Media shouldn’t obscure church’s inner-city efforts

by Bishop Joseph N. Perry

No private organization has done more than the Catholic Church of Chicago to contribute to the education and social welfare of the disadvantaged people of the Chicago area. The Archdiocese of Chicago has spent—and will continue to spend—millions of dollars to maintain and improve buildings in the inner city.

Why make such a statement at this time?

Simply because stories that appeared recently in the media regarding the demolition of Catholic churches in Chicago’s predominantly African-American community have reported declarations by well-meaning but uninformed advocates that are simply not true.

Advocates have incorrectly declared that the Catholic Church has withdrawn support for inner-city communities and disregarded architectural history while being financially capable of supporting both. By not adequately challenging these assertions, the media unfortunately grants these advocates credibility far beyond what they deserve.

The removal of church towers from Corpus Christi Church was portrayed as an abandonment of a neighborhood when, in fact, the towers will be repaired and replaced. The archdiocese already has spent several hundred thousand dollars to finance roof and other repairs at this South Side church.

The continued deterioration of St. Gelasius and the cost of maintaining what is now a vacant building led to the decision to seek demolition. However, the archdiocese plans on holding the site as vacant property for use in the future. Members of Amate House, the archdiocese’s young adult volunteer program, reside in the rectory of St. Gelasius, and half of them serve in schools in inner city neighborhoods. The St. Gelasius site is also home to a food pantry operated by St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, where former St. Gelasius parishioners are now served.

The decisions regarding St. Gelasius, Corpus Christi and other inner-city parishes are guided by the counsel of the Parishes Task Force of the Archdiocesan Black Catholic Convocation Implementation Committee, which is assisting the archdiocese in planning for the future needs of the larger black Catholic community. These actions are part of an overall plan to assure and support strong Catholic parishes in Cook and Lake counties.

Many Catholic churches, whose pastors and associate pastors are in residence, remain in the inner city, serving the local community. St. Basil/Visitation, St. Benedict the African, Corpus Christi and St. Columbanus are a few of the many archdiocesan parishes on the South Side of Chicago. They are supported by the generosity of their members and grants from the archdiocese and serve people of all faiths.

The Catholic Church of Chicago maintains a strong presence in the inner-city community through its schools and the social service outreach programs of Catholic Charities, contributing to the welfare and enhancement of the community. Recently opened senior housing projects at St. Ailbe and St. Sabina parishes are just a few examples of the archdiocese’s response to community needs.

Appreciation of the past enriches us and allows us to build something that will serve future generations. Without discounting the value of what has gone before, the archdiocese is guided by a vision of new life for our community and a commitment to best use the available personnel and monetary resources.

While many structures, churches among them, may be architecturally beautiful, the priority of the archdiocese is to support healthy and vital worship communities in Chicago’s South Side black Catholic parishes and elsewhere. The value and legacy to the surrounding community ought to be the expressions of lived faith that benefit that community. This is what the church is about.

Bishop Perry is the episcopal vicar of Vicariate VI.

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