as his associate) served the parish in its early years with Mike Class and Kevin Flaherty in residence. Jim Gartland came in 1993 to do the educational feasibility study that led to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and the Poder Learning Center being founded in 1996. Mr. Dan Loftus became the director of the Poder Learning Center in 1996. Sean O’Sullivan, S.J., served the parish as youth minister and religious education minister for two and a half years. John P. Foley, S.J., came back from Peru in January 1995 to continue the educational discernment process that led to the establishment of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. Numerous other Chicago and Peruvian Jesuits have served in St. Procopius Parish, Poder Learning Center and St. Procopius School in one capacity or another.

But lest we forget our Jesuit history in Pilsen, we need to know our rootedness. Two points stand out: 1) St. Procopius was not the first Jesuit parish in Pilsen; Sacred Heart was. 2) Cristo Rey Jesuit High School was not the first Jesuit High School in Pilsen; Sacred Heart at 19th (Johnson) and Peoria was. Then, after the Jesuits, the BVM Sisters ran a two-year commercial high school there from approximately 1876 to 1896.
Let us celebrate and remember our history with gratitude to the Lord who is the source of all blessings.