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Need info? Check the directory By Mary Claire Gart Who? What? Where? If those questions pertain to the Archdiocese of Chicago, the
answers are likely to be found in Directory 2000 of the Archdiocese
of Chicago. To mark this millennium edition, the new directory has a laminated, gold cover that bears the official logo of the Jubilee year. Inside, as usual, its pages are crammed with information about the institutions and personnel of the archdiocese. The largest portion of the almost 500-page book is a listing of all the parishes, shrines and missions in Cook and Lake counties. From St. Adalbert on the South Side to St. Zachary in Des Plaines—plus the new St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr in Tinley Park—each parish is listed along with the names of its religious and lay staff, phone and fax numbers (and sometimes e-mail addresses). To complete the overview of each parish, there is also a schedule of Masses for Sundays, weekdays and holy days, the times for confessions, and notes on the church’s seating capacity, the founding date of the parish and the number of registered families. In order to help locate the church, each parish listing is accompanied by a thumbnail map of the area. Special facilities for hearing- and mobility-impaired persons, as well as parishes that offer SPRED programs for those with developmental disabilities, are indicated. The parish section includes a listing of closed parishes and schools for those who need to track down sacramental and school records. There is also a list of 193 sites where Sunday Masses are offered in languages other than English—everything from Bielarusian to Latin to Vietnamese. In addition to listing the personnel at each parish, the directory includes alphabetical listings of 935 archdiocesan priests and bishops, 825 religious priests, 598 permanent deacons, 368 brothers and 3,223 women religious. Institutional listings include sections on schools and seminaries, retreat centers, cemeteries and health institutions. To learn how all these various institutions mesh and work together, the directory includes a chart on the administrative structure of the archdiocese, indicating the various departments and agencies. Other pages show how the archdiocese is geographically divided into six vicariates and 25 deaneries and who heads each area. The work of many archdiocesan agencies and organizations is further explained in the service directory at the end of the directory. For information on ordering a copy of Directory 2000 of the Archdiocese of Chicago, which is edited by New World Publications, see the ad on Page 10 or call The Catholic New World at (312) 243-1300.
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