Non-resident Pastor: Father Tirso S. Villaverde
Masses: Sundays: 9 a.m. Polish; 10:30 a.m. English;
noon Spanish
Phone: (773) 235-3132
Seating capacity: 700

Photo by: Sandy Bertog

St. Francis of Assisi/
Our Lady of the Angels
932 N. Kostner Ave., Chicago

When two long-established parishes combine, it can be the best of times or the worst, depending on perspective.

Our Lady of the Angels was founded in 1894; St. Francis of Assisi Parish, at the west end of OLA’s boundaries, was organized in 1909. The first served Irish Catholics, the other, Polish Catholics. Each had its individual proud histories. Then the two merged in 1990 at the newer site, St. Francis, a church designed by Fox & Fox in 1959. Today, in their predominantly African-American community, the majority of worshippers are Hispanic.

The modern style church has shrines to both Our Lady of Czestochowa and Our Lady of Guadalupe. There are outdoor shrines to Our Lady of Fatima and a garden shrine to St. Francis with benches for relaxation.

The social event of the year is their Picnic Under the Stars, after 5 p.m. Mass Aug. 5, on parish grounds—“Welcome, Witac, or Bienvenido.”